UNB, Sangsad Bhaban, 28 June : Some 72,000 buildings of Dhaka city will collapse totally if there is an earthquake in the range of 7-7.5 in the Richter scale, Bangladesh parliament was informed Monday.Replying to a written question from M Shahrier Alam (Awami League-Rajshahi), Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque said that with the same magnitude of earthquake another 85,000 buildings will suffer medium to more damage. He said that this was revealed in a study conducted on 326,000 buildings of Dhaka City Corporation.
The Minister said that if the earthquake hits at night around 90,000 people will be killed or injured whereas the number will be 70,000 if the quake hits in daytime. There will be 30,000 million tons of debris due to the demolition of the buildings, he said, adding that a 25-tos capacity truck will have to ply 1.2 million times to remove the debris.
Razzaque said that due to such massive building collapse from earthquake, the loss will amount to US$ 6 billion, which is half of the national budget of current fiscal.
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Fuel prices to impact inflation, but it will be absorbed : FM
PTI, Mumbai, 28 June : Indian Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said the the hike in prices of petroleum products will have some inflationary impact in the short-term but price pressures will moderate from the middle of July.
"There will be some impact (on inflation) in the short-term, but it will be absorbed in the course of time," Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after a meeting with bankers and chief ministers of western and central states.
PTI, Mumbai, 28 June : Indian Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said the the hike in prices of petroleum products will have some inflationary impact in the short-term but price pressures will moderate from the middle of July.
"There will be some impact (on inflation) in the short-term, but it will be absorbed in the course of time," Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after a meeting with bankers and chief ministers of western and central states.
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Ruling Left Front's 12 Hrs Bandh paralyses life in Tripura
Agartala, 28 June : A dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the ruling Left Front, CITU and frontal organizations of CPI(M) to protest against the hike in petroleum products crippled normal life in Tripura today. Shops and markets were closed and vehicles went off the roads.
Attendance in schools, colleges, banks and other offices here was nearly nil, officials said. Some CPI(M) activists were picketing in different parts of the state in support of the bandh but no untoward incident was reported, police said.
Agartala, 28 June : A dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the ruling Left Front, CITU and frontal organizations of CPI(M) to protest against the hike in petroleum products crippled normal life in Tripura today. Shops and markets were closed and vehicles went off the roads.
Attendance in schools, colleges, banks and other offices here was nearly nil, officials said. Some CPI(M) activists were picketing in different parts of the state in support of the bandh but no untoward incident was reported, police said.
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B'desh looks forward to strengthening cooperation with D-8
Dhaka, 28 June : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said Bangladesh looks forward to strengthening cooperation with D-8 countries in every possible areas including industrial development.The Prime minister made the remark when Ambassador MK Ibrahim, Special Envoy of Nigerian President Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan called on her at Ganobhaban in the morning. The special envoy formally handed over the Nigerian President’s letter of invitation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to attend the seventh D-8 Summit.
D-8 Organization is set to hold its 7th Head of States Summit in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The summit is scheduled for 4-8 July with the theme : Enhancing Investment Cooperation among D-8 Members.
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Soon, a rural court in every dist of West Bengal : Law Min
Kolkata, 28 June : Acting on the Centre’s piece of legislation, the state law department will set up 18 'Gram Nyalayas' or rural courts in one block of each of the 18 districts of West Bengal “to facilitate and benefit” people living in the villages.
State Judicial and Law minister Rabilal Moitra said though it would take some time to set up these courts, the gram nyalayas will deal with both criminal and civil cases. After the Centre enacted the Gram Nayalaya Act, 2008 which came into force from 2 October, 2009, it had asked the state governments to prepare a year-wise plan for setting up such courts.
Kolkata, 28 June : Acting on the Centre’s piece of legislation, the state law department will set up 18 'Gram Nyalayas' or rural courts in one block of each of the 18 districts of West Bengal “to facilitate and benefit” people living in the villages.
State Judicial and Law minister Rabilal Moitra said though it would take some time to set up these courts, the gram nyalayas will deal with both criminal and civil cases. After the Centre enacted the Gram Nayalaya Act, 2008 which came into force from 2 October, 2009, it had asked the state governments to prepare a year-wise plan for setting up such courts.
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South Africa wants to open diplomatic office in Bangladesh
SAPA, 28 June : South Africa plans to open a diplomatic mission in Bangladesh but the department of international relations does not have the money to do so at present, Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said.
The recent appointment of an honorary consul in Dhaka was a step towards setting up a mission, Nkoana-Mashabane said in response to a parliamentary question. READ FULL STORY
SAPA, 28 June : South Africa plans to open a diplomatic mission in Bangladesh but the department of international relations does not have the money to do so at present, Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said.
