Bangladesh celebrating 40th Victory Day 40 years Bangladesh
Dhaka, 16 Dec 2011: The nation is celebrating the 40th Victory Day Thursday with a renewed call for establishing the rule of law, institutionalizing democracy and holding war-crime trial as part of the efforts for fulfilling the objectives of the Liberation War. A 31-gun salute will herald the day. The other programmes include hoisting the national flag, placing wreaths at the National Mausoleum, parade, reception to gallantry award-winning freedom fighters, discussion meetings and prayer sessions.The nation is commemorating the country`s triumph in the nine-month of war of independence against the Pakistani forces and their local lackeys this very day in 1971.The day is being marked all over Bangladesh and the country`s missions abroad by paying glowing tributes to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for relentlessly leading a struggle towards the country`s independence.
On this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, general AAK Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered to the allied forces led by General Jagjit Singh Aurora of India at the Ramna Racecourse, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka after their defeat in the war.People from all walks of life will throng the National Martyrs` Mausoleum at Savar to pay homage to the heroes who embraced martyrdom to liberate Bangladesh.
PM Hasina arrives in Berlin World Health Organization Summit
Berlin, Oct 22 - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived at Tegel Airport in Berlin at 3-30 pm local time. She was received by Bangladesh`s Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Masud Mannan and high German government officials.
On her arrival at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski several hundred Bangladeshi expatriates greeted her with flower bouquet.
Among others, Awami League Europe chapter president Anil Das Gupta, UK Awami League president Sultan Sharif, and Europe chapter Awami League leader Nazrul Islam, were present.
Earlier, Prime Minister Hasina left Dhaka for the German capital in the morning to attend World Health Summit-2011.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to attend a reception to be hosted by students of Bangla Pathshala at Bangladesh House in Berlin Saturday.
She will attend another reception the next day (Oct 23) to be hosted by non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) in Germany at Hotel Adlon Kempiniski.
On October 24, she will attend a seminar titled `Emerging Market-Bangladesh’ at Hotel Adlon.
Germany-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce has organized the seminar to be participated by leading German business leaders and potential investors.
During her five-day visit, Sheikh Hasina will have official talks with German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel on October 25, followed by a luncheon and a joint press briefing.
The Prime Minister is expected to return home on October 26.
PM offers peace model Tells world leaders at UN about 6 things to do
New York Sept. 25, 2011 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday unveiled a six-point multi-dimensional peace model for championing democracy and people's empowerment, coinciding with the UNGA theme “Mediation in the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes”.
The six multipliers of her proposed model include eradication of poverty and hunger, reduction of inequality, mitigation of deprivation, inclusion of excluded people, acceleration of human development and elimination of terrorism. [source: Daily Star][...more]
Bangladesh filmmaker Tareque Masud and Journalist Mishuk Munir killed in road crash 3 other died - catherine Masud and Dhali Al Mamun injured
Dhaka, 14 August 2011 Bangladesh film-maker Tareque Masud and chief executive officer (CEO) of ATN News Mishuk Munier and three others were killed when their microbus collided with a passenger bus on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Manikganj on 13 August. Masud's film The Clay Bird won a prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 and was Bangladesh's candidate for the foreign film Oscar in 2003. When the birth of a nation, especially one as bloody as the war of independent that birthed Bangladesh in 1971, resides in living memory, it casts a long shadow over the films and literature of the new country. Yet, thanks to the vagaries of politics and history, the memories of that birth itself keep getting rewritten and overwritten as different political parties come to power in Bangladesh. For him, personally, that changed his life.
Catherine Masud, wife of the award-winning filmmaker Tareq, painter Dhali Al Mamun and his wife Dolly also sustained injuries during the crash. They are now undergoing treatment at Square Hospital in Dhaka, reports our Manikganj correspondent.
Ex-PM's son Arafat Zia sentenced over bribes
DHAKA: 23 June 2011 – A Bangladesh court Thursday sentenced the fugitive son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to six years in jail for laundering money taken as bribes from two global companies — a verdict that could trigger violent protests by opposition parties.
Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain said in his verdict Arafat Rahman was guilty of smuggling more than 200 million takas ($2.66 million) to Singapore. The judge also fined Rahman 190 million takas ($2.53 million) and asked authorities to get the smuggled money returned.
Rahman, the younger son of Zia, was accused of taking bribes from China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. and the Bangladesh subsidiary of Germany's industrial giant Siemens AG for helping them win government contracts during his mother's 2001-2006 premiership.
Bangladesh pop legend Azam Khan dies at 61
Dhaka, June 5, 2010 Dhaka -Bangladesh pop singer Mahbubul Haque Khan, popularly known as Azam Khan, died of throat cancer Sunday at the age of 61 at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka.
He was survived by his wife, two daughters, a son and numerous admirers.
'We have lost a great friend of our cultural circle. It is an irreparable loss in our national life,' said Fakir Alamgir, also a popular Bangladeshi singer.
A fighter in Bangladesh's 1971 war for independence, his songs were noted for pathos and inspiration. He also performed in two Bangladeshi films.
Azam Khan an extra ordinary pop musician was very close to the people of roots lavel. He saw his music works as uncovering the laws of the universe behind creation. He placed his trust in law rather than in individuals for they are subject to passion. We extend our condolence to family Azam Khan. May his soul rest in eternal peace and may almighty give all of you the strength to bear this irreplaceable loss. Amen !!! [Bangladesh Online]
Bangladesh to honour 124 dignitaries
DHAKA, Dec 12: The cabinet, on Monday, approved a list of 124 foreign dignitaries, to confer the country's state honour, for their outstanding contribution to the War of Liberation in 1971.
