Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought Philippine’s cooperation in imparting training to nurses, development of agriculture and pearl cultivation in Bangladesh. She said this when the Philippines Ambassador to Bangladesh Zenaida Tacorda Rabago paid a courtesy call on her in Dhaka yesterday.

Japan lauded the new national budget 2009-2010 of Bangladesh with the expectation that it would accelerate the desired socio-economic and infrastructural development of the country and assured assistance in its implementation. Outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Masayuki Inoue said this when he paid a farewell call on Prime Minister in Dhaka yesterday. The Prime Minister sought more assistance from Japan in Bangladesh’s various sectors, including development of roads and highways, waterways, energy and power.

Prime Minister assured the business leaders of the country of taking stern actions against trouble-makers in the industrial sector. Her assurance came when a group of business leaders met with her in Dhaka yesterday.

President Zillur Rahman urged the Rotarians to take more effective programmes to eradicate poverty from the country and face the adverse impacts of climate change. He said this while inaugurating the conference of Rotary International District-3280 in Dhaka yesterday.

The Right to Information (RTI) Act went into full effect yesterday with the formation of the three-member Information Commission. Retired Secretary M Azizur Rahman was appointed the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), while former Secretary Mohammad Abu Taher and Professor Sadeka Halim of the Sociology Department of Dhaka University were appointed the other two Commissioners.

Speaking at a press briefing yesterday, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni said, bilateral ties with India are important but Bangladesh will do whatever necessary regarding the construction of India’s Tipaimukh dam to protect her national interests above all else. She said, Bangladesh and the United States are going to hold their first-ever bilateral meeting in September to discuss entire range of issues between the two countries following a latest development.

The government will provide all sorts of support for industrialists willing to install captive power unit in their industries. Talking to newsmen yesterday, State Minister for Power Shamsul Haq Tuku said, the Daylight Savings Times (DST) reduced the peak hour load-shedding through saving 205-206 mw electricity, which was earlier consumed by the shopping malls in the evening peak hours.

Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad asked the officials to use the authority vested upon them for welfare of the people, and also directed them to maintain ‘chain of command’ and work with coordination in the offices. The Minister was speaking at a function at the Information Ministry to bid farewell Information Secretary Samar Chandra Paul and welcome new Information Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury.

Talking to newsmen yesterday, Commerce Minister Lt Col (Retd) Faruq Khan said, the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sell edible oil, pulses and sugar from the second week of August to keep prices of essentials stable during the month of Ramadan.

Industries Minister Dilip Barua directed the officials concerned for quick transferring of the tanneries to Savar Leather Industrial Estate from Hazaribagh for the sake of sustainable industrialization. He was addressing a review meeting on the progress of implementing the projects under Revised Annual Development Programme in Dhaka yesterday.

Talking to newsmen yesterday, State Minister for Housing and Public Works Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan unveiled a government’s plan for bringing all khas lands in Dhaka under housing schemes to meet people’s basic demand for a home, adding, it would also build four satellite cities outside Dhaka where one lakh flats would be built.

A special squad of police will provide security to garments factories rather than industrial police, said Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday. He was launching a website www.ovijogbmet.org, where the expatriates will be able to lodge complaints with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.

Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun left for Singapore last night for better treatment at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) launched afternoon outdoor services of its dental faculty. Inaugurating the service, Heath Minister Dr AFM Ruhul Haque informed that disbursement of financial allocation is under-way for constructing a multi-storied building at the BSMMU.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Textiles and Jute Ministry yesterday proposed allocation of Taka 1,000 crore for the next fiscal year for the jute sector for development of jute cultivation and supply of high-yielding variety of jute and fixation of its fair prices.

The Secretary Committee to scrutinize the 7th Pay Commission report finalized its recommendations for increasing the maximum salary to Tk 39,000 and the lowest salary to Tk 4,000. The Committee suggested the ratio of the lowest and the highest salaries at 1:9.75 in the new pay scale for the government staff.

A three-day conference of Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) for promoting manpower export and contributions of expatriates begins in Dhaka today.

The World Bank in its report yesterday observed that the ICT is the key to economic growth and job creation in developing countries like Bangladesh.

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) prepared for printing 21 crore textbooks for distribution among the students from the primary level to the secondary level free of cost by the first week of January 2010.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited will procure three new generation aircrafts for 48 months for its fleet by October next to operate flights on more routes, including resuming its New York operations.

The Dhaka University Day was celebrated yesterday amid much enthusiasm and festivity. The university started its journey on this day in 1921.

The government formed a 16-member committee to provide recommendations for formulating action plans to improve quality of English education in the country. It will submit its recommendations to the Education Ministry within two months, BSS and UNB reported.