Your evening brief – PM Hasina opens Japanese economic zone

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday inaugurated the Bangladesh Special Economic Zone, also known as the Japanese economic zone, in Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj. She inaugurated the first economic zone under a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka this morning. The grand opening ceremony was held at the Special Economic Zone in Araihazar. Read More 

Among a number of incidents taking place on Tuesday (6 December), take a quick look at some of the most important news items The Business Standard has compiled for you… 

Women entrepreneurs can avail special opportunities in economic zones: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Tuesday) said that women entrepreneurs can avail special opportunities in the country's economic zones. "If women entrepreneurs come forward, we will give them special opportunities. Separate plots will be provided for them," she said. Read More

Govt to roll out fourth dose of Covid vaccine from 20 Dec

The fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine will be administered countrywide starting 20 December, said Professor Dr Ahmedul Kabir, additional director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). He disclosed the information at a press briefing regarding booster doses at the Health Services division's conference room on Tuesday. Read More

$1b loan: ADB vice-president to reach Dhaka tonight for discussion

Ashok Lavasa, vice-president of Asian Development Bank (ADB), will arrive in Dhaka tonight to discuss Bangladesh's requirement of $1 billion in loan assistance for budget implementation, Economic Relations Department (ERD) sources have said. Lavasa, in-charge of Private Sector Operations and Public-Private Partnerships, will meet the planning minister and foreign minister during his weeklong visit. Read More

Gas supply to remain off for 11hrs in parts of Dhaka on Wednesday

Gas supply will remain suspended for 11 hours from 1pm to 12am (mid might) in different areas in  capital Dhaka on Wednesday. According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, the areas where there will be no gas supply due to emergency works in the supply pipeline include Tejgaon, Mohakhali, Gulshan, Banani, Natunbazar, Badda, and Khilbaritek. Read More

ADB, Bangladesh sign $200m loan agreement 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Bangladesh on Tuesday (6 December) signed an agreement for $200 million in loans, along with a microenterprise financing project. Sharifa Khan, secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the finance ministry, and Edimon Ginting, country director of the ADB, signed the loan agreement on behalf of Bangladesh government and ADB respectively. Read More

Khaleda gave weapons to students, I provided them with books: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has alleged that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia handed over weapons to students. "It was I who brought the students back to the stream of education and provided them with books," she added. Read More

HC orders to trace down fake and unregistered doctors

The High Court (HC) has directed Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) to search out fake doctors and unregistered medical practitioners in the country and submit a probe report in this regard within the next 90 days. Read More

Gaibandha-5 re-election on 4 January

The Election Commission (EC) will hold the re-election in Gaibandha-5 constituency on 4 January, EC Secretary Jahangir Alam said today. Voting would be done using electronic voting machines (EVM) at all the centres, voting will start at 8:30am and continue till 4:30pm. Read More

4 die as train rams into autorickshaw in Cumilla

Four people, including an autorickshaw driver, were killed as a train rammed into the CNG-run autorickshaw in Cumilla. The accident took place on Tuesday (6 December) at the Dakshin Khila Tuguria rail crossing area of the Noakhali-Laksam railway line. Read More

4 RMG factories of DIRD Group reopened after 3 days of closure 

The authorities of DIRD Group on Tuesday reopened four of its apparel factories located in Hemayetpur of Savar. The move comes three days after they had announced an indefinite closure on Saturday (3 December). Read More

Haji Salim gets bail in corruption case

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has granted bail to Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Salim in a corruption case. He was sentenced to jail for 10 years upon being convicted of graft charges brought by the Anti-Corruption Commission. Read More

Stop global arms race, use resources for health, education: PM to world leaders

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday urged world leaders to stop global arms race and use the much-needed resources for health and education. Read More 

Oil prices climb after Russian crude sanctions kick in

Oil rebounded on Tuesday after plunging by more than 3% in the previous session, as the implementation of sanctions on Russian seaborne crude oil eased concerns about oversupply while the relaxing of China's Covid curbs bolstered the demand outlook. Read More

Biden to decide on second term 'shortly' after new year: top aide

US President Joe Biden will make a decision on whether he seeks a second term in 2024 "shortly" after the new year, his chief of staff, Ron Klain, said Monday. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit, Klain said Biden had been consulting with his family. At 80 he is already the oldest president in US history and if he served a second term he would be 86 by the time he stepped down. Read More 

Wheat rises on strong demand, soybeans supported by China's Covid-19 easing

Chicago wheat futures inched higher on Tuesday, rising for the first time in four sessions as strong US weekly exports supported the market. Soybeans gained ground on expectations of a recovery in demand with China gradually easing Covid-19 restrictions, corn prices rose. Read More

North Korea fires more artillery shells into sea in response to South Korea drills

North Korea said on Tuesday it had ordered military units to fire more artillery shells into the sea, the North's official KCNA news agency reported, in response to South Korea's ongoing drills across the border. Read More

More than one in five people face violence, harassment at work: UN

More than one in five people employed – almost 23 per cent – have experienced violence and harassment at work, whether physical, psychological or sexual, according to a new analysis by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Lloyd's Register Foundation (LRF) and Gallup. Read More

Forced religious conversion serious issue: Indian Supreme Court

The Indian Supreme Court on Monday reaffirmed that forced religious conversion is a "serious issue" and asked the Centre to file a detailed affidavit after collecting information from the state governments on anti-conversion laws. Stating that forced conversion is against the Constitution, a bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar posted the matter for hearing on 12 December. Read More