Archive for September 17th, 2006
Sunday, September 17th, 2006The ruling BNP and main opposition Awami League (AL) are at loggerheads over a 'formal proposal' for a secretary level dialogue between the rival parties on the political impasse centring reforms in the system of caretaker government and the Election Commission (EC).Questioning the sincerity of the prime minister's offer of a dialogue, top opposition leaders yesterday said they will consider it only after getting a written proposal while the ruling party leaders declined to send any written offer.Under the circumstances, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday apparently returned to her previous hard line and declared that the next election will be ...
(read more) Sunday, September 17th, 2006Two people were shot dead and at least 20 others injured as Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) men fired on the villagers protesting against the paramilitary force who were reportedly helping out smugglers at bordering Noakot in Sunamganj district yesterday. The BDR officials, however, claimed that a patrol was forced to open fire as both the smugglers and the locals swooped on them to snatch a consignment of bootleg bidi from across the border.Six BDR men were also injured in the clash with the villagers, they said adding that the villagers snatched two firearms and ammunition from the border guards.Later, a ...
(read more) Sunday, September 17th, 2006Following a collapse of the international standard ship security alert system in Chittagong and Mongla ports since Thursday afternoon, the ships failing to get information about the security situation there are maintaining high alert although the two ports now maintain the highest security level one.Ships generally contact the security alert system for getting information about the security level in a port while there are three internationally recognised security levels in the ports, sources said.In case of security level one, the ships call in a port without any hesitation, if it is two the ships take extra security measures before calling ...
(read more) Sunday, September 17th, 2006Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's offer of a dialogue with the opposition is nothing but doublespeak.The prime minister, who is also the chairperson of the ruling BNP, is actually neither interested in reforming the system of caretaker government and the Election Commission nor is she interested in holding the offered general secretary level dialogue, Hasina said."In the face of opposition coalition's preparation for an all out movement to force the government to accept the proposed electoral reforms, she [PM] hinted at the possibility of a general secretary level meeting," Hasina, who is also ...
(read more) Sunday, September 17th, 2006Pope Benedict told Muslims on Saturday he was sorry they had found his speech on Islam offensive, expressing his respect for their faith and hoping they would understand the "true sense" of his words. "The Holy Father is very sorry that some passages of his speech may have sounded offensive to the sensibilities of Muslim believers," Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said in a statement.The statement came amid mounting anger from Muslims over remarks by the Pope in a speech in his native Germany on Tuesday that was seen as critical of their faith. Calls for him to ...
(read more) Sunday, September 17th, 2006After deferring twice earlier, a Dhaka court is likely to deliver today the verdict on the graft case against the deposed president and Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad.The case was filed against Ershad in connection with the allotment of plots to 49 people including the then five ministers, while he was in power.Judge SM Mojibur Rahman of the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court will deliver the verdict at 11:00am, court sources said.The delivery of the verdict was adjourned on its earlier scheduled dates of August 27, as the court could not complete preparing the judgement and on September ...
(read more) Sunday, September 17th, 2006Leading economists think that the proposed minimum wage of Tk 1,604 a month for the entry-level workers in the first year is lower but Tk 2,117 in the third year should be acceptable.The government will need to take concrete measures, including improving efficiency at the port, ensuring power supply and reducing corruption, in cutting the cost of doing business so that entrepreneurs can survive, they recommended.They observed that the readymade garment sector will face new challenges in the global market once quota on Chinese exports to the European Union and USA is phased out after 2008. The capacity to withstand ...
(read more) Sunday, September 17th, 2006The visiting European Union (EU) Election Observation Exploratory Mission yesterday held two separate meetings with officials of the district election office and local journalists. The EU team, which arrived in Khulna Friday evening, also met with local political leaders and members of parliament.Headed by Andrew Bruce, the delegation members discussed with the election officials voter list updating, process of appointing polling agents, arrangements for maintaining law and order on the election day and role of officials conducting the election.The mission came to Khulna press club at about noon and wanted to know from local journalists if there would be ...
(read more) Sunday, September 17th, 2006World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz has again stressed the need for raising fuel oil prices in Bangladesh, with a subsidy provision for the poor, as a means of making its economy sustainable."The economy is not sustainable... some adjustment is needed," he told a courtesy meeting Friday evening in Singapore with a select group of journalists from developing countries who gathered there to cover the IMF-World Bank annual meetings of the Boards of Governors on September 19-20."Indonesia adjusted the [oil] prices despite political crisis," Wolfowitz said replying to a question, apparently with an oblique reference to concern of possible political unrest ...
(read more) Sunday, September 17th, 2006Political parties should pledge in their manifestos that the coming general election would be the last one under a caretaker government, and polls in future will be held under elected governments. This was suggested by Shushanoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a citizens forum for political reforms and good governance, at its first national convention in the city yesterday."Caretaker government should not be a permanent system. It has been created due to the mistrust among political parties but it cannot be a good practice for democracy," said Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, secretary of the forum.Shujan put forward a set of recommendations for ...
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