Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Highlights of Monday’s newspapers:

The Financial Express:

— The much-expected ‘package’ for the revitalisation of the country’s capital market will be formally announced within a day or two, a senior official of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Sunday.

— The country’s overall trade deficit widened by over 23 per cent to US$ 1.81 billion in the first quarter (Q1) of the current fiscal year (FY) following higher import of fuel oils, officials said Sunday.

— The government has almost reached the final stage of processing a US$ 93.4 million loan deal with the Chinese government for the proposed second Meghna bridge on the busiest Dhaka-Chittagong Highway

The Daily Star:

— The government may increase prices of power and fuel once again, stop financing low priority projects and adopt drastic measures, including staff cuts, to ease the pressure on budget. It may also increase various fees, including charges for land registration, to meet the shortfall of non-tax revenue collection target.

— The prosecution has begun reading out the allegations against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee who is being tried by the Interna-tional Crimes Tribunal on charges of committing crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.

— The amount of the government’s borrowing from the banking sector crossed the entire year’s target in just four months and 17 days due mainly to a heavy spending on subsidy and a shrinking foreign aid flow.

The New Age:

— Bangladesh on Sunday requested Pakistan to formally apologise for the genocide and atrocities committed by its military during the War of Liberation in 1971, said a foreign ministry news release.

— Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on Sunday said the government was in full control of the economy but a section of economists and media outlets had been persistently projecting a negative image of it.

— The parliamentary standing committee on finance ministry on Sunday recommended formulation of Islamic Banking Act for smooth operation of Islamic banking in the country.

BBN/SSR/AD-21Nov11-9:54 am (BST)