Agency

Bangladesh and India signed the final agreement Thursday for the long-awaited Dhaka-Kolkata train service, to start running on Pahela Baishakh, a senior ministry official said.

Staff Correspondent

A Dhaka court Thursday adjourned to Apr 15 the hearing of a case against Sheikh Hasina involving the awarding of "illegal contracts" for setting up three barge-mounted power plants during her 1996-2001 term as prime minister.

Judge Md Firoz Alam of Special Judge's Court-1 resumed hearing defence

Staff Correspondent

Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda said Thursday he would contact the two factions of BNP and ask them to sit together in talks with the EC.

"I hope the BNP will end the infighting. Let all sides of the party come to us together.

Agency

US ambassador-designate to Bangladesh James F Moriarty arrived in Dhaka Thursday noon, landing at Zia International Airport on a Thai Airways flight.

Moriarty told reporters at the airport he felt it an honor and privilege to serve as United States ambassador to Bangladesh. "My wife, Lauren, and I are delighted to be in Bangladesh.

Agency

A Dhaka court on Thursday prohibited Dhaka University Teachers Association from holding its election, scheduled for April 12, until further notice.

The court had ordered an initial freeze on the polls Tuesday after Md Ashiqul Islam, a fourth year accounting student of the university, filed a case in connection with the election.

Staff Correspondent

The High Court dismissed a writ petition Thursday, filed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the validity of the Election Commission's invitation to talks on electoral reform.

After a lengthy hearing of ten separate sessions, the HC bench of justices Mirza Hossain Haider and Mamnun Rahman handed down the verdict Thursday in favour of the invitation to the party's 'reformist' faction led by acting chairperson M Saifur Rahman and Hafizuddin Ahmed.

Staff Correspondent

Four caretaker government advisers held an informal meeting with Jamaat-e-Islami Thursday, a party leader said.

The one and a half hour meeting, meant to prepare for forthcoming formal dialogue between the government and political parties, took place at Rail Bhaban in the city.

Caretaker government advisers, former agriculture ministers and economists said Bangladesh would never be able to get rid of "food crisis" if it continues to neglect the agriculture sector in the name of industrialisation, reports UNB.

Addressing a roundtable, they said without proper management of the agriculture sector and its modernisation, Bangladesh is unlikely to be able to ensure adequate food supply for the country''s people of which 40 percent are still living under the poverty line.

Five international companies are ready to provide aircraft to Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited on ACMI lease as the national flag carrier is planning to increase flights to its Middle East destinations, reports UNB.

"Five (international) com-panies have submitted their tender papers to Biman. Our evolution committee is evaluating the papers," Biman managing director and CEO MA Momen told UNB.

The writ petition filed by Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, the detained former BNP lawmaker and parliamentary affairs adviser to ex-PM Khaleda Zia, challenging locus standi of the Anti-Corruption Commission in suing him for corruption was Wednesday rejected by the High Court as "not pressed", reports UNB.

When the petition came up for admissibility hearing, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) attorney placed relevant government gazette notifications with regard to re-constitution of the ACC. Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, the counsel for Salahuddun, conceded and backed out from moving the writ.

One lakh tons of rice are on sale at subsidized rate in the open market and further allocation may be made if necessary to ease the market, Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman told newsmen Wednesday, reports UNB.

"We are observing the OMS spots. The number of spots may be increased soon to sell more in line with the demand. OMS allocation will also be raised," he said on the sideline of a round table on Food Security at the BRAC Inn Centre.

Chairman of the Regulatory Reforms Commission Dr Akbar Ali Khan Wednesday said preparation of the budget for the next fiscal year would be a difficult task as it would be implemented by a second government, reports UNB.

"I believe there''ll be an election by the yearend," he told a seminar on national budget at Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).

Information Secretary Jamil Osman Wednesday asked all concerned to be active for making the training programmes more effective and job-oriented, reports agency.

It is important for the officials to apply their knowledge and skill, which they gathered from different training programmes, in their service, he said.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has carried out a detailed survey with the support of the World Bank on ‘quota system in the Bangladesh Civil Service’, reports agency.

Besides the PSC, copies of the report are available at Public Library, Dhaka University Library and National Press Club Library. The report is also available on www.bpsc.gov.bd, according to an official handout.

Visiting British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith paid a courtesy call on Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed at the Army Headquarters Wednesday, reports agency.

She spent some time with the Army Chief and discussed with him matters of bilateral issues, said an ISPR press release.

Draft of the ‘Police Ordinance-2007’ has been prepared to replace the colonial police act of 1861 aiming at building an accountable and people-friendly police force, suitable for an independent country, reports agency.

The draft has been put on the website: www.police.gov.bd for public opinion, an official handout said Wednesday.

The visiting UK Home Minister Ms. Jacqui Smith made a courtesy call on Foreign Adviser Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at State Guesthouse Padma on Wednesday, reports agencyu.

During the meeting, they discussed issues of bilateral relations and co-operation in various fields, including curbing terrorism.

Speakers at a seminar have underscored the need for further development of proficiency and excellence in making the public relations (PR) profession more effective and successful, reports agency.

They were addressing the seminar on ‘Public Relations Occupation in Bangladesh: Challenges in the 21st Century’ Tuesday in the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of Journalism and Electronic Media (BIJEM) in the city.

Agency

Interim leader Fakhruddin Ahmed said Wednesday that some mandates of the emergency powers rules would fade in phases depending on ground reality to allow candidates to campaign in local government polls.

Fakhruddin's statement came at a meeting with visiting British home secretary Jacqui Smith in his office.

Staff Reporter

A fire occurring in Anowara, Chittagong, Tuesday night left four brothers and their sister dead, police said.

Anowara police chief Abdul Kader said the fire started around 11.00pm from a burning mosquito coil at fishmonger Ilias Ali's shanty near the South Gohira embankment in Raipur.