BBC News, Dhaka, 23 June : Garment factories at one of Bangladesh's main manufacturing zones have reopened after they were shut down on Tuesday.Owners of 250 factories at Ashulia near Dhaka resumed production after the government promised to stop protesting workers from vandalising them. The latest unrest over pay began on Saturday, and have been followed by a wave of violent demonstrations. Bangladesh relies heavily on textile exports.
Among factories shut were ones supplying Walmart, H&M, Zara, and Carrefour, manufacturers said. Pay and working conditions in factories in Bangladesh have long been a source of concern.The factory owners held a series of meetings with authorities on Tuesday after suspending production indefinitely. Thousands of workers had reacted angrily to the news, burning tyres and smashing vehicles.
"The government and other law enforcement agencies have ensured us full security. As a result, we have reopened all the garment factories," Abdul Salam Murshedy, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told the BBC.
Police said Ashulia was calm on Wednesday: "The situation is under our control." Mushrefa Mishu, president of the Garment Workers' Unity Forum, told the BBC that employees returned to work because of government assurances to increase the minimum wage by the end of July. READ FULL STORY
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India against bank tax, Pranab Mukherjee says in interview
PTI, Washington, 23 June : Taxing the banks for future bailouts is only a "compromise formula", as a section of G-20 members, including India, is against any such levy, Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said.
"That was the compromise formula, because a section of the meeting that felt that there is no need of having any taxation as such," Mukherjee told PTI in an interview. He was referring to the Busan G-20 communique earlier this month where it was proposed that financial institutions contribute towards governments' measures to spur economies.
PTI, Washington, 23 June : Taxing the banks for future bailouts is only a "compromise formula", as a section of G-20 members, including India, is against any such levy, Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said.
"That was the compromise formula, because a section of the meeting that felt that there is no need of having any taxation as such," Mukherjee told PTI in an interview. He was referring to the Busan G-20 communique earlier this month where it was proposed that financial institutions contribute towards governments' measures to spur economies.
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Student dies, 33 injured as lightning strikes in High School
Howrah, 23 June : A student was killed and 33 others were injured when they were struck by lightning in a school at Uluberia in Howrah district today, official sources said.
The incident occurred at Joargiri Satyapriya Madhyamik Sikhakendra when classes of V, VI and VII were on. "A student of class VII Subrata Bhuinya was badly hit by the lightning. After he was taken to hospital, he was declared dead. Most of the students who were sitting beside windows were injured." school headmaster Shakti Sadhan Pal said.
Howrah, 23 June : A student was killed and 33 others were injured when they were struck by lightning in a school at Uluberia in Howrah district today, official sources said.
The incident occurred at Joargiri Satyapriya Madhyamik Sikhakendra when classes of V, VI and VII were on. "A student of class VII Subrata Bhuinya was badly hit by the lightning. After he was taken to hospital, he was declared dead. Most of the students who were sitting beside windows were injured." school headmaster Shakti Sadhan Pal said.
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Congress and Lefts join hands to defeat Trinamool in Suri
Suri, 23 June : Congress and CPI(M) joined hands in electing an independent candidate as a municipality chairman in Birbhum district with Trinamool Congress accusing them of having a secret understanding.
In the election to the chairman's post in Suri municipality, Independent councillor Ujjwal Mukherjee defeated Trinamool Congress candidate Pritikana Bhattacharya yesterday by four votes. Trinamool Congress was the single largest party in the municipality having won eight of the 18 seats. Mukherjee secured 11 votes, while Bhattacharya got only seven, though her party has eight councillors. The Congress has six councillors, Left Front three and Mukherjee is the lone Independent.
Suri, 23 June : Congress and CPI(M) joined hands in electing an independent candidate as a municipality chairman in Birbhum district with Trinamool Congress accusing them of having a secret understanding.
In the election to the chairman's post in Suri municipality, Independent councillor Ujjwal Mukherjee defeated Trinamool Congress candidate Pritikana Bhattacharya yesterday by four votes. Trinamool Congress was the single largest party in the municipality having won eight of the 18 seats. Mukherjee secured 11 votes, while Bhattacharya got only seven, though her party has eight councillors. The Congress has six councillors, Left Front three and Mukherjee is the lone Independent.
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Bangladesh government reintroduces 5yr women's savings
Dhaka, 23 June : Bangladesh government has decided to re-introduce five-year Family Savings Certificate (FSC) to make women financially self-reliant.While the FSC project will be mainly geared towards destitute, widowed and divorced women, economically well-off women will also be allowed to buy these certificates. Agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury disclosed this at a programme on family savings certificate at the National Savings Directorate on Wednesday. The AL government first launched the FSC in 1997 and later the BNP-led government recalled it in 2002.
