Friday, January 22, 2016

Yunus made SDG Advocacy Group member

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon has made Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as a member of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advoc... thumbnail 1 summary

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon has made Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as a member of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocacy Group for the promotion and implementation of the SDGs, said a press release of the Yunus Centre on Friday.
These goals were adopted last September during the UN General Assembly.

Secretary general Ban Ki Moon announced the formation of the advocacy group at Davos Open Forum.
This Group has been entrusted with the responsibility to advise him and work with him to make sure SDGs become a household term all over the world, and that ordinary people can implement the decisions in their everyday lives.

The UN secretary general announced that the group will be co chaired by prime minister of Ghana Mahama and the prime minister of Norway Erna Solberg.
Muhammad Yunus, Jeffrey Sachs and Korean diplomat Dho were already working as MDG advocates and were invited by the secretary general to become SDG advocates for their powerful advocacy efforts.
Prothom Alo

NBR wants to raise tax at source

The national board of revenue (NBR) has decided to widen the coverage of tax that is deducted at source to raise the government's reven... thumbnail 1 summary

The national board of revenue (NBR) has decided to widen the coverage of tax that is deducted at source to raise the government's revenue earning.

Currently, the board collects tax at source from 58 sectors.


The NBR has also decided to create five dedicated tax zones to oversee the tax deducted at source for increasing the revenue collection through proper monitoring. There is no dedicated tax zone for supervising this method of collecting tax.


Of the total numbers, four will be set up in the capital while the remaining one in the port city of Chittagong.

The decision was taken at a board meeting at the NBR held with its chairman M Nojibur Rahman in the chair.



NBR will send a letter to the public administration ministry, seeking permission for the expansion of its tax zones, an NBR senior official told UNB.

Currently, there are 31 income tax zones across the country.
Prothom Alo

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

PM asks RMG owners to help complete garment village

Stressing the need for reducing dependence on the government, prime minister Sheikh Hasina urged garment owners to help complete the work o... thumbnail 1 summary

Stressing the need for reducing dependence on the government, prime minister Sheikh Hasina urged garment owners to help complete the work on "Garment Village" in Gazaria, Munshiganj, for further development of the country’s RMG industry.


"Our government has allocated a land for setting up the Garment Village at Gazaria...necessary work is underway to develop the village and it could be completed speedily if you take some initiatives and spend some money. But, you’re close-fisted and try to save money and that’s the problem," she said.


The prime minister said this when the newly elected office-bearers of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) met her at her office. BGMEA president Md Siddiqur Rahman led the delegation.
Prothom Alo

BPC makes good profit on oil

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said it gained a profit of Tk 15 to Tk 40 per litre by selling various petroleum products. However, ... thumbnail 1 summary

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said it gained a profit of Tk 15 to Tk 40 per litre by selling various petroleum products. However, sources said the profit margin is much higher.

BPC settled all of its debts to the banks and other financial institutions from the profit it earned on petroleum products after the price fall in the international market. However, the finance ministry has now asked the organisation to return the subsidy it has paid so far.

BPC chairman A M Badrudduja said this amounted to Tk 26,300 crore. If it has to be repaid, the oil price should remain at the current level for at least the next four years. That is why the government is not ready to decrease the oil price. In the meantime, BPC cannot enjoy full benefit of the low oil prices in the international market due to the purchasing procedure. BPC buys oil under the current long term Government to Government (G2G) system. The buying price of BPC has a big difference with the lowest international price because of this system. The government has decided to change the buying system to decrease the gap to the lowest. Now the oil will be brought through open tender instead of the existing G2G system. Half of the oil imported by BPC this year (2016) will be brought under the new system.

Crude oil procurement: BPC procures crude oil only from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The oil price of that country on the day when the oil is loaded on ships is counted as the oil price of BPC. BPC last brought the crude oil on 28 November. Every oil barrel loaded in the ship from Mardan port of Abu Dhabi cost US $ 43.55. Premier of US $ 4.4 will be added with each barrel. Asked about how much profit BPC earns from different petroleum products, after importing refined, and crude oil as well as buying from the local refiners and distributing through the three distribution companies, BPC chairman said the company is earning profit of Tk 40 from per litre octane, Tk 35 from per litre petrol, Tk 20 from diesel and kerosene, and Tk 15 from furnace oil. However, the profit is much higher unofficially. Per litre of the furnace oil is costing Tk 25 imported for the private power plants where BPC is selling the furnace oil to other power plants at Tk 62 per litre. The government paid tax and VAT from that money.
Other than that, BPC last imported diesel on 21 December which was priced Tk 40 per litre including the tax, VAT, and the commission of the distribution company. And it is selling per litre of diesel at Tk 68. But no money was paid back to the finance ministry.
Prothom Alo

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Kylie Jenner keen to be independent

Reality TV personality Kylie Jenner’s aim is to become an independent individual. The 18-year-old, who has an on-off relationship with ... thumbnail 1 summary

Reality TV personality Kylie Jenner’s aim is to become an independent individual.

The 18-year-old, who has an on-off relationship with rapper Tyga, says she wants to be independent and own a car, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“I feel like I never want to depend on a man or a significant other because I’ve seen people where they break up with their boyfriend and then they’re left with nothing,” Elle magazine quoted Kylie as saying.

“I want to be that girl who has her own stuff, who drives her own car and is just completely independent so I don’t have to depend on anybody else,” she added.
Prothom Alo

Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez recreate music video

Singers Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, who are best of friends, have recreated the music video of the former’s “Out of the woods”. The ... thumbnail 1 summary

Singers Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, who are best of friends, have recreated the music video of the former’s “Out of the woods”.

The two shared the images of the recreated video on Instagram on Friday, reports people.com.

“Are we out of the woods yet?” Swift, 26, captioned an image of herself standing in the bushes with Gomez, 23.

The “Hands to myself” singer shared another image, and in the caption, she continued the song’s chorus lyrics “Are we in the clear yet?”.
Prothom Alo

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Turkey police HQ 'hit by bomb blast'

A car bomb blast has hit a police headquarters in south-eastern Turkey, killing five people and injuring at least 36, local media say. ... thumbnail 1 summary

A car bomb blast has hit a police headquarters in south-eastern Turkey, killing five people and injuring at least 36, local media say.

A woman and a baby are reported among the dead. Rescuers are searching through the rubble at the scene in Cinar district, Diyarbakir province.

Officials blamed the blast on Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) militants, who are active in the mainly Kurdish province, reports BBC.

No group has so far said it carried out the attack.

The bomb was detonated at the entrance of the police building, Turkish media say. The blast also damaged nearby residential buildings.

The attackers then reportedly fired rockets at the headquarters.

Diyarbakir province has seen violent clashes between PKK separatists and the Turkish army in recent months.
Samakal

'IS responsible for Jakarta attacks'

The Islamic State (IS) was behind a series of explosions and gun attacks in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, Indonesian police sources sai... thumbnail 1 summary

The Islamic State (IS) was behind a series of explosions and gun attacks in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, Indonesian police sources said.

At least two civilians and five attackers died in the assaults, described as an attempt to mimic the deadly Paris attacks, a BBC report has said.

Security forces battled militants for hours, with the attacks centring on a major business and shopping district.

It follows warnings late last year that Islamists were planning a major attack.

An Indonesian and a Canadian were killed in the attack and 20 people, including a Dutchman who works for the United Nations Environment Program, were wounded, the Reuters report said.
Samakal

Edible oil prices cut by Tk 5.0 per litre

Prices of all kinds of edible oil will come down by Tk 5.0 per litre from Saturday. The announcement came after a meeting on Thursday b... thumbnail 1 summary

Prices of all kinds of edible oil will come down by Tk 5.0 per litre from Saturday.

