Icon of US road, RVs show economy’s strength in election year

The six or seven vehicles that come off the assembly line each day at Riverside plant in Indiana’s Amish country look more like houses than cars, with workers installing wooden roofs and fiberglass insulation before applying coats of gleaming white paint, reports BSS/AFP.For decades, recreational vehicles have been icons of the American road: homes-on-the-go furnished with beds, showers, kitchens and even television dens that offer families the freedom to roam and see the vast country. In an election year, RVs tell an additional story. Experts consider them bellwethers of the economy, dream-buys for Americans who only shell out the tens of thousands of dollars when they feel comfortable.As the election season opens, a team from AFP traveled (albeit not by RV) from Washington to Iowa, which holds the first presidential nomination contest on February 3, in hopes of feeling the economic and political pulse of the country. In the northeastern patch of Indiana centered around Elkhart,...

BDF 2020 to focus on 8th FYP, SDGs

Business DeskEconomic Relations Division of the Government of Bangladesh is going to organize its flagship event- the ‘Bangladesh Development Forum’ (BDF) on 29 and 30 January at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center of the capital.Prime Minister of the Government of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, MP has kindly consented to inaugurate the event as chief guest. Finance Minister Mr. A H M Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP will chair the inaugural session. BDF 2020 has been dedicated to ...

Shafiuzzaman new DMD of Bank Asia

Shafiuzzaman has recently been promoted to the post of Deputy Managing Director of Bank Asia Limited. Prior to the promotion, he was Senior Executive Vice President of the Bank. He joined Bank Asia Limited in 2015 and wa...

Atiqul vows accountability of mayor-councilor if elected

Awami League mayoral candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Atiqul Islam has promised to ensure accountability of Mayor and Councilors to the public if re-elected, reports BSS. “If I’m elected, I promise to come face-to-face with the public once in a month to hear them out. I’ll listen to their complaints and answer their queries,” he said while speaking at a polls’ campaign gathering at Uttara in Dhaka.Through this, the accountability of the elected Mayor and Councilors will be ensured, he hoped. Referring to his plans for establishing a drug-free society, he said, “I want to make a social movement against drugs with the participation of you all… We’ll all work together to create a drug-free city,” pledging to the voters.He...

PM receives treatment at NIOH

Wasim Khan denies Asia Cup hosting allegation

It is “totally incorrect” that the PCB had brought Bangladesh to Pakistan by promising them hosting rights for the Asia Cup later this year, board CEO Wasim Khan has said, adding that it’s for the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to figure out what would happen if India refuse to travel for the tournament, reports Cricinfo.The PCB had earned the Asia Cup hosting rights for the first time in over a decade for the 2020 edition, but at the time of the allotment of the tournament in 2018, it wasn’t clear whether it would take place in Pakistan or in the UAE. Now, after successfully hosting a number of international series and Pakistan Super League matches - the entire tournament is scheduled to be played at home this year - on their soil, the PCB wants to organise the Asia Cup in Pakistan in September this year too.But there could be a question mark over India’s participation then - the 2018 edition was supposed to be held in India but was moved to the UAE to ensure Pakistan’s participation in it.“This is totally incorrect and we haven’t spoken with Bangladesh about the Asia Cup at all,” Khan told reporters in Lahore when asked if the PCB had used the Asia Cup as a bargaining chip for Bangladesh to travel to Pakistan.The BCB was initially apprehensive about travelling to Pakistan but, after lengthy negotiations, agreed to play a series of three T20Is, an ODI and two Tests in three parts. “This is ACC tournament and the hosting rights were allotted to us by them, and we can’t change it,” Khan said.“It&rsquo...

Cyber security risks in banking sector

The fact that the alleged criminals at home and abroad have taken away Tk 2000 crores from at least 1000 ATM booths of different public and private run banks and financial institutions in the last fou...

Dhaka’s deadly dust pollution

Dust pollution is choking Dhaka once again. A sharp drop in temperatures and wind speed, combined with vehicle and industrial emissions, dust from building sites and smoke from the burning of waste, has increased pollution in the capital. Although Dh...

Eat some more at S’MORES

Luncheon at Mainland China

Duck a l’orange