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

The Financial Express:

— The government issued Wednesday a notification prohibiting public servants from being involved in any kind of speculative business, including investment in the capital market, only to withdraw it after a few hours due to ‘unavoidable’ circumstances.

— About 28 per cent of the allocation made under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the current fiscal year (FY), 2011-12, was utilised during its first half up to December last.

— Bangladesh economy will remain stable with over 6.0 per cent GDP growth in the next two years when most of the countries including neighbouring India will see a slowdown, according to the World Bank (WB) Global Economic Prospects (GEP) 2012, released in Washington Wednesday, reports BSS.

The Daily Star:

— Indian Border Security Force yesterday suspended eight jawans after a video clip was aired on some Indian TV channels, including NDTV, showing a Bangladeshi being beaten up by some BSF members in Murshidabad district, Paschimbanga.

— BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday blamed the government for destroying the share market.

— The government will soon allow sugar export to help utilise the full production capacity of the local sugar refining mills, said Commerce Secretary Ghulam Hussain yesterday.

The New Age:

— The authorities took a decision on Wednesday to crackdown, within a month, on unauthorized establishments and car parking to recover the roads, footpaths and the adjoining spaces at Motijheel and Dilkusha commercial areas for easing the city’s traffic congestion.

— The government’s frequent change in decisions in last two days on enforcing a rule banning public servants from the stock market investment would continue to intensify confusion among investors, said experts and analysts.

— The National Board of Revenue and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission are at loggerheads after the tax administration has asked the BTRC to pay taxes.

BBN/SSR/AD-19Jan12-10:04 am (BST)