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Canada added more than 15,000 jobs in February, pushing the unemployment rate down to 6.6 per cent, Statistics Canada reported Friday. A decline in the number of people looking for work also sent the unemployment rate down to 6.6 per cent from 6.8 per cent. Economists said the figures were unlikely to alter the Bank of Canada's cautious stance, though some said they may make it more difficult for the central bank to continue to downplay recent strength in the labour market. "The good times keep on rolling for the Canadian labour market and the quality of employment also looks a little bit firmer this month," said Nick Exarhos, economist at CIBC Capital Markets. Employers added 15,300 jobs last month, Statistics Canada said on Friday, topping economists' expectations for 2,500.  The gain was driven by a hefty 105,100 increase in full-time hiring, offseting a 89,800 drop in part-time positions. The Canadian dollar strengthened against the greenback following the report, while the benchmark share index was up 0.3 per cent in early trade, according to Reuters.....

Published at: 2017-03-11 00:00:04

Early counting on Saturday in India's most populous state showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party leading in the country's most important electoral test since the 2014 general election. If the Bharatiya Janata Party does wrest control of Uttar Pradesh it would be an endorsement of Modi's stewardship of Asia's third-largest economy after his high-risk decision last November to scrap high-value banknotes worth 86 per cent of the cash in circulation. Though it was premature to call the outcome, the election commission put the BJP leading in 262 of the 403 seats in the state, putting it on course for a large majority. The BJP's vote share based on early counting is more than 40 per cent, the election commission said. "This will be a phenomenal endorsement for Narendra Modi and will put him on track for winning the 2019 election," Prannoy Roy, editor of TV channel NDTV said. Having campaigned in the state for two months, Modi, and his election strategist Amit Shah, can take credit if the BJP wins - but may face a backlash from sidelined party elders if they come up short. "The results will redefine the prime minister's political destiny and his future course of action," an aide to Modi in the capital, New Delhi, told Reuters. Post-election surveys had suggested Modi's BJP had done enough to come first in Uttar Pradesh, home to one in six Indians, but that it might fall short of an outright majority. The exit polls, which are often wrong in India, also put the BJP ahead in three of four other states that will declare election outcomes on Saturday. According to early voting trends, opposition Congress party was leading in Punjab, while the BJP was ahead in Uttarakhand and in the coastal state of Goa. Results of a ballot in a fifth state, Manipur, were also due on Saturday. INVESTORS WATCHING Voting in Uttar Pradesh, a state of 220 million people, was conducted in seven stages and ended on Thursday. The BJP's opponents include an alliance between Congress and the ruling Samajwadi Party, a tie-up that caught Modi's party off guard. A better than expected showing by a third party could complicate the picture as results filter out. A strong BJP showing would be welcomed by investors counting on further economic reforms - including the launch of a national sales tax - in the absence of any credible opponent who might halt Modi's march to a second term in 2019. Short of a majority, the BJP could see opponents block its path to power in the state by forming a coalition, although Modi's party will also look to convince its smaller rivals to join forces. "If the BJP fails to secure a majority, then Modi's economic decisions will be questioned and his failure to create jobs will impact his political future," said Mohan Guruswamy, who heads the Centre for Policy Alternatives, an independent think-tank.  ....

Published at: 2017-03-11 00:00:04

A total of Tk 52.34 billion was laundered from Bangladesh in 2016 to seven labour-receiving countries, especially in the Middle-East, in the form of buying visas for sending workers there, a TIB report disclosed on Thursday. The money was laundered through hundi to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia and Singapore, according to the TIB (Transparency International Bangladesh) report. Besides, at least 90 per cent of the total out-bound Bangladeshi male workers in the year were cheated in different ways, the report mentioned. The report - 'Good governance in labour migration process: problem and way-out' - was launched at a press conference at TIB office in the city. TIB executive director (ED) Dr Iftekharuzzaman told the press meet that manpower recruiters from both the labour-receiving and sending countries are involved in the illegal visa trading. "Although there is a general perception that the irregularities take place only in our country, a section of manpower recruiters from both the receiving and sending countries are involved in the process." But Bangladesh is facing higher loss than those of the receiving countries, as a significant amount of money is being laundered from the country through the process, he added.      If such malpractices are not stopped, the money laundering will increase in the coming days, the TIB ED opined. There is a lack of good governance in the sector, as the supply of workers is more than the demand, and the process is very complex. So the migrant workers are becoming victims of corruption in many ways, he noted. According to the report, Tk 13,000-15,000 had to be paid as bribe for getting approval for each group visa from Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment in 2016. The number of group visa was 61,122. Moreover, Tk 100-200 were transacted as bribe for immigration clearance against each visa from Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), while Tk 500-1,000 for receiving police clearance. For getting approval of each less-skilled and semi-skilled worker visa in the name of professional ones, Tk 5,000-15,000 were paid as bribe to BMET. The TIB report also mentioned that each of the workers paid Tk 0.55-1.2 million for securing job to Saudi Arabia in 2016, while for Malaysia and Singapore Tk 0.25-0.8 million. However, the cost of migration has recently declined after Saudi Arabia resumes issuing visa for male workers. The number of female migrant workers has increased nearly 50 times during the last 25 years. Officially there is no migration cost for these workers, but a section of manpower recruiters and middlemen are charging Tk 10,000-15,000 each from them. It also said Bangladesh embassies in the destination countries many times attest visas without investigating the employing companies as per demand notes. Besides, technical training centres (TTCs) sometimes provide certificates to the workers without pre-departure training and in exchange of bribe. In the same way, authorised medical centres also give fitness certificates to them.    The TIB report further noted that there is no mention about the activities of middlemen in the Overseas Employment and Migration Act 2013. Besides, many of the provisions of the act are not obligatory. There is mention about providing compensation to the victim and confiscating license of the recruitment agency concerned in the act, it is not obligatory, which is one of its limitations. The report also put some recommendations including launching one-stop service for workers for clearance of individual visa by BMET, and forming rules for bringing middlemen under the recruitment agencies as registered representatives. Besides, ensuring compensation amounting to at least five times of the migration cost, and creating awareness among the overseas job-seekers are also recommended in the report. arafat_ara@hotmail.com....

Published at: 2017-03-10 00:00:04

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two people along with five kilograms of hemp from Mabupur village in Belkuchi upazila on Thursday, reports UNB. Tipped off, a team of RAB-12 conducted a drive at the village and arrested two alleged drug traders-Mohammad Ali, 50 and Hakim, 30, son of Arfan Ali of Madaripara village in Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha district---in the afternoon. The elite force also seized five kilograms of hemp, Tk 2,060, and two mobile phone sets from their possessions.....

Published at: 2017-03-10 00:00:04

A suspected robber was killed in a reported gunfight with DB police at Shumulia Kuthibari in Khoksha upazila under Kushtia early Friday. The deceased, Mintu, 42 hailed from Pangsha upazila of Rajbari district. Acting on secret information that a group of robbers were committing a robbery on Kushita-Rajbari highway by placing logs, a team of DB police went to the spot around 3:30 am, said Sabbirul Islam, officer-in-charge of DB police, reports UNB. Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the robbers fired gunshots, prompting the law enforcers to fire back, triggering a gunfight. At one stage, Mintu caught in the line of fire and died on the spot. Police also recovered two firearms, three sharp weapons and two bullets from the spot.  ....

Published at: 2017-03-10 00:00:04