The announcement came after a meeting on Thursday between Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and a delegation of the Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association at his ministry office.

Tofail Ahmed after the meeting with the edible oil importers and refiners said the decision would take effect on Saturday.

The minister said the association leaders proposed a cut in the prices by Tk 4.0 per litre.

Then the association’s secretary Fazlur Rahman decided to cut the oil price by Tk 5.0 a litre, the minister added.
FE

Sri Lanka's People's Leasing eyes Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam

Sri Lanka's People's Leasing and Finance Plc, the country's largest non-bank lender is mulling expanding into Bangladesh, Mya... thumbnail 1 summary

Sri Lanka's People's Leasing and Finance Plc, the country's largest non-bank lender is mulling expanding into Bangladesh, Myanmar or Vietnam, Chief Executive D P Kumarage said.


 The firm saw slow growth in the six months to September 2015 with loans and receivables growing 5.6 percent to 103.4 billion rupees. Kumarage said he is expecting about 15 percent credit growth in the coming year, with most of the business coming from the larger players. Already about 70 percent of leasing came from about five lenders and the trend may continue he said. People's Leasing is mostly is mostly in leasing commercial vehicles. There was a boom in car credit which came mostly from banks, he said.
FE

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Too early to speak about sheltering Assad in Russia, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that it would be too early to speak about granting political asylum to Syrian President Ba... thumbnail 1 summary

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that it would be too early to speak about granting political asylum to Syrian President Bashar Assad, a Putin ally and arguably the main obstacle in the Syrian peace process, says an AP report.
Russia began carrying out air strikes on the positions of Islamic State fighters in September in support of Assad’s army which critics say are aimed against Assad’s opponents.
Russia, the United States, Middle East nations are promoting talks between the Syrian government and opposition, and Assad has been seen as a highly divisive figure.
Putin said in an interview with the German daily Bild published on Tuesday that Moscow is advocating for a constitutional reform in Syria and if the next election is democratic, “Assad won’t have to go anywhere, no matter if he is elected president or not.”
While Putin refused to speculate on a possible Moscow’s role in helping to remove Assad, he indicated that it would not be too difficult for Moscow to do.
“We granted asylum to Snowden,” he said referring to the American whistleblower Edward Snowden. “That was more difficult than (it would be) to shelter Assad.”
FE

Monday, January 11, 2016

Messi Back On Top

Lionel Messi deposed eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo to take back his crown as the undisputed king of world football by lifting a record ... thumbnail 1 summary

Lionel Messi deposed eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo to take back his crown as the undisputed king of world football by lifting a record fifth Ballon d'Or on Monday.

Much has changed since, just 12 months ago, a disgruntled Messi, fresh from losing a World Cup final and disillusioned with coach Luis Enrique's regime at Barcelona, sat in stony silence as Ronaldo announced his intention to hunt down the Argentine's then-record four Ballon d'Or haul.

A year on, the roles were reversed, Messi's record now even further beyond Ronaldo's reach in the personal duel between the two men who have taken standards to unseen heights in their domination of the sport during the past decade.

Rarely has there been such little debate over who was the deserving winner. Even in the Spanish capital, unlike in previous years, there was no campaign for Ronaldo in the year he became Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer.

In Zurich last year, Messi had even cast doubt on his future at Barcelona. His benching for a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad the most ignominious start to what would turn out to be the second most successful in Barca's 116-year history.

Messi missed an open training session with the club's fans, Barca sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta was sacked and club legend Carles Puyol walked. Enrique would have followed suit had Messi demanded it.

Instead, he used the fuel of the most disappointing year of his career in 2014 to fire Barca to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey trophies.
Daily Star

Obama interested in top UN job: media

US President Barack Obama has set his sights on becoming the next Secretary General of the United Nations when he leaves the White House... thumbnail 1 summary

US President Barack Obama has set his sights on becoming the next Secretary General of the United Nations when he leaves the White House in a year’s time, the US media reported on Sunday.


   Mr Obama has already discussed the issue with Republican, Democ¬ratic and Jewish officials in the United States, claimed media.   The report, first published in Kuwaiti magazine Al Jarida on Friday, was noticed by the US media only when Israeli officials confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not only aware of Mr Obama’s plan but was also working with moderate Arab states to prevent the US president from achieving his goal.   The Israeli prime minister “is planning payback for President Obama’s dismissing Mr Netanyahu’s objections to the Iran nuclear deal last year,” The Washington Times newspaper reported, quoting several major Israeli media outlets.   The Jerusalem Post reported that the Kuwaiti magazine also spoke to Israeli officials who confirmed that Mr Netanyahu was opposing Mr Obama’s bid for the top UN job.   Apparently, Mr Obama wants to replace present Secretary General, South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon, who is serving his second and final five-year term in the position.   The term ends on Dec 31, 2016, 21 days before Mr Obama’s second term as the US president ends.   The article also claimed that upon hearing of President Obama’s plans, Mr Netanyahu “vowed to counter his campaign”. They quoted Netanyahu as saying, “Eight years of Obama’s judgments and marginalising Israel was not enough? Now he wants to be in a position to cause us trouble in the international forum?”   An aide to Mr Netanyahu told the media that the Israeli prime minister was opposing Mr Obama’s bid also because he holds him responsible for moving the US “closer to the Muslim Brotherhood, toppling the regime of Hosni Mubarak, and for attempts to ally (the US) with political Islam”, according to UNB.
FE

Sunday, January 10, 2016

On Netaji’s death, British website claims end to mystery

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose died in a plane crash in Taiwan in 1945 and till his last breath exhorted Indians to fight for their freedom, ... thumbnail 1 summary

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose died in a plane crash in Taiwan in 1945 and till his last breath exhorted Indians to fight for their freedom, a British website has claimed.

Releasing what it claims are eyewitness accounts of the fateful day, the website www.bosefiles.info has quoted several people who were reportedly involved in the matter related to the accident as well as two British intelligence reports that revisited the crash site.

According to the documents, on August 18, 1945 a Japanese Air Force bomber took off from Tourane in Vietnam with Netaji and 12 or 13 other passengers and crew.

Soon after take-off there was a loud explosion, according to Colonel Habib ur Rahman – Netaji’s assistant and a co-passenger who survived the crash.

Captain Nakamura alias Yamamoto, the ground engineer in-charge of maintenance at the airport, who was watching from the ground, estimated “the plane crashed about 100 metres beyond the concrete runway” and immediately caught fire in the front portion.

Lt Col Shiro Nonogaki, who was on the flight, said: “When I first saw Netaji after the plane crash, he was standing somewhere near the left tip of the left wing of the plane. His clothes were on fire and his assistant was trying to take off his coat.”

“Since Netaji was sitting very near the petrol tank, he was splashed all over with petrol. It seemed that all his body was on fire,” he said.

According to the website, there were variations in the details provided by Col Rahman, Lt Col Nonogaki, Major Kono and Captain Nakamura and others. They were giving evidence 11 years after the accident. But in essence they were unanimous on the fact of the crash; and on Netaji suffering severe burns and injuries as a consequence.

In his last words, the website says, Netaji told Mr Rehman in Hindi, “When you go back to the country, tell the people that up to the last I have been fighting for the liberation of my country; they should continue to struggle, and I am sure India will be free before long. Nobody can keep India in bondage now.”
Ittefaq

Temperature may go below 8 degree centigrade: Met office

Within the next two/three days, the temperature is expected to decline below eight degree centigrade. Meteorologist Kamrul Hasan said t... thumbnail 1 summary

Within the next two/three days, the temperature is expected to decline below eight degree centigrade.

