The Indian Border Security Force will soon deploy unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs to the borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to enhance surveillance. Indian Express quoting BSF director general Subhash Joshi reported Monday that a standard operating procedure was being drafted with the Indian Air Force to finalise the modalities of using the UAVs. The surveillance machines, which will be […]

The parliamentary standing committee on public administration ministry on Monday recommended that lawmakers be allowed to head governing bodies of four government colleges in the respective parliamentary constituencies. The meeting of the committee also recommended amendment to the respective laws to this effect, committee member Barkatullah Bulu told New Age after the meeting. The existing laws allow the lawmakers to […]

The cabinet on Monday ordered legal action against Grameen Bank’s founding managing director and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus for his alleged income tax evasion. The order came after the National Board of Revenue reported to the weekly cabinet meeting that the former managing director of the Grameen Bank had enjoyed tax exemption as a ‘wage earner’ on his income during […]

The finance minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, on Monday said actions would be taken against the Grameen Bank in line with the recommendations made by the government- appointed commission that would submit its final report by the end of September. ‘We will get the final report from the commission by the end of this month,’ he told reporters while focusing […]

The cabinet on Monday endorsed a national strategy for dealing with the issues of refugees and citizens from Myanmar living illegally in Bangladesh, proposing listing of the ‘undocumented Rohingyas’. The foreign ministry placed the document at the weekly cabinet meeting with the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in the chair at the secretariat to address the Rohingya refugee issue in a […]

The Yunus Centre on Monday rejected the allegations that Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus had benefited from ‘unlawful income’ by receiving foreign currencies in his personal capacity without government permission. ‘Professor Yunus’ overseas income feature prize money, honorariums for lectures and royalties on his books and he can show them as tax-free income as per laws if he receives them through […]

The U.S. secretary of state John Kerry, in a renewed diplomatic initiative, has written to prime minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia reiterating Washington’s call to settle the dispute over election-time administration through constructive dialogue for fair parliamentary polls. ‘Secretary Kerry has written to the Prime Minister and to Begum Zia.  He has encouraged them to engage in […]

The Awami League on Monday told an European Union mission that the coming parliamentary polls would be inclusive with participation of all parties and a solution to the issue of an election-time government could be worked out within the constitution. The ruling party made the assurances during a meeting with the visiting five-member EU delegation at the AL president’s Dhanmondi […]

Infighting in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has deepened with rival leaders engaging increasingly in shows of strength at different tiers of the party apparently to keep the high command under pressure for nomination in the elections. Fighting between rival groups broke out recently in presence of BNP’s senior and mid-level central leaders in different districts, including Moulvibazar, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Rangpur […]

The finance ministry has initially agreed to a proposal suggested by the World Bank to ‘divest’ a certain portion of government shares of the currently 100 per cent state-owned commercial banks to the stock market to shore up the capital-starved public banks and improve their fragile management. ‘In principle, we are of the view that a certain amount of shares […]

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has cancelled her visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly session, an official of foreign ministry told New Age on Monday night. Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office said she had finally dropped her scheduled visit considering that the coming parliament session was crucial in the context of current political developments as […]