PRESS DIGEST - BANGLADESH - Nov 23

These are some of the leading stories in the Bangladesh press on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

THE DAILY STAR

--- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the authorities concerned to formulate a specific policy to control sand extraction from rivers, reports news agency UNB.

--- Four of the five imprisoned condemned convicts in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case, verbally expressed their willingness to seek presidential clemency, said Dhaka Central Jail officials.

THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS

--- Dhaka and New Delhi are likely to sign a 'border haat (market)' agreement during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India to ease the hardship of the people residing in either side of the border, particularly in hilly frontiers, sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.

--- The government is going to bring about a major change in its vulnerable group feeding (VGF) programme, dropping about three-fourths of the listed beneficiaries from providing food free of cost.

THE NEW AGE

--- The Dhaka City Corporation and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police traffic wing traded blames as the automated traffic signalling system, put to a dry run, failed to manage the chaotic traffic in the capital on the first day of the week-long trial on Sunday.