Oxfam presses world leaders over 'pittance' for food crisis

LONDON, June 3 (AFP): Aid charity Oxfam appealed to world leaders today to agree an urgent global action plan in response to the food price crisis, as they gathered for a high- level UN summit in Rome.Oxfam accused the international...

RCC unveils Tk 1.623b budget

RAJSHAHI, June 3: Reazun Nabi Dudu, Acting Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), unveiled a Tk 1.623 billion (162.3 crore) budget of the RCC for the financial year 2008-2009 in a press conference held at the auditorium of RCC Monday...

Nepal Maoist chief won't 'renounce arms'

TOKYO, June 3 (AFP): Nepal's Maoist chief has ruled out renouncing armed struggle but said a return to violence was unlikely after the former rebels achieved their goal of ending the world's last Hindu monarchy.The Maoists, who waged a decade-long...

New DMD of Jamuna Bank

Md Alauddin Al-Azad has joined the Jamuna Bank Limited as deputy managing director (DMD).Before joining the Jamuna Bank, he served the Dhaka Bank Limited as senior executive vice president and head of credit, said a press release.After completing his MBA...

Road accidents in Dhaka

Commuting in Dhaka city has become almost a nightmarish experience. Motorised as well as manually driven vehicles keep the city streets clogged from morning to midnight. The use of sidewalks or pavements by the pedestrians is also difficult since those...

India set to exempt Africa from rice ban

Joe Leahy in Mumbai and Amy Yee in New Delhi, FT Syndication ServiceIndia is facing growing pressure from African countries to exempt them from export bans on rice implemented by New Delhi to curb domestic food price inflation.The pressure illustrates...

Exporters pledge to work together to combat challenges

The country's exporters Tuesday pledged to work together to combat local and international challenges facing their industries.Leaders of local exporters' associations were addressing a meeting organised to form a common platform.The meeting was held at the conference room of Bangladesh...

What is cohousing?

Cohousing began in Denmark in the 1960s and in the U.S. in the 1980s. Today there are hundreds of cohousing communities in many different countries, with more than 90 in the US.Cohousing is a form of collaborative housing that offers...

Indian inflation close to 13-year high

Mumbai, June 3 (Reuters): India's annual inflation rate is probably already near 9 per cent, close to a 13-year high, and will top the central bank's comfort zone all year as the impact of rising raw materials prices seeps deeper...

China says west's lack of market oversight led to subprime crisis

FT Syndication ServiceBEIJING: Western governments must strengthen their oversight of financial markets and improve cross-border regulatory cooperation if they are to avoid future global financial crises, a senior Chinese banking regulator told the Financial Times recently."I feel the western consensus...

sports digest

Pakistan's Asif arrested in Dubaion charges of carrying drugLAHORE, Pakistan, June 3: Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif has been arrested at Dubai airport on charges of possessing illegal drugs, cricket officials said Tuesday. The 25-year-old Asif was seized while returning...

Remittance inflow exceeds $7b in 11 months

Remittances from expatriate Bangladeshis exceeded US$7.0 billion in the first eleven months of the current fiscal, marking a 31.14 per cent growth over the same period of the last fiscal.The country received $7.163 billion during the July-May period of the...

Of statistics, lies and inflation

The policy analysis unit (PAU) of the central bank in a policy paper published recently has recommended introduction of a method for measuring 'core' inflation in order to help the bank formulate what it said credible monetary policy.The policy paper

Fazlul Hoque made MD of RAKUB

M Fazlul Hoque has been appointed managing director of Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank Sunday.Prior to this assignment, he was the deputy managing director of Bangldesh Krishi Bank.He started his banking career as assistant controller of fund management of Bangldesh Krishi...

Consumers still awaiting a law for protection

THE activities of some unscrupulous elements, ranging from unlawful syndicated trading to adulteration of food-products, are causing growing concern to the consumers across the country. Consumers in Bangladesh, specially the non-affluent, who constitute the majority, have been passing time in...

