Full Coverage: Bangladesh

28.02.2006 Farmers snatched 50 sacks of urea at Keshabpur upazila in Jessore on Sunday evening after failing to collect any from dealers.

26.02.2006 The financial sector and banking have been in the spotlight of late, and it is very opportune for us to discuss this topic. Bangladesh has made real strides in strengthening the banking sector, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Bangladesh Bank Governor and of his predecessor. However, rising energy prices and pre-election politics are both increasing the number of loans at risk, and there is a very real risk that all the good work in the banking sector could be undone, all the hard-won gains lost, if pre-election politics are allowed their sway. In this environment, strong and committed leadership is needed to sustain existing efforts in the sector. Christine Wallich highlights some specific actions for GovernmentÂ’s full attention.

23.02.2006 Bangladesh government has suspended gas exploration in an island due to fears of environmental damage, as it is an ecologically critical area.

23.02.2006 Thousands of farmers angered by the persisting crises of fertiliser, diesel and power laid siege to different local government offices, blocked roads and staged demonstrations in Satkhira, Jessore, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Cox's Bazar and other districts across the country yesterday.

17.02.2006 Career mainly indicates one's professional life. Today students become serious about their career immediately after SSC or O levels.

17.02.2006 Slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, have a reason to celebrate now that
they have a better water supply and sanitation system, thanks to the
efforts of the Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK). This non-governmental
organisation (NGO) was founded by doctors in 1988 to provide community
health care to the poor.

16.02.2006 The opposition in Bangladesh has staged a national strike demanding a 24-hour power supply and lower prices for food and fuel. Schools and businesses closed for the day. The authorities deployed thousands of security troops, but there were no serious clashes.

16.02.2006 In a review meeting of the Annual Regional Meeting of OneWorld South Asia, representatives of various NGOs in Bangladesh shared the concern that the country has not made adequate progress in the ICT4D sector. The meeting identified a number of activities to be undertaken this year to ensure mainstreaming of ICTs in the development programmes of Bangladesh.

15.02.2006 DHAKA: The donors yesterday asked Bangladesh to prepare performance indicators of public finance management (PFM), as its chance of getting future aid would depend on 'such governance-related benchmarks'.

15.02.2006 Bangladesh NGO, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication, (BNNRC) will organise a training programme on Rural Knowledge Centers: How to Get Started and Keep Going at Sitakund, Chittagong from February 22 to February 24, 2006.

13.02.2006 The operation of Community Radio, the radio for disseminating news and information of individual community, is yet to be started in the country due to the indifference of the government.

13.02.2006 BRAC University held its first convocation on January 28,2006 with a total of 115 graduating students under various disciplines. The university, which was established by one of Bangladesh's largest NGOs - BRAC - was established in 2001 and has over 2,000 students with two schools and six academic departments, one centre and an institute and a residential campus at Savar.

10.02.2006 Community radio has demonstrated its benefit in transmitting local information, e–learning, entertainment, disaster management and mass awareness on different issues in the countries of South Asian subcontinent. However, due to the indifference of the Bangladesh government, the country is yet to benefit from this technology.

10.02.2006 The Second Gyanmela (Knowledge Fair) took over through enthusiasm and spontaneous participation in Sreefoltola, a remote village at the Southern part of Bangladesh, where in altogether twelve schools from various villages of Rampal participated through puting up stalls that could successfully uphold their knowledge and skill in using the ICTs

10.02.2006 Sources said community radio, which has been playing an im portant role in transmitting local information, E–learning, entertainment, disasters management and mass awareness on different issues in most of the countries of the world, could be turned into a major means of transmitting information in Bangladesh during natural disasters in the coastal areas

09.02.2006 More than 10,000 Bangladeshis were arrested without warrants in a three-day political crackdown this month, with the poor being particularly targeted, an Asian rights group claimed yesterday.

09.02.2006 A Bangladeshi entrepreneur who has lived in Britain for 25 years and established a media company and Fairtrade café in UK is being forced by the Home Office to return to his mother country.

07.02.2006 Can farm mechanisation lead to greater employment generation and poverty alleviation? The answer is ‘yes’, provided the mechanisation is on a small-scale and equipment are manufactured by rural artisans and small-scale industry. A case in point is Bangladesh, which has been experimenting with this concept for sometime now.

06.02.2006 Speakers at a workshop on ''Strong local government: A major step for establishing democratic state' in Dhaka on February 4, 2006, called for ensuring women's equal participation and their empowerment in local government to strengthen it. The workshop was organised by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP).

03.02.2006 A visiting IMF-World Bank team yesterday suggested legalising the hundi business to help increase the country's legal remittance inflow.The five-member joint team comprising Maud Bokkerink, Marlene Manuel, Cheong-Ann Png and Maureen Sanders from the International Monetary Fund and Mark Butler from the World Bank (WB) came to Bangladesh on January 21.