The New Nation - Internet Edition

Internet Edition. November 16, 2007, Updated: Bangladesh Time 12:00 AM

Cyclone Sidr batters coast: Armed Forces, thousands of volunteers engaged in massive evacuation; 32 lakh people taken to safer places; Govt ready to meet all exigencies

Staff Reporter

The severe cyclone-SIDR hit the country's coast yesterday evening with a windspeed from 140 to 165 killometres per hour (kph).
The cyclone originating in the Bay started pounding the entire south and southwestern coast from Cox's Bazar to Satkhira districts. The number of the vulnerable people living in the coastline are nearly 1 crore 20 lakh.
Officials engaged in evacuation from remote offshore islands said winds with a speed of 100 to 130 kph which was packing with gusty wind to 165 kph started lashing the areas ahead of impending attack by the super severe Cyclone "SIDR", a category four super storm.

CA opens BATEXPO-07: Businessmen won't be harassed unnecessarily

Staff Reporter
Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed has said the government is determined to make sure that businessmen don't have to be victims of unjust harassment in any way.
Formally inaugurating the Batexpo 2007--country's biggest apparel show--he also said that the government is pursuing through diplomatic, business as well as legislative channels for the passage of a bill in the US Congress for market access of Bangladesh's ready-made garments to the United States.
The three-day Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition (Batexpo 2007) has started at Hotel Sonargaon under the auspices of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Remand for Tarique rejected

Court Correspondent
Two different courts of Dhaka yesterday, rejected two petitions to put BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General and former Premier Khaleda Zia's elder son Tarique Rahman on remand for 7 days each. However, if necessary, I0 was permitted to quiz Tarique at the jail gate.
In one case Tarique was accused of extortioning Taka one crore 32 lakh, while in another case he allegedly extorted Taka 5 crore. On March 27 this year, Khan Md Aftab Uddin, proprietor, Reza Construction filed the first case with Gulshan Thana accusing Gias Uddin Al-Mamun, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Obaidul Kader, Kamruzzaman, Hablu, Mahbub and Mota Tareque.

Sonali, Janata, Agrani banks turn into PLCs: Each share fixed at Taka100

Staff Reporter
Fixing the value of each share at Tk 100 three nationalized commercial banks (NCBs)--Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks-were formally made public limited companies (PLC) through the signing of separate "vendor" agreements to this effect yesterday.
The NCBs, after necessary gazette notification, will be operated by independent management and board of directors in accordance with the Banking Companies Act of 1994.
Having 100 per cent share of the PLCs, the government earlier appointed chairmen of the board of directors for the three banks.

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