Boats carrying Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, trying to cross the Naf river into Bangladesh to escape sectarian violence, are intercepted by Bangladeshi Coast Guard officials in Teknaf on June 18. — AFP photo

Sufia Kamal in Aparajita.

A file photo shows farmers arranging raw jute in a water body for rotting at a village under Boalmari upazila in Faridpur. The country’s jute cultivation acreage reduced by 2.24 per cent in the current year because of falling demand of the fibre and a slump in export of jute and jute products. — Focusbangla photo

South African captain Hashim Amla plays a shot as his Bangladesh counterpart Mushfiqur Rahim looks on during their tri-nation Twenty20 tournament match at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday. — AFP photo

Mehdi Hassan

Spanish forward Jesus Navas celebrates after scoring a goal against Croatia during their Euro 2012 match at the PGE Arena in Gdansk on Monday. — Reuters photo

Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi is greeted by supporters as she leaves the London School of Economics at the start of a four-day visit to Britain in London on Tuesday. — AFP photo

Sanglap stages Debotar Grash on Monday.— Snigdha Zaman

Yousuf Raza Gilani

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo gestures during a training session at the team’s base camp in Opalenica on Tuesday. — AFP photo

Leaders of the G20 nations gather for a group photo at the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico on Monday. — Reuters photo

Coast Guard personnel keep Amina Aktar, who came to Bangladesh fleeing sectarian violence in Myanmar on June 12, in their custody after she gave birth to a baby boy on June 16. The photograph was taken on Tuesday. — Indrajit Ghosh

Italian forward Mario Balotelli (R) scores from an overhead kick past Ireland defender John O’Shea during their Euro 2012 match at the City stadium in Poznan on Monday. — Reuters photo

Spanish football fans are seen cheering on their team during their Euro 2012 match against Croatia at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on Monday. — AFP photo

Journalists form a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Tuesday, demanding an end to torture on journalists and trial of the murder of the journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.— New Age photo

MAIN NEWS

Workers flee Ashulia amid police raids

An eerie calm descended on the working class neighbourhoods at Ashulia as garment workers started leaving their homes fearing arrest and also amid uncertainties over reopening of the factories. Full story

Govt imposes restrictions on foreigners’ movement in Myanmar border

The government has imposed restrictions on the movement of foreigners along the border with Myanmar, a senior foreign ministry official told New Age on Tuesday. The local security agencies... Full story

Loopholes let power co seek Tk 19cr more from govt

A private electricity generation company, which has been supplying electricity to the Rural Electrification Board for over two and a half years, is demanding that it should be paid at a rate which is up to... Full story

Arrest warrants issued for 8 cops

The Narsingdi chief judicial magistrate on Tuesday issued warrant for the arrest of eight police personnel, including an inspector, on charge of assaulting and harassing a joint district judge in... Full story

NATIONAL

Half-day hartal in Sylhet passes off peacefully

The half-day hartal, which was enforced by the Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal in Sylhet for immediate release of the organisation’s central vice-president Shamsuzzaman, passed peacefully... Full story

Juba Dal leader, another killed

METRO

BCC plans Tk 250cr budget

The Barisal City Corporation is preparing to announce a Tk 250 core budget for the 2012-13 fiscal on June 30 while several hundred employees of the corporation are without salaries since February and major portion of the current budget is yet to be implemented. Full story

7 unnatural deaths in capital

BUSINESS

Export slump hurts jute cultivation

The country’s jute cultivation acreage reduced by 2.24 per cent in the current year because of falling demand of the fibre and a slump in export of jute and jute products. Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension told New Age that... Full story

Only 40pc of foreign loan, grant released in 11 months

INTERNATIONAL

Troops pound several rebel bastions, 14 killed in Syria

Syrian troops pounded and raided several rebel bastions across the country and clashes erupted in Homs early on Tuesday, as 14 people were killed in violence nationwide, a watchdog said. Full story

Greece under gun on 2nd day of coalition talks

SPORTS

Bowling adds to Tigers wounds

After batting disappointments in the first match, Bangladeshi bowlers suffered a nightmare in their second successive defeat in the Twenty20 Triangular Series, this time to South Africa by 39 runs at Harare on Tuesday. Opting to bat first, South African skipper Hashim... Full story

Italy, Spain through

EDITORIAL

A short-sighted and opportunistic decision

IT APPEARS highly implausible that the government has decided to... Full story

A warning

OP-ED

Opening doors to Rohingyas: duty, not charity

OVER the last couple of weeks Bangladesh is experiencing yet another round of inflow of Rohingyas through its land and sea borders. Media reports have documented harrowing tales of suffering that the members of the community have endured... Full story

The demise of Mehdi Hassan: The day the music died

TIMEOUT

Of Aparajita and Sufia Kamal

Today is the 101st birth anniversary of Begum Sufia Kamal, an eminent poet, litterateur, feminist and social worker. She was born in Barisal on 20 June, 1911 and died at the age of 88 on 20 November, 1999. Sufia Kamal, who dedicated herself in protecting... Full story

3-day World Music Day celebrations begin tomorrow

LETTERS

Claims or blames, thus it remains

YOUR interesting editorial titled ‘PM’s misleading claims’, published on June 18, indicated about her denial of realities. However; there are some touches of realities behind some of her claims. Full story