Tag: Featured

Ebola Bomb: Possible, But Not So Easy to Make Ebola virus Elizabeth Palermo: If some worst-case scenarios are to be believed, then terrorist groups could use the recent outbreak of Ebola in Africa to their advantage. By using the Ebola virus as a biological weapon, the story goes, these groups could wreak havoc around the globe.But the idea that Ebola could be used as a biological weapon should be viewed with heavy skepticism, according to bioterrorism experts. Although deadly, Ebola is notoriously unstable when removed from a human or animal host, making weaponization of the virus unlikely, two experts told Live Science.That's not the view posited by Peter Walsh, a biological anthropologist at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. The world should be taking the thre...

Judge being held to account Will restore judiciary's image News Desk: THE Chief Justice deserves compliments for initiating action against a recently retired judge who, reportedly, dispensed hurried judgments immediately prior to his retirement to the extent that he disposed of 20 cases between 4 and 10 days and set free all the accused of 20 cases. No wonder it is judges like Faruk Ahmed who taint the image of the judiciary by abjuring the norms of trial process causing miscarriage of justice. While we appreciate the CJ's action we feel that ex-Judge Faruk Ahmed's case may just be the tip of the iceberg which merits the CJ's immediate attention, and we urge him to use the weight of his office to go deeper into the functioning of the entire judiciary, particularly the lower judiciary, ...

Online Report: Thirty-three officials --  11 of Sonali Bank and 22 of Hall-Mark and its sister concerns -- have been sued for taking Tk 755 crore in loan using fake documents. Abul Hashem, deputy general manager of Sonali Bank, Sheraton Hotel branch, filed the case with the Third Joint District Judge’s Court of Dhaka today. Hall-Mark Group Chairman Jasmine Islam, Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud and General Manager Tushar Ahmed have been made accused in the case. Earlier, Sonali Bank filed 17 cases against Hall-Mark Group with Artha Rin Adalat (money loan court) for taking huge amount of money in loan submitting forged documents. Sonali Bank started filing the cases after it failed to get buyers for the mortgaged assets of Hall-Mark. Apart from these, the Anti-Corruption Commission ...

Sports Report: Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is all set to make a comeback to competitive cricket with the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League starting from October 10. Shakib is serving a six-month ban for breaching the players' code of conduct and was not considered for the upcoming West Indies tour, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is set to reduce his punishment in its executive committee meeting on August 25. “We called a board meeting on August 25. I talked with everybody and it's now almost confirmed that Shakib will play the Zimbabwe series. I took the opinions from the technical people, and they thought that if we don't allow him (Shakib Al Hasan) to play the domestic league, then on what basis would he be considered for the Zimbabwe series?” said BCB president Naz...

Shady houses along highway Touts, unscrupulous land officials out to make most of acquisition money for Dhaka-Tangail road widening project Mirza Shakil, Tangail: People have built rows of corrugated iron sheet houses on the edge of the Dhaka-Tangail highway in the hope of getting compensation before work on the expansion of the highway begins. Some have even rented land to build such structures. The photo was taken at Dherua of Mirzapur. Photo: Mirza Shakil The undulating views along the Dhaka-Tangail highway are usually blocked by various small factories. But the recently added tin-sheds here and there prove to be no less damaging to a landscape of soothing green. Long but crammed rows of small tin-sheds have sprung up, mushroom-like, erratically on croplands and water bodies along ...

Mohsin regrets remarks against journos News Desk: Social Welfare Minister Syed Mohsin Ali today expressed his deep regret for making angry remarks at journalists at a meeting in Sylhet. In a statement, he said: "My attention has been drawn to the news of angry remarks passed by me at the Sylhet Zila Parishad auditorium to mark the World Indigenous Day". "My remarks were not aimed at all journalists. I believe, journalism is a noble profession. Those involved in the profession are honest and courageous. Many eminent journalists of the country are my personal friends," he said. Mohsin Ali said, "On that particular day, as I strode towards the rostrum, I heard some journalists making fun of the honorable prime minister and the finance minster. I found that irritating and in a sudden spat...

Fake FF certificates of 31 more officials cancelled The liberation war affairs ministry has cancelled the fake provisional freedom fighter certificates of another 31 government officials as well as the gazette notifications about their freedom fighter status. The ministry issued a notification in this regard today, saying the provisional freedom fighter certificates and the gazette notifications of 29 out of the 31 government officials have been cancelled upon recommendation by the National Security Intelligence (NSI) based on their field investigations. The provisional freedom fighter certificates and gazette notifications of two other government officials were cancelled following the recommendations by the liberation war affairs minister and that of a deputy commissioner separately...

Health insurance for all by 2032? Govt embarks on ambitious 20-year scheme; financial details not clear yet Porimol Palma: In a major move to reform the country's health sector, the government has taken up an ambitious plan to bring all citizens under national health insurance coverage by 2032. The plan envisages quality healthcare for all without financial hardship to any, say officials of the Health Economics Unit (HEU) of the health and family welfare ministry. “The first target will be people below the poverty line, some 48 million now. The government will pay their premiums as subsidy,” HEU Director General Ashadul Islam has said. For this programme, the HEU has designed the Healthcare Finance Strategy 2012-2032. And the government is now drafting a law. However, the government...

Unique protest by adivasis News Desk: Indigenous people performing at the Central Shaheed Minar yesterday in observance of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Bangladesh Adivasi Forum organised the event where almost every banner and festoon had the word “adivasi” on it. "Shame on the state that turned me into a Bangalee! Shame on the state that called me tribal and what not! I say I am Munda, Santal, Lusai, Murong, Khiyang, Chakma, Mandi, Hajong, Marma, Tripura. I am Adivasi [indigenous]." The above is an extract from the Bangla song with which the celebration of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, organised by Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, kicked off at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital yesterday. First declared by the United Nations General Ass...

Hasina slams developed nations for their silence News Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing a function at Osmani Memorial Auditorium marking the 84th birth anniversary of Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, the wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was killed along with most of her family members, including Bangabandhu, on the fateful night of August 15, 1975. Strongly condemning the killings in Gaza by Israelis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday came down heavily again on the developed nations and the human rights organisations at home and abroad for their silence over the offensive. “I’ve got stunned seeing the world conscience to remain silent. When one incident of death occurs here (Bangladesh) we receive letters from so many congressmen with pro...