Haque Specialized Group's News

In the wake of Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader's comment on BNP's silence over Supreme Court's observation about its founder's rule, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said if Ziaur Rahman's rule was illegitimate then Awami League's also illegal, reports UNB. "There's no question about the legitimacy of Ziaur Rahman's rule. Introducing multiparty democracy and restoring people's right to expression and press freedom can't be illegal. Not only that, Awai League registered as a political party following due rules during his rule," he said. The BNP leader also said Awami League contested parliamentary elections and it is still carrying out its political activities with the registration it got during Ziaur Rahman's rule. "So, Awami League is illegal if his (Zia) rule is illegal." Fakhrul came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at BNP founder Zia's grave along with leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal, marking its 37th founding anniversary. Referring to the observation made in the 16th amendment verdict that dubbed Ziaur Rahman's power grabbing illegal, Quader on Friday thanked Fakhrul for remaining silent in this regard. Responding to it, Fakhrul said it is Awami League leaders' old habit to mislead people by making unguarded and unnecessary remarks. He said it is also Awami League's strategy to divert people's attention to a different direction from the observations of the 16th amendment verdict by talking against Ziaur Rahman's rule. Fakhrul said the country's people have got deeply worried as the government is putting pressure on the Chief Justice to change the 16th amendment verdict. "They want to obliterate the independence of the judiciary and destroy the basic structures of the state. In fact, their main target is to cement their one-party rule by destroying democracy." Opposing the Chief Election Commissioner's comment that it is not their responsibility to forge unity among the political parties, he said it is also not the duty of the Commission to act only on government orders. According to the constitution, the BNP leader said it is the responsibility of the Commission to ensure a proper environment so that all the political parties can join the election and all the voters can exercise their right to franchise. "It's the duty of the Election Commission to bring the political parties to the election." He said their party has long been demanding that the next election be held under a non-party election-time supportive government as a fair and credible election is in no way possible under the partisan government now in the current context of Bangladesh. Turning to the flood issue, Fakhrul said the government has utterly failed to tackle the flood situation and ensure adequate relief materials for the victims to ease their sufferings. He said their party leaders and activists have been there beside the flood-hit people with relief materials since the disaster has seriously affected the country. "BNP first began distributing relief among the victims. We've already formed a central relief committee. We're providing the victims with relief as per our ability."....

Published at: 2017-08-20 05:00:04

Our Correspondent BOGRA, Aug 19: More than 500 female artisans of bamboo crafts from all twelve upazilas under Bogra are making family expenditure along with the male members from five decades back.   The male members supply necessary tools of the crafts from villages and the women generation are producing different size bamboo based daily necessary item and keeping a vital role for making money. They show their husbands the income process as the profession is proved them as more lucrative investing a trifling capital. This profession is mostly based on women and aborigines across the area. An artisan can make Tk 300 to 350 per day. Bamboo products are their main sources of income in over 16 villages of the district as a result various environmentalists and researchers here viewed. The manufacturers collect bamboo from local markets and sell the processed items locally while small traders purchase the items from different villages and sell those to various regional markets, said artisan Konica Rany, 45 at Dupchanchia municipality area. In a recent visit the correspondent found some 500 widows, adolescent, aborigines and feeble women do the job with the assistance of the male members in Pawgachha, Paulpara, Gunaher, Chandail and Merai villages. They also are affording abundantly to drive the course of darkness from the area. The skilled artisans begin the weaving enterprise from very early at morning till late at night. Need-oriented steps should be taken to create demand for the bamboo products in local and regional markets and remove the obstacles that arise in producing the goods, said root level craftsmen. They produce Dali, Kula, Chalun and Topa item round the year, they added. "The bamboo products are gradually losing demand due to rapid expansion of plastic industry," said Masudur Rahman Milon, Chairman of chamber of Commerce in Bogra. He again said, "But, the artisans keep themselves busy after planting T-Aman paddy every year to produce the bamboo based tools.     emdadul2015@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-20 05:00:04

SYLHET, Aug 19: Work of the much desired bridge over the river Surma at Chhatak upazila town of Sunamganj yet not started even after 10 months of its approval by the ECNEC. The project worth Tk 1.13 billion was approved in October 2016. Sources however claimed the delay was mainly due to slow process of the land acquisition for approaches. The then prime minister Khaleda Zia laid its foundation on August 23, 2004. Accordingly the works began in January 2006 with a targeted cost of Tk 180 million with a target to complete the works in three years. Accordingly Tk 80 million was spent and four pillars were built on both end of the bridge in a year. But the works went suspended during the caretaker regime in 2007. Even it was dropped from the ADP that time raising questions to the locals. Then a revised project worth Tk 510 million was sent for approval from the communication ministry in 2010. Again it had to be revised with some minor changes, in line with higher authority's decision. The estimated cost stood at Tk 1.13 billion to complete by June 2018. Sources informed a proposal for acquiring 20 acres of land on the two banks of the river for approaches had been under process by the district administration. Additional chief engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, Sylhet zone, Md Shahnawaz said some changes had been done in the rest part of the project. "We hope works would be started with completion of the land acquisition as soon as possible," he said.     iqbal1527@hotmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-20 05:00:04

