Archive for February 19th, 2008
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008The Bangladesh Bank (BB) yesterday asked all commercial banks to submit proposals within two weeks on how to reduce interest spread between lending and deposit rates and charges for different services.The central bank observed that the state-owned commercial banks charge reasonably for different services, but the rates charged by local private commercial banks are high while those by foreign commercial banks, too high.“Banks will submit a proposal within next two weeks outlining how the existing high charges and the gap between lending and deposit interest rates can be narrowed down,” BB Governor Salehuddin Ahmed told reporters after a meeting with ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 19th, 2008Intelligence agencies strongly suspect a large number of grenades are kept hidden in places across the country as they have made seizures of abandoned grenades or arrested militants with the bombs.In the last five years, the law enforcers seized grenades in almost every district and most of those were found abandoned."Our suspicion points to everywhere," commented Hassan Mahmood Khandaker, director general of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), on Saturday when asked whether grenades are in the hands of militants.Law enforcers have already seized at least 130 hand grenades, mostly of Arges brand, and the rest 36-MHE brand grenades, from different ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 19th, 2008When malnutrition is considered a major cause of child mortality in countries like Bangladesh, bird-flu panic is deteriorating the situation as the protein intake of some people has decreased significantly.Protein is one of the key components of a proper diet and more than half the Bangladesh population suffer from malnutrition. Protein nourishes the body and develops the immune system. Protein-deficiency hinders physical growth of children and their brain development also slows down, experts said.Due to the bird-flu panic, the middle class and poorer people of the society are suffering the most. They are more dependent on eggs for protein ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 19th, 2008Pakistanis defied bombings and shootings yesterday to vote in critical parliamentary elections that will decide the political fate of key US anti-terrorist ally President Pervez Musharraf.The polls were intended to complete the transition to civilian democracy after eight years of military rule, but took place in the shadow of surging violence including the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.Western allies will be closely watching the result of the polls in the nuclear-armed Islamic nation -- with opposition leaders vowing mass protests if rigging robs them of victory.Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999 and stepped ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 19th, 2008The government launches a clampdown on unauthorised CNG conversion workshops today, waking up finally to the fatal incidents of cylinder blasts that have already claimed many lives.These unauthorised workshops are engaged in fitting faulty and sub-standard CNG cylinders to motor vehicles, which have a high risk of explosion.The drive has been initiated following a number of incidents of cylinder blasts in various parts of the country and a RPGCL finding that around 10 to 15 illegal conversion plants are operative in the capital city.A team comprising representatives from Rupantorita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL), Department of Explosives, Bangladesh CNG ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 19th, 2008Kalu Mia opened his cash box, reached into it and brought out a "protective" mask which is made of a flimsy piece of cloth. "See… I have a mask," he said showing the thing he bought for Tk 5.Chicken trader of Karwan Bazar Kalu never used the mask. When asked about gloves, he answered with a question, "What are those?" People from a private chicken farm voluntarily come and spray disinfectants in the shop every day but no government officials come, said Kalu Mia sitting in front of a number of healthy-looking chickens yesterday.The unawareness of Kalu Mia is ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 19th, 2008Draft voter lists for Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet city corporations were published yesterday.The number of voters in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) stands at 257,700 while it is 398,010 in Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and 254,450 in Sylhet City Corporation (SCC).Acting Rajshahi Divisional Deputy Election Commissioner and District Election Officer Sayed Muhammad Musa said the draft voter list had been sent to all the 30 ward commissioners of RCC and election offices, reports our Rajshahi correspondent.The number of RCC voters decreased by 16,428 in the draft voter list from the earlier one prepared in 2006.“The final voter list is ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 19th, 2008Musharraf lost his most important political battle within two months after taking off his Army uniform. February 18t was a historical day. People of Pakistan tried to defeat terror and tyranny by the vote power. There were many incidents of bombings and sniper firing just one day before the polling. Targets were the anti-Musharraf parties.One candidate of PML-N was gunned down in Lahore on February 17. President Pervez Musharraf assured a British newspaper one day before the polling that his PML-Q will win the election. Rigging was writing on the wall. It was also a fear that a big number ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 19th, 2008Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad yesterday said if any of the investigation officers is found guilty of diverting the August 21 grenade attack case to a different direction, he would be punished after disposal of the case.If any flaw is found in the investigation of the case, punitive measures would be taken against the officials concerned after disposal of the case, said the IGP while speaking at the launching ceremony of a five-day training programme for police at Rajarbagh in the capital.Replying to a query, he said the investigation of the case had reached the final stage ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 19th, 2008The Supreme Court (SC) is scheduled to hear today the government's petition seeking permission to appeal the High Court's (HC) landmark judgment that quashed the Tk 2.99 crore extortion case against Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina.Sources at the Attorney General's Office yesterday afternoon told The Daily Star that they would file a regular application for leave to appeal before start of the hearing.In its February 6 judgment, the HC bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Shahidul Islam also declared illegal the government's having the case under emergency power rules.Within an hour of delivery of the ...
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