The recent appointment of an honorary consul in Dhaka was a step towards setting up a mission, Nkoana-Mashabane said in response to a parliamentary question. READ FULL STORY
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New KoPT chairman announces steps to improve business
Kolkata, 28 June : Kolkata Port Trust(KoPt), the country's only riverine port, has initiated a number of measures to improve the overall condition, including navigational facilities of the port, to handle big container cargo round the year.Addressing members of the Confederation of Indian Industry(CII), Eastern Region, after assuming the new charge, KoPT Chairman M L Meena expressed serious concern at the much reduced draught of the Hooghly river and underscored the urgent need to improve the situation on top priority basis to enable much bigger container ships to enter the riverine port and set berth like long before. He said soon after taking over charge of the port earlier this month, he held a high level meeting with other officials of the port as well as those in the shipping ministry to judge the situation and take immediate corrective measures to improve navigability of the river.
Accordingly, he said,the Centre had increased the budgetory amount under the River Regulatory Scheme from Rs 400 crores about a decade ago to Rs 1,000 crores now.
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Seven Daimary's NDFB militants surrender in Guwahati
PTI, Guwahati, 28 June : Altogether seven NDFB militants belonging to the Ranjan Daimary anti-talk faction on Monday surrendered before CRPF authorities in Assam's Golaghat district, official sources said in Guwahati.
The militants surrendered at the 142 CRPF camp here with arms and ammunitions at a simple ceremony. The surrendered militants have been identified as Vishal Brahma, Dronacharya Brahma, Someshwar Basumatary, Ajoy Basumatary, Dhiren Basumatary, Dhaneswar Basumatary and Arun Daimary. The militants deposited six pistols, four grenades, six magazines and 14 rounds of live ammunition before the authorities, sources added.
PTI, Guwahati, 28 June : Altogether seven NDFB militants belonging to the Ranjan Daimary anti-talk faction on Monday surrendered before CRPF authorities in Assam's Golaghat district, official sources said in Guwahati.
The militants surrendered at the 142 CRPF camp here with arms and ammunitions at a simple ceremony. The surrendered militants have been identified as Vishal Brahma, Dronacharya Brahma, Someshwar Basumatary, Ajoy Basumatary, Dhiren Basumatary, Dhaneswar Basumatary and Arun Daimary. The militants deposited six pistols, four grenades, six magazines and 14 rounds of live ammunition before the authorities, sources added.
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President urged journalists to present B'desh development
Dhaka, 28 June : President Zillur Rahman who is now in London has urged foreign journalists to present the development activities of Bangladesh before the world stage in an appropriate manner.
The President made the call when journalists of various print and electronic media in the United Kingdom called on him at his London Hilton hotel yesterday, according to a message received here on Monday. Urging the journalists to publicize the various potentials of the country alongside its various problems, Zillur mentioned that the government has been working relentlessly to ensure the welfare of the common people.
Dhaka, 28 June : President Zillur Rahman who is now in London has urged foreign journalists to present the development activities of Bangladesh before the world stage in an appropriate manner.
The President made the call when journalists of various print and electronic media in the United Kingdom called on him at his London Hilton hotel yesterday, according to a message received here on Monday. Urging the journalists to publicize the various potentials of the country alongside its various problems, Zillur mentioned that the government has been working relentlessly to ensure the welfare of the common people.
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'Swine flu' deaths surge increase after onset of monsoon
PTI, New Delhi, 28 June : Swine flu deaths continued their upwards surge since the onset of monsoon with 17 fatalities reported due to the disease in India since 21 June, the maximum of which were from Kerala and Maharashtra.
Both the states reported seven deaths each while Andhra Pradesh reported two and Uttar Pradesh one, health ministry officials said today.
PTI, New Delhi, 28 June : Swine flu deaths continued their upwards surge since the onset of monsoon with 17 fatalities reported due to the disease in India since 21 June, the maximum of which were from Kerala and Maharashtra.
Both the states reported seven deaths each while Andhra Pradesh reported two and Uttar Pradesh one, health ministry officials said today.
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North Bengal farmers expect good jute production this year
ANI, Jalpaiguri, 28 June : Jute farmers in north Bengal’s Jalpaiguri District are expecting a good production this year as the area has received good rainfall.“This time, we have good rain and hopefully we get good yield. Lets see what happens in the market. Our livelihood depends on this,” said Hadel Rai, a jute farmer. The farmers added that though, there was a good amount of rainfall but insects and pest destroyed some crops at the beginning of the season.
Meanwhile, Subir Sarkar, a weather expert in West Bengal said jute fields need an equal amount of rainfall and sun exposure for jute production. “Definitely, this last three days rain is really very good for them because they need now plenty of water and at the same time, plenty of sun. So, what is happening here, for four to five to six hours, continuous rains, then, sky becoming clearer, so sun comes,” said Sarkar. “So, for jute production, it’s a real congenial atmosphere, congenial environment. So, for jute farmers, they should be very happy,” he added.He further said that continuous rains in the four districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar and Uttar Dinajpur would prove beneficial to farmers. Sarkar said that in two days, average rainfall in the area has been 200 mm. The farmers are also expecting some relief and benefit from the government as well.
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