Bangladesh News

Economy stops on waterways

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:20:01 +0000

The countrywide indefinite strike by water transport workers entered its third day this morning and started taking a heavy toll on importers, as scores of cargo and lighter vessels are stranded at Chittagong and Mongla ports. Imported goods are not being unloaded and brought into the ports on time due to the strike, forcing importers [...]

MRP to delay by at least 2 months

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:18:12 +0000

Bangladesh will miss the April 1 deadline set by International Civil Aviation Organisation for introducing machine-readable passport (MRP) as it will take about two months to set up offices with required equipment for the purpose, officials concerned said. No handwritten passport will be issued from April 1 since all 187 ICAO members agreed to use [...]

Gang targets workers abroad

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:16:21 +0000

A transnational gang is abducting Bangladeshi workers for ransom in countries in the Middle East, deceiving them with false promises of lucrative jobs in Europe. It came to light after a case was filed against six of the gang members in Dhaka. They took ransom from the family members of Aminul Islam, 30, of Rajshahi, who [...]

Cash incentives for potato export to rise

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:15:37 +0000

The government is considering increasing cash incentives on export of potatoes to 20 per cent from existing 10 per cent to help potato growers get fair price as now the price is lower than the production cost in domestic markets. The agriculture ministry in an inter-ministerial meeting on Tuesday proposed to increase the cash incentive to [...]

JRC meet begins in Delhi today

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:14:30 +0000

Ahead of the Joint River Commission meeting beginning here today after a gap of five years, Bangladesh has said it expects to get more than 35,000 cubic feet per second (cusec) of Teesta water in a cycle of 10 days during March-May. “We are already getting 35,00 cusec per day without asking for it and we [...]

CNG stations under explosion risk

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:13:33 +0000

Explosions are frequently occurring at CNG refuelling stations in the capital because the majority of stations are using substandard machinery and are failing to follow preventative safety measures. Nazmul Haque, president of Bangladesh Petroleum Owners Association, told The Daily Star that approximately 15 blasts and fires took place last year due to mechanical faults or [...]

PM warns of stern action against child repression

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:12:57 +0000

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday warned that actions would be taken against anyone found involved in repression on children. “Law has been enacted to deal with it,” she said while addressing a children’s rally and cultural programme on Bangabandhu’s mazar complex here. The women and children affairs ministry organised the function marking the 90th birth anniversary of [...]

BB silent as no complaint filed

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:12:16 +0000

Despite being the regulator of the banking industry, Bangladesh Bank believes that it has nothing to do with the recent unpleasant incident between a state minister and a managing director of a private bank that jolted the country’s banking sector. “Banks are not under pressure or risk for the incident,” Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur [...]

Yunus calls for standardised interest rate

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:11:32 +0000

Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday called on the microcredit regulator to come up with a standardised interest rate for microfinance institutions to clear suspicion and establish transparency. “It’s a sensitive point in Bangladesh and everywhere else. I think it will be a great service by the Microcredit Regulatory Authority if they can fix the interest [...]

57 students held after BCL factions clash

Bangladesh News — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:10:40 +0000

In overnight raids at Dhaka College dormitories and adjacent areas police yesterday arrested 71 students and recovered 52 bullets following Tuesday’s clash between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League over rooms in the dormitories. Of the arrestees Md Abdul Baset Galib was detained for interrogation, 57 were produced before a Dhaka court while 13 others released [...]