Meteorologist Kamrul Hasan said that the temperature may dive bellow eight within next three days.

On the other hand, the density of fog might increase as well, he added.

A mild cold wave is sweeping over Rangpur division and it may continue and spread over Rajshahi division and the regions of Jessore, Kushtia and Srimangal, the met office said during Sunday’s forecast.

Night and day temperature may fall by (1-3)° centigrade over the country, the forecast added.
Ittefaq

Minister Amu orders to relocate Hazaribagh tanneries within 72 hrs

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu has ordered to shut the tanneries of Hazaribagh if they are not shifted to Savar within next 72 hour... thumbnail 1 summary

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu has ordered to shut the tanneries of Hazaribagh if they are not shifted to Savar within next 72 hours.

The minister also asked BSCIC to send legal notice to the tannery owners by Sunday, according to a press release of the Industries Ministry.

The minister also directed to cancel the allotted plots if any tannery owner fails to relocate the factory within 72 hours.

The industries ministry has already allocated plots on the 200-acre leather estate in Savar to 155 tannery owners through BSCIC.

Earlier, the tannery owners had given until December 31 of last year to shift their factories, but they did not follow the instruction.

There are some 195 tanneries at Hazaribagh.

The tanneries are blamed to pollute the environment as thousands of liters of highly toxic liquid from those pour into the Buriganga River every day.
Ittefaq

Friday, January 8, 2016

4G mobile network within this year: Tarana

The fourth generation (4G) internet network for mobile phone services will be launched in the country within this year, State Minister fo... thumbnail 1 summary

The fourth generation (4G) internet network for mobile phone services will be launched in the country within this year, State Minister for Post and Telecommunications Tarana Halim has said.

The minister came up with the disclosure at a press conference at the Secretariat on Wednesday. The media briefing was organised to inform the New Year plan of the ministry and to mark the two-year anniversary of the government.

Auction for 4G spectrum will be held this year. Side by Side the whole country will be come under the 3G network after extending its now 2.5G, said the state minister.

“This bidding will be open to all operators. The state-run operator Teletalk was able to launch 4G services before others. But it won’t be given that privilege this time,” she said.

Due to cyber security and to dissolve the complaints, a meeting with the Facebook authorities will be held on January 12 in Singapore, added Tarana Halim.

The 3G spectrum auction was held on September 8, 2013 in which Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel participated.


Private mobile operator Grameenphone first launched 3G network in the country in October, 2013.

Samakal

Hitler’s 'Mein Kampf' published for first time since WWII

An annotated edition of "Mein Kampf," the first version of Adolf Hitler's notorious manifesto to be published in Germany si... thumbnail 1 summary

An annotated edition of "Mein Kampf," the first version of Adolf Hitler's notorious manifesto to be published in Germany since the end of World War II, went on sale Friday.

A German historical institute is launching an annotated edition of “Mein Kampf," according to The Hindu report.

A Reuters report has said, the Munich-based Institute for Contemporary History has worked for several years on the plain-covered volume, officially titled "Hitler, Mein Kampf: A Critical Edition."

It launched the book days after the copyright of the German-language original expired at the end of 2015 — 70 years after Hitler's death.

Bavaria’s state Finance Ministry had previously prevented the book’s publication, but its copyright expired 70 years after the Nazi leader’s death.

Germany’s Education Minister said Friday that the new version being launched in Munich would help debunk myths surrounding the work.

Johanna Wanka told German channel n-tv that the book, which was never formally banned, was already widely available online and that the annotations would “show pupils what criminal views could be found in Hitler’s book right from the start.”
Samakal

Drug lord 'El Chapo' recaptured after jail break

Mexico's authorities have recaptured drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, six months after he escaped from a maximum-securi... thumbnail 1 summary

Mexico's authorities have recaptured drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, six months after he escaped from a maximum-security jail, reports BBC.

In a post on Twitter, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said: "Mission accomplished: We got him."

Guzman, one of the world's most-wanted drug lords, smuggled cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines to the US through the Sinaloa cartel he led.

He escaped from jail through a 1.5 km (1 mile) tunnel dug in the showers.

President Pena Nieto described Guzman's arrest as a "victory for the rule of law" and said it showed Mexicans could have confidence in the state's ability to combat crime.

"There is no group that it is impossible to confront," he said.

Guzman was apprehended following a shoot-out with Mexican marines in Los Mochis, a coastal city in his home state of Sinaloa, in north-west Mexico, the president said.

Five people are thought to have been killed in the raid, which involved the army and navy as well as police.
Samakal

Life bans for 3 former IAAF officials

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Thursday slapped three of its officials and a Russian coach with life ba... thumbnail 1 summary

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Thursday slapped three of its officials and a Russian coach with life bans as they “conspired to extort what were in substance bribes from the athlete by acts of blackmail”.

IAAF’s former marketing consultant and son of its former president Lamine Diack, Papa Massata Diack, former All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF) president Valentin Balakhnichev, former ARAF chief coach for long distance walkers and runners, Alexei Melnikov, and former IAAF’s Anti-Doping Department director Gabriel Dolle have been banned for life for various breaches of the IAAF Code of Ethics.
Papa Diack, Balakhnichev and Melnikov were last month charged with multiple breaches of anti-doping rules relating to Russian athlete Liliya Shobukhova.
This investigation commenced in April 2014 upon referral of a complaint to the Ethics Board by a member of the IAAF staff, according to an IAAF statement.
“These four individuals who have been found guilty and sanctioned are no longer associated with the IAAF in any capacity. The IAAF is reassured that the panel of the Ethics Board has seen no evidence implicating any other members of the IAAF Anti-Doping Department who continue their ground-breaking work on the Athlete Biological Passport programme with WADA,” IAAF said in a statement.
“The IAAF is angered to see that individuals have in the panel’s finding ‘conspired to extort what were in substance bribes from the athlete by acts of blackmail’. This is all the more so because these breaches are related to one doping case which, among others, was identified and pursued by the IAAF Anti-Doping Department,” the statement published in its official website added.
“Ultimately, the Department was able to ensure that the athlete concerned received a lengthy ban, but the four individuals’ activities delayed that outcome. The IAAF has already introduced corrective measures to make sure this sort of interference can’t happen again.”
IAAF president Sebastian Coe commented that these bans “could not send a stronger message”.
“I’d like to thank the independent IAAF Ethics Board for their diligent and detailed investigation. The life bans announced today could not send a stronger message that those who attempt to corrupt or subvert the sport of athletics will be brought to justice,” Coe said.
“We continue to work with the French authorities’ investigation and the WADA’s Independent Commission,” the Englishman, two-time Olympic champion in 1,500 metres, added.
Russia has been banned from international athletics competition after a report by WADA’s independent commission alleged the country was guilty of “state-sponsored doping”.

Britain summons N Korean ambassador

Britain summoned the North Korean ambassador in London on Thursday, the Foreign Office said, after Pyongyang's latest nuclear test dr... thumbnail 1 summary

Britain summoned the North Korean ambassador in London on Thursday, the Foreign Office said, after Pyongyang's latest nuclear test drew international condemnation.

"I summoned North Korea's Ambassador today to stress in the strongest terms the UK's condemnation of their nuclear test," Asia minister Hugo Swire said in a Foreign Office statement.

