Archive for October 11th, 2006
Wednesday, October 11th, 2006Thousands of garment workers staged violent demonstrations in Dhaka and Gazipur yesterday, barricading major thoroughfares in Mirpur and Uttara for around four hours and vandalising around 100 apparel-manufacturing units and looting shopping complexes.Law-enforcers were very late to show up in the site of destruction, allowing the workers to run amok practically without any resistance. When a few policemen arrived at last, the demonstrators locked in fierce clashes with them at Azampur in Uttara and Shewrapara in Mirpur, leaving over 100 people including 15 policemen injured.They beat up the officer-in-charge (OC) of Uttara Police Station and snatched his pistol and walkie-talkie. ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina yesterday described the BNP-led alliance's five years' rule as a "dark episode" and outlined her party's election pledges that include ensuring good governance, bringing prices of essentials within people's buying capacity, reducing power crisis, and curbing militancy and criminal activities.Addressing a gathering of eminent personalities at a hotel in the capital, the opposition leader in parliament also promised to ensure separation of the judiciary in a short time, hold elections to zila and upazila parishads in a year, and direct election to women's reserved seats in parliament, if voted to power."The countrymen have passed ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006The fourth day of the dialogue on electoral reforms between ruling BNP and main opposition Awami League (AL) yesterday reportedly reached "very close" to consensus on many points, which now need to be discussed within the two parties and their alliances for taking decisions.But BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil did not say on which issues they have come "closer".At a joint press conference after their 50-minute discussion at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the two leaders expressed hopes to reach a consensus on the disputes over the chief of the next caretaker government and ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006An influential business lobby is trying to convince the government to cancel the tender for the 240 megawatt peaking power project in Siddhirganj, which may be awarded to Indian power company Bhel, instead of the blacklisted Chinese company Harbin.Sources said this lobby has approached the parliamentary standing committee on power and energy with the argument that Bhel's bid offer is Tk 100 crore higher than that of Harbin.But in reality, Harbin's tricky but invalid offer is costlier than Bhel's offer by at least Tk 7 crore.The parliamentary committee has convened a meeting today asking the authorities concerned to ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006Legal experts and civil society members at a roundtable yesterday expressed concern over the Election Commission's (EC) inaction in the face of repeated violations of electoral laws by the prospective candidates in the upcoming general election.Failure to punish the violators has long been encouraging the use of black money in the elections, making it tough for honest people to take part in the national politics, they observed.They said there should be exclusive tribunals for quick disposal of cases regarding election anomalies and new laws making it obligatory to reject the candidature in case of a breach of electoral laws.Shushashoner ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006The controversial amendment to the constitution on extension of retirement age of the Supreme Court judges was put forward by the then chief justice Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury, Law Minister Moudud Ahmad said yesterday while claiming his ministry's 'successes' in framing 185 laws in the last five years of the alliance government's tenure.Refusing to term the Joint Drive Indemnity Act, 2003 a black law, Moudud also claimed progress in separating the judiciary despite the government's failure to implement this election pledge as also many other polls pledges."Chief Justice (then) Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury, representative of the stakeholders, submitted the application seeking extension ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006Contrary to the law minister's claims, facts show that the government had shelved Justice Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury's proposal for retirement age extension till a certain point, making KM Hasan eligible to head the next caretaker government. Had former chief justice Mahmudul's proposal been implemented before his retirement, he would have been the natural choice for the post of chief adviser of the caretaker government while KM Hasan would still have been in service.Mahmudul put forward a proposal for increasing the retirement age by three years on March 6, 2002 and retired on June 18 the same year. If his ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006Resentment among the employees of the Rural Electrification Board (REB) continues to deepen over contractual appointments to the top-level posts once again, sources said.The government on Thursday appointed a retired officer as the member of finance in the REB, though this same post was filled just two months back under appropriate rules and regulations.The newly appointed Member of Finance Latifur Rahman retired as the Controller of Accounts and Finances of the REB about 18 months back and completed his Leave Preparatory Retirement (LPR) period and drew all retirement benefits.His appointment has already created a commotion in the REB as ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) yesterday threatened to close down their factories for an indefinite period if the government failed to punish the people responsible for ransacking different factories in the capital yesterday within 48 hours.BGMEA President SM Fazlul Hoque gave the ultimatum at a hurriedly called press conference at the association's office yesterday evening after workers rampaged through around 100 factories in Dhaka and Gazipur.He also demanded immediate deployment of law enforcement agencies including Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Bangladesh Rifles and if necessary, the army, to bring the situation under control.Hoque also named four persons -- Mosharaff ...
(read more) Wednesday, October 11th, 2006On the eve of handing over power to a caretaker government after five years of the coalition rule, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has now become busy with inaugurating a number of development projects in different districts. Yesterday, the prime minister inaugurated as many as ten institutions and buildings during her daylong tour of Rangpur and Dinajpur districts.The institutions include a new education board, heart foundation, kidney institute, women's vocational training centre and sports training centre.Meanwhile, the prime minister is expected to visit three districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) --Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban --today and open a number of ...
(read more) 
