India to chase Tigers' 279

India need 280 to win
Bangladesh 279/7 (50ov)

Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim finally left the crease after hitting a marvelous century first Asia Cup match against world champion India at Fatullah Stadium in Narayanganj today.
Middle-order Nasir Hossain gave away his wicket behind the wicket on a delivery of pacer Mohammed Shami.
Indian pacer Varun Aaron bowled opener Anamul Haque Bijoy on his 77 runs off 106 balls.
However, Mushfiq was still on the crease playing a captain's knock with a tight half-century.

Mahmood Ali made foreign minister

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AH Mahmood Ali has been made the new minister for foreign affairs.

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After being sworn in on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave him the portfolio which he held in the poll-time government.
Lt Col (retd) Nazrul Islam is officially the state minister for water resources.
Abdullah Al Islam Jakob, who was deputy minister for water resources has been shifted to the Ministry of Environment and Forest.

Stay on HC's Pubali Bank order

The Supreme Court has stayed the High Court’s order which vacated eight positions of directors at the Pubali Bank.

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Chamber Judge Justice Hasan Foez Siddique gave the order on Wednesday following a plea by the bank authorities.

On Tuesday, the High Court vacated the posts due to non-compliance of share-holding requirements.

Govt trying to influence upazila polls: Rizvi

BNP today alleged that the government has moved to influence the second phase of upazila elections scheduled for tomorrow after its defeat in the first phase.
“In a bid to influence the polls result, law enforcers are harassing the chairman aspirants backed by the BNP-led 19-party alliance, their supporters and even their family members,” said BNP joint secretary general Rizvi Ahmed.
The BNP leader came up with the statement at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan office in the capital.

GP gets Green Mobile Award

Grameenphone Ltd, the country’s largest mobile phone operator, has been awarded the Green Mobile Award for its Climate Change programmes.
“This programme has set clear targets for the adoption of renewable power sources, including water conservation, and displays commitment to long term pursuit of the project aims,” the GSMA award judges said while presenting the prize to GP.
Vivek Sood, CEO of Grameenphone, received the award at the Global Mobile Award prize ceremony during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday.
The Global Mobile Awards uniquely offer organisations the opportunity to showcase the latest mobile products, services and initiatives to the world.

Govt trying to win US favour citing al-Qaeda issue: Fakhrul

The government is trying to win favour from the US banking on the issue of al-Qaeda threat, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged today.
“In a bid to get US favour, the government is telling the so-called threat of the al-Qaeda since the US and whole world rejected the January 5 election,” the BNP leader said at a press conference at the party headquarters in Nayapaltan of the capital.
The press conference was organised to reveal the party's reaction to allegation that the ruling Awami League lawmakers made in the parliament linking the BNP-led alliance with the recent audio message said to be from the global militant organisation.

Gold trader, family silent against RAB

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The family of abducted Chittagong gold trader Mridul Chowdhury have quieted down after his release despite their earlier allegation against the RAB.

The businessman after being found alive in Comilla on Monday, six days after he had gone missing, said he was kidnapped from Chittagong by a group of armed men in a black microbus.
Mridul, before his abduction, had filed a case against RAB Major Rakibul Amin, a RAB source and his own driver for looting 80 Bhori (933g) of gold.

KL detains 57 more Bangladeshis

The Malaysian law enforcers detained 57 more Bangladeshis between Thursday and Sunday under an ongoing nationwide crackdown against illegal foreign workers.

With this, at least 508 Bangladeshis have so far been held since the beginning of the crackdown on January 21 in order to streamline the country's labour market, according to the Malaysian media.

Malaysian English daily The Star today reported that the immigration department with the law enforcers conducted raids and arrested at least 4,640 illegal immigrants and 48 employers.  

Of them, 1,800 are Indonesians, 642 Myanmar nationals, 502 Filipinos, 288 Nepalese, 239 Indian nationals, 209 Pakistanis and the remaining 452 from various countries, said Malaysian Immigration Director Datuk Aloyah Mamat.

