Monday, September 5th, 2011Dhaka and New Delhi will sign a document, during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh tomorrow, covering the existing protocols on transit and future deals the two countries may make on regional connectivity, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said yesterday.The "exchange of letter" will serve as a roadmap for how India and Bangladesh are going to establish regional connectivity based on the existing transit-related protocols, she said at a media briefing on Manmohan's two-day visit to Bangladesh, first by an Indian premier since 1999.Analysts see the move as falling short of a formal treaty on transit of Indian goods ...
(read more) Monday, September 5th, 2011During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's upcoming visit, Bangladesh expects to sign an agreement to import 250megawatt of electricity from India at the lowest possible commercial cost.The two countries may also sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for mutual cooperation in the renewable energy sector.Official sources said under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Bangladesh would buy 250MW of power from National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) of India at the same rate the Indian company sells to different provinces.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs yesterday issued an order approving the PPA.A top Power Development Board official said the PPA would not specify ...
(read more) Sunday, August 14th, 2011Police picked up 15 members of banned religious outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh yesterday when they brought out a procession in the capital's Paltan area to hold a rally at Muktangon.At least 10 persons including a policeman sustained minor injuries as the law enforcers used batons to break up the procession around 12:30pm.Witnesses said some 60 activists of Hizb ut-Tahrir started the procession and marched towards Muktangon to hold the pre-scheduled rally.At one stage police intercepted them near the Paltan intersection and used batons to disperse them.Bringing out another procession, some of them tried to go to Muktangan taking another lane, ...
(read more) Tuesday, July 19th, 2011Seven people including three siblings were injured in an explosion of a gas cylinder of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in the city early yesterday.The explosion occurred around 1:30am when the auto-rickshaw reached Tannery Bottala area under Bayezid Police Station, police said.All the six passengers-- Sahabuddin, 28, Alauddin, 24, Raju Islam, 26, Jahangir, 25, Rabiul, 24, and Helal, 24,-- and driver Sahabuddin, 26, received burns in the explosion.They were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) from where passenger Sahabuddin and Jahangir were sent to Dhaka with 50 percent burns to their bodies, said Ayub Ali, an assistant professor of CMCH.Driver Shahabuddin ...
(read more) Monday, June 20th, 2011On June 23 a Dhaka court will deliver the verdict of a case filed against Koko in connection with siphoning off over Tk 20 crore bribe money to Singapore.If convicted, Arafat Rahman Koko, youngest son of BNP chief Khaleda Zia, could get a sentence of seven years' imprisonment.Ismail Hossain Saimon, son of former shipping minister late Akbar Hossain, is also accused in this case.A Singapore court on January 2 punished a businessman of Singapore for keeping Koko's money in his personal account.According to a report of The Straits Times, the court fined Lim Siew Cheng US $900,677 for transferring $317,000 ...
(read more) Sunday, June 19th, 2011National Board of Revenue has frozen the bank accounts of former chairman of IFIC Bank Lutfor Rahman Badal, his wife Shoma Alam Rahman and his brother-in-law Ahsan Imam.The Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the NBR in a letter to commercial banks Thursday said the bank accounts have been frozen to realise revenue but NBR sources said the step was taken as per the recommendation of a probe committee on the share-market scam.The NBR letter said withdrawal and transfer of money from the accounts of these three people will remain suspended until further notice. It asked commercial banks to send all ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 15th, 2011Nothing, not even the provision for capital punishment, can deter them.The High Court on May 26 ordered prosecution of persons using harmful chemicals to ripen fruits, under the Special Powers Act, 1974 that provides for death as the maximum punishment.Also, mobile courts are conducting drives in the capital as well as other cities to check the menace.But still, a large number of orchard owners and traders across the country continue ripening mangoes with substance dangerous to public health.During a visit to two big mango wholesale markets and orchards in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj last week, it was found that many producers ...
(read more) Sunday, May 29th, 2011BNP leaders are faulting the advisers to party Chairperson Khaleda Zia on her entourage for their failure to organise any meeting between Khaleda and high profile US policymaker Hillary Clinton.Party sources said that to cover up the failure, one of the advisers called up a senior BNP leader over the phone for arranging a grand reception to the chairperson on her return home for “earning honour from New Jersey Senate” so that her US visit looks a success among the common people.Following this, the party has initiated steps to ensure a huge gathering of party men to welcome the leader ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 24th, 2011A number of ruling alliance lawmakers yesterday in the parliament decried the delay in taking actions against "gamblers" who were identified by a probe body as key players involved in the recent share market crash.They also criticised filing of a case against Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled who led the probe body that investigated the share market scams. Other treasury bench lawmakers supported the speeches by thumping on their desks.In response, Finance Minister MA Muhith clarified the government's position on the issue. He also described the government's ongoing efforts to reform the stock market including recasting of the Securities and Exchange Commission.The ...
(read more) Friday, May 6th, 2011Three senior economists yesterday said the government should utilise the expertise of Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus in running Grameen Bank.Akbar Ali Khan, formerfinance adviser to a caretaker government; Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue; and former central bank governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed made their statements after the Supreme Court dismissed two petitions filed in connection with Yunus' removal from the post of Grameen Bank managing director.Akbar Ali Khan hopes an amicable solution to the issue is still possible. “'If the government agrees, there is scope for a peaceful solution to be accepted by all.”He said the ...
(read more) 
