Archive for November 16th, 2006
Thursday, November 16th, 2006The Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday postponed its ongoing countrywide blockade up to Sunday and asked the chief adviser again to meet its demands, including reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) and removal of the chief election commissioner (CEC), by this time.The blockade will resume on Monday if the alliance's 11-point demand is not met within Sunday, Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina warned President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed."We are giving the president and chief adviser time until Sunday evening to realise our demands. If he fails to prove his neutrality and does not meet the people's demands by ...
(read more) Thursday, November 16th, 2006The fourth day of the blockade yesterday, enforced by Awami League-led 14-party coalition, was marked by sporadic clashes in different districts across the country while the capital remained peaceful.More than 100 activists of rival 14-party and 4-party alliances were reported injured in the clashes in Sylhet, Khagrachhari, Rajshahi and elsewhere in the country, while 50 vehicles were burnt and vandalised during the blockade.Like on Tuesday, trading was on yesterday too in Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges on small scale, and a little activity was noticed inