Archive for July 1st, 2009
Wednesday, July 1st, 2009Call it a spillover effect, if you like.The latest bout of garment violence in Ashulia was the outbreak of smouldering anger of low-paid workers.Ha-Meem Group is just the latest victim of rioting by workers of a few sick and sub-contracting factories, who joined hands with some local "jhoot" (garment rejects) traders, industry insiders say.According to businessmen and workers, Monday's incident -- worst in a three-day mayhem -- bears the hallmarks of violence often triggered by disputes over pay in the garment industry.The workers, who are either paid low or irregularly, have been mounting pressure on the managements ...
(read more) Wednesday, July 1st, 2009Monday's arson attack on Ha-Meem Group complex in Ashulia will mean job loss for around half of 4,000 workers at its sweater factories.Many of the workers facing the axe came to the site yesterday morning. They said managing job in other factories would be very difficult as the garment sector braces itself for a decline in export due to global recession.Almost all other factories in Ashulia and Savar including those inside the Export Processing Zone however got back in operation yesterday.It was a welcome contrast to the previous three days that saw clashes between demonstrators and the law enforcers leave ...
(read more) Wednesday, July 1st, 2009The Jatiya Sangsad yesterday passed the budget for the fiscal year 2009-10 in the absence of the main opposition BNP.The budget, the first by this Awami League government to be implemented from today, outlines Tk 1,89,960 crore of gross expenditure, including revenue and development, and Tk 1,13,819 crore of net expenditure.The food and disaster management ministry has received the maximum allocation of Tk 12,946 crore in both development and non-development sectors.The defence ministry received the second highest allocation of Tk 8,199 crore followed by the Local Government Division with an allocation of Tk 7,934 crore.The education ministry received Tk 7,415 ...
(read more) Wednesday, July 1st, 2009Petrobangla yesterday approved a move allowing US oil company Chevron install a gas compressor station at Muchai in the gas pipeline owned by the national Gas Transmission Company Ltd (GTCL).Petrobangla had earlier asked Chevron to install this compressor to boost gas supply pressure and volume late last year when GTCL was processing a tender for the same under a loan from Asian Development Bank (ADB).The GTCL's tender was opened in February, and in May the GTCL board headed by Petrobangla chairman Maj (retd) M Muktadir Ali cancelled the tender. Ali had earlier pushed Chevron for the job last year.Chevron ...
(read more) Wednesday, July 1st, 2009The World Bank's (WB) Worldwide Governance Indicator (WGI) shows that Bangladesh performed poorly in the rule of law, government effectiveness, and regulatory quality but did well in control of corruption, political stability and accountability.The WB released the WGI 2009 on Monday. Since 1996, it releases every year the WGI based on six indicators.Talking to The Daily Star, Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr Zaid Bakht said the anti-corruption drive launched by the immediate past caretaker government 'curbed' corruption slightly but the panic created by the drive among people led to deterioration of the rule of law.The ...
(read more) Wednesday, July 1st, 2009Cyclone Aila-hit farmers after suffering huge loss in Aus production may miss the Aman season because of saline waterlogging in large coastal areas as the damaged embankments are yet to be repaired.Officials and experts fear the Water Development Board (WDB) would not be able to fully repair the embankments before the rainy season as it is difficult to collect necessary soil to repair huge breaches.Agriculturalists say marginal farmers would become very vulnerable if they miss the coast's main crop Aman after the Aila. They suggest that the government take very special and immediate care to ensure these farmers' livelihood and ...
(read more) Wednesday, July 1st, 2009Momtaj Begum is finally free of all the pain and suffering she has undergone at the hands of her husband of ten years-- and his family -- because she was too ill to work.She died early yesterday morning after fighting for her life for 24 long days in a bed at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), suffering from burn injuries.Her husband Shamsul Biswas helped his family pour kerosene on Momtaj and set her on fire because her father could not pay a dowry of Tk one lakh to 'compensate' for her ill health. ...
(read more) Wednesday, July 1st, 2009Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) assigned a firm to collect toll from parking vehicles in Motijheel and Dilkusha area despite an existing multi-storey parking facility at Sadharan Bima Corporation constructed in 2006 to ease traffic congestion.The parking facility at Sadharan Bima Corporation at Dilkusha has a capacity of accommodating 575 vehicles but around 185 vehicles are parked there on an average every day as the charge is more than parking on the road.The DCC on June 15 issued the work order to Nawal Construction to maintain the parking in Motijheel and Dilkusha area. Nawal will pay Tk 18 lakh to ...
(read more) Wednesday, July 1st, 2009Owners' tendency to control workers using muscle power, especially engaging local politicians and jhoot (garment wastes) businessmen, and government's indifferent attitude to solving problems of workers have caused the recent unrest in garment sector, said labour leaders.Unless trade union is established providing a table for both garment workers and owners to sit around and discuss the problems in the garment factories it cannot be handled properly, the leaders observed.“Garment owners tend to control workers using local politicians and jhoot businessmen instead of listening to their demands,” said Mir Abul Kalam Azad, general secretary of Swadhin Bangla Garments Sramik Karmachari ...
(read more) Wednesday, July 1st, 2009Home Minister Sahara Khatun will leave for Singapore tonight for treatment as she suffered waist injuries when she fell in the washroom of her official residence on Monday.Sahara will fly for Singapore by a Singapore Airlines flight at 11:30pm. She is to undergo treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, home ministry officials said.The home minister was undergoing treatment at a city clinic under the supervision of Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, who is a specialist physician.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the injured minister yesterday and enquired about her treatment.Meanwhile, State Minister for Home Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj is ...
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