Suffering of electricity consumers multiplied with the increasing frequency of power cuts imposed by the power utilities across the country over last few days. Power sector officials said the demand for power had been growing steadily with the mercury climbing over last few days. Sudden increase in demand for power has caused transformer collapse in different areas of the country […]

The government is going to increase the surcharge on net assets of rich people while minimum income tax for poverty-prone areas may be decreased by Tk 1,000 in the coming national budget for fiscal year of 2013-14. Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith is going to propose the highest 20 per cent surcharge on the payable tax for those having […]

Former national skipper Mohammad Ashraful was temporarily banned from cricket for his alleged involvement in match-fixing during the Bangladesh Premier League, the Bangladesh Cricket Board president said on Tuesday. The ban will remain valid until the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit of the International Cricket Council submits its investigation report on the matter to the cricket board. The board introduced ACSU […]

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Tuesday told parliament that the Awami League-led government had proved that it did not interfere in any elections in past four years. She made the claim after BNP lawmaker Jamiruddin Sircar on a point of order sought her intervention so that the Talora municipality mayor could take oath. ‘It has been proved that we […]

The Bangladesh army has taken steps to seek Interpol help in hunding hunting two absconding people including a major involved in an alleged attempt of a coup to overthrow the government in 2011, the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the defence ministry, M Idris Ali, told New Age on Tuesday. ‘The army has informed the standing committee meeting […]

Foreign minister Dipu Moni on Tuesday said BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman is not a ‘political personality’ after giving ‘undertaking’ that he would not do politics before he left for London in 2008. She made the remark at a regular press briefing when a correspondent asked whether the foreign ministry has informed the UK government and the Interpol about the […]

Foreign minister Dipu Moni on Tuesday disagreed with the US state department’s view that Bangladesh’s foreign and domestic policies are heavily influenced by the region’s major powers, particularly India. ‘Bangladesh’s foreign policy exclusively belongs to Bangladesh and is run to protect the interest of the people and the state. It’s not influenced by anybody,’ she told a regular press conference […]

The government is likely to set aside a substantial amount of fund in block allocation in the next budget scheduled to be proposed in the parliament on June 6. Finance ministry officials told New Age on Tuesday that the amount of block allocation might be around Tk 11,000 crore, or 4.9 per cent of the possible budget layout of Tk […]

Alan Duncan, UK minister of state for international development, on Tuesday said it is critically important for Bangladesh’s reputation that the next parliamentary elections are judged to be free, fair, and credible. ‘Clearly this is an important period for Bangladesh as it looks to hold national elections,’ he said in a statement after a meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina […]

The under-construction Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover is yet to be completed even two months after the latest deadline with the construction firm Orion Infrastructure Limited now pointing to the delay in relocation of electricity lines from the project area as a reason. Several deadlines in the last eight years were missed in implementing the much-hyped project initiated to ease the capital’s nagging […]

A US tourist was gang-raped by a truck driver and two accomplices after hitching a ride in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, the police said Tuesday. The incident follows the alleged rape of a 21-year-old Irish charity worker in Kolkata at the weekend and comes as the country attempts to tackle widespread sex crime with tougher anti-rape laws. […]

Climate experts expressed deep concern over destruction of almost 90 per cent of the capital city’s wetlands, forests and crop lands due to illegal encroachment and unplanned urbanization. According to a study of Bangladesh Centre of Advanced Studies the city’s vast wetland, forests, water bodies and the rivers around became casualties of rampant encroachment and unplanned urbanization. The report said […]