Housing for urban poor

The leaders of the readymade garment workers recently demanded allocation of fund in the next budget for a housing project for the RMG workers. The demand deserves serious consideration. It's a genuine suggestion and needs to be treated accordingly.Hundreds of...

Oil prices ease in Asian trade

SINGAPORE, June 3 (AFP): Oil prices eased in Asian trade Tuesday on continuing concerns over global energy demand, dealers said.New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for July delivery, slipped 46 cents to 127.30 dollars per barrel.The benchmark...

Call to settle workers

CHITTAGONG, June 03: It is better to settle any problem concerning demands of the workers through discussion and on the basis of understandings between conflicting parties instead of resorting to destructive activities like rampaging and ransacking.This was observed by the...

City events

Sajib scored a hattrick as Manik Smriti Sangsad crushed RND Krira Chakra by 6-1 goals in a West Zone match of the Metropolis Pioneer Football League at the Outer Stadium in the city Tuesday. Sajib scored three goals for his...

Abahani beats Mohammedan, keep title hope alive

Abahani Limited kept their title hope alive in the Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League beating archrival Mohammedan SC by 6-5 goals in a keenly contested match at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium Tuesday, reports UNB.With this, Abahani...

commodities digest

Yuan climbs to new high against US dollarBEIJING, June 3: The Chinese currency, the yuan, rose to a fresh high against the US dollar today, with the central parity rate at 6.9295 yuan to one dollar. The yuan, also known...

ADB to invest $1b annually for 'clean energy' in Asia

MANILA, June 3 (AFP): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to invest one billion dollars annually in "clean energy" projects as part of an effort to encourage their use, the Manila-based bank said today.ADB vice-president for sustainable development Ursula Schafer-Preuss...

Food summit blames trade barriers for high prices

ROME (Reuters) - The United Nations urged a summit on the global food crisis on Tuesday to help stop the spread of starvation threatening nearly 1.0 billion people by lowering trade barriers and removing export bans."Nothing is more degrading than...

LankaBangla Finance awaiting SEC nod to start asset management company

LankaBangla Finance Ltd, a leading non-banking financial institution (NBFI), is in the process to establish an asset management company."Our proposed asset management company (AMC), if approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), will start operation soon to consolidate our...

Ahmadinejad leaves for Italy food summit

TEHRAN, June 3 (AFP): Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Tuesday left Tehran to attend a UN food summit in Rome, where his presence has already aroused controversy amongst Italian demonstrators."Iran, as an influential nation in the economy and agriculture, has clear...

Businesses recommend local polls first, upper house in parliament

The business community at a dialogue with the caretaker government Tuesday pleaded that the general election should be held within the announced timeframe no matter what is the outcome of the ongoing dialogue with the political parties, reports UNB.Business leaders...

High value garments

Our readymade garments (RMG) exporters should realise that earnings from export to the US fell not only due to the competition Bangladesh is facing from the countries enjoying quota- and duty-free access to the US. The point is the US...

Businesses, fixed income people for hike in tax-exemption ceiling

Businesses and fixed income group of people do strongly favour an upward revision of tax exemption ceiling from the existing rate of Tk 150000 in view of the substantial rise in the cost of living index.In the last one year,...

Pak investigators search for clues in Danish embassy bombing

ISLAMABAD, June 03 (AP): Investigators reviewed video and picked through debris Tuesday as Denmark's intelligence service said al-Qaeda or a terror affiliate was likely behind a car bomb that exploded outside its embassy in Pakistan, killing six people.No one has...

Mizan new MD of BSB

Md Mizanur Rahman has been promoted as managing director of Bangladesh Shilpa Bank (BSB) Sunday.Prior to this promotion, he was the deputy managing director of Janata Bank Limited.He started his banking career with Sonali Bank in 1978 and subsequently he...