He added that Britain supported a UN Security Council (UNSC) agreement to draw up new sanctions against the reclusive state and called the test a "clear violation" of UNSC resolutions.

"I call on the North Korean regime to act in the best interests of its people and to choose the path which will genuinely benefit them," Swire said.

"Amid reports of widespread hardship and human rights abuses, the priority must be the health and welfare of North Korean people."
Prothom Alo

Thursday, January 7, 2016

RAB recovers 10 lakh pieces of Yaba tablet

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested nine people and recovered 10 lakh pieces of Yaba tablet in the Bay of Bengal early Wedne... thumbnail 1 summary

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested nine people and recovered 10 lakh pieces of Yaba tablet in the Bay of Bengal early Wednesday, reports UNB.

Identities of the arrestee could not be known immediately.

Rab-7 commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Mifta Uddin Ahmed said tipped off, a team of the elite force conducted a drive in several points of the Bay from Tuesday night to early Wednesday.

Later, the team intercepted a trawler named ‘FV Imon’ and arrested its eight staff.

Following the arrestees’ statement, the elite force recovered 10 lakh pieces of Yaba tablet from various places of the Bay.

Later Rab arrested the owner of the trawler and recovered Yaba tablets from Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday morning.

Detail of the drive will be available at a press briefing at Rab-7 headquarters in Patenga at about 3:00 pm.
Samakal

Over 1000 leading brands to join DTG-2016 expo

The 13th Dhaka International Textile & Garment Machinery Exhibition (DTG 2016) returns strongly and brings the latest machinery and t... thumbnail 1 summary

The 13th Dhaka International Textile & Garment Machinery Exhibition (DTG 2016) returns strongly and brings the latest machinery and techniques to the textile and garment industry in Bangladesh from 28-31 January, reports KI.

The event is jointly organized by Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Chan Chao Int’l Co., Ltd., and Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service Co., Ltd.

During the four-day-event, over 1,000 leading brands from 32 countries will be displaying a wide variety of state-of-the-art textiles and garments technologies, machinery and parts.

With many exhibitors’ support, the scale of DTG 2016 is bigger than before, organizers report. More than 1,160 booths with 1,000 world class leading brands will introduce the latest machines and technology to whole textile and garment industry supply chain of Bangladesh, including spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, printing, finishing, testing, washing, embroidery, sewing and other related equipment.
Samakal

Pakistan expels Bangladeshi diplomat

The Senior Bangladeshi diplomat Moushumi Rahman who was posted at the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad left the country on Thursda... thumbnail 1 summary

The Senior Bangladeshi diplomat Moushumi Rahman who was posted at the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad left the country on Thursday morning (today) after being declared persona non grata by the Pakistani government.

The Dawn.com online has reported on the day.

Moushumi Rahman, who was a political counsellor and head of chancery in Islamabad left for Dhaka on Turkish Airlines flight TG711 via Istanbul, airport sources confirmed.

The report has said, the Bangladesh foreign secretary did not offer any reason for Pakistan's decision to expel Moushumi Rahman.

Diplomatic sources in Islamabad told media that Rahman indulged in 'anti-state activities in Pakistan' and that concerned security agencies continued to monitor her.

In Dhaka, Foreign Ministry official Shahriar Alam said Rahman was expected to join the Bangladeshi embassy in Lisbon, Portugal.

Alam said Pakistan's "request" to withdraw Bangladesh's diplomat without providing a reason was not "supportive" for relations between the two countries.

"There's been no explanation. They couldn't give us any valid reason. Such acts never help the relationship," he said.

"We knew that something was being cooked up," he said. "We were prepared and that helped us take a quick decision giving (Rahman) a fresh diplomatic assignment to another country upholding the country's image."

The report also said, this is the first time that Pakistan has expelled a Bangladeshi diplomat.
Samakal

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Tea prices rally for third week

Tea prices in Bangladesh rose for a third straight session at the weekly auction on Tuesday due to strong demand for the winter season al... thumbnail 1 summary

Tea prices in Bangladesh rose for a third straight session at the weekly auction on Tuesday due to strong demand for the winter season although sales dropped on a higher volume of poor grades on offer. Bangladeshi tea fetched an average 193.87 taka ($2.44) per kg at the 34th auction of this marketing season, up from 193.55 taka in the previous sale, a National Brokers executive said. About 2.02 million kg were offered at the sole auction centre in the port city of Chittagong, of which 24 percent went unsold. In the previous auction, about 12 percent of the 2.02 million kg offered was unsold. There was strong demand from local buyers for the winter season, aiding a pick-up in prices, the executive said, adding that sales volumes dropped, though, on a larger quantity of poor grade leaf. Typically demand for tea rises in Bangladesh during the winter. The national budget for the 2015/16 fiscal year, which began in July, raised the regulatory duty on tea imports by 5 percent to discourage overseas buying. Tea prices fell sharply in the last marketing season due to weak demand from local buyers, as business sentiment was hit by renewed political unrest early this year that left more than 120 people dead and disrupted supplies. The country has moved from being a net exporter to a net importer of tea due to rising consumption.
Ittefaq

North Korea announces hydrogen bomb test

The North Korean authorities say they have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb amid reports of a tremor near the main nuclear test site. ... thumbnail 1 summary

The North Korean authorities say they have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb amid reports of a tremor near the main nuclear test site.

State media announced the test after monitors detected a 5.1 magnitude quake close to the Punggye-ri site.

The North is thought to have conducted three previous underground nuclear tests there since 2006.

A hydrogen bomb uses fusion to create a blast far more powerful than that of a more basic atomic bomb.

In a surprise announcement a newsreader on North Korean state TV said: “The republic’s first hydrogen bomb test has been successfully performed at 10:00 am on January 6, 2016.”

Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Pyongyang had developed a hydrogen bomb, although international experts were sceptical.

What is a hydrogen bomb?

=> A weapon energised by the nuclear fusion of hydrogen isotopes in a chain reaction, developed in 1958 by the United States

=> Also known as a thermo-nuclear bomb, it is seen as a “cleaner” bomb than an atomic one as it has less radioactive fallout – but also much more powerful

=> Unlike an atomic bomb, powered by nuclear fission, a hydrogen bomb is powered by the fusion of lighter elements into heavier elements

=> Such bombs can be as small as a few feet long and can fit in warheads of ballistic missiles
Ittefaq

ECNEC clears additional Tk. 80 billion for Padma Bridge construction

Additional Tk 80 billion has been approved by the ECNEC for the construction of Padma Bride, as the Tk 200 billion project is facing inc... thumbnail 1 summary

Additional Tk 80 billion has been approved by the ECNEC for the construction of Padma Bride, as the Tk 200 billion project is facing increased expenditure.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) cleared the amount at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Tuesday.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said ‘several new components’ had been added to the project.

“The expenditure soared as cost of river taming went up and more land had to be acquired,” the minister told the media after the meeting.
Ittefaq

Taka getting stronger against US Dollars

The Taka-dollar exchange rates have come down as the Bangladesh Bank has started to purchase the American bill from the local currency m... thumbnail 1 summary

The Taka-dollar exchange rates have come down as the Bangladesh Bank has started to purchase the American bill from the local currency market.

Till the last month, the rate of $1 has dropped by Tk 0.45 in the local market.

On Monday, the Bangladesh Bank bought $25 million at Tk 78.50 per dollar.

The exchange rate was Tk 78.95 a month ago.
During the ongoing 2015-16 fiscal, the central bank has bought altogether $2.16 billion from the local market.
The steps taken by the BB comes in an effort to ‘stabilize’ the market amidst an increased supply of US dollars, said the central bank.

