Bangladesh News

City bursts into violence to protest power cuts

Friday, September 29th, 2006 Thousands of people infuriated by severe power crisis set fire to power distribution offices in some parts of the capital, including the Desco headquarters at Mirpur, and elsewhere in the country, and staged demonstrations yesterday. Pitched battles between the demonstrators and police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) left around 100 injured across the country. The demonstrators burnt and vandalised vehicles on the streets in the capital, including a Rab pick-up van at Keraniganj, and window panes of wayside commercial buildings and garment factories. Witnesses said the police fired several blank shots in a bid to restore law and order in Mirpur area but ... (read more)

Reform: AL ready to compromise, not on Hasan, Aziz

Friday, September 29th, 2006 In the event of talks, the opposition might compromise on some of its reform proposals but not on its objections to Justice KM Hasan as the caretaker government chief and MA Aziz as the chief election commissioner (CEC). "We might consider compromising on some proposals for electoral reforms. But we will never allow Justice KM Hasan to be the chief adviser and Justice MA Aziz to continue as the CEC, and at the same time, the other election commissioners too will have to be changed," Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil told The Daily Star at his Mercantile Bank office ... (read more)

Bangla Bhai ready to appeal today

Friday, September 29th, 2006 Despite repeated refusals to accept the 'worldly courts' during trial, yet another top militant yesterday filed an application seeking permission to appeal in the Supreme Court while Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai will file a similar petition today. "On receiving a jail appeal from Khaled Saifullah, we have sent a letter to the home ministry and its copies to the jail authorities asking to stay execution of his death sentence," Fazlul Karim, registrar of the Supreme Court, told The Daily Star. While Rafiqul Islam, elder brother of militant kingpin Bangla Bhai, yesterday submitted necessary papers to the sub-jail authorities in Mirpur ... (read more)

Chaotic scenario in power sector

Friday, September 29th, 2006 A chaotic scenario prevails in the country's power generation sector as 20 power units have remained shut and the Power Development Board (PDB) can't say exactly when eight of these could resume operation. These units with about 1,500 MW power generation capacity have been shut down either for maintenance or technical glitches. Meanwhile, a 2,000 MW plus load-shedding level has sparked mass protests in different areas of the country. In one instance of lack of coordination, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has blocked release of some imported maintenance equipment for Meghnaghat 450 MW power plant for the last five or six ... (read more)

Powerful lobby bringing Chinese firms for digital phone exchange

Friday, September 29th, 2006 The Economic Relations Division (ERD) yesterday signed a massive 211-million-dollar "buyer's credit" agreement with China for a digital telecom exchange project under Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB). Sources said the "buyer's credit" is nothing but a supplier's credit--a mode of financing restricted in the government policy and discouraged by the World Bank. According to economists, up to 40 per cent of such opaque credit goes to individuals' pockets. A top political lobby close to the prime minister's family has been pushing the deal that seeks to limit procurement of digital telecom exchange equipment exclusively within Chinese companies. A source pointed out that ... (read more)

Chair rejects talks in JS on power crisis

Friday, September 29th, 2006 The main opposition Awami League (AL) yesterday staged a walkout from parliament for two minutes as the deputy speaker rejected its request to hold a discussion on severe power crisis and people's movement for uninterrupted power supply across the country after adjourning the normal business. The House unexpectedly saw the ministers or any lawmakers from the BNP-led ruling coalition refrain from making any comment or responding to the opposition on power crisis and the movement for an end to it in different areas of the capital as well as several districts across the country. Terming the opposition contention on people's movement for ... (read more)

Reform proposals pretext for creating constitutional crisis

Friday, September 29th, 2006 Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday termed the opposition's electoral reform proposals a new pretext for creating constitutional crisis and asked her opponents why they did not reform the caretaker system while in power for five years. "It will be futile to raise the slogan for reforms...Elections must be held and none has the right to disrupt or stop it," she told a public meeting at Merchant Academy ground here. Khaleda, also the chairperson of the ruling BNP, accused the opposition of trying to create constitutional crisis through chaos and indiscipline and push the country backward. "We have restored parliamentary democracy and it ... (read more)

Durga Puja begins

Friday, September 29th, 2006 Hindu devotees are all set to invoke goddess Durga, daughter of the majestic Himalayas, with the Mahasaptami puja at some 19,000 puja mandaps across the country today. Mahasaptami, an important day of Durga Puja, celebrates the goddess's victory over Mahishashur, the demon, symbolising the victory of good over evil. Devotees recite hymns and offer flowers on this day seeking blessings of Durgatinashini Durga, the saviour from all evils. Following the lunar schedule, Mahasaptami puja.will have to begin within 8:22am today. Devotees attended the mandaps yesterday to receive Durga and her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh, who the Hindus believe ... (read more)

3 units collapse spelling darkness in north

Friday, September 29th, 2006 Three power units with a total capacity of 171 megawatts at Baghabari river-port station collapsed suddenly last night, throwing 16 northern districts into darkness. The collapse of the power stations--a 100-MW one of Power Development Board, 45-MW of Westmont and a 26-MW barge-mounted plant--occurred at a time when people in different districts have turned violent demanding power supply. Sources said the power plants of PDB and Westmont tripped at 4:37pm while the barge-mounted plant at about 7:30pm, aggravating the overall power shortages in the country. Local power officials could not say for sure when power production would resume again at the units. Power generation ... (read more)

Govt delaying reforms in fear of polls defeat

Friday, September 29th, 2006 Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday alleged that the BNP-Jamaat four-party coalition government is making delay in carrying out the proposed electoral reforms fearing defeat in the upcoming polls. The Awami League (AL) chief also accused the prime minister, her family and cabinet ministers, lawmakers and party leaders of plundering public money in thousands of crore taka during the present regime, adding that they have been 'hatching a conspiracy' to come back to power at any cost. "And for this the prime minister neither wants dialogue nor is interested in carrying out the reforms," Hasina said asserting that reforms must ... (read more)