Dhaka, Yangon to share submarine cable for IT connectivity

October 11th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh has rushed more troops and stepped up diplomatic moves as tension continues to mount along its 300 km border with Myanmar over a fence being erected by Yangon. Dhaka alleges that Myanmarese border guards have grouped 10,000 Rohingyas, or Muslim tribals, to push across the border.

October 8th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh has urged India to give it transit to Nepal and Bhutan to boost bilateral and South Asian regional trade and connectivity. The subject will be high on the agenda when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits New Delhi shortly.

October 7th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh has cancelled leave of its border guards and stepped up army deployment on its border with Myanmar, alleging large-scale intrusion and to protest against the eastern neighbour erecting a border fence. Tension mounted along the Naikhyangchhari border in Bandarban after Myanmar resumed border fencing Friday.

September 13th, 2009 DHAKA - A cross-section of opinion makers in Bangladesh have welcomed a Dhaka-Delhi resolve to improve connectivity among the South Asian neighbours, but have expressed reservations on many counts. They see the development as a window of opportunity to improve economic ties with landlocked Bhutan and Nepal, but also lament the loss of a prospective market in India's north-eastern region.

September 6th, 2009 DHAKA - Two Indian telecom majors have sought a corridor through Bangladesh to reach the isolated north-eastern region and in return offered a stand-by submarine cable. Indian telecom giants - Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications (RCom) - have submitted a joint proposal in this regard to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), according to The Daily Star newspaper.

August 23rd, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh has decided not to recognise Kosovo as an independent Balkan state, rejecting a request from the US. Dhaka has made it clear that it would like to keep away (from the Kosovo issue), New Age newspaper said Sunday quoting Foreign Secretary Mirajul Quayes.

August 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharti Airtel Monday launched its global wholesale service portfolio, which will enable telecom companies across 50 countries to access its services. The company has invested $500 million to expand its connectivity by building cable capacity, network infrastructure and international points of presences, an official statement said.

July 20th, 2009 DHAKA - An Indian trade delegation visiting Dhaka has urged Bangladesh to take steps to boost bilateral trade ties between the two countries. The appeal came at a seminar on "Bangladesh-India Economic Relations" at Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka, reports the Daily Star.

July 13th, 2009 CHENNAI - The Tamil Nadu government Monday said Arasu Cable Corp, the multi-system operator (MSO) that it has promoted, has begun setting up cable television infrastructure in the districts. According to the information technology (IT) department's policy note submitted to the state assembly, the company has set up digital headends at Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore and Vellore.

June 25th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh is set to protest to the UN against Myanmar's claim to the territorial sea in the Bay of Bengal, where maritime boundaries have caused disputes and led to stand-offs. Foreign ministry officials told New Age newspaper Wednesday that Dhaka may send in its protest even before the next round of technical discussions with Yangon in mid-July.

June 12th, 2009 PODGORICA - Remains of a World War I German submarine U72 were discovered in the Montenegrin waters of the Adriatic Sea, local Radio Kotor reported Friday. The submarine was sunk by its own crew in November 1918, after the capitulation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

June 8th, 2009 MUMBAI - Tata Communications, which runs one of the largest telecom cable networks in the world, has entered into an agreement with the Doha-based Qatar Telecom to share infrastructure and expand their joint reach globally. The Tata firm, which serves clients in businesses like communications services, software and outsourcing, providing them national and global connectivity through fibre optic and undersea cables, is particularely expected to expand its foothold in the Gulf region.

May 7th, 2009 DHAKA - India has proposed 'constructive talks' on the contentious issue of transit facility through Bangladesh to reach its north-eastern region once a new government takes office in New Delhi after the general elections. India is particularly keen on railway connectivity between Akhaura in eastern Bangladesh and Agartala, capital of Tripura in India's north-east, New Age newspaper said.

March 26th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh plans to train 10,000 programmers a year by introducing compulsory IT education at the high school level by 2013 and for primary students by 2021, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced. The present capacity is 2,500 IT programmers annually.

January 29th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh has engaged a New Zealand-based consultant to design an over-5-km-long bridge on the Padma river to improve connectivity with its south-western region to eventually link up with the Trans-Asia highway, a media report said Friday. The 5.58 km long and 25 m wide bridge on the Padma will connect the southwestern area with Dhaka at Mawa in Munshiganj and Janjira in Madaripur.