“The supply propped up due to increased export earnings and remittance inflow. Lower oil prices and import costs also contributed,” said Bangladesh Bank’s forex wing chief Kazi Sayedur Rahman.

The central bank official said these factors played significant roles in the value gain of Taka against US Dollars.

On November 30, the exchange rate was at Tk 78.95. On Monday it was Tk 78.50.

Before that, it was steady at Tk 77.80 for almost a year. From September last year, the taka started to fall against the greenback.

Official statistics show that in the three months from September to November, the exchange rate rose by Tk 1.15 before it started to fall again.

The demand for US dollars grew as exports and remittances hit a pull back for a short period of time, said Rahman, the general manager of central bank’s Forex Reserve and Treasury Management Division.

“At present, the payments for oil have dropped drastically. Import costs for food items are now lower. There’s a huge balance of payment surplus, so it’s natural that the taka is getting stronger,” he said.

According to central bank data, the exchange rate pumped up to Tk 85 in 2012. It gradually came down to Tk 77.40 in August 2014.

Bangladesh introduced a floating exchange rate in 2003, which means the market would determine the rate. However, the central bank has intervened on the rates from time to time.

Till now in the current fiscal, the Bangladesh Bank has bought $2.16 billion from the local market against the $3.4 billion in the entire last fiscal (2014-15).
Ittefaq

Australia pull out of U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh

Australia have pulled out of the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh starting on January 27 due to security concerns. CA chief executive ... thumbnail 1 summary

Australia have pulled out of the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh starting on January 27 due to security concerns.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said the decision was taken after advice from the government stated that the threat to Australian interests in Bangladesh was as high as when the senior team had pulled out of their tour in October last year.

“For some time we have been working closely with ICC security advisors and monitoring the security situation in Bangladesh and have been keeping our players, officials and the players’ parents as up to date as possible,” Sutherland said. “Regrettably, the advice from our Government suggests that the security threat to Australians travelling to Bangladesh remains as high now as it was when we postponed the Test team’s tour of that country late last year.”

“Included in that is reliable information suggesting there is a high threat to Australian interests in Bangladesh and the knowledge that the Australian Government has authorised the dependants of posted diplomatic staff in Bangladesh to return home to Australia. In the end, with all of the information and advice we have received, we feel we had no alternative other than to make this difficult decision.”
James Sutherland: “In advising the BCB, we have reaffirmed our desire to get back to Bangladesh to play cricket as soon as possible and will continue to discuss this with them in the coming months.

“We have not taken this decision lightly and we apologise for the inconvenience this may create for the organisers of the tournament – in particular the ICC and BCB. In advising the BCB, we have reaffirmed our desire to get back to Bangladesh to play cricket as soon as possible and will continue to discuss this with them in the coming months. We also know that this is a very disappointing outcome for our young players, who will have been looking forward to this event with great anticipation.”

Australia were in Group D of the Under-19 World Cup along with India, Nepal and New Zealand.
Ittefaq

Monday, January 4, 2016

Foreign funds fall in Dhaka bourse

Foreign investment in the capital market witnessed a 93 percent year-on-year decline in 2015, driven by profit booking sales by overseas ... thumbnail 1 summary

Foreign investment in the capital market witnessed a 93 percent year-on-year decline in 2015, driven by profit booking sales by overseas investors.

Last year, foreign investors bought shares worth Tk 3,825.46 crore and sold shares worth Tk 3,639.98 crore, to take their net investment for the year to Tk 185.48 crore, according to statistics from the Dhaka Stock Exchange.

The net investment by foreigners in 2014 was Tk 2,619.79 crore.

The foreign investors sold a bulk amount of shares, especially in the second and third quarters of last year, to realise the gains they made in the previous two years.

“They (foreign investors) offloaded fuel and power company stocks from their portfolios to book profit, in addition to other stocks,” said Md Saifuddin, managing director of IDLC Securities, which provides services to foreign fund managers.

The falling net investment is not alarming for the capital market, he said. “They are still interested in our market and they were taking position on new securities that were comparatively lower in value.”

Market insiders said the foreign investors had a big stake in Titas Gas, but they sold out a bulk amount of those shares, speculating that the profit margin of the state-run company would decline after the net profit distribution margin was re-fixed.
Last year, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission re-fixed the net profit distribution margin following the new tariff structure for gas consumption in August.

The net profit distribution margin has been reduced by 33.72 percent, which means that if Titas Gas was receiving Tk 100 as net profit in 2014, it will get Tk 66.28 in 2015.

Foreign investors followed the news and reacted smartly by offloading Titas Gas shares from their portfolios, said market insiders.

Also known as portfolio investment, foreign investment accounts for less than 1 percent of DSE's total market capitalisation, which stood at Tk 314,900 crore at the closing of yesterday's trading.

Banks are the foreign investors' preferred sector, but non-bank financial institutions, power and energy, pharmaceuticals, multinationals, telecoms and IT also draw their attention.

Investors include fund managers such as Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and BlackRock.
Daily Star

BTRC to study internet service costs to regulate prices

The telecom regulator is going to analyse the cost components in providing internet services, to determine a pricing guideline for the oper... thumbnail 1 summary

The telecom regulator is going to analyse the cost components in providing internet services, to determine a pricing guideline for the operators, said an official.

There is a huge gap in internet prices between different operators. To intervene in the market, the regulator must first conduct an analysis of the pricing process, said Shahjahan Mahmood, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

“We want to get the correct information, which will help us offer the best possible prices to customers.”

BTRC recently decided in principle to purchase expertise from InCyte Consulting, a globally reputed company on telecommunication services and regulation, for Tk 30 lakh.

Two years ago, BTRC had approached International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the highest body of global telecommunication services, to receive consultation free of cost.

But ITU recommended InCyte Consulting for the job, said senior BTRC officials. Earlier, BTRC also recommended the government to appoint a consultant for cost modelling of voice services, short and multimedia messaging, video calls and value-added services.

However, the regulator is yet to receive a response from the government on the issue. “All the prices of services are proposed by the telecom companies. We then negotiate to lower the prices based on those,” said a senior BTRC official, on condition of anonymity.He said the government reduced the internet bandwidth price to as low as Tk 625 a megabyte last year, which was Tk 72,000 just seven years ago, but operators continued to charge higher rates from the subscribers. Operators said bandwidth is not the only pricing component, and they have other costs as well. “After launching the cost modelling study, we can learn the real picture and packages can be approved based on the report's findings.”

The BTRC ran a cost modelling study on voice services in 2008.  
Daily Star

Sunday, January 3, 2016

6.8 magnitude earthquake rocks Bangladesh, India

Panic rush during the major earthquake that jolted Bangladesh early on Monday, has left one dead and at least 29 other injured. The inj... thumbnail 1 summary

Panic rush during the major earthquake that jolted Bangladesh early on Monday, has left one dead and at least 29 other injured.

The injured have been admitted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). Many of these injured were students of Dhaka University (DU).

Atiqur Rahman, 23, died in Dhaka’s East Jurain as he tried to rush out of his house after the earthquake shook up Bangladesh, according to police outpost inspector Mozammel Haque.

“There seems to be no apparent injury on his body. It is suspected that he suffered a cardiac arrest in panic and died,” Haque said.

He said, “Atiqur, was a student and used to work as a tutor but it is not yet clear which institution he studied at.”

As many as 29 students of DU have been injured during the quake.

A DU student of Sergeant Zahirul Hall was seriously injured when he jumped from the roof of the five-storied building in panic.

