Hasina, 62 on Monday, to spend time with family
September 28, 2009
Sheikh Hasina turns 62 Monday and will spend her birthday, her friends say, with her “full family” for the first time in many years.
The prime minister, now in New York, will fly to Washington early on the day to be with her son Sajib Wajed Joy, who lives in Baltimore, Washington.
BCB, Siddons talk contract
September 28, 2009
After agreeing in principle to extend the tenure of head coach Jamie Siddons in the second week of this month, the Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday held an informal meeting with coach Jamie Siddons over the terms of his new contract.
The Australian coach was given an extension up till the 2011 ICC World Cup in the subcontinent after he replaced his compatriot Dav Whatmore two years ago.
UN urges Asian nations to get tough on Myanmar
September 28, 2009
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged a ministerial meeting of southeast Asian nations late Saturday to take a tougher line with fellow member Myanmar in hopes its military junta will free political prisoners and hold fair elections.
Ban said it is in the best interest of the rest of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to lean on Myanmar to free political prisoners, including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Banks directed to lower SME lending rate
September 28, 2009
The central bank cautioned all commercial banks yesterday for charging high interest rates for loans by distorting the definition of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Bangladesh Bank (BB) also expressed displeasure over the banks’ preparation to implement Basel II from next year.
Musicians ushering in puja get a raw deal
September 28, 2009
Traditional instruments add to the festivity of the five-day Durga Puja. However, the honorarium given to the artistes is not anywhere near adequate in many cases.
Some 4000 artistes who play dhak, dhol and flute perform at around 525 puja mandap here, including 42 in the district town. The artistes come here every year on the occasion of Durga Puja from different parts of the country — Dhaka, Bikrampur, Rajendrapur, Sirajganj, Brahmanbaria, Comilla, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Jamalpur, Tangail, Bogra and Rangpur.
1,500 acres farmland under stagnant water
September 28, 2009
Several thousand people in Kamalerpara union under Saghata upazila in Gaibandha district are suffering as closure of a sluice gate by a land grabber caused water stagnation on 1500 acres of cultivable land in adjacent eight villages.
Farmers of these areas could not cultivate Aman crop in the current season while huge Aman seedlings planted earlier were damaged due to the water stagnation.
Company to monitor coal-fired power plants in the offing
September 28, 2009
The power ministry is planning to form a separate company to set up 3-4 coal-fired power plants with total capacity of about 2000 MW.
Presently, the country has only one coal-fired 250MW power plant in the Barapukuria coalmine area.
Officials said the proposed plants will use coal, mainly imported from India, in the absence of adequate supply from the coalmine.
3 JMB men sent to jail
September 28, 2009
Three operatives of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), who were earlier arrested in Khagrachhari, were sent to jail today.
The militants are: Second-in-command of Chittagong division JMB Abdur Rahim alias Zahid, 30, and two Ehsars (full-time member) of JMB Delwar Hossain alias Shajib and Younus Ali alias Younus.
Hasina terms Jalil remarks ‘irrelevant’
September 28, 2009
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has termed veteran Awami League leader Abdul Jalil’s recent remarks on the December 29 parliamentary election ‘irrelevant’.
In a recent interview with London-based Bangla TV, former AL general secretary Jalil said the party’s landslide victory in the ninth parliamentary election came through an “understanding”.
Govt raises target of borrowings from savings tools to Tk 32.76b
September 28, 2009
The government has significantly raised the target of borrowing from savings instruments to Tk 32.76 billion for the current fiscal year to finance its big budget deficit.
The raised borrowing target is up by nearly Tk 4.90 billion or 17.59 per cent from that of the last fiscal, official sources said.
The Ministry of Finance recently finalised the target of borrowings from state-run savings tools – the major internal source of funding, according to the sources.