The approval came in the weekly cabinet meeting held at the secretariat, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
AB Tajul Islam, state minister for the Liberation War, told The Independent that the foreign heroes would be honoured in an auspicious day between January 10 to March 26 this year, at the south or north plaza of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Some of the Indian recipients include former chief minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu; former foreign ministers – Sardar Swaran Singh and VK Krishna Menon; former chief minister of Tripura, Sachindra Lal Singh; former defence minister, Jagjivan Ram; former diplomats DP Dhar and PN Dhar; former Prime Minister IK Gujral; finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw; Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora; Pandit Ravi Shankar; Satyajit Ray; singers Manna Dey and Mohmmad Rafi; artist Makbul Fida Hussain; and poet Bishnu Dey.Pakistani recipients of the award include GM Sayeed (nationalist leader of Sindh), Sheikh Ayaz, Master Khan Gul, and Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo.
As many as 83 US nationals, including including senator Edward M Kennedy and Edmond Mulky, diplomat Archer Kent Blood (consul general of the US embassy in Dhaka in 1971), singer Joan Baez, poet Allen Ginsberg, and filmmaker Lear Levin, have been selected for the award.
Russel Johnston, Bruce Douglas-Mann, John Stonehouse and Tom Williams are among the 14 UK politicians on the list, while journalists from that country include Sir Mark Tully, Simon Dring, Nicholas Tomalin and Clare Hollingworth. Singer George Harrison, Donald Chesworth, Paul Connel, Marietta Procope will also be honoured.
There will be five recipients from Australia – political leader William AS Ouderland (who was awarded the Bir Protik), Les Johnson, WA Waderland, Penny Tweedie and physician Dr Geoffrey Davis. [...more]
BNP’s Khulna Roadmarch today Roadmarch to Pabna, Khustia. Jessore, Khulna
Dhaka, Nov. 26 - Chairperson Khaleda Zia will direct a road march towards Khulna today to pulsate up support for her party’s demand that the government reinstate the caretaker government system to oversee in the next parliament elections.
Senior leaders of the four-party alliance and similar minded parties will accompany the road march that will pass through Pabna, Kushtia, Jhenidah and Jessore before reaching Khulna.The BNP leader will stay at Jessore Circuit House tonight and restart the march towards Khulna tomorrow.
The two-day programme will end with a public meeting on Khulna Circuit House premises at 3:00pm tomorrow. Hope BNP’s this long march will carry something for the citizens of Bangladesh.
Govt invites tender for 2nd Padma Bridge project November 19, 2011: Breaking News
The government Friday invited tender for investors’ prequalification for building a $2 billion 2nd Padma Multipurpose Bridge under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative though construction of the first one hit snags over suspension of the World Bank funding over graft allegations.
Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) under the communications ministry floated the international tender on 3 November for building the 6.1-km bridge over the mighty river Padma connecting Paturia and Daulatdia points.
The proposed bridge will be constructed on public-private partnership (PPP) initiative with an estimated cost of Tk US$ 2 billion, according to the Communications Ministry officials.
Both the planned bridges are to connect the country’s cutoff southwest with the eastern part, including the capital Dhaka.
Women demand exemplary punishment to repressors
Is Government paralyzed? Nagorik Uddog Active: Join Facebook group “Bangladesh Civil Society”
RANGPUR 6th July 2011 (BSS): Speakers here at a human chain programme yesterday demanded immediate arrests and exemplary punishments to the criminals involved with torturing two women in a medieval style in Badarganj upazila in the district.
They strongly condemned inhuman torture by some people on housewives Hafiza Begum Happy and Sayeeda Begum at Rajarampur Kashiganj village on last June 26 in broad daylight in presence of hundreds of the villagers.
Nagorik Uddog, RDRS Bangladesh, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, ASOD, Trinomul Nari Netri Network, Polli Shree, Debi Chowdhurani Polli Unnayan Kendra and several human rights organisations organised the programme in Press Club premises.
Senior Manager of RDRS Bangladesh Bilkis Begum, Coordinator of ASOD Syed Jahangir Kabir Shanto, Programme Facilitator of Polli Shree Rezaul Karim, women leader Mamtaz Begum, human rights activists Rezaul Karim, addressed.
The speakers said that a group of local 'influential people' (Chairman Aynul Haq, Modhupur Union) at a local arbitration falsely termed the two housewives as 'bad women' and as per their orders, some of their followers inhumanely tortured the women violating the law of the land.
They called upon the administrations for immediate arrests of the criminals involved and demanded their exemplary punishments so that no such incident could occur in future anywhere in the country.
Germany tops Europe for foreign capital
Germany is the most attractive European country for foreign companies to set up in, according to Monday news report.
Citing a study by consulting firm Ernst and Young, daily Die Welt reported that Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich were especially popular locations for foreign investment – all landing in the top ten among the most popular European cities.
“German has an excellent reputation and is valued enormously,” study author Peter Englisch told Die Welt.
A large domestic market, highly educated workforce and high quality of life are among the reasons for Germany’s positive image among businesses, according to the report, which surveyed 812 managers from international companies.
Berlin was the third most popular city, only being surpassed by London and Paris.
“Berlin is trendy,” Englisch told Die Welt, pointing out the city’s close proximity to Eastern Europe and upcoming role as a major transport hub with the construction of a major new airport in the city.
Frankfurt is seen as a good location for science and pharmaceutical-focused companies, while Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart are good locations for hard industries, the study reported.
Bangladesh celebrating 40th Victory Day
