Bangladesh’s government says the country’s poverty level fell to 31.5 percent in 2010 from 40 percent in 2005 — an 8.5 percent drop over five years. A report issued jointly with the World Bank on Wednesday says poverty in rural areas declined to 35.2 percent in 2010 from 43.8 percent in 2005, while urban poverty […]
Bangladesh Will Keep Islam State Religion
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 7:10 am (UTC-5)
Government officials in Bangladesh say the nation will retain Islam as its state religion, despite other moves to secularize the government. The Bangladeshi cabinet on Monday discussed a package of constitutional amendments. Officials said they decided not to change Islam’s status as the state religion even though the constitution, drafted in 1972, declares the country […]
Monsoon Storms Flood India, Bangladesh
Posted June 17th, 2011 at 10:55 am (UTC-5)
Monsoon storms have flooded parts of eastern India and Bangladesh, washing some 33 fishing boats out to sea in the Bay of Bengal. Officials say at least 500 fishermen are unaccounted for after a tropical depression swept through India’s West Bengal state late Thursday. At least seven people were reportedly killed in the state, including […]
Bangladesh, US Energy Giant Sign Gas Exploration Deal
Posted June 16th, 2011 at 9:45 am (UTC-5)
Bangladesh has signed a deal with the American company ConocoPhillips in a bid to locate new sources of gas before the country’s current reserves run out within the next few years. Government officials announced the deal Thursday, saying the agreement gives the U.S. energy giant exploration rights to two areas in the Bay of Bengal. […]
Bangladesh Joins Global Battle to Save Tigers
Posted June 14th, 2011 at 6:40 pm (UTC-5)
Bangladesh has joined the global battle to save Royal Bengal tigers, as the big cats continue to face threats to their survival. The country’s newly created Wildlife Crime Control Unit, equipped with modern weapons and high speed boats procured with the help of a $36 million loan from the World Bank, will go deep into […]
Bangladesh Strike Enters 2nd Day
Posted June 13th, 2011 at 8:25 am (UTC-5)
An anti-government strike in Bangladesh entered its second day Monday with some people setting vehicles ablaze to protest proposed changes to the constitution. The two-day nationwide strike began Sunday, closing shops and businesses, and disrupting transportation throughout the capital, Dhaka. The 36-hour work stoppage was called by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its Islamic […]
Bangladesh Strike Continues
Posted June 13th, 2011 at 3:00 am (UTC-5)
An anti-government strike in Bangladesh entered its second day Monday with reports of protesters setting vehicles ablaze. The two-day nationwide strike – the second one this month – began Sunday, closing shops and businesses, and disrupting transportation. The 36-hour work stoppage was called by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its Islamic ally, Jamaat-e-Islami. They […]
Bangladesh Hit by General Strike
Posted June 12th, 2011 at 12:05 pm (UTC-5)
For the second time this month, Bangladesh was hit Sunday by a general strike that closed shops and businesses and interfered with transportation. The 36-hour work stoppage was called by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its Islamic ally, Jamaat-e-Islami. They are protesting a proposed amendment to the nation’s constitution that they say favors the […]
US Official to Discuss Plight of Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh
Posted June 6th, 2011 at 4:20 pm (UTC-5)
The U.S. State Department says Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Eric P. Schwartz will travel to Dhaka Tuesday to discuss the plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the region. During his visit, Schwartz is scheduled to meet with government officials and international and non-governmental organizations […]
Dozens Detained in Bangladesh Anti-Government Strike
Posted June 5th, 2011 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
Police in Bangladesh have detained dozens of opposition demonstrators during a nationwide anti-government strike in the capital, Dhaka. Thousands of police and security personnel were deployed around the country Sunday as supporters of the main opposition Bangladesh National Party held a strike in protest of the government’s attempt to change the constitution. Three bombs exploded […]
