A 4.6 magnitude earthquake jolted Dhaka and some other parts of the country last night.

The epicenter was 80 kilometres away from Agargaon Seismic Centre in Dhaka and Comilla region, said officials at the Meteorological Office in Dhaka.

The tremor struck at 8:38pm and lasted for a couple of seconds.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The government agencies and non-govern-ment organisations need to speed efforts to lift millions of urban people out of poverty, Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed said yesterday.

The country's fast-expanding major cities are home to 80 lakh urban extreme poor, with Dhaka alone accommodating more than half.

Every year, a large number of people migrate to the cities to make a living due in

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday gave a green signal to a proposal that Bangladesh leases land in some African countries and send farmers there to grow crops like rice and cotton for its consumption as well as export.

The prime minister's endorsement came after the proposal was discussed at the weekly cabinet meeting at the Secretariat, sources close to the meeting said.

According to t

In the backdrop of delay in releasing the First Start Fund under UN framework, Bangladesh has sought accelerated bilateral support from developed countries and donor agencies to address climate change vulnerability.

The state minister for environment and forests, Hasan Mahmud, Sunday held a luncheon meeting with diplomats of the developed countries and lending agencies at state guest house Padm

Dhaka WASA will need Tk 108.5 billion (US$ 1.55 billion) in next ten years to implement projects for meeting the demand for water by the growing population of the capital city.
Some US$ 1550 million investment is required for three water treatment plants of Saidabad, Pagla and Khilkhet during the next ten years, said Managing Director of Dhaka WASA Engr Taqsem A Khan on Thursday.
He informed thi

The state minister for housing and public works, Abdul Mannan Khan, on Thursday said the government has taken a project for setting up four satellite towns adjacent to the capital to reduce existing housing crisis in the Dhaka city.

The government has decided to construct sky train line in the capital City Dhaka to ensure mass transport and thus giving respite to the city dwellers from the nagging traffic jam.
The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting on traffic jam in the capital held at the Ministry of Finance.

Capital Dhaka is in the grip of an acute water crisis marked by shortage in supply and contamination. According to a national daily, the shortage of water in the city now stands at 200 million liters and it may rise further up to 2500 million liters in the ensuing summer. The crisis is likely to remain critical during the period from mid-February to June next.