Archive for September 17th, 2008
Wednesday, September 17th, 2008China will provide special preferential treatment for access of some Bangladeshi products to its market to reduce the prevailing trade imbalance between the two countries and cooperate in paving the way for implementation of the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant.It assured cooperation in constructing two more bridges--Meghna and Gomti bridges--in Bangladesh.China will also consider Bangladesh's request for engaging itself in the Bangladesh-Myanmar road link scheme meant for enhancing trade and people-to-people contact.The assurances came during official talks between Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People yesterday.It was hoped at ...
(read more) Wednesday, September 17th, 2008Demanding lifting of the state of emergency and holding of the parliamentary election ahead of any other poll, BNP-led four-party alliance yesterday urged the caretaker government and the Election Commission (EC) to invite all of its components to the anticipated dialogue."Four-party alliance is always interested in dialogues to ensure free, fair and participatory elections, but inviting only BNP keeping our partners outside the process will not be acceptable," BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said during a media briefing after a meeting of alliance leaders in the residence of Shafik Rehman, editor of the vernacular weekly Mouchake Dhil, also ...
(read more) Wednesday, September 17th, 2008Bangladesh Bank (BB) will make disbursement of agriculture loans among farmers mandatory for all banks, including the foreign ones, to ease farming activities in the country.The BB would first ask the banks to disburse loans among farmers, BB Deputy Governor Nazrul Huda said yesterday, adding that if the banks do not comply with this, the central bank will force them to put a certain percentage of their annual credit aside for agriculture loan disbursements.The BB took the decision at a meeting of its Agriculture Credit Monitoring Committee in Dhaka yesterday. The meeting also decided that the banks should introduce a ...
(read more) Wednesday, September 17th, 2008Over a hundred fishermen went missing when their trawlers capsized in rough waters caused by depression in North Bay Monday night.Accompanying tidal surges inundated Patuakhali town, Nijhumdwip and more than 100 other offshore islands across the coastal districts, leaving thousands of people marooned.The Met Office advised the authorities to hoist local cautionary signal number three and asked all fishing boats to hit shelters immediately until further notice.The depression still hovering on the Northern Bay is expected to cross to Orissa coast, slowly though.Tidal surges, whipped up by the full moon, snapped ferry services on the Kuakata route in ...
(read more) Wednesday, September 17th, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday granted three months' ad interim bail to Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina and her cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim in the extortion case filed by businessman Azam J Chowdhury.An HC vacation bench comprising Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mamnoon Rahman also stayed the case proceedings against Hasina till October 19.This is the first bail secured by the former prime minister in the five cases filed against her since the military-backed caretaker government took over on January 11 last year.However, Hasina's counsel Shafique Ahmed said if they could secure bail in ...
(read more) Wednesday, September 17th, 2008Awami League (AL) yesterday said it is working to forge a grand electoral alliance to face the BNP-Jamaat coalition in the parliamentary election planned for December.Components of the AL-led 14-party combine however expressed total ignorance about the move.Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon told The Daily Star, "We didn't have any discussions on the matter."Most of the combine members have reservations about HM Ershad's Jatiya Party (JP) getting into the fold."We disapprove of forming an alliance with Jatiya Party," said Menon adding that the JP has a hidden agenda in joining the alliance.Citing discussions with AL ...
(read more) Wednesday, September 17th, 2008The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said any political disruption in the run-up to the parliamentary polls and its outcome will pose a major risk to the economy.As politics is back on stream ahead of the elections planned for December, the donor agency came up with the warning in its 'Asian Development Outlook 2008 Update' yesterday."Despite the uncertainty in the lead-up to the planned December 2008 election and its outcome, it is assumed that a smooth transition between governments will be seen," it said.The ADB has said the government can consider a reduction in petroleum prices if Bangladesh no longer ...
(read more) Wednesday, September 17th, 2008Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have stepped up street patrols and intelligence activities to ensure security for Eid shoppers in the capital.As part of the security measures, DMP has already put in place a three-tier security system starting from the first day of Ramadan, which is to be in effect through the post Eid week, sources said.Rab sources said the elite battalion has also deployed a four-tier security measure in Dhaka metropolitan area and throughout the country as well.According to sources, to maintain law and order, Rab has deployed over 2,000 of its personnel in the ...
(read more) Wednesday, September 17th, 2008The school van drops off Mitu, a Viqarunnisa Noon School student, at Sipahibagh, about a mile from her residence in Bhuiyanpara.Her father, waiting there beforehand, weaves up to the class IV student. He tries to take a rickshaw home, in vain though. No one would overtax their brawn pedalling down the furrowed Bhuiyanpara road.No other way on hand, they began walking down the road, the large schoolbag on the girl's back.The father and daughter must repeat the same every day, barring a few exceptions when a rickshaw-puller would agree to take them on.And Sipahibagh and Meradia residents must show ...
(read more) Wednesday, September 17th, 2008Lack of coordination between agencies concerned became so acute in Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) that parts of newly-constructed roads had to be dug to install sewerage, gas and telephone lines spoiling large amount of public money.Central reservations on many roads, including Azimpur-New Market road in the city, were made wider than the previous ones narrowing down the width of roads.These were the findings in the latest evaluation report of Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED). It also found use of low quality materials in road construction that led to their fast deterioration, inconsistencies in money spent and projects completed. ...
(read more) 
