Priyo News

Govt mulls commuter railway service to ease traffic jam

Sat November 7, 2009 - 1:12pm BdST

Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain on Saturday said the government plans to connect Dhaka city with the adjacent districts through introducing commuter railway service to reduce the irritating traffic jam in the capital. “We’ve a plan to introduce commuter railway service for connecting Dhaka with its adjacent districts to reduce the pressure of transports in the capital city,” he told reporters after signing of a railway rehabilitation agreement at Rail Bhaban in the city.

Daylight saving time for whom?

Sat November 7, 2009 - 1:04pm BdST

Government's reluctance to revert to standard time from the ongoing day-light saving (DST) time introduced in July this year, has triggered an unending debate as to its usefulness as winter is setting in. About 70 countries around the world having daylight saving time have switched back to standard time with the advent of winter, particularly in Europe and America.

Hasina meets with Bhutan’s king

Sat November 7, 2009 - 12:48pm BdST

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met with King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck at his office at Tashichodzong in Bhutanese capital Thimpu on Saturday morning amidst royal formalities. Sheikh Hasina arrived at the King’s office in a ceremonial motorcade led by a colorful traditional Bhutanese procession, known as ‘Chhipdrel’, at 9:20am (local time).

Remittance boom on as NRBs discard informal channel

Sat November 7, 2009 - 12:24pm BdST

A falling trend in remitting money by expatriate Bangladeshis through the informal channels, coupled with a sense of insecurity among them in putting their savings in the recession-hit western countries have recently pushed remittance inflow through the formal channels.

2,500 pharmacies observing strike in capital

Sat November 7, 2009 - 12:08pm BdST

Around 2,500 pharmacies in Mitford area in Old Dhaka on Saturday kept their shutters down in protest against a drive conducted in a drug house by Rapid Action Battalion in Chittagong.

Bangladesh readies flood-tolerant rice

Sat November 7, 2009 - 11:58am BdST

Bangladesh is set to officially release three flood-tolerant rice varieties that would help farmers prevent up to a million tonnes of annual crop loss caused by flash floods, researches said. Officials concerned told The Daily Star that these rice varieties with submergence-tolerant gene, known as Sub1, can withstand two weeks of complete submergence.

Babar sent to TFI cell for interrogation

Sat November 7, 2009 - 11:44am BdST

The Criminal Investigation Department on Friday sent the detained former BNP state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar to the Task Force for Interrogation Cell in the August 21 grenade attack case. The CID, meanwhile, interrogated former deputy inspector general of the Special Branch Shamsul Islam and the former Armed Police Battalion superintendent Mostofa Kamal in the case. Shamsul Islam was the acting Special Branch chief in the absence of the chief additional inspector general Abdul Qaiyum and Mostofa Kamal was additional deputy commissioner of the Motijheel zone of the police when the incident took place.

RMG workers demand minimum wage at Tk 5,000

Sat November 7, 2009 - 11:34am BdST

Various garment factory workers’ rights bodies on Friday, from separate rallies in the Muktangan, called on the Awami League-led government to introduce trade unionism in garment factories within three months and ensure a minimum wage of Tk 5,000/-. The leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Workers Unity Council and Garment Workers Unity Forum said that the government had pledged that it would introduce trade unions in garment factories but has taken no steps to do so till date.

Japanese QTEC plans Dhaka wing

Sat November 7, 2009 - 11:24am BdST

The Japan Textile Products Quality and Technology Centre, which is called QTEC, will open a laboratory in Dhaka in February next year for inspection of Bangladeshi goods to be exported to Japan. After China and Korea, Bangladesh will be the third country to have a QTEC laboratory, which serves importers testing products following the strict Japanese standard requirements, said a top QTEC official. ‘We will open our Dhaka laboratory on the first day of February 2010,’ Hiroshi Okada, president of Tokyo-based QTEC, told New Age on Thursday.

AL destroyed multiparty democracy: Delwar

Sat November 7, 2009 - 12:11am BdST

BNP termed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's statement in parliament about restoring the 1972 Constitution "illegal" as the opposition party thinks there is no scope to fall back over so many years that have gone by through major changes. "After long years, there is no scope for a return to that place (72 Constitution)," said BNP secretary-general Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday, criticizing the Prime Minister's statement made Wednesday.

BNP observes National Solidarity Day today

Sat November 7, 2009 - 12:04am BdST

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) observes the National Revolution and Solidarity Day today marking the civil-military "uprising" that led to release of then army chief Ziaur Rahman on this very day in 1975. The party has drawn up elaborate programmes including discussion to observe the day. Political parties and different social organisations observe the day from different historical perspective.

US-born Muslim in army custody: 13 die in Texas base shooting attack

Fri November 6, 2009 - 11:47pm BdST

A US major is under guard at a Texas military base as officials investigate what prompted a shooting attack that left 13 people dead. Authorities named Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, as the man who opened fire on soldiers at Fort Hood on Thursday.