Hossen Sohel: The news of Japan Tobacco acquiring Akij Group’s tobacco business for $1.48 billion in what would be the biggest ever single foreign direct investment in Bangladesh has irked the anti-tobacco activists, reports bdnews24.com. PROGGA, which leads anti-tobacco groups in Bangladesh, said Japan Tobacco’s presence will “increase the risk of public health since the…
Irtiza Nasim Ali/Southasian Monitor The elections to Bangladesh’s national assembly were far from credible. And as if the election results were not shocking enough—the Awami League bagging 288 seats while the main opposition BNP only managing to win five—the 47-member cabinet held more surprises than the proverbial Pandora’s box. The total absence of the Awami…
Desk Report Farmers in the district are passing their days in deep frustrations due to widespread attack of stem borer, locally known as majrapoka, on their Aman croplands. The farmers said they have been spraying pesticides since the beginning of the pest attack around two weeks back, but it is not working. Frustrations have gripped…
Kabir Humayun: Five persons were killed as a truck crashed into a CNG-driven auto-rickshaw on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Mirsharai upazila early yesterday. The deceased are— Shah Alam, 40, the auto-rickshaw driver, Didarul Alam, 35, Kamrul, 45, Mosharaf, 26 and Mohiuddin, 60. Two siblings Liton, 25, and Sohel, 22, were admitted to Jorarganj upazila health complex…
DOT Desk: Hundreds of children have been affected by the illness, reports The Independent. A diarrhea epidemic has become widespread in the Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah district. At least 200 children, from different regions of the upazila, have received treatment for diarrhea, in the Shailkupa Hospital, over the last 32 days. According to hospital sources,…
Sofian Khan Interrogation of former BASIC Bank Chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu has faced the Anti-Corruption Commission’s interrogation over the swindling around Tk 2,200 crore loan fraud accusation. On Wednesday at 10am, the second day of Bacchu’s questioning began, informed Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, the ACC Deputy Director (Media). The investigation is being led by ACC…
Desk Report: Importers and domestic producers of solar panels will enjoy exemption from the value added tax (VAT) as per a recent order of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), reports the financial express. The exemption from 15 per cent VAT would help promote the use of renewable energy at an affordable cost, officials said….
UNB Terming the present government a pro-business and pro-investment one, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said it wants to leave no stone unturned for the sake of the county’s rapid economic progress. “For the sake of the country’s rapid economic development, we want to utilise all the scopes. We’ll go for all ways —…
Nahian Arefin: The Taliban have decided to send a delegation to talk with United States officials with a view to end the conflict in Afghanistan. The news was confirmed by two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity involved with the process. They also confirmed that Taliban leaders were meeting to discuss the makeup of…