The government plans a cut in interest rate on savings certificates 'to a reasonable level'.

It is also considering changes to duration of investment and the number of saving certificates and other aspects.

Finance minister AMA Muhith hinted at the possible move at a meeting of the finance ministry on Wednesday.

Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has said his country would not take any step on Tipaimukh dam that would adversely affect Bangladesh.

She gave the assurance at his meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina at Hyderabad House in New Delh in the evening, Hasina's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told journalists at 10:00pm local time.

Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has said his country would not take any step on Tipaimukh dam that would adversely affect Bangladesh.

She gave the assurance at his meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina at Hyderabad House in New Delh in the evening, Hasina's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told journalists at 10:00pm local time.

Bangladesh and India on Monday signed three agreements on combating crime and two MoUs on power cooperation and cultural exchange during prime minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India.

Just prior to the signing ceremony, Hasina had a one-on-one meeting with her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh at Hyderabad House.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has offered India to forge 'serious collaboration' with Bangladesh in fighting terrorism to ensure peace in the region.

"To ensure also our sustained commitment to peace, serious collaboration is essential in countering terrorism," she said while addressing a banquet hosted by Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Monday evening.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina sought on Monday India's cooperation in fighting terrorism, guaranteed water of Teesta water and duty-free access of Bangladesh products.

"To ensure also our sustained commitment to peace, serious collaboration is essential in countering terrorism," she said, while addressing a banquet hosted by Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Monday evening.

If you needed another reason to cut the cigarette habit: Smokers, especially younger smokers, are more likely to report low back pain than people who have never smoked, according to a new analysis.

After examining existing research, Finnish researchers concluded smoking is "modestly" associated with the risk of low back pain and the effects may be "at least partly reversible." Their findings are published in the January issue of the American Journal of Medicine.

Britain has awarded energy companies the rights to develop the world's biggest offshore wind project in hopes the country will become a leader in the emerging industry, which is vital to slash carbon emissions.

The Crown Estate, in charge of Britain's coastal seabed, on Friday announced winners for the Round 3 tender, including Portugal's EDP Renewables, Britain's Centrica, Germany's E.ON and Sweden's Vattenfall.

Jahanara Begum, 60, lost everything in the fire that destroyed her home along with hundreds of others at Dipikar Mor slum at south Begunbari on Friday.

"Nothing is left. Everything has been burned down. I spent the night awake by the side of a small fire lit by neighbours to protect themselves against cold," she told bdnews24.com on Saturday in the aftermath of the devastating blaze that burned down over 120 shanties and left an estimated 1,000 homeless.

Bangladesh will seek duty free access for 232 products, including ready-made garments, to India during prime minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Delhi next week, commerce minister said Tuesday.

Some 460 Bangladeshi items are currently in India's blacklist.

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has finally been vaccinated against H1N1 flu, a virus expected to infect more people in coming months, the UN agency said on Tuesday.

Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, was vaccinated on Dec. 30, a day after admitting at a news conference that she had not got round to it due to travel and other demands.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina launched web portals of the country's 64 districts from her office on Wednesday, marking the first anniversary of her government.

The web portals will play a significant role in the implementation of the government's pledge to build a digital Bangladesh, Hasina said as she switched on the portals.

River authorities began the massive task on Wednesday of extracting hundreds of thousands of tonnes of garbage from Dhaka's Buriganga river that being slowly choked by waste, mostly non-biodegradable polythene bags.

The three-month pilot project will cost Tk 5.75 crore, funded by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and span 500 metres on either side of the Second Buriganga Bridge at Nayabazar.

India would benefit from having a specialist bowling coach, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Friday. The Indian cricket board sacked Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh as bowling and fielding coaches in October after the country's early exit from the Twenty20 World Cup in England and the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

India climbed to the top of the test rankings for the first time in December but the team has struggled to establish supremacy in one-day international cricket.

Global commodity prices, including those of food and oil, are likely to increase in the year ahead after a sharp decline at the start of 2009, the IMF said this week. The report, an Outlook for 2010 on commodity prices, projects rising global demand leading to higher prices.

The rising demand is expected to coincide with a faster expansion of global commerce as there is stronger perception that the worst recession is over aided by worldwide stimulus packages.

Frontier markets could become the sweet reward of 2010 if investors are willing to take risks in underdeveloped, illiquid and potentially unstable markets.

Large emerging market economies have been a major linchpin of the global recovery this year as they have reduced and diversified their exposure to the global credit crisis by cutting interest rates and selling reserves without sacrificing growth.

A new study confirms that smoking raises a person's risks of the major forms of esophageal and stomach cancers, while drinking has more narrow effects.

In a study that followed more than 120,000 Dutch adults for 16 years, researchers found that smoking increased the risk of the two main forms of stomach cancer, as well as the two forms of esophageal cancer -- by anywhere from 60 percent to 263 percent versus non-smokers.

21 die in accidents, 25 children in cold

A cold wave sweeping over northern and central Bangladesh, causing deaths and disrupting communications due to fog and poor visibility, looks set to continue, the met office said on Saturday.

The north was hardest hit. At least 21 people died in road accidents over 24 hours in Faridpur, while 25 children died of cold-related diseases over the last ten days in Rangpur alone.

Pakistan's government came under renewed pressure on Saturday to bring stability to the country after one of the bloodiest bombings in more than two years killed at least 89 people.

The attack at volleyball game on Friday suggested al Qaeda-linked Taliban insurgents were focusing more on bombing large crowds of civilians to inflict maximum casualties and spread terror, instead of attacking hard targets such as security forces.