At least five students of Mohsin and Jasimuddin residential halls have been injured when they jumped from the second or third floor.

“Some were injured when they jumped from second or third floors in panic, some when they tried to rush down the stairs,” said Inspector Mozzamel.

A massive earthquake of 6.8 magnitude has occurred in Bangladesh and India.

The shock-waves originated from India’s North-Eastern state of Monipur, beside the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

The earthquakes were felt at Bangladesh at around 5:07am.
Ittefaq

Kashmiri storytelling set to die unsung

Winter in Kashmir has not always been a period of bone-chilling cold and misery. It has also been the magical backdrop to the unending na... thumbnail 1 summary

Winter in Kashmir has not always been a period of bone-chilling cold and misery. It has also been the magical backdrop to the unending narrative of traditional storytellers in the past that would transport the young and the old to fairylands of princes, princesses, demons, djinns, mythical birds and wooden horses that could fly.

Both in Srinagar city and the countryside, long and dull winter nights were brought alive by storytellers who had mastered the art in such a manner that they would specially be invited for night-long sessions.

"As radio, cinema and television came to Kashmir, the demand for the storytellers died down gradually till the present times when the younger generation of Kashmiris don't even know anything about this tradition", said Noor-ud-Din, an octogenarian who lives in Ganderbal district.

The storyteller would come to the village with regular periodicity during the winter months in the past and the event was no less than a small village celebration.

"Children and elders would all gather around the storyteller whose session would begin after dinner. He would sit in the centre of a large room surrounded by his audience. The room would be lit in village homes by an oil-lamp and in well-to-do urban homes by a kerosene lantern since electricity was not even heard of in our childhood," said Habibullah Dar, another resident of the same district.

Dar's uncle called 'Wali Maam' was a master storyteller.

"He belonged to Anantnag district. He would come to our village for a few weeks during the 'Chillai Kalan' (40-day long period of intense cold beginning December 21). The entire village would wait eagerly for his visit. After dinner, he would begin his stories that often revolved around fairylands, love-smitten princes, demons, the mythical birds called the 'Rooks' which would lift a person and take him to the 'Koh-e-Kaff' (A far off mountain).

"The changing colours of Wali Maam's face were so intriguing that the audience would forget the biting cold outside as the magic of shadows thrown by the faint light of the oil lamp added to the suspense inside the room," Dar said.

It was an endless narrative that would be interrupted in the morning only to be resumed the next evening, Dar recalled.

He strongly believed the celluloid stars of today could learn the art of articulation and dialogue rendering from Wali Maam.

"His voice would rise and fall as if he was on board with the prince who had invented a wooden horse that would fly to the fairyland of his lady love. The prince had to fight the demon who had carried his beloved to the land of djinns and beasts. You couldn't fall asleep as rounds of 'Kehwa' would continue for the entire night to keep the audience alert.

"It was so participative that in between his narrative, the storyteller would ask someone in the audience to repeat the last line of the tale.

"This is perhaps what you people in today's world call interactive audience," Dar said as he laughed.

However long the winter night and the narrative of the storyteller, the conclusion was inescapable - the triumph of good over evil.

"Storytelling in the past was not just an art to keep you amused during the dull and dark winter nights. It was a lesson in morality in which the mighty demons and power villains would always lose to the hero who embodied love, sincerity and compassion", Noor-ud-Din said.

While folk theatre and Sufiyana music are being revived in Kashmir, it is time the art of storytelling is also preserved as the grand heritage of this land.
Prothom Alo

Babies learn turn-taking much before they can speak

Taking turns to respond to each other is a key part of conversation and babies learn the technique at around six months of age, long befo... thumbnail 1 summary

Taking turns to respond to each other is a key part of conversation and babies learn the technique at around six months of age, long before infants know much about language, says a new study.

The speed of response white taking turns - about 200 milliseconds on average, about the same time as it takes to blink-is astonishing when we appreciate the slow nature of language encoding: it takes 600ms or more to prepare a word for delivery, the study said.

This implies a substantial overlap between listening to the current speaker and preparing our own response.

In human infants, turn-taking is found in the ‘proto-conversations’ with caretakers.

These infant-caretaker interactions are initially adult-like in terms of how fast infants can respond.

But as they develop into more sophisticated communicators, infants’ turn-taking abilities slow down, likely due to both learning more and more complex linguistic structures, and having to find a way to squeeze these into short turns, said researcher Stephen Levinson from Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands.

Levinson reviewed new research on turn-taking, focusing on its implications for how languages are structured and for how language and communication evolved.

He pointed out that turn-taking is common not only across unrelated cultures and language, the patter is also exhibited in all the major branches of the primate family - partly innate and partly learned in some monkeys, just as with human infants.

Even our nearest cousins the great apes take alternating turns in gestural communication, despite having a less complex vocal channel.

All of this suggests that humans may have inherited a primate turn-taking system, Levinson said.

This may have started out as a gestural form of communication, as with the other great apes, then later (about one million years ago) became one primarily expressed through the vocal channel, the study noted.

The findings appeared in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

Revenue collection to fall short by Tk 40,000 crore: CPD

During the fiscal year 2015-2016, the government will fail to collect about Tk 40,000 crore in revenue, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD),... thumbnail 1 summary

During the fiscal year 2015-2016, the government will fail to collect about Tk 40,000 crore in revenue, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a civil society think tank, estimated.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has got a target of Tk 176,370 crore of revenue collection in fiscal 2015-16 against Tk 135,028 last year.

This year, the target was set for collection at Tk 64,971 crore from income tax, while Tk 64,262 crore from VAT and Tk 18,752 from import duty. The target for export duty has been fixed at Tk 37 crore, excise duty at Tk 1,239 crore and supplementary duty at Tk 25,875.

CPD research fellow Towfiqul Islam Khan said the revenue shortfall in the fiscal 2015-16 could be Tk 40,000 crore due to many reasons like overambitious targets, low international price of imported commodities, incentives in budget and lack of major improvement in administrative policy.

The CPD came up with the estimate in its review report, ‘State of the Bangladesh Economy in FY2016’, released on Sunday.

CPD stressed introducing Bangladesh Agriculture Costs and Prices Commission (BACPC) to provide strategic guidelines to the country’s food security, suggesting incentives or subsidy to producers and giving guidelines for price signals in the market.

Regarding the 20% import duty imposed on rice market, the report says primary analysis reveals that local paddy price would increase by about 14% due to the introduction of the 20 percent duty on rice import. The quantity supplied by the private importers will decrease as import will relatively more expensive than before the intervention.

Towfiqul Islam said the paddy farmers will enjoy the highest surplus gain among the beneficiaries due to the introduction of rice import duty. “The estimated annual welfare gain for the paddy farmers in 2015 prices would be about Tk 411 crore,” he added.

The CPD report said it scrutinized 26 projects taken under Annual Development Programme (ADP) in fiscal 2014-15 and found that 14 projects out of 26 were supposed to be completed in fiscal 20114-15. Apart from one project, the remaining 13 projects were carried forward to the ADP for fiscal 2015-16.

Towfiqul Islam said if the project is not completed within the timeframe, the expenditure of the projects will go up and people will not get benefit from it.

Speaking on the occasion, CPD fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said if the allocation of project is spent, the project makes a success. But, they never evaluate where beneficiaries are getting benefits from it.

