Bangladesh holding free trade talks with 11 countries
Bangladesh is discussing free trade agreements with 11 countries, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in an exclusive interview, as the South Asian country seeks new means to promote exports once preferential tariff exemptions expire in three years.
The prime minister spoke with Nikkei Asia at her official residence in Dhaka ahead of a visit to Japan -- her first in four years -- that starts next Tuesday. During the trip, Hasina and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are expected to agree to upgrade bilateral ties to a "strategic comprehensive partnership." This comes as Japan ramps up infrastructure investment in the strategically situated country on the shores of the Indian Ocean, countering China's Belt and Road Initiative.
The 52 years of criminal economy
These two sectors bred some new elite classes who didn’t carry any meaningful social base earlier. A section of uncivilised social parasites, locally known as Jamir Dalal (Land Broker) and Adam Bepari (Manpower Dealer), emerged as the determining factors in the economy. With huge kickbacks, they began to occupy the political spaces also. Thus an immoral process of the economy began to rise, which Dr Akbar Ali Khan defined as ‘Shuyorer Bacchader Orthonity (Economy of Bastards)’. I would rather dare to dub it a ‘criminal economy’.
-- writes A. R. Farrukh Ahamed
A government for all in the polls-time
According to Article 48 (1) of the Constitution, His Excellency the President is elected by the members of the National Assembly. Under the same provision, members of the parliament shall elect eleven persons in the capacity of a full minister as the members of a government responsible for holding the national elections.
----- A. R. Farrukh Ahamed
Russia thankful to Bangladesh for abstaining in UN vote
BSS
Russia has thanked Bangladesh for abstaining from voting on the latest adopted UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that called for "ending the war in Ukraine and demanded Russia's immediate withdrawal from that country".
"Thank you, Bangladesh, for abstaining," the Russian embassy in Dhaka tweeted on Friday.
The non-binding "anti-Russian" resolution of the UNGA will not bring the world closer to ending the Ukraine conflict, the tweet also said quoting Moscow's permanent envoy to the UN Vassily Nebenzia.
On Thursday, the UNGA adopted the resolution as 141 member states voted in favour, seven voted against an...
DMP issues parking directives for second phase of Ijtema
News Desk
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Thursday issued car parking management directives ahead of the second phase of 56th Bishwa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims after the holy hajj.
Devotees from different parts of the country have come for the second phase of Bishwa Ijtema. The DMP has instructed the vehicle...
Bangladesh is not taking IMF loan on condition: PM tells JS
BSS
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today told the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) that Bangladesh is not taking loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on any condition.
"IMF only lends (to any country) when the country attains the ability for repayment. We are not taking loan (from the IMF) with any condition," she said while responding to a question from the Jatiya Party lawmaker Md Mujibul Haque of Kishoreganj-3 constituency.
Taking floor on a point of order, Mujibul Haque said Bangladesh is now meeting some conditions to get loan from IMF and already raised the electricity tariff and will increase gas tariff, which will lead to price hike of commodities and inflation.
The Leader of the House said that the government is providing subsidy to power and gas. "My ...