Matia said, "Savings provide people economic prosperity and security. This FSC will help women build the base for their security."
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Four militants arrested in Karbi Anglong district in Assam
PTI, Guwahati, 23 June : Four suspected militants, including three women, were arrested by security forces in Karbi Anglong district in Assam along with two foreign made weapons and over Rs 14 lakh in cash.
Official sources said the CRPF picked up the four during a combing operation last night. On inspection, the force recovered two US and Italy-made pistols, five mobile phones, nine sim cards cash of Rs 14.05 lakh from them, the sources said.
PTI, Guwahati, 23 June : Four suspected militants, including three women, were arrested by security forces in Karbi Anglong district in Assam along with two foreign made weapons and over Rs 14 lakh in cash.
Official sources said the CRPF picked up the four during a combing operation last night. On inspection, the force recovered two US and Italy-made pistols, five mobile phones, nine sim cards cash of Rs 14.05 lakh from them, the sources said.
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Gorkha League backtracks on Tamang murder's CBI probe
Kolkata, 23 June : In a climbdown from its earlier demand for a CBI probe, a prominent Gorkha organisation today said it would wait for the CID to conclude its investigation into the killing of its top leader and arrest of culprits.
"We told Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that if the CID is unable to arrest the accused, let the probe be handed over to the CBI. He assured us that all culprits will be arrested. We have no reason to disbelieve him. We are fully satisfied with his assurances," All India Gorkha League vice- president S B Zimba, who was part of a 11-member AIGL delegation which met the CM, told reporters after the meeting.
Kolkata, 23 June : In a climbdown from its earlier demand for a CBI probe, a prominent Gorkha organisation today said it would wait for the CID to conclude its investigation into the killing of its top leader and arrest of culprits.
"We told Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that if the CID is unable to arrest the accused, let the probe be handed over to the CBI. He assured us that all culprits will be arrested. We have no reason to disbelieve him. We are fully satisfied with his assurances," All India Gorkha League vice- president S B Zimba, who was part of a 11-member AIGL delegation which met the CM, told reporters after the meeting.
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Five more NLFT insurgents surrender in S Tripura & Dhalai
Agartala, 23 June : Five insurgents of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) have surrendered before the security forces in south Tripura and Dhalai district, police today said.
Two NLFT insurgents surrendered to BSF in a simple ceremony at their camp at Nutan bazaar in south Tripura district yesterday, they said. While, three ultras of the same outfit surrendered before the Assam Rifles at remote Chhamanu camp in Dhalai district yesterday. Earlier, on Monday, six insurgents of the same outfit surrendered to BSF at Khasiamanagal in West Tripura district.
Agartala, 23 June : Five insurgents of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) have surrendered before the security forces in south Tripura and Dhalai district, police today said.
Two NLFT insurgents surrendered to BSF in a simple ceremony at their camp at Nutan bazaar in south Tripura district yesterday, they said. While, three ultras of the same outfit surrendered before the Assam Rifles at remote Chhamanu camp in Dhalai district yesterday. Earlier, on Monday, six insurgents of the same outfit surrendered to BSF at Khasiamanagal in West Tripura district.
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Rangpur's tobacco farmers oppose 10% duty on exports
UNB, Rangpur, 23 June : Tobacco farmers of Rangpur held a human chain in front of the deputy commissioner's office on Wednesday morning opposing 10 percent duty on tobacco exports.
The tobacco farmers alleged that no crops other than tobacco could be grown on the shoals of the Tista river in Rangpur. Only poor farmers grow tobacco there to earn their livelihood and feed their family members. Moreover, tobacco is grown in other places of the district in the few months between the aman and boro paddy cycles, which benefits the farmers.
The tobacco farmers alleged that no crops other than tobacco could be grown on the shoals of the Tista river in Rangpur. Only poor farmers grow tobacco there to earn their livelihood and feed their family members. Moreover, tobacco is grown in other places of the district in the few months between the aman and boro paddy cycles, which benefits the farmers.
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Tiger conservation gets help from cyberworld : Aaranyak
PTI, Guwahati, 23 June : Tiger conservation in the Manas Tiger Reserve will now get help from the cyberworld with the development of a web-based Geographical Information Software on the world-famous nature park bordering Bhutan Himalayas.The software, titled Manas Tiger Reserve Information System or MANTRIS, was developed by a prominent conservation organisation, Aaranyak, in collaboration with the Forest department of the Bodoland Territorial Council under Project Tiger. It has detailed information about the tiger reserve which will help forest officials immensely in the conservation efforts, Aaranyak's programme secretary B P Lahkar said.
The first web-based information software on any of the wildlife protection areas in the Northeast, MANTRIS will enable forest rangers at the click of a mouse to locate any area vulnerable to poaching or other misdeeds and organise prompt patrolling, Lahkar said.
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