Whitherwards Indian politics ?

INDIAN polity could be surmised as a game of money and muscle with big business and media lords aided by the establishment playing the central role.The common people have no voice of their own. People just vote standing in long...

Northern University reaches a new height

DESPITE limitation of campus facilities, Northern University Bangladesh (NUB), one of the leading private universities of the country, has successfully completed its second convocation ceremony earlier this month.. It is attracting a good number of new students every year.A total...

After the 'trust vote' for Indian Congress

AFTER an acrimonious debate by opposition with charges of intimidation and vote buying, India's parliament reaffirmed its confidence in the Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on July 23.Two hundred and seventy-five members of the Lok Sabha voted in...

Six NBFIs seek govt nod to access foreign credit

At least six non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) have sought government approval to access loan from international long-term development lenders to diversify their credit source and lower their interest rates, officials said Friday.The NBFIs-- better known as leasing companies-- usually source...

Artificial crisis of fertiliser in Ctg

CHITTAGONG, Aug 01: An artificial crisis of fertiliser persists in different upazilas of greater Chittagong including Cox's Bazar, Bandarban and Khagrachari. The farmers are warried of their future due to such a crisis of essential requisite for cultivation during the...

Alzheimer's experts see progress on new drugs

Despite some recent dramatic failures, Alzheimer's disease researchers say they have never been more encouraged by the wealth of promising new treatments being studied for the brain-wasting disease."Twenty years ago we were at zero," said Dr. Steven DeKosky of the...

Talk shop over solving traffic problem will not do

The Chief Adviser (CA) Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed presided over a meeting last Tuesday that was devoted to addressing the agonizing traffic conditions in Dhaka city. The holy month of Ramadan is near and, as always, government seeks to provide some...

Titas in trouble with huge unsold shares

Titas, the state-owned gas distribution company, is facing an uphill task in offloading the rest of its shares in nine remaining trading days as required under direct listing regulations.A company seeking to go for direct listing has to offload 10...

Killer of Srebrenica and Sarajevo faces trial

Radovan Karadzic the Serb nationalist-racist leader, who presided over the extermination of hundreds and thousands of Muslims and Croats in his 1992-95 drive to cleanse his greater Serbia of dream of non-Serbs has at last been arrested and subjected to...

Institutional reforms for democracy

"DEMOCRACY", as a definition goes, "is a system of government by which political sovereignty is retained by the people and exercised directly by citizens." In a democratic state, people have a mechanism by which they voice their representation, exert parliamentary...

World's biggest refinery to test oil bulls

On India's West coast, the world's biggest refining complex is nearly ready to begin pumping a wave of diesel fuel into the world oil market, removing one of the last near-term fundamentals supporting $100-plus crude.But unfortunately for oil consumers and...

NBR to observe 'Income Tax Day' Sept 01

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has drawn up a work plan for expansion of tax net in the current fiscal through motivation of community leaders and encouraging taxpayers, officials said.The board has decided to involve district and Upazila administration,...

US intelligence agencies brought under single umbrella

NEW YORK, Aug 1: All the US intelligence agencies have been brought under the one single agency known as National Intelligence. The idea mooted at the beginning of President Bush's second term in 2004 has at last been fructified.There are...

Does Geneva marks the end of Doha round of WTO talks?

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks in Geneva have finally collapsed. The Doha round of WTO talks that started in the Qatari capital of Doha with a view to liberalising global trade for an easier and cheaper flow of goods...

Population explosions in Bangladesh moving towards danger

The high population growth rates of Bangladesh have appeared as the major impediments to its development. The family planning programmes are going on, of course without much of any notable achievement. The domestic and international sources are financing the programmes...

The current oil shock

When will it end, this crushing rise in the price of gasoline, now averaging $4.10 a gallon at the pump? The question is uppermost in the minds of American motorists as they plan vacations or simply review their daily journeys....

Adulteration of food

Adulteration of food in Bangladesh has taken a serious turn upward, taking advantage of the absence of any provision for strict punishment and administrative supervision for implementation of the same to discourage and deter the dishonest traders and businessmen to...

High time to diversify traditional agriculture

Traditional agriculture- centering mainly on the production of food grains -- has served a purpose, no doubt, in feeding the growing population of Bangladesh. But this singular emphasis on food grain production is also costing dear the country in different...

Job openings in tourism industry

The vast hospitality and tourism industry of the world is viewed by economists as a great contributor to employment, gross domestic product ( GDP) and revenues.According to the World Travel & Tourism Council in 2007, the industry grew significantly for...

Poor at great risk because of high food inflation

The positive gains in the country's poverty reduction efforts have now been reversed due to high food prices and soaring inflation, said government and private research agencies.They said poverty eradication process has been seriously affected due to abnormal hike in...

For a better functioning DCC

The exodus of people from other areas of the country leading to their migration to Dhaka city and its adjacent areas is occurring at a fast pace. The pull factors of the city are considered as almost unstoppable by experts....

Road map to good governance - the Nine "I" model

Economic development can not flourish in the absence of good governance. The precondition for good governance is effective democratic institutions. What is important for good governance is democratising the society? Without people's participation in governance, there can be no sustainable...

Exports record 15pc growth last fiscal

The country's export in fiscal 2007-08 recorded more than 15 per cent growth over that of previous fiscal, a senior official said Sunday.According to the provisional statistics of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh fetched over $14.01 billion through export...

'Thank God, our farmers were untaught'

OFTEN when I reflect my face on a mirror I wonder what my ancestors did for their living, say, 400 years back! Given the texture and colour of my dark skin, my body size and my idiosyncrasies, I guess my...

Who is to blame: employer, worker or mission?

Kuwaiti police and special force used batons, fired tear gas canisters and arrested a few Bangladeshi workers, who in their hundreds, allegedly, along with some other Asian workers resorted to strike and turned violent last Monday at Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, 20-km...

Investment in saving tools declines by 39pc in FY'08

Investment in saving tools by small savers declined by 39 per cent in fiscal 2007-08 as much of the fund flowed into more lucrative stock market, officials said.The National Savings Directorate (NSD) received net investment worth Tk 25.16 billion in...

Expectations from Colombo summit of Saarc

Leaders of the 1.5 billion-strong South Asian nations will again meet in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, for the 15th time to discuss issues of mutual interests in order to enhance cooperation among the member states. The people of the...

Price hike of raw materials pushes boutique businesses into harsh time

Prices of raw materials for boutique products have increased by at least 20 per cent over the last one year pushing the boutique businesses into a very harsh time."Prices of raw materials like fabrics, colours, yarn and kerosene have increased...

US-Iran hot and cold relations

BECAUSE of its sheer military power and arrogance, the US does not hesitate to threaten and invade sovereign countries considered by Washington not falling in line with its global agenda. Hence the US issues threats to them with deadlines to...

The deadline for special citizen facility need to alter

WE appreciate that the present government has taken an excellent move for providing Special Citizen Facility to our expatriate Bangladeshis who sent home remittance worth over US$ 5,000.00 in fiscal 2007-08 aiming to boost inflow of foreign exchange. Under the...