Archive for October 16th, 2006
Monday, October 16th, 2006The public works and housing ministry in last minute deals has embarked on authorising leading real estate developers to fill up thousands of acres of flood flow zones, wetlands, retention ponds and natural canals in and around the capital, setting up stage for an environmental disaster. Minister for Public Works and Housing Mirza Abbas however ruled out 'any dubious deals' in approving at least nine 'unauthorised' private housing development projects, which had been officially accused of flouting laws of the land.Rajuk earlier filed cases against the developers of all these projects, accusing them of violating the wetland protection act ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006Main opposition Awami League (AL) will seek ruling BNP's final view on Justice KM Hasan, the probable chief of the next caretaker government, as the ongoing talks between the two parties resume today after five days."The government has remained stuck to keeping KM Hasan as the chief adviser to the caretaker government. The nation will get relief if they [government] move back from their KM Hasan-stance," AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told reporters at the Zia International Airport on his arrival from Singapore last night.Jalil, also coordinator of the AL-led 14-party opposition alliance, said their agenda for discussion in today's ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof Muhammad Yunus was all ecstatic and full of emotion as he visited his birthplace Chittagong and Jobra village, now a familiar name across the globe, yesterday.The whole Port City--from Engineers Institute to the economics department at Chittagong University to Jobra village where Prof Yunus' revolutionary concept of microcredit kicked off--was vibrant with people from all strata heartily greeting the Nobel laureate.The scene was extraordinary in Jobra village in the afternoon as a few of the first borrowers of Grameen Bank loans thronged the Nabajug Tebhaga Khamar premises and accorded a hearty reception to the lone ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006In an apparent move to lift an earlier ban, Malaysia has started issuing calling visas for Bangladeshi workers, clearing the way for some 22,000 Bangladeshi workers who had received approval for jobs in that country."Our agencies received about 800 calling visas in three days. We hope to get the visas for the rest of the workers with approval for jobs in Malaysia," Ali Haider Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) said yesterday.Agencies will soon start sending workers to Malaysia, he said.Calling visa is the final document for entry into that country.On October 4, Malaysian authorities ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006The government and the World Bank (WB) yesterday signed Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) Grant Agreement, a way of channelling US$460 million for Bangladesh Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Program (HNPSP).Department of International Development Fund (DFID) of UK, European Commission (EC), Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) pooled their grant finances administered by WB. The WB will give credit of another US$300 million for HNPSP, while Germany also pledged to pool financing for the programme.HNPSP, a US$4.3 billion programme (2003-2010), was designed to modernise the country's health sector ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006More messages greeting Prof Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank for winning the Nobel Peace Prize reached yesterday.Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store and International Development Minister Erik Solheim have congratulated Prof Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank."I extend my congratulation to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank of Bangladesh who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2006", said Stoltenberg in a message.The Norwegian prime minister said for 30 years they have granted loans to the poor and in particular to women, making it possible for them to start new enterprises and work their way out ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus will be accorded a mass reception at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city today.Nagarik Samaj will organise the reception programme at 1:00pm where former president Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed will be present, family sources said.Economists, bankers, politicians, civil society leaders, journalists, businessmen, students, union parishad chairmen, microcredit recipients, and people from all walks of life will attend the ceremony to greet the first ever Nobel laureate of the country.Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud and Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman will conduct the mass greeting.People have been requested not to carry bags to the programme for the sake of ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006The cabinet's purchase committee yesterday approved three costly skid and barge-mount power projects -- all proposed by alliance government's close business ally Hosaf group and CMC, its Chinese partner of Barapukuria coalmine and power projects.The Hosaf-CMC consortium proposed power rental to the government from 20-megawatt (MW) skid-mount power plant in Barabkundu, Chittagong, 20MW skid-mount plant in Feni, Noakhali and 50MW barge-mount plant in Baghabari, Sirajganj.This clearance will now follow signing of a power rental agreement between Hosaf-CMC and the power authorities concerned.Sources said the plants will use gas to generate power and the tariff will be Tk 2.66 ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006The government yesterday promoted 332 senior assistant secretaries to the post of deputy secretary even though there are no vacant positions for them in the administration.The BNP-led alliance government, during the last few years, placed over 300 deputy secretaries as officer on special duty (OSD) on political grounds.Prime Minister Khaleda Zia approved the new promotion list on Saturday night before her departure to Saudi Arabia. She, however, made slight changes in the list and the establishment ministry issued the circular yesterday.Many officers, who were not promoted timely and other officers eligible for promotion, were fearing that they would ...
(read more) Monday, October 16th, 2006Two gangsters belonging to an organised group of violent criminals -- the Hamidul-Rashidul group -- were killed in a 'shootout' between police and the gang at Milpara area early yesterday.The dead were identified as Majid, 35, son of Shamsuddin of Berkalua in Kumarkhali upazila and Piplu, 32, son of Abu Bakar of Milpara area in Kushtia.According to police, the Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested Majid and Piplu from Milpara area on Saturday after a gunfight with the Hamidul-Rashidul group.A team of DB raided the Milpara area at around 2:50pm after a tipped off where the kingpin of the gang ...
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