Archive for September 12th, 2006
Tuesday, September 12th, 2006National Democratic Institute (NDI) yesterday expressed its deep concern over the widespread lack of confidence in the Election Commission (EC), specifically the chief election commissioner (CEC).It also said the new voter list that contains over 9.3 crore voters, a number that is substantially inconsistent with the 2001 census data, strains credibility.An NDI delegation, that held discussions since September 7 with the ruling and opposition political parties, EC, and civil society members on the preparation for the next election and present political situation, made its observations public at a news conference in Radisson Hotel in the capital yesterday.Leader of the Delegation ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 12th, 2006Over 10,000 police, paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel will encircle several square kilometre areas around the Prime Ministers' Office (PMO) today to thwart the Awami League (AL)-led 14-party combine's PMO siege programme. They have been ordered to go for tough action against the demonstrators, if needed.At an hour-long briefing at Rajarbagh Police Lines yesterday, the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) asked the forces to show restraint as long as possible and go tough, if necessary. He instructed them not to pounce on women activists, senior leaders and journalists, sources said.The opposition combine has ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 12th, 2006A government crackdown on one of the largest non-government organisations (NGO), Proshika, continued yesterday paralysing the organisation across the country. Two hundred branch offices of the organisation across the country were 'unofficially' closed yesterday as its 15 thousand staff are scared by the government's sudden action. Proshika staff refrained from attending offices yesterday to avoid government harassment and arrests, sources in the NGO told The Daily Star.Law enforcers arrested 17 more officials of the organisation between Sunday night and yesterday evening raising the number of arrestees to 137. The law enforcing agencies also continued to raid Proshika offices across ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 12th, 2006The National Wage Board is likely to announce today a minimum wage for the workers in the export-oriented garment sector with a gross salary of around Tk 2,000 for the entry-level employees. The announcement may invite strong protest from both the garment owners and workers, as it is a bit higher than what the factory owners had agreed and much below than the workers' demand for Tk 3,000 as the monthly salary.The board so far held 23 meetings after it was formed on 31 May but it could not reach any consensus in the face of strong opposition from ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 12th, 2006A Dhaka court yesterday adjourned the delivery of verdict on a graft case against Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad due to power failure in the court. The graft case was filed against Ershad in connection with the allotment of plots to 49 people when he was president. This is the second time the verdict delivery has been adjourned.Judge SM Mojibur Rahman of the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court fixed September 17 for the delivery of verdict.The judge took his seat around 11:00am yesterday and started delivering the judgement in presence of deposed president Ershad. But suddenly a ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 12th, 2006A low over West Bengal in India triggered heavy rains across the country yesterday, marking the season's highest rainfall in the capital where life and trade were severely disrupted on the late monsoon day.Rainwater flooded different low-lying areas and roads in the city, causing immense sufferings to the commuters. Huge traffic snarl-ups in the rush hours only added to their miseries.The rain continued throughout the day with little respites. The Met Office said there might be a further increase in rainfall in the next five days and a little change in the weather over the next two days.Weather experts fear ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 12th, 2006Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman yesterday said the next caretaker government will be able to take decision for off-loading shares of three nationalised commercial banks (NCBs) in the process of privatising those."I am confident that the interim government will be formed with learned people at the end of our tenure, and they will take the decision," Saifur told reporters after a meeting with a visiting IMF mission.Asked about the caretaker government's jurisdiction to take such a 'policy decision', the finance minister said, "This is not a complicated issue and proposal is ready. The interim government will be able to ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 12th, 2006A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against 11 Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders and activists arrested for preventing participants from bidding in a tender at the Construction Maintenance Management Unit (CMMU) of the health ministry on July 30.The court also rejected bail petitions of nine arrestees submitted by their lawyers on August 23 saying that they were arrested on the spot red-handed.The accused are Imtiazur Rahman Prokash, Sahabur Rahman, Humayun Kabir, Mafizur Rahman, F Kabir Khan Shilpi, Sajjad Hossain Robin, Shariful Islam Sabuj, Majedul Islam, Abu Bakar Siddiqui, Asaduzzaman Asad and AKM Azad Swadhin (obtained bail from the High ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 12th, 2006Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase (CCPP) yesterday approved an increased premium for import of petroleum products from Kuwait.After the approval, the premium rate will increase by 60 cents per barrel and the government will pay $ 5.45 instead of earlier $ 4.85 per barrel as premium for the import of diesel.The CCPP gave the approval at its meeting presided over by Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman.According to sources in the energy ministry, the government will have to pay an additional amount of Tk 18 crore for the increased premium for import of diesel during July-December this ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 12th, 2006The main opposition Awami League (AL) staged a walk out from the parliament last night, protesting Speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar's 'discriminatory attitude'.Taking the floor on point of order, AL lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman, elected from Phulbari constituency, accused Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain of signing the open-pit coalmine treaty with Asia Energy Corporation during the regime of previous BNP government.Dr Mosharraf, on the other hand, claimed that the treaty was signed during the AL regime.The Speaker expunged from the records the statement of the AL lawmaker involving the name of Dr Mosharraf. The opposition lawmakers, who ...
(read more) 
