Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - Highlights of Monday’s newspapers:
The Financial Express:
--Bangladesh's exports may suffer major setback as the European Union (EU) is signing free trade agreements (FTAs) with different developing countries and the United States is offering them tariff concessions, trade officials have said.
--The insurance regulator Sunday scrapped the non-life insurance companies' existing system of making financial adjustments with premium earning for the overall interest of the sector.
--The government would allow disclosure of only legally earned yet untaxed money for the purpose of investment in the share market by paying 10 per cent tax, a revenue board order has said.
The Daily Star:
-- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to Tripura has sparked a dialogue about expanding trade and other bilateral relations between Dhaka and Agartala.
-- The first phase of Biswa Ijtema at Tongi near the capital ended yesterday afternoon with the offering of Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers) seeking divine blessings for the people of Bangladesh and the Muslim Ummah.
-- A sudden but significant rise in interest rates has emerged as a threat to the local industry, which is already feeling the pinch of a record devaluation of the taka against the dollar.
The New Age:
--Several lakh students could not attend their classes on Sunday as the teachers locked up the registered non-government primary schools across the country demanding salary increase and nationalisation of their job.
-- The government on Sunday approved hard-term borrowing of around $2 billion to ensure uninterrupted import of fuel oils, consumption of which has soared substantially by the oil-guzzling quick rental power plants, said officials concerned.
-- The High Court on Sunday granted permanent bail to former prime minster Khaleda Zia in the coalmine corruption case brought against her and others by the Anti Corruption Commission in February 2008.
BBN/SSR/AD-16Jan12-10:35 am (BST)