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Shahriar Islam Shovon

UN emissary urges both parties to continue dialogue

UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernández Taranco urged both the ruling and opposition camps in Bangladesh to continue the dialogue in the spirit of goodwill and compromise. “Bangladesh leaders must continue to come together. I encourage both sides to continue the dialogue in the spirit of goodwill and compromise,” he said. tarancoThe UN envoy for Political Affairs made the call while addressing a crowded press conference before wrapping up his six-day hectic tour of Bangladesh on Wednesday to help its bickering political parties reach a...

Tea prices dip amid political unrest

Tea prices in Bangladesh dipped at a weekly auction on Tuesday as political turmoil over upcoming elections kept some buyers away, brokers said. The country has been rocked by a series of strikes and transport blockades over the past few weeks, paralysing normal life and crippling economic activity. Last week’s tea auction had been postponed amid the unrest. teaIn the latest auction, Bangladeshi tea fetched an average of 194.67 taka ($2.5) per kg against 200.04 taka in the previous auction on Nov. 26, an official from National Brokers Ltd said. “A ...

Long-term unemployment: New challenge for many countries

Unemployment spells for workers are becoming longer in some countries compared to the pre-crisis situation in 2008, according to the new edition of the ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM). “Headlines on a recent decline in unemployment rates hide the bitter reality that many jobless workers are finding it increasingly difficult to get into a new job within a reasonable period of time of 6 months or less,” says Ekkehard Ernst, chief of the ILO Employment Trends Unit. Chances of a job seeker finding a job within a year For example, in Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Serbia and Bulgaria, long-term unemployment has increased by 40 per cent or more in comparison to 2008.

Bangladesh key economic indicators – Dec 10

DAILY INDICATORS

Monday Previous Taka/US $ (inter-bank) 77.75-77.76 77.75-77.75 Call money rate (inter-bank) 06.25-08.00 05.50-08.00 Dhaka Stock Exchange index 4,289.82 4,302.56 ------------------------------------------------------------ indicator MONTHLY CURRENT PREVIOUS Growth in: Consumer price index (BBS) Change yr/yr (pct) Nov. 7.15 7.03 M2 supply (bln taka) (BB) Sept. 6,267.23 6,199.89 Forex reserves ($bln)(BB) Nov. 17.11 17.35 Exports(FOB) ($mln)(BB) Sept. 2,590.24 2,031.44 Imports(FOB) ($mln)(BB) August 2,658.00 3,125.00 --------------------------------------...

UN rights body seek stay on Mollah’s execution

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called for an eleventh-hour stay of execution for Abdul Quader Mollah, convicted of war crimes in a trial that did not meet ‘stringent international standards’ for imposition of the death penalty. Pillay urged Bangladesh President to order the last-minute stay of execution for Quader Mollah. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has written to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a last-minute appeal, to halt the execution, according to a media release issued from Geneva on Tuesday. In a statement last month, the High Commissioner urged the government of Press conference Navanethem Pillay

Opportunity, challenges in NY for Bangladesh community

The Bangladesh community in New York City have grown more rapidly than that of any other Asian immigrant group, jumping from less than 5,000 to more than 28,000 by 2000. In New York City, between 1990 and 2000 they have formed vibrant communities in parts of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. The New York Times reported that at least 74,000 Bangladeshis now call Gotham home. That number is expected to climb rapidly in the years to come, given that Bangladeshis tend to be younger than the rest of the city’s inhabitants and have more children per couple. BD NY Community