The political parties during their third round of talks with the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday demanded announcement of specific date for holding the general poll first shunning the plan of holding upazila polls before the national one.(The Bangladesh Today)   • FULL STORY

Flood feared to worsen in country's central part
Victims face shortage of food, drinking water

Flood situation in the country's central part is likely to deteriorate further while thousands of marooned people in the flood-affected areas are suffering from a shortage of food and drinking water. Crops on vast tracts of land were damaged and hundreds of educational(The Daily Star)   • FULL STORY

10 posts of gauge readers vacant at Barisal WDB
Over flowing of rivers not monitored regularly

When most of the rivers at the down streams of the country are flowing over the danger level, the level of river beds are not monitored regularly due to lack of manpower and technology. Barisal river port and Water Development Board (WDB) sources said on Friday that Kirtonkhola(The Bangladesh Today)   • FULL STORY

Tk 396cr gobbled up thru' gas connections
TIB report also reveals systems loss ate away Tk 1,646cr in 17 years

Officials and contractors of the Bakhrabad Gas Systems Limited (BGSL) pocketed about Tk 396 crore in bribe for providing gas connections since its start in 1980 till December 2007, a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report yesterday said.(The Daily Star)   • FULL STORY

Garment owners threaten factory closure
Violence feared, security demanded

Readymade Garment factory owners in Gazipur yesterday threatened factory closure unless the government ensures security of their establishments by September 25. Owners of nearly 100 RMG units from the area met BGMEA president Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez yesterday(The New Nation)   • FULL STORY

Hilly resorts in Bandarban suffer utter neglect
The unique life style of 11 tribal sects and their handicraft attract countless tourists

A great many tourist spots with captivating panoramic beauty in the hills suffered years of neglect. These tourist spots, if developed in a planned manner, can fetch crores of taka for the public exchequer. Thirty-eight years elapsed since independence(The News Today)   • FULL STORY

Zardari elected Pak President

Asif Ali Zardari says his win was a victory for democracy Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has won a sweeping victory in Pakistans presidential election. The election was called after Pervez Musharraf resigned rather than risk being impeached.(The New Nation)   • FULL STORY

The country's politics has reached a crossroad and is set to enter a new phase as vital political issues are likely to be dealt with seriously by the government with the political parties during the coming week. As things stand now the government as well as the Election Commission(The Bangladesh Today)   • FULL STORY

Yunus may sue Telenor
Allegations of violating deal, money-laundering, breach of laws

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus might take legal actions against Telenor to force the Norwegian telecom operator to honour a deal concerning their joint subsidiary in Bangladesh.Telenor owns 62 percent shares while Yunus' Grameen Telecom holds the remaining stakes in GrameenPhone, launched in 1996.(The Daily Star)   • FULL STORY

More dams breached, relief crisis looms
22,329 houses, 35 educational institutions, 293 km of kutcha and 7 km of pucca roads were completely damaged by the floodwater, affecting nearly one lakh people

Thousands of families marooned by floods in Faridpur, Munshiganj, Bogra, and Jamalpur are facing a crisis of food and drinking water, say correspondents. New areas have also been inundated after the Jamuna flood control dam was breached in Sariakandi, Bogra.(The News Today)   • FULL STORY

Dev projects under revenue budget see poor growth
Absence of political govt stated as a key reason

None of the 22 ministries, which had development projects under the revenue budget, could fully utilise the fund allocated from local resources in the last fiscal year. The revelation came as a surprise to the finance ministry, with a senior official attributing(The Newage)   • FULL STORY

Lawyers move Khaleda''s bail petition tomorrow
The agreement with the Canadian company on exploration of oil and gas made the state count about Tk 13,777 crore in losses

Lawyers for former prime minister Khaleda Zia would appeal for bail in GATCO and Niko cases in the High Court vacation bench on Sunday, a lawyer said on Friday. "We''ll file appeals in the High Court on Sunday for her bail in the GATCO and Niko cases," barrister Nasiruddin Ashim said to journalists.(The News Today)   • FULL STORY

Change in govt attitude encourages others to seek bail
Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Awami League joint secretary Obaidul Kader released

BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Awami League joint secretary Obaidul Kader were released on bail from jail yesterday. Jail sources said SQ Chowdhury was released from Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur at about 11:45am, while his wife and son received him at the jail gate.(The New Nation)   • FULL STORY

Bid to conquer Himalyan peak
The average height of the Manaslu is 26,758 feet from the plain

Two Bangladeshi trekkers for the first time are going to climb up the 'Manaslu' mountains of Nepal, which is considered as the eighth highest and fourth hazardous mountains in the world. Trekker M A Muhit and Nur Mohammad who have already experienced the climbing(The New Nation)   • FULL STORY