London

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said, about 99 lakh new workforce would be added to the country’s manpower sector by 2020. Out of them, about 20 lakh workers would go abroad with job while others to find job in local markets as planned in the 7th Five Year Plan, she said. The Prime Minister said this in her question-answer session in the parliament yesterday. She said, the government has already completed a plan to establish 30 Special Economic Zones as part of a longterm plan to build 100 SEZs across the country. These SEZs would create about 10 million jobs, she said. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hoped that the women cricketers of Bangladesh would continue their success in future as they showed excellence in the Asia Cup T-20 tournament. The Premier expressed the hope as she was tal...

    23-year-old man has been arrested after an explosion at Southgate underground station sparked panic and left five people injured. Police said the man, from Enfield, was detained on suspicion of doing an act likely to cause an explosion to injure or damage property following the incident on Tuesday evening. He has been released under investigation as enquiries continue into the explosion which is believed to have been caused by a faulty drill battery. Witnesses described commuters fleeing for the exit after a massive bang and quick burst of flames in the north London station just after 7pm. A man on a packed escalator said some people had been trampled in the commotion. A British Transport Police spokesperson said: Enquiries continue this morning into a small expl...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made a courtesy call on President Md. Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban yesterday. The Premier apprised the President of the outcome of her recent visits to Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Australia, India and Canada. The President congratulated the Premier for achieving D. Litt. degree from Kazi Nazrul Islam University at Asansol in India. Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation Act, 2018 Bill was placed in the Jatiya Sangsad with a provision of fine and jail term for defying BADC notices and damaging its property. Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury placed the bill in the House yesterday with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury in the chair. Liberation War Affairs Minister A K M Mozammel Haque informed the parliament that the government is going to buil...

    Spray cans were found near the bodies of three men who have died after being hit by a train at a station in south London. British Transport Police (BTP) officers were called to Loughborough Junction station, near Brixton, shortly after 7.30am after reports of multiple bodies being found on the track. An investigation has begun to identify the men and the reason why they were on the tracks. Officers were seen taking photographs of graffiti as part of their inquiries. Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson, from BTP, said: My team are now working hard to understand what happened and how these three people came to lose their life on the railway. My thoughts are with the family and friends of these three people. At this time, we are treating their death as unexpla...

Expatriates‟ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam B.Sc yesterday informed the parliament that 10,08,525 Bangladeshi workers have been sent to 165 countries in 2017. More 47,027 have gone abroad for wage earning till May 2018, he added. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has said, nearly 300 green readymade garment factories are under construction apart from existing 67 such factories in the country. A total of 67 RMG factories have so far been certified as „green factories‟ by the United States Green Building Council, and of them 17 factories are included as the platinum class, he said replying to a question in the Parliament yesterday. Food Minister Advocate Quamrul Islam has said, the country‟s food stock capacity has now stood at 21,18822 metric tons. The Minister said thi...

    A family who have seen the value of their London flat slashed from £600,000 to just £90,000 because of Grenfell-style cladding will sue a government agency that helped them buy their home. They are the second homeowners in the New Capital Quay development in Greenwich to have their flat valued at rock-bottom prices. New Capital Quay, the largest private development in the country with Grenfell-style cladding. But the developer has no immediate plans to remove the panels.Photograph: Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi for the Guardian Nerisa Ahmed and her husband bought the flat under the help to buy scheme when it was built three years ago and have had two offers fall through in the past six months because of the cladding. In their report for Ahmed, Taylor Chartered Surveyor...

The Budget Session of Jatiya Sangsad begins at 3pm today after a four day recess on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday inspected road repairing works in Poduar Bazar area in Cumilla yesterday. The Minister during the visit instructed officials concerned to take necessary steps to ensure safe return of the people after Eid celebration. BGMEA has claimed that all readymade garments workers got salary and festival bonus ahead of holy Eid-ul-Fitr. BGEMA President Siddiqur Rahman at a press conference at his office in Dhaka on Thursday said, 100 percent readymade garments workers got salary of last month and festival bonus ahead of Eid. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim are...

A meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee will be held tomorrow to fix the date of Eid-ul-Fitr. The meeting will be held at the Islamic Foundation at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 7:15 pm with Religious Affairs Minister Principal Matiur Rahman in the chair. With about three days left to Eid-ul-Fitr, the city dwellers started leaving capital to enjoy Eid holidays with their family members and near and dear ones. The vigilance and monitoring teams to ensure smooth Eid journey remain active at all stations and terminals. Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader has said, travelling during Eid holidays this year has been more comfortable than any other time. He said this to the media after visiting the Gabtoli Bus Terminal yesterday. Railway Minister Mujibul Haque visited the rai...

    A minute's silence to remember the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire has been observed nationally at midday on the one-year anniversary of the disaster. The west London tower was among a dozen buildings that were on Thursday illuminated in green to mark a year since the devastating blaze that killed 72. Around the foot of Grenfell Tower, a sound system and giant screen were erected. A podium was placed in front of the site perimeter where a giant heart sign with Grenfell written across the middle rests. In the streets surrounding the site of the fire which is now covered by scaffolding and banners - lampposts and zebra crossings are festooned with green material, a colour that has become synonymous with the tragedy. Silence fell over the crowds shortly before mid...

Tower Hamlets Council is joining the police in calling for anyone with information about a hate crime which took place outside the Troxy last year to come forward. The council is also encouraging residents and local organisations to pledge to tackle hate crime in Tower Hamlets and support its No Place for Hate campaign. Crimewatch has issued an appeal for witnesses - or anyone with information - about an assault which took place as a man left an LGBTQ club night. Gordon Maxwell was assaulted outside the Troxy, on Commercial Road, at around 3am on December 3 2017. He sustained serious injuries from the brutal attack. The attacker(s) have not been caught. A CCTV image has been shared by the police and anyone who can identify the man shown is asked to contact the police on 020 7275 4601,...