Rare Australian heatwave claims homes, lives
January 31, 2009
MELBOURNE: Australia’s second-largest city Melbourne ground to a halt Saturday, crippled by a once-in-a-century heatwave that has claimed almost 30 lives and razed at least 17 homes.
Wildfires raged through the southeastern state of Victoria, where authorities said flames had come dangerously close to major electricity transmission lines which supplied power to Melbourne on Saturday.
More than 500,000 homes and businesses in Melbourne were left without power on Friday night after an electrical substation exploded in the heat, bringing the city to a standstill.
Temperatures in Victoria topped 43 degrees Celsius for a record-breaking third Read more
Giant sculpture honours Iraqi shoe-thrower
January 31, 2009
BAGHDAD: A huge bronze shoe sculpture has been erected in tribute to the Iraqi journalist who grabbed instant fame when he threw his shoes at former US president George W Bush last year.
The shoe, in which a tree has been planted, stands three metres high (about 10 feet) and sits atop a white pedestal in Tikrit, the hometown of executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
A rose bush is growing next to the monument which was erected in the gardens of an Iraqi foundation that cares for children whose parents have died in the violence that engulfed Iraq after the March Read more
Committee to assess recession impacts awaits cabinet’s nod
January 31, 2009
Staff Correspondent
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Friday said a high-powered committee, which will monitor global recession and work out remedies for its adverse effects on Bangladesh’s economy, would be formed soon.
‘It’ll be there anytime. It’s awaiting the Cabinet’s approval,’ he told reporters at the 3-day Bangladesh Chemical Congress which began on Friday.
On January 21 Muhith told a delegation of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association that the government would Read more
Sixty percent construction work of Kirtankhola-Khairabad Bridges over
January 31, 2009
Our Correspondent, Barisal
Sixty percent construction work of two bridges named the Kirtankhola (Dapdapia) and the Khairabad Bridges over the Kirtankhola and Khairabad rivers in Barisal has been completed. Construction of these bridges would influence the development of socio-economic infrastructures of the region connecting it with Chittagong and Mongla sea ports and Kuakata tourist zone.
Under these construction project, two lanes 1390 meters long ‘segmented box girder type’ bridge on Kirtonkhola and 274 meters long ‘pre-stressed concrete girder’ bridge on Khairabad rivers with 4.3 kilometers long approach roads would Read more
40 lakh tonnes additional rice production possible by farming flood-tolerant varieties
January 31, 2009
Mamun Islam, BSS, Rangpur
Agri-scientists have completed necessary research, experiments and validation of new flood- tolerant varieties of Aman paddy to pave the way for producing 40 lakh tonnes of additional paddy every year by large-scale farming in Bangladesh alone.
Repeated success of the scientists and farmers in getting expected production of flood-tolerant paddy in Bangladesh and India have ushered in a new era in the disaster-prone agriculture sector of the country, sub-continent and other flood- prone countries.
The success was achieved through farming Swarna Sub-1 along with three new Sub-1 entries of BR1-1 Sub-1, IR-64 Sub-1 and Sambamasuri Sub-1 flood-tolerant varieties of paddy using participatory variety selection (PVS) mother trial Read more
Girls acting as messengers of hygiene, sanitation
January 31, 2009
Shahidul Islam Chowdhury
When nature calls, most of the time Liza, 6, falls in trouble as her family does not own a latrine.
‘At times, I have to defecate in open spaces, no matter whether it is day or night, even knowing that it is bad,’ she said on Tuesday in the yard of their home in Dautia village of Dhamrai upazila, about 40 km from the capital.
Liza’s brother Azizul, 11, said they are sometimes allowed to use a latrine owned by a paternal uncle. ‘They [uncle’s family members] always keep us waiting even though we are in a hurry to relieve ourselves,’ he complained. When asked if she would defecate in the open if they got a lavatory someday, Liza, a student of elementary Read more
‘Comprehensive approach needed to conserve beneficial insects’
January 31, 2009
Dr Aynal Haque, BSS, Rajshahi
Environmental scientists and researchers underscored the need for taking a comprehensive approach to conserve the beneficial insects in the greater interest of maintaining a sound biodiversity and ecological balance.
They also said, the farmers destroy various species of the insects during the time of eliminating the destructive ones due to lack of adequate knowledge in this regard and laid stress on successful promotion of biological pest management system in the agro-fields.
“The destructive as well as the injurious insects can easily be controlled through promoting eco-friendly method of using organic fertilizer and indigenous insecticides instead of chemical ones,” Professor Sohrab Ali of Zoology Read more
Govt to borrow $75m from IDB for fuel import
January 31, 2009
Asif Showkat
The finance ministry has given its consent to seek $75 million loan for fuel import from the Jeddah–based Islamic Development Bank with a six per cent mark-up rate, officials said on Thursday.
The ministry has also suggested more negotiations with the IDB for reduction of the mark-up rate.
The government will seek the loan from the Islamic Trade Finance Corporation, a newly established window of the IDB to deal with trade finance, at an interest rate 5.0 per cent more than London inter-bank offer.
‘The BPC will get $75 million loan from the IDB. The IDB plans to increase the mark-up rate as the Energy Division has secured consent of the finance ministry,’ Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation chairman Anwarul Karim Read more
SoftExpo ends today with IT boom in vision
January 31, 2009
Alpha Arzu
The country’s largest software and information technology exhibition of the year, BASIS SoftExpo 2009, concludes today, with a target to increase the income from IT-enabled services to $150 million from the present $7 million by 2011, software and information service leaders said.
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services coordinator of events Nurul Alam said the BASIS organised the event to facilitate a presentation of the country’s potentials in information and communication technology to international players in different fields, like national and international vendors and service Read more
Three decades of enlightening a nation
January 31, 2009
Bishwa Shahitya Kendra celebrates 30th anniversary
Jamil Mahmud
A joyous occasion: Atiqul Haque Chowdhury and Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed having candyfloss.
Eminent educationist and president of the trustee board of Bishwa Shahitya Kendra (BSK), Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed, said that the organisation’s journey for enlightened people is eternal. “There are some dreams that have no specific destination. These dreams are unbound and they move forward. The movement, triggered by Read more
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