Political troubles cost industrial units Tk 7,150cr: minister

Around 4,254 small and medium industrial units faced a loss of Tk 7,150.25 crore due to the destructive movements enforced by the BNP and its allies, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu informed the House yesterday.
Five state-run sugar mills also counted a loss of over Tk 1 crore because of the activities, he said.
Terming battery-run autorickshaws eco-friendly, State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid said the government has no plan to ban it.
He, however, said the government has taken steps to control the plying of such vehicles to stop waste of electricity.
Hamid said the government will set up solar power stations to charge the autorickshaws.
The government plans to conduct a survey run by engineering universities to make these 'easy bikes' flawless and risk-free.
The bikes will be allowed to ply only in the city, sub-urban and rural areas but will be banned out of the highways, he said.
The capital is now suffering from low gas pressure due to its supply shortage of 500 million cubic feet, he said.
To meet the demand, the government has recently signed an agreement with Russian company Gazprom to dig 10 gas-wells in the existing gas fields, which would produce 250 million cubic feet of natural gas a day.
Nineteen newspapers, including The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, have so far implemented the eighth wage board, Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu told the House.
An eight-member panel has been formed with the representatives from the government, journalists and owners to monitor implementation of the wage board.