Archive for August 16th, 2006
Wednesday, August 16th, 2006In addition to using the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Prodhanmontri Bhaban, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is now using the prime minister's evening office Jamuna at 30 Hare Road for her party activities ahead of the parliamentary election. Keeping BNP's central office unused, the BNP chairperson has been holding a series of meetings with the party's grassroots level leaders at Jamuna since last month using government facilities. Legal experts termed the practice as 'political corruption', but BNP leaders see nothing wrong with it.The high profile offices --- PMO and Prodhanmontri Bhaban --- have been used frequently over the last four ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 16th, 2006Thousands of mourners thronged the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum premises on Road No. 32 of Dhanmondi in the capital yesterday to pay tributes to slain Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his 31st death anniversary.Soon after the half-day hartal enforced by Awami League (AL) and its 14-party allies, people from all walks of life went to the Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhanmondi where the great leader was assassinated along with most of his family members on this day in 1975 by some misguided members of the armed forces.The mourners carrying banners and wearing black badges stood in long queues ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 16th, 2006After a yearlong investigation into the August 17 near-simultaneous bomb blasts across the country, the government believes time is yet to come for disclosing the names of the militants' patrons as learnt from the probe.State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar said yesterday they still continued the investigation to identify the militants' patrons.He however declined to give the names surfaced in the investigation." Without adequate proof, we cannot go for action against the persons whose names have come out in the investigation. One can give others' names for personal grudge," Babar said yesterday.The state minister was talking to reporters at ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 16th, 2006A review panel formed under the public procurement regulations (PPR) has detected gross irregularities in the tender for a water treatment plant of Chittagong Wasa, which is set to award the work to a bidder quoting a suspiciously low price.With a quote of Tk 64 crore, which is Tk 30 crore lower than the second and third lowest offers, the bidder, DCL & Associates, may in fact build the plant with substandard and inadequate materials, said sources.After scrutinising the tender process, the review panel has concluded that if this contract is awarded to the so-called lowest bidder, the purpose ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 16th, 2006With every canal, pond and low-lying area being filled up by uncollected rubbish generated by more than a million people living in Dhaka-Narayanganj-Demra (DND) area, the severe consequences of unplanned urbanisation is beginning to show with permanent waste water logging and unhealthy living condition. Officials of Narayanganj and Dhaka district administrations, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and Narayanganj Municipality said it is not their responsibility to dispose of wastes from the DND area."In our record, the DND area had a 45-kilometre long canal network crisscrossing it and ensuring a healthy natural drainage system, but now nothing is left," said a ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 16th, 2006The Task Force Intelligence (TFI) might interrogate the four people arrested at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka Monday for 'attempting to foil' yesterday's programme on the 31th death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. "We've requested the higher authorities to take measures to interrogate the four at the TFI to find out about their motives and links," said Investigation Officer (IO) of the case Sub-Inspector Manjurul Haque Akand.The arrestees--Nurunnabi alias Tara Mian, his assistant Abdur Rahim alias Darbesh, and Rahim's parents Salahuddin and Amena Khatun--were placed on a three-day remand each yesterday.Police sources said as the Dhanmondi police could not ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 16th, 2006Unknown assailants killed an Awami League (AL) activist as he was supervising a feast for the destitute people on the 31st death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the city's Mirpur area yesterday. A bystander rickshaw-puller was also injured in the incident.The criminals in a surprise attack shot Haji Monir Hussain Monu, 35, from behind around 4:00pm in front of his residence in Shahlibagh while he was talking to the cooks employed for the feast. He received bullets in his hand, head and leg. Monir was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where duty doctors declared him dead.The criminals ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 16th, 2006The six-hour countrywide hartal enforced by the AL-led 14-party opposition combine demanding execution of the Bangabandhu murder case verdict and reinstatement of the public holiday on August 15 as the National Mourning Day passed off peacefully yesterday.After taking power in 2001, the BNP-led coalition government cancelled the status of the day decreed by the previous AL government.Educational institutions, shopping malls and roadside shops remained closed during the hartal hours from 6:00am to 12:00noon. Most vehicles except a few rickshaws and CNG-run three-wheelers stayed off the streets.AL activists were seen busy organising programmes to observe the death anniversary of Bangabandhu.Contingents of ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 16th, 2006The Election Commission (EC) has backed out from its earlier planned initiative for reforming electoral laws during the tenure of the four-party alliance government, and it now wants to move with the reform agenda when the caretaker government takes over.With the change of EC's position on the issue, officials at the EC secretariat have stopped preparing a set of draft proposals for the reforms, sources said.When contacted, the officials said they are now busy with updating the voter list. The EC is trying its best to complete this task by August 20 as scheduled, and it is not mulling the ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 16th, 2006A court here yesterday awarded death sentence to three leaders of outlawed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and life imprisonment to five others of the militant outfit for their involvement in August 17 blasts in the district town.Those awarded death penalty are Ataur Rahman Sunny, Masudur Rahman and Amjad Ali. The lifers are Arifur Rahman, Azharul Islam, Maulana Emranul Atahar, Maulana Ershadullah and Nazrul Islam.All the convicts were in the dock during the judgment delivered by District and Sessions Judge AK Roy in a crowded courtroom.After hearing the verdict, the convicts said they do not accept it and they want ...
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