ONGC signed for Bay exploration

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State-owned Petrobangla has signed a deal with Indian state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for the hydrocarbon exploration and extraction of oil and gas in shallow-water Blocks 4 and 9 of the Bay of Bengal.

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ONGC is the first Indian company to get exploration contracts in Bangladesh.
The two agreements were signed between the Bangladesh Government, Petrobangla and ONGC; and Oil India and state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (Bapex) at capital Dhaka’s Petrocenter on Monday.

al-Qaeda message uploaded from US: BTRC

The audiovisual message allegedly issued by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was uploaded from the US, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) suspected.
The message was uploaded from the state of Arizona, a BTRC official seeking anonymity told The Daily Star.
An audiovisual message purported to be from al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has urged the Muslims in Bangladesh to wage an intifada (popular uprising) to confront the “crusader onslaught

‘No cutting into reserves’

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The government has no plan to cut into its foreign currency reserves to finance the Padma River project, Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said.

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Rebutting media reports, he said the foreign currency needed to procure project material and equipment would be provided for in the same way it is done to open Letters of Credit (LCs) for fertiliser and fuel imports.He said each year’s budget would have a special allocation for the project. “In the first year, we only did some river training work at the Jajira point, which didn’t cost much. The big construction work hasn’t started yet.”

Cops, BCL men attack RU students, 100 hurt

Over 100 students of Rajshahi University were injured as police charged batons and fired rubber bullets on the demonstrating students today.
Of them, 18 people including eight journalists sustained rubber bullet wounds, reports our RU correspondent quoting witnesses.
The demonstration started on January 16 demanding cancellation of the university authorities' decision of fee hike and continuing the evening master's programmes.
The activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of ruling Awami League, also joined the law enforcers to foil the students' movement, witnesses said.
The situation however became normal around 2:30pm.

Moudud, Mahbub denied bail

Moudud Ahmed and Khandaker Mahbub Hossain

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed and the party chairperson's adviser Khandaker Mahbub Hossain were denied bail by a Dhaka court today in two cases.
Judge Md Zahirul Haque of the Senior Special Judge's Court rejected the bail prayers of Moudud and Mahbub after their lawyers submitted two separate petitions before the court challenging a lower court's bail rejection orders.
The case against Moudud was filed for grabbing abandoned government property at Gulshan in the capital filed by Anti-Corruption Commission.

Kaiser indicted

 

Former minister of state Syed Mohammad Kaiser has been indicted on 16 war crimes charges.

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Justice Obaidul Hassan-led second war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh fixed Mar 4 for starting the trial.
Charges pressed against the former Junior Minister include killings, genocide, torture, detention, rape and arson during the 1971 Liberation War.
The former Muslim League leader was arrested on May 16 last year, a day after the tribunal had issued an arrest warrant against him.
He was granted conditional bail on Aug 4.
Habiganj resident Kaiser had joined BNP during the leadership of its founder Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman.

Bail stands for 4 BNP leaders

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The High Court's grant of bail to four senior BNP leaders has been upheld by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

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On Sunday, the Bench led by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain ruled as valid the High Court's grant of bail and turned down a prosecution plea to scrap them.
The four BNP leaders whose bail has been upheld are Moudud Ahmed, Rafiqul Islam Mia, M K Anwar and the party chairperson Khaleda Zia's adviser Shamshur Rahman Shimul Biswas.
A J Mohammed Ali led the defence.
State was represented by Deputy Attorney General Mohammed Sohrawardy.

Banu seeks more time

 

Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, mother-in-law of BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman, would submit her wealth statements to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) if given ‘enough time’, her lawyer and BNP central leader Barrister Nasiruddin Asim said on Sunday.

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Asim said that Banu has been in London since last July for medical treatment.

Banu's son-in-law, Tarique, accused in several cases, has been staying in London for over five years. Her daughter Zobaida Rahman is also there.
Asim said at a press conference held at the Supreme Court that Banu had sought time from the anti-graft watchdog. “But the ACC filed the case ignoring her appeal.”