The allocation for social safety net has declined in the fiscal and its coverage is also minimized, the CPD report says. “Social sectors and social security programs are not getting enough allocation in the budget — even lower than NSSS targets. Allowance for Old Age Scheme was Tk 1,440 crore and will remain the same in the coming two fiscal years.”
Ittefaq

Manchester City fight back to beat Watford 2-1

Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero scored two minutes apart as Manchester City came from behind late to beat Watford 2-1 in the English Premier... thumbnail 1 summary

Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero scored two minutes apart as Manchester City came from behind late to beat Watford 2-1 in the English Premier League on Saturday.

The win, City’s first away from home in the league since September, was scrappy but the three points were vital for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.

It was only a point behind second-place Leicester and three behind leader Arsenal in the standings.

“We have to build on this – we hadn’t won in six on the road,” goalkeeper Joe Hart said. “It’s not championship-winning form but we’re somehow still in it.”

After a goalless first half at Vicarage Road, host Watford went ahead early in the second when Aleksandar Kolarov headed Ben Watson’s inswinging corner into his own net.

City responded by switching Raheem Sterling with Jesus Navas, but Watford’s defence remained stubborn.

The home side was put under pressure when Kevin de Bruyne’s fierce low strike from 25 yards was turned around the post by goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, but 10 minutes later had an opening to extend its lead when Etienne Capoue skipped past three challenges before shooting high over the bar.

City eventually breached Watford’s backline in the 82nd minute, when Toure struck.

The midfielder escaped his marker at a corner and sent Kolarov’s delivery high into the net with a masterful left-footed strike.

Moments later, Aguero leapt highest to reach a searching cross from Bacary Sagna, and sent his header looping over Gomes and into the far corner.

Watford was stunned, but did not wilt. Top-scorer Odion Ighalo had a good chance to level but sent a tame effort straight at Hart from 10 yards after doing well to swivel.

The equalizer never came and Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores felt his side was taught a tough lesson by City.

“It was very difficult to accept,” Flores said. “It’s very difficult to explain to the players why we haven’t won today – we did everything good.”
Ittefaq

Saturday, January 2, 2016

BGMEA, CCC to build apparel zone

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has taken a mega plan to build ‘Chittagong Apparel Zone’ in the port c... thumbnail 1 summary

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has taken a mega plan to build ‘Chittagong Apparel Zone’ in the port city’s Kalurghat.

The zone will house garment factories with modern facilities.
The BGMEA, an apex body of the country’s apparel industry, will sign a 40-year agreement with Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) to implement the project.
“Firstly, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between the BGMEA and the CCC. Then the 40-year agreement will be signed with the Corporation,” BGMEA vice president (finance) Mohammed Nasir told UNB on Saturday.
The MoU signing ceremony will be held at the GEC Convention Hall in the commercial capital of the country on Sunday evening. Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin and BGMEA President Md Siddiqur Rahman will be present, said a BGMEA official.
Explaining reasons to have such an apparel zone in the port city, Mohammed Nasir said many factories have been closed or are on the verge of closure.
The planned Chittagong Apparel Zone will help BGMEA members to avail of the opportunity in restarting their factories with modern facilities.
Responding to a question, the BGMEA leader said BGMEA members will provide funds for the project while the CCC will implement it.
“There’ll be 11 buildings in the planned Apparel Zone. Each building will be of seven-storey one,” said Mohammed Nasir, also managing director of the Evergreen Sweaters Ltd.
Asked how many factories will be accommodated in the Apparel Zone, he said, “It’ll depend on size, and each of the floor will be 20,000 square feet.”
The BGMEA also wants plots for its members in the planned mega economic zone in Mirsarai - ‘Mirsarai Economic Zone’. “If we get space there for our members, it’ll be a big help for us and the apparel industry,” Mohammed Nasir said.
Planned to be set up on 15,000 acres of land in the vicinity of the Bay of Bengal, the economic zone will be largest investment hub once it is implemented.
Prothom Alo

Saudi Arabia executes 47 on terror charges

Saudi Arabia executed 47 people on Saturday for terrorism, including the prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimrits, Interior Mi... thumbnail 1 summary

Saudi Arabia executed 47 people on Saturday for terrorism, including the prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimrits, Interior Ministry said in a statement.
Most of those executed were involved in a series of attacks carried out by al Qaeda from 2003-06, it said. Shi'ite Iran has warned that executing Nimr "would cost Saudi Arabia dearly".R
Prothom Alo

Iran summons Saudi diplomat

Iran summoned Saudi Arabia’s charge d’affaires in Tehran on Saturday to protest the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shi’ite cleric i... thumbnail 1 summary

Iran summoned Saudi Arabia’s charge d’affaires in Tehran on Saturday to protest the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shi’ite cleric in the kingdom, Iranian state television said.

Nimr was executed alongside three other Shi’ites and dozens of alleged al Qaeda members, sparking anger among Saudi Arabia’s minority Shi’ites.
Prothom Alo

Friday, January 1, 2016

Banking sector ends 2015 with Tk 1,000 billion surplus

The banking sector of Bangladesh had idle money when the year 2015 ended. Bankers say the sector currently has a surplus liquidity amou... thumbnail 1 summary

The banking sector of Bangladesh had idle money when the year 2015 ended.

Bankers say the sector currently has a surplus liquidity amounting to over Tk 1,000 billion.

In calculating the sum, the banks take into account their statutory liquidity ratio (CLR) and investments above that made in treasury bills and bonds.

The Bangladesh Bank, however, estimates the sector’s liquidity surplus to be anywhere between TK 30 and Tk 50 billion.

The central bank considers the cash-reserve ratio (CRR) or money kept with it by commercial banks as a measure of liquidity surplus.

According to the banks, the idle money is the reason of low demand for loans.

The assumption can be confirmed by looking at Bangladesh Bank’s repo and reserve repo movements and the inter-bank call money rate.

The repo and call money rates are indicative of the demand of loan from banks. When a bank runs short of funds to meet loan demands, it borrows from other banks by way of call money or from the central bank by paying a fixed repo rate.

The inter-bank call money rate had dropped to a decade-low of 2% due to sluggish loan demand in 2015.

Besides, Bangladesh Bank loans to the country’s commercial banks have remained suspended for the past six months.

Bankers say treasury bills and bonds are last-resort investments in the absence of adequate loan demands.

Political turmoils, inadequate power and gas supplies to industries, fall in international commodity prices, and the availability of foreign loans are the likely reasons why people did not take loan from the banks.

According to Bangladesh Bank figures, deposits in the banking sector stood at Tk 7,258.6 billion at the end of October. The amount of disbursed loan was Tk 706.2 billion. At the end of September, foreign loans in the private sector had stood at $ 6 billion.

The central bank is, therefore, reluctant to concede a lack of market demand for loans. It maintains that the commercial banks are cautious about giving loans except to reliable borrowers.

The central banks stopped taking reverse repo towards the end of the year to exert pressure on the commercial banks to make investments.
Ittefaq

UK Iraq veterans may face prosecution

UK soldiers who fought in the Iraq War may face prosecution for war crimes, according to the head of a unit investigating alleged abuses.... thumbnail 1 summary

UK soldiers who fought in the Iraq War may face prosecution for war crimes, according to the head of a unit investigating alleged abuses.

Mark Warwick said there were “lots of significant cases” and that discussions would be held over whether they met a war crimes threshold.

Lawyers are continuing to refer alleged abuse cases by soldiers to the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (Ihat).

The Ministry of Defence said it took such allegations “extremely seriously”.

Two public inquiries have already looked at claims against UK troops in Iraq.

Mr Warwick, the former police detective in charge of Ihat, told the Independentthe allegations being investigated included ones of murder.

