Bangladesh, Indonesia are ‘natural partners’: Saifuzzaman

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said Bangladesh and Indonesia are “natural partners” as they work together in a spirit of mutual cooperation. The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a celebration programme marking the 74th Independence Day of Indonesia at a city hotel in the capital on Thursday.The Indonesian embassy in Dhaka organised the programme while the Indonesian ambassador in Dhaka Rina Prihtyasmiarsi Soemarno was present on the occasion. Representatives of the government, opposition leaders, and members of civil society, businessmen, academia, and journalists attended the reception.The minister recalled the personal relations between Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the leader of Indonesia’s struggle for independence Dr Sukarno. He also said the excellent relationship between current Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and described the Indonesian President’s visit to Bangla...

Indian government dampens hopes of economic stimulus

Indian markets fell on Friday after a top official dampened hopes of a stimulus package to support a misfiring economy and ease a liquidity crunch in Asia’s third-largest economy, reports BSS/AFP. India’s economic growth has slowed in the past three consecutive quarters, losing its status as the world’s fastest-growing major economy to China, with unemployment at its highest since the 1970s.Industry figures have been calling on newly re-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsqu...

Asian mostly up ahead of much-anticipated Powell speech

Asian markets mostly rose on Friday ahead of a key speech by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell, while the pound held the previous day’s rally fuelled by rekindled hopes for a soft Brexit, reports BSS/AFP.After a p...

Language hero MA Gafur passes away

Veteran language hero Dr MA Gafur passed away on Friday at a  hospital in the capital. He was 85. He breathed his last at Samarita Hospital, said his eldest son Dr Shakil Gafur. Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, and Advocate Nurul Amin Ruhul, MP, extended condolences to the bereaved family. Gafur left behind two sons, a daughter and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death. He was buried at Gor-e-Gariba graveyard after namaz-e-janaza at Chandpur Municipal Eidgah Maidan. Gafur took part in the 1952 Language Movement while he was studying at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.  During the Liberation War, the Pakistani occupation forces burnt down his house located in Char Koralia of Haimchar Upazila. He was also a former General Secretary of Chandpur Eye Hospital.  G...

PM receives treatment at NIOH

Selectors should speak to Dhoni about his future: Sehwag

Former India batsman Virender Sehwag has said that the selectors should communicate with MS Dhoni about his future in the team, as speculation builds over when the latter will retire.Dhoni had opted out of India's ongoing tour of the West Indies. After announcing India's squads for the tour, chief selector MSK Prasad had said that Rishabh Pant - who was a part of the squad across formats - was being groomed to take up the wicketkeeping role in the future. When asked if he would have picked Dhoni had he been available, Prasad had said: "First of all he is not fit, so when he is fit and available, then we'll see."Speaking to the Times of India on how the ICC can add more drama to Test cricket, Virender Sehwag said: "In the World Test Championship (WTC), you can limit the number of overs in any one innings. So if you play, say, 200 overs in one innings, you cannot play more than 80 in the second."He also said he was okay with the same number of points being handed out in the WTC for home and away wins, as, he felt, teams should not be allowed to get away with home defeats: "Otherwise, a team with more away wins can compensate for losses at home. That should not be allowed. Equal points is better."Sehwag also urged the BCCI to "explore smaller venues" for more matches and schedule Tests at home during the weekends."BCCI also needs to change schedules so that three days of any Test is on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If the Test also ends on a weekend, it will be perfect and crowds will be more."Sehwag pointed out th...

Save Royal Bengal Tigers

The Sundarbans hosts the world’s largest mangrove forest and a rich ecosystem supporting several hundred animal species, including the endangered Royal Bengal tiger. A recent report published by...

Towards achieving sustainable export growth

Bangladesh fetched $3.89 billion from exports in July this year, which is 8.55 percent over the earning in the same month last year. The inflow was $3.58 billion in July 2018. The fact that we have outdone our export earning target of USD $3.83 billi...

Dining healthy at El Dorado Revised

Tropical tiramisu

Coffee ice cream terrine