Himu's Window

Saturday, August 8, 2009 Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, Bagmara Upazila unit, yesterday postponed Sree Krishna's birth anniversary programmes scheduled for August 13 to protest alleged acts of disrespect to Krishna by the brother of local lawmaker. In a press conference, the Parishad leaders alleged that Emdadul Haque, brother of Awami League lawmaker Enamul Haque, tore up an invitation card containing Krishna's portrait on Thursday and hurled abusive words when two Parishad men handed over the card to him and invited him to the August 13 programmes. The Parishad leaders also said they invited Emdad, who is a supporter of Jamaat-e-Islami, as he is now an influential person in Bagmara. The Parishad also took out a procession in Bagmara Sadar upazila and announced that protest programmes will also be held on August 13. When contacted, Emdadul Haque denied all the allegations. "I just threw away the invitation card as I was unaware of the matter. I di

Rajshahi Textile Mills (RTM) resumed operations yesterday after nine months of its closure, following a private initiative that is expected to employ around 500 people. Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton formally opened the mill at a ceremony on the mill premises. Trade Exchange, a private cotton trading firm of Narayanganj, signed a two-year agreement with RTM to provide raw materials and collect yarn on the basis of service charge at a rate of Tk 6,200 per bale of cotton. The mill will begin operations with 150 employees and then gradually increase to 500 people in the next few months. The agreement was signed following the approval of Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC), said M Ansar Uddin, general manager of RTM. He said officials and employees have not been paid for the last nine months, while the mill is in around Tk 2 crore debt. The RTM failed to manage private investment to run the mill, floating open tenders three times si

Monday, August 3, 2009   Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) yesterday decided to review the holding taxes fixed in its recently announced budget and offered a ten percent tax cut. According to the decision, the city dwellers will have to apply for reviewing their taxes and a review committee will fix affordable rates. The RCC also offered a ten percent cut in the holding taxes for those who will pay off taxes within three months from the beginning of the fiscal year. The decision was taken at a general meeting of the city corporation held at Rajshahi City Bhaban with Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton in the chair. "We had raised the holding taxes, aiming at providing better services for the citizens. We did not finalise the new taxes. So, there is scope for review. The mayor asked RCC officials concerned to issue tax notices on the citizens as early as possible so that they can avail themselves of the tax cut offer. Meanwhile, the RCC fixed new rates of holding taxes from

Published On: 2009-08-02 Business A lack of specialised economic policy and financial management system, energy and power crisis, and problems in investment and marketing procedures are hindering the development of the country's western region, said speakers at a seminar in Rajshahi yesterday. They also said long-term government plans, effective policies made by experts and responsible role of entrepreneurs can still build a sustainable economic base in the region that can be a powerhouse of the national economy. They were speaking at a regional seminar on 'Problems of economic development in western region and prospects' at Rajshahi University, jointly organised by the economics department of the university and Bangladesh Economics Samity (BES). "The region's economy is dependent on agriculture and some small and medium enterprises, but most of its industries were shut down in the last several decades for faulty policies," said Vice Chancello

Published On: 2009-08-01   Lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha at a discussion in Rajshahi yesterday said an initiative has been taken to form a parliamentary body to resolve the problems of indigenous people in the plain land. The JS body would play role in creating opinions in parliament for the formation of a separate land commission with a view to solving the several decades old land-related problems, he added. "After the body is formed, it will hear opinions of the indigenous people for helping the parliament make a law, if necessary, as well as pressurise the government for establishing social status of the underprivileged ethnic minority," said Badsha. The grand alliance lawmaker warned that many officials in the police and district administrations are still loyal to the four-party alliance and the government is facing problems in functioning properly for them. "The pro-BNP-Jamaat officials are desperate enough to allow BNP hooligans to set fire to the

Monday, July 27, 2009   Over two hundred members of the indigenous community yesterday began a two-day long march across 55 kilometres from Porsha upazila to Naogaon town yesterday to protest attacks on indigenous families. The march was organised under the banner of Jatiya Adibashi Parishad (JAP) after a gang led by Nur Hosssain Master of Soraigachhi attacked the houses of some 74 families including 54 indigenous families at Katirpur on June 12. They torched, damaged and looted the houses and also randomly beat up indigenous men, women and children during the attack. Since the attack, some 300 members of the affected families have been left without homes, and the local administration has not come forward to help them, the protesters allege. On the first day yesterday, the protesters walked some 30 kilometres from Soraigachhi in Porsha to Mohadevpur upazila sadar. They will be joined by 300 more people this morning as they begin the march to Naogaon town. At Naogao

Tuesday, July 28, 2009   A three-storey building subsided by a few inches in the city's Ambagan area early yesterday, creating panic among the local people. Locals said they heard a big sound at about 3:00am and later found around 1,200 square feet area affected by the subsidence in the morning. They said cracks developed also in the nearby buildings after the subsidence. The subsidence might have been occurred due to excessive use of underground water in the area or sudden rainfall after prolonged draught, said Abdus Sobhan, a councillor of Rajshahi City Corporation, quoting the experts of Public Works Department. "I felt a sudden jerk after a big sound. I thought it was a quake," said Anwarul Iqbal, a resident of the three-storey building owned by Abul Hossain. He said a drain and land close to the building subsided by one and a half feet. Dwellers of a one-storey building came out of their residence in panic when they heard the sound in the night. I