Archive for September 7th, 2006
Thursday, September 7th, 2006Riot police indiscriminately clubbed senior opposition leaders, lawmakers and the activists of Awami League (AL)-led 14-party opposition coalition to thwart their attempt to lay siege to the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat in the capital yesterday, injuring around 100 including Saber Hossain Chowdhury. Every single attempt by the opposition leaders and activists to approach the vicinity of the EC Secretariat was met by police firing teargas shells and charging batons indiscriminately that left Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina's Political Secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury critically injured.A road march of a newly formed opposition alliance of several political parties, National Unity ...
(read more) Thursday, September 7th, 2006In a clear show of using state institutions for political purpose, the government has tasked the police with conducting a survey on the popularity of its aspirant candidates for the next general elections in comparison with those of other parties. As part of the survey, local police administrations have started collecting information about the results of the last three parliamentary elections and position of all aspirant candidates to analyse the present situation and forecast for the next election.Although different governments earlier used the police to serve their own interest, this move by the ruling four-party coalition surpasses in magnitude all previous ...
(read more) Thursday, September 7th, 2006Mr Tarique Rahmn, senior joint secretary general of the BNP, has most rightly castigated the civil society initiative for organising countrywide discussions for electing honest candidates in the coming election. Since The Daily Star is part of this initiative, along with the CPD, Prothom Alo and Channel i, I think we owe Mr Rahman an unconditional apology for all the 'crimes' we have committed by demanding honest candidates in the next election with disclosure of their background, talking about the quality of present day politics, asking for electoral reforms and attempting to raise public awareness about their rights and obligations. ...
(read more) Thursday, September 7th, 2006Bangladesh is the third easiest country in which to do business in South Asia, although as a whole is lagging behind other parts of the world when it comes to reforms that could enhance business activity, says a World Bank-IFC (International Finance Corporation) report. The top ranked countries in the region are the Maldives (53) and Pakistan (74), followed by Bangladesh (88), Sri Lanka (89) and Nepal (100). India comes in at 134, Bhutan at 138 and Afghanistan at 162. Bangladesh has undertaken steps to improve its business climate and one notable reform made recently was introduction of a new land ...
(read more) Thursday, September 7th, 2006The ongoing drought has already forced the farmers of 16 northern districts to spend Tk 171.32 crore for irrigating 16.67 lakh hectares of land for Aman cultivation, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) regional offices. BPC control room officials said about 60 lakh litres of diesel worth Tk 22.20 crore was supplied to North Bengal in August this year in addition to the regular amount of fuel supply for irrigating Aman fields. BPC did not have to supply any additional quantity of diesel to that area for irrigation in the last Aman season said ...
(read more) Thursday, September 7th, 2006The Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasts six per cent GDP growth in the current fiscal year (FY), which is slightly lower than 6.7 per cent growth of the last FY. "The moderation in GDP growth would result mainly from a return to more normal growth in agriculture following the post-flood high-growth recovery of FY06," said an update of ADB's annual flagship publication Asian Development Outlook 2006 issued in April. The update released yesterday forecast economic trends in the region and identified a number of risks that could pose a threat to both fiscal and monetary stability including increase of inflation in ...
(read more) Thursday, September 7th, 2006US Ambassador to Bangladesh Patricia A Butenis yesterday urged the business community to mount pressure on the political leaderships so that they sit and resolve differences on political issues to hold an election acceptable to all. "All political parties are expected to participate in the next general election" because it is essential for the sake of democracy, Butenis said at a meeting with the leaders of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) at its office in Dhaka."I take the opportunity of promoting your efforts to arrange a dialogue between the two political parties to resolve their concerns about ...
(read more) Thursday, September 7th, 2006Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has urged people to get prepared for the next general elections to be held under a caretaker government and said the polls will be very important for continuation of democracy and development. "As per constitutional provision, a caretaker government will take over on expiry of our tenure in October and it will arrange a free and fair election," she told a public meeting at Kotchandpur Pilot High School ground yesterday.Khaleda, also the BNP chairperson, said the main opposition party does not want to participate in the elections under the caretaker government as per constitutional provision, but in ...
(read more) Thursday, September 7th, 2006The Private Infrastructure Committee (PICOM) yesterday enlisted a proposal for constructing a metro rail system in Dhaka city on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. The meeting also asked the Ministry of Communications to go ahead with the proposal for an international bidding after final approval. Principal secretary to the prime minister's office Kamal Uddin Siddiqui chaired the meeting, which also enlisted another proposal for constructing a multipurpose complex by Rajuk at Karwan Bazar near Hotel Sonargaon, according to sources. Rajuk was also asked to conduct a detailed study on the project before its kick-off.The proposal for constructing the subway in ...
(read more) Thursday, September 7th, 2006[ Update: Bangladesh SSC Result 2007 Published ] Results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations and its equivalent Alim, HSC (BM) and HSC (Vocational) examinations will be published today, a press release of the education ministry said yesterday. The examinees have been advised to collect their results from respective examination centres or institutions from 4:00pm.Results will also be available on websites- http://www.educationboard.gov.bd and http://result.bteb.gov.bd
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