Kolkata ladies’ lunch

The dining table was filled every inch with several west Bengali delicacies for lunch. Under the portrait of a thoughtful Tagore, a group of lovely Kolkata ladies were engrossed in what we Bengalis enjoy the most: adda. With the promising food prepared Kolkata-style awaiting them, they chatted away wittily about almost anything under the sun, while the men of the house glued themselves to their spots in front of the TV, watching the Indian cricket team play in one of the World Cup matches. Sudden loud giggles, even louder shout-outs for their home team and the aroma of the food filled the space with utter bliss and happiness.

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Abed, Yunus among world’s top 100

Two renowned Bangladeshis have been included in a list of ‘Top 100 Individuals’ who have committed themselves to improve the lives of girls and women around the world.

Founder of Grameen Bank and Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of Brac, were included in the list prepared by US-based global advocacy organisation Women Deliver, said a press release.

Yunus ‘removed’

Central Bank issues letter to Grameen Bank; Grameen terms it a legal issue, insists the Nobel hero still holds office

Dr Muhammad Yunus, the man who brought a Nobel Prize for Bangladesh, and the most celebrated living Bangladeshi around the globe, was unceremoniously relieved of his duties at Grameen Bank yesterday through a Bangladesh Bank letter.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

World Cup off to wow start

Bangladesh face India in tomorrow’s opener of the 14-nation cricket fiesta

Outside, the blaring drone of a hundred makeshift trumpets held testament to the thousands who had queued up outside the stadium. Inside the Bangabandhu National Stadium, however, an explosive festival of colour, music, dance and unceasing noise signalled the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 which will be jointly held in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. Amidst flashing strobe lights, fluttery LED kites and a thousand irresistible cheers both in and out of the stadium, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 officially open, thereby checking another box in a long list of achievements for a young nation.

Mayhem in Munshiganj

Cop killed, 100 others injured as over 30,000 people stage violent protest against airport on Arial Beel

Police and people protesting the proposed Bangabandhu International Airport on Arial Beel are locked in a battle on Dhaka-Mawa highway in Munshiganj yesterday.Photo: Shawkat Jamil

A policeman was killed and about 100 others were injured when people protesting the proposed Bangabandhu International Airport on Arial Beel locked in series of clashes with police on Dhaka-Mawa highway in Munshiganj yesterday.

Doctors declared Sub-Inspector Motiur Rahman, 53, dead when he was rushed to Mitford Hospital with critical injuries from the clashes.

The demonstrators torched a police outpost and a journalist’s motorcycle at Hashara, Sreenagar.

The Arial Beel Rakkha Committee enforced blockade on the highway around 9:00am as per its announcement on January 26.

Regulators Put Brake on Share Swings

Market shut, vehicles vandalised

Regulators yesterday introduced a share index breaker, halting trade on twin bourses one and a half hours after opening — a quick and desperate measure that sent thousands of angry investors out on the streets in Motijheel.

The index circuit breaker, which put brakes on a big rise or fall, was introduced following an emergency meeting among finance minister, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officials and central bank high ups.

The meeting deferred trading on Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges by two hours to start at 1:00pm.

Fresh schemes in the offing

Pockets of Change

The central bank plans to step up its efforts to provide the much-needed financial services to the small and medium entrepreneurs (SME) across the country, officials said.

NEW GUIDELINES
Bangladesh Bank (BB) plans to update its guidelines on SME sector, prioritising a number of areas for the benefit of the entrepreneurs. BB has already published a guideline for the banks in this sector and a number of new areas will be added this year, officials said.