FE Report Majority number of sectors closed into the red last week that ended Thursday as cautious investor booked short-term profit on sector-specific stocks following the recent price surge. Of the 19 sectors listed on the prime bourse, except corporate bonds, debenture and treasury bonds, the market cap of 16 sectors faced correction while three sectors managed to stay green, according to weekly analysis of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the LankaBangla Securities. Analysts said the investors sold shares to bag profit, especially from cement, textile, non-bank financial institutions, IT, engineering, pharmaceuticals, banks and food & allied sectors, which contributed to fall of indices. Among the major sectors, cement witnessed the highest correction of 2.44 per cent, closely followed by textile with 2.43 per cent, IT sector 2.22 per cent, NBFI 0.81 per cent, and engineering 0.66 per cent. Travel & leisure also lost 2.41 per cent, followed by services & real estate with 1.96 per cent, jute 1.84 per cent, ceramics 1.32 per cent, mutual fund 1.17 per cent, insurance 1.14 per cent, miscellaneous 0.93 per cent, pharmaceuticals 0.61 per cent, tannery 0.12 per cent, food & allied 0.10 per cent and banks 0.05 per cent. The cement sector faced 2.44 per cent correction as prices of five cement makers closed lower, out of seven listed companies. Of the cement issues, multinational Lafarge Surma Cement posted the highest loss of 3.20 per cent, followed by Confidence Cement with 2.50 per cent, MI Cement 2.10 per cent, Premier Cement 1.90 per cent and Heidelberg Cement 1.0 per cent. The textile sector also lost 2.43 per cent as 38 issues of the sector faced erosion, out of 48, with 13 issues faced more than 4.0 per cent correction. Of the textile issues, Dulamia Cotton witnessed the highest correction of 9.0 per cent, followed by Makson Spinning Mills and Regent Textiles lost 7.0 per cent each. C&A Textiles, Fortune Shoes, Generation Next Fashions also lost 6.0 per cent each while Saiham Cotton, Nurani Dyeing and Delta Spinners fell 5.0 per cent each. The IT sector registered a 2.22 per cent decline as six issues of the sector closed in the red, out of seven. Of the IT companies, share price of Daffodil Computers fell 3.70 per cent, followed by Aamra Technologies with 3.10 per cent, Intech 2.20 per cent, Agni Systems 1.80 per cent, BDCOM Online 1.78 per cent and IT Consultants 1.50 per cent. The NBFI sector also lost 0.81 per cent as 11 issues of the sector faced erosion, out of 18. Of the NBFI issues, Islamic Finance posted the highest correction of 5.10 per cent, followed by FAS Finance with 4.80 per cent, Peoples Leasing 4.60 per cent, Uttara Finance 4.10 per cent, LankaBangla Finance 2.50 per cent, IDLC Finance 2.40 per cent and state-run ICB 1.10 per cent. On the other hand, telecommunication, paper & printing and fuel & power gained 2.87 per cent, 1.27 per cent and 0.05 per cent respectively. The heavyweight telecom sector, which comprised two issues - Grameenphone (GP) and Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company (BSCCL), posted the highest gain of 2.87 per cent. Share prices of GP, the largest market cap listed company in the country's capital market, soared 2.94 per cent to close at Tk 392 each on Thursday at DSE, the last trading session of the week. However, share price of BSCCL fell 1.99 per cent to close at Tk 117.70 each on Thursday at the premier bourse. babulfexpress@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-20 05:00:04

FE Report Trustee committees of nine closed-end mutual funds (MFs) have approved cash dividend ranging between 2.0 per cent to 12 per cent for the year ended on June 30, 2017. Two listed companies have also recommended cash and bonus dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2017. Among the MFs, the trustee committee of ICB AMCL Sonali Bank Limited 1st Mutual Fund has approved 7.50 per cent cash dividend against same amount of cash dividend disbursed in previous year. As per approval, IFIL Islamic Mutual Fund-1 will disburse 9.0 per cent cash dividend against 10 per cent cash dividend approved in last year. Trustee committee of ICB AMCL Third NRB Mutual Fund has approved 5.0 per cent cash dividend against 5.0 per cent cash of previous year. Trustee committee of Phoenix Finance 1st Mutual Fund has approved 5.0 per cent cash dividend against same amount of cash dividend approved in previous year. Prime Bank 1st ICB AMCL Mutual Fund will disburse 7.0 per cent cash dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2017. The fund disbursed same amount of cash dividend in last year. Trustee committee of ICB Employees Provident MF 1: Scheme 1 has approved 6.50 per cent cash dividend against 6.0 per cent cash dividend disbursed in last year. ICB AMCL Second Mutual Fund will disburse 6.0 per cent cash dividend against 5.0 per cent cash dividend disbursed in previous year. ICB AMCL 2nd NRB Mutual Fund will disburse 12 per cent cash against 10 per cent cash dividend disbursed previous year. Trustee committee of CAPM BDBL Mutual Fund 01 has approved 2.0 per cent cash dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2017. BSRM Steels has recommended 15 per cent cash dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2017. The company's total dividend will be 35 per cent including 20 per cent interim cash dividend. Bangladesh Steel Re-Rolling Mills has recommended 10 per cent bonus dividend and the amount of total dividend will be 20 per cent including 10 per cent interim cash dividend.     mufazzal.fe@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-20 05:00:04