He added: “Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will review all the caseload to better understand the picture and then I think we can say whether 2019 seems realistic.”

The inquiry has considered at least 1,515 possible victims, of whom 280 are alleged to have been unlawfully killed.
‘Wholly unacceptable’
He said: “We would look at the credibility of the allegation in the first instance and, when we’ve looked at a lot of these extra cases coming to us, some of them are duplicates of cases, some of them we’ve already identified as part of our own investigation process, and some are multiple allegations, where we would investigate as a single allegation.”

Ihat’s budget of £57.2m runs until the end of 2019 – 16 years after the invasion of Iraq began in 2003.

Carla Ferstman, director of the human rights charity Redress, also told the newspaper that the “incredibly slow pace” of Ihat’s investigations was “wholly unacceptable”.

He added: “Things seem to still be moving at a snail’s pace. We call upon the government to ensure Ihat can, and does, do what it was set up to do, and to do it now. This cannot be a whitewash.”

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said most members of the armed forces behaved correctly.

She added: “The vast majority of UK service personnel deployed on military operations conduct themselves professionally and in accordance with the law.

‘Corporate failure’
“Where there is sufficient evidence, members of HM Forces can be prosecuted. It is estimated that the Ihat’s work will take until the end of 2019.”

An inquiry into claims of abuse by UK troops in Iraq highlighted the death of 26-year-old hotel worker Baha Mousa, who died in UK military custody in September 2003.

It concluded in September 2011, with inquiry chairman Sir William Gage blaming “corporate failure” at the Ministry of Defence for the use of banned interrogation methods in Iraq.

The Al-Sweady Inquiry, set up in 2009, followed allegations made in judicial review proceedings at the High Court that the human rights of several Iraqis were abused by British troops in the aftermath of a firefight with insurgents near the town of Majar al Kabir.

Inquiry chairman Sir Thayne Forbes said allegations that troops murdered and mutilated Iraqis in custody were “wholly without foundation”. But he did conclude that some of the detention techniques had amounted to mistreatment.
Ittefaq

Grammy-award winning singer Natalie Cole dies at 65

Natalie Cole, whose hit songs included the duet Unforgettable with her father Nat “King” Cole, has died aged 65. The Grammy-winning sin... thumbnail 1 summary

Natalie Cole, whose hit songs included the duet Unforgettable with her father Nat “King” Cole, has died aged 65.

The Grammy-winning singer died on Thursday night at a hospital in Los Angeles, her publicist told the Associated Press news agency.

She rose to fame as an R&B artist with tracks such as This Will Be and Inseparable.

The singer had recently cancelled a series of performances, including one on New Year’s Eve.

“Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived… with dignity, strength and honour. Our beloved mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain unforgettable in our hearts forever,” said a statement from her son Robert Yancy, and sisters, Timolin and Casey Cole, AP reported.

US civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson was among the first to tweet his condolences: “#NatalieCole, sister beloved & of substance and sound. May her soul rest in peace. #Inseparable.”
The singer had battled drug problems and hepatitis in the past, and underwent a kidney transplant in 2009.

Her greatest success came with her 1991 album, Unforgettable… With Love, which paid tribute to her father with reworked versions of some of his best-known songs, including That Sunday That Summer, Too Young and Mona Lisa.

On the hit track Unforgettable, her voice was remixed with her father’s, 25 years after his death.

The album went on to win six Grammys, including album of the year, as well as song of the year for the title track.

The daughter of crooner Cole and jazz singer Maria Hawkins – who worked with Duke Ellington – Natalie grew up surrounded by music in an affluent neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

Her father died from lung cancer when she was only 15, and she struggled to come to terms with his death. However, she appeared to find solace in music.

She began performing in college and had early success with her debut album Inseparable in 1975. The album track, This Will Be, became a top ten hit and went on to win Cole a Grammy for best female R&B performance.

Cole was also named best new artist at the Grammys – and the album’s title track, Inseparable, became another chart hit.
Ittefaq

China’s two-child policy takes effect

Married couples in China will from Friday be allowed to have two children, after concerns over an ageing population and shrinking workfor... thumbnail 1 summary

Married couples in China will from Friday be allowed to have two children, after concerns over an ageing population and shrinking workforce ushered in an end to the country’s controversial one-child policy.

The change, which was announced in October by the ruling Communist Party, takes effect from January 1, 2016, Beijing’s official Xinhua news agency reported over the weekend.

The “one child policy”, instituted in the late 1970s, restricted most couples to only a single offspring through a system of fines for violators and even forced abortions.

For years, authorities argued that it was a key contributor to China’s economic boom and had prevented 400 million births.

Rural families were allowed two children if the first was a girl, while ethnic minorities were allowed an extra offspring, leading some to dub it a “one-and-a-half child” policy.

But it also led to heart-rending tales of loss for would-be parents, and prompted sex-selective abortions or infanticide targeting girls because of a centuries-old social preference for boys.


China’s population-the world’s largest at 1.37 billion-is now ageing rapidly and has severe gender imbalances, all while the country’s workforce is shrinking.

Under the new law, married couples are now allowed to have a second child, but the legislation maintains limits on additional births.

Around three million extra babies will be born each year over the next five years as a result, officials from the National Health and Family Planning Commission predicted at a briefing in November.

This would add a total of about 30 million people to the labour force by 2050, officials said.

Still, experts say the shift is likely too little, too late to address China’s looming population crisis.

Others warn that many Chinese couples do not want more children, particularly given the expense, and the effects of the change remain unclear.
prothom alo

Kendall Jenner reveals she was hospitalised

Model Kendall Jenner has revealed that she was hospitalised due to her tight work schedule. In the note titled “Not Quite Resolutions, ... thumbnail 1 summary

Model Kendall Jenner has revealed that she was hospitalised due to her tight work schedule.

In the note titled “Not Quite Resolutions, But...”, which she shared on her website, the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” reality star candidly revealed that the hospitalisation served as a “wake up call” for her, reports aceshowbiz.com.

“I just got so tired from work and life and everything that it freaked me out at the end of this year,” Kendall shared in the note.

“I actually had to go to the hospital because I was so exhausted-it was definitely a wake up call that I need to take better care of myself,” she added.

The 20-year-old model also said that she is not a “big fan” of New Year resolutions.

“I don’t write a list down or anything, it’s definitely more of an in-my-head kind of thing,” Kendall noted, before jokingly adding, “I set random goals like ‘find a boyfriend’ but it’s not legit at all, lol.”
prothom alo

Stefani takes Blake Shelton to her hometown

After country singer Blake Shelton took his pop star girlfriend Gwen Stefani to his native in Oklahoma last week, the two paid visit to t... thumbnail 1 summary

After country singer Blake Shelton took his pop star girlfriend Gwen Stefani to his native in Oklahoma last week, the two paid visit to the latter’s hometown in Anaheim, California.

The two were spotted hanging out together in the Southern California city on Tuesday, reports etonline.com.

An onlooker said that the couple was spotted with Stefani’s parents and her three children - Kingston, 9, Zuma, 7, and Apollo, 1 -- alongside her ex-husband, Gavin Rossdale.

The two were spotted holding hands and kissing each other.

“Gwen’s kids seemed approving of Blake,” the onlooker said.

At one point, the couple stopped by Cortina’s Italian Market & Pizzeria.

One fan took a photograph with the duo and posted it on his Instagram page.


A caption for the image read: “Just helped out Gwen Stefani and Mr. Blake Shelton!#blakeshelton#gwenstefani #cortinasitalianmarket.”
prothom alo
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)