Archive for August 4th, 2006
Friday, August 4th, 2006Police yesterday produced 27 militants, including the 25 arrested during Wednesday's raid near a Bhaluka madrasa by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and two others nabbed later, before a Mymensingh court under Section 54 without bringing any specific charges. Police also produced Nuruddin Haider, the landlord and founder of the madrasa -- Al-Jamiatul Islamia Nurul Ulum -- before the court with seven-day remand prayer under an extortion case, filed on July 28 by an employee of a private TV channel.Sources said the arrested Afghan war veteran Moulana Mufti Abdur Rouf had been running the militant camp at a madrasa in Jibontola ...
(read more) Friday, August 4th, 2006Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Lebanon with total cessation of violence. Addressing the emergency meeting of the executive committee of OIC, especially on the Lebanon situation, at Hotel Marriot Putrajaya in Putrajaya, the prime minister strongly condemned Israel for the brutality of its actions and the blatant violation of human rights.She also called for urgent deployment of an international force for stabilising the Israeli-Lebanon border under the United Nations (UN).Placing the demands at the OIC meet, the prime minister observed that political issues cannot be resolved by military means--history has proved time ...
(read more) Friday, August 4th, 2006US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher yesterday said major political parties should sit together to talk all the electoral discords over so that the next polls could be held in a free and fair manner.He also said constitutional provisions guarantee democracy and state ways of resolving any national crisis. "I hope that the political parties will follow the right paths," Boucher told a crowded press conference at the Hotel Radisson."The way the US can help is to continue encouraging the political parties here to hold dialogues and training the people concerned in holding free and fair elections so ...
(read more) Friday, August 4th, 2006A Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) review says the country's economic performance in the 4th quarter (April-June of FY06) indicates that growth in GDP was marginally slower than that in the 3rd quarter of the current fiscal.However, analysing observations by some entrepreneurs the chamber said the economy is still on the growth path, though concern has been expressed as to how long the economic growth momentum can withstand the continuing political confrontations and weakening of the institutions of economic and political governance."Complaints have been made about deteriorating supply of electricity and gas, widespread corruption, discretionary powers still retained ...
(read more) Friday, August 4th, 2006Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman, who once refused to allocate fresh fund for updating the voter list, yesterday surprisingly came up with an assurance of providing the Election Commission (EC) with as much money as it requires. In the wake of the EC Secretary Abdur Rashid Sarkar's remark that the allocation of Tk 25 crore against the demand of Tk 40.86 crore was inadequate, the finance minister told reporters, "Definitely, we will provide whatever amount of fund they require to update the voter list."Officials at the EC Secretariat hinted that they might seek further allocation of Tk 15 crore. ...
(read more) Friday, August 4th, 2006Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Richard A Boucher yesterday said his country is keen to extend all sorts of cooperation in the conduct of a free, fair and credible election in Bangladesh early next year."We look forward to doing everything necessary for a free and fair election here," Boucher told Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina during an hour-long meeting at her Sudha Sadan residence in the capital.Briefing the newsmen, he said he has made it clear to Hasina, also president of Awami League (AL), that the US wants the next election in Bangladesh to be free and fair. ...
(read more) Friday, August 4th, 2006 The Washington Post on Wednesday carried a story headlined "A new hub for terrorism?: In Bangladesh, an Islamic movement with al-Qaeda ties is on the rise."Following is the full text of the article by Selig S Harrison:While the United States dithers, a growing Islamic fundamentalist movement linked to al-Qaeda and Pakistani intelligence agencies is steadily converting the strategically located nation of Bangladesh into a new regional hub for terrorist operations that reach into India and Southeast Asia.With 147 million people, largely Muslim Bangladesh has substantial Hindu and Christian minorities and is nominally a secular democracy. But the ruling ...
(read more) Friday, August 4th, 2006Democracy within the political parties, transparency in their financing and accountability at all stages of their activities need to be ensured to establish a participatory democracy in the country, said speakers at an expert group consultation yesterday.A free and fair election is not possible under the present chief election commissioner (CEC), they said stressing that reforms in the Election Commission (EC) should be carried out immediately so that the next polls are acceptable to all.Nagorik Committee 2006 organised the discussion on 'Vision 2021 for Bangladesh: Goal 1: To Become a Participatory Democracy' at Cirdap auditorium in Dhaka.Professor Rehman Sobhan, ...
(read more) Friday, August 4th, 2006Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman leaves tomorrow for Washington to lobby the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for releasing $280 million loans as budget support within the present government's term.During the visit the finance minister will meet the WB president, the IMF managing director and other high officials and explain the difficulties of the government to carry out reforms in its final year in office, sources said.The IMF recently deferred the $80 million sixth tranche of the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF) loan scheduled to be released in July as Bangladesh failed to fulfil ...
(read more) Friday, August 4th, 2006Finance Minister and senior BNP leader M Saifur Rahman has said Ershad's joining the BNP-led alliance may be good for short term, but bad in the long run.He told reporters at his office yesterday while replying to a question on how he sees the reported move about Ershad's joining the alliance.The BNP standing committee member said the party alone will win the elections and return to power as it has done many good works.He said the regulatory institutions like Anti-Corruption Commission and Tax Ombudsman will have to be strengthened to accelerate development.
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