Archive for August 13th, 2006
Sunday, August 13th, 2006A scientific survey group has found for the first time in the Bay of Bengal a thick sedimentation of elusive oolitic carbonate, which promises prime underground reservoir of oil. The scientists extracted tiny, light-brown, rounded oolites from a depth of 125 meters off the Sundarbans coast, and found out through sonar map study that sediments accumulated in about 6-meter thick layers over a vast area between offshore blocks 21B and 20B, and beyond."But this study was not aimed at exploring mineral resources. Specific and advance studies will be able to determine the actual extent of oolite layers and the potential ...
(read more) Sunday, August 13th, 2006Hearing of the Bangabandhu murder case suspended five years ago was not held for a single day during the coalition rule for judges' reluctance to hear and the government's unwillingness to dispose of the long-drawn-out case. The proceedings of the historic case, pending with the highest court for the last five years, is unlikely to resume before March next year unless the government appoints at least two judges to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC).At least three judges are required to form a bench as only one among the seven sitting judges in the Appellate Division can hear ...
(read more) Sunday, August 13th, 2006The government is going to repeal the provision of backbreaking work for prisoners as part of a massive amendment to the Jail Code about to be implemented soon.The amendment will also introduce provisions of freeing inmates on parole, freedom of observing religious rituals inside jails, entertainment for prisoners, simplification of the division facility system, and removal of discrimination in allocation of foods for inmates.The much talked about jail code reform plan worked out by a home secretary-led committee, which had begun in 2003, was completed on August 1. According to government officials, the amended code will be enacted this month ...
(read more) Sunday, August 13th, 2006Speakers at a regional dialogue here yesterday demanded incorporation of local causes in the election manifestos of political parties.They also demanded reforms in the Election Commission, resignation of the chief election commissioner, raising the number of reserved seats for women in parliament and direct election to those seats.The speakers also urged the people to raise their voice against black money holders and demanded nomination of honest and competent candidates in the next general election.They also demanded protection of Faridpur town from river erosion.They said the concept of caretaker government emerged only due to lack of confidence of politicians in ...
(read more) Sunday, August 13th, 2006The classified loan of Sonali Bank increased by 83 per cent--or around Tk 4,300 crore--in the last six months as Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) failed to repay its huge loan from the bank.The amount of loan default of Sonali Bank was Tk 5,105 crore in December last year, which was 23 per cent of the total loan, and the figure reached Tk 7,564 crore--33 per cent of the total loan--in March, sources in the bank said.The amount increased further to Tk 9,364 crore, constituting 41 per cent of the total loan, in June."Apart from the provision shortfall, the huge loan ...
(read more) Sunday, August 13th, 2006A sector-commander-level flag meeting between Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) will be held at BSF Harinagar camp at 11:30am today to have discussions on 256 acres of disputed farmlands, which triggered the 14-hour-long firefight between the two on August 9.Deputy inspector general (DIG) of BSF, Cachhar-Mizoram sector sent a letter to the sector commander of BDR last week requesting the meeting to be held, a BDR official said. He said BDR would raise a number of other issues for discussion in the meeting.Sylhet BDR Sector Commander Colonel Abul Hossain told The Daily Star yesterday that ...
(read more) Sunday, August 13th, 2006A special flight with first consignment of Bangladesh government's relief for the war-ravaged people of Lebanon left Dhaka for Damascus yesterday morning.The chattered aircraft of Middle East Airways (MEA) left Zia International Airport at 8:30am with 20 tons of relief materials that includes blankets, biscuits, medicines and tea.Another 30 tons of relief goods for the Lebanese people will be sent later, said an official handout.The arrangement for sending the relief materials without any airfare by the MEA aircraft that brought Bangladeshi expatriates from Lebanon earlier in the morning was made after a negotiation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
(read more) Sunday, August 13th, 2006The seven suspected militants of Hizbut Tawhid arrested Thursday night will be sent to Dhaka for quizzing by a Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) team to unearth information on the organisation's activities, sources said yesterday.They were placed on a ten-day remand yesterday at Bandar Police Station.The police in separate raids arrested sub-assistant engineer of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL) Abdul Hamid Mian, Suncrest Cola officials Humayun Kabir, Mohammad Raju and Jamal Uddin, and Munir Khan, Mohammad Akkas and Nurul Islam Khokon in Fakirhat and Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) areas on Thursday night.The seven are active members of the Hizbut Tawhid, ...
(read more) Sunday, August 13th, 2006Bangladesh put their one-day series defeat in Zimbabwe behind them as they beat Kenya by six wickets in the first one-day international at the Nairobi Gymkhana ground yesterday racing to 170 with nearly 20 overs to spare.Batsman Mohammad Ashraful returned to form with a quickfire 67 not out after Tigers paceman Mashrafee Bin Mortuza set up the stage for batsmen by restricting the hosts to 168 with figures of 3-25.Ashraful struck a dozen fours and a six in his 43-ball knock, after walking in with the team in a precarious position of 58 for three. He immediately shot to action ...
(read more) Sunday, August 13th, 2006Amid protests by students, Rajshahi University Islami Chhatra Shibir leader Mahbubul Alam Salehi, a key suspect in Professor S Taher Ahmed murder case, returned to the campus and attended a Shibir programme yesterday. Salehi chaired the programme organised to observe Islamic Education Day with heavy police protection. Apart from pro-Jamaat teachers, officials and employees, a large number of outsiders including school and madrasa students joined the rally.Jamaat and Shibir leaders addressing the rally blamed journalists and the police for "fabricating stories" on Salehi's involvement in Prof Taher murder.Protesting Salehi's reappearance on the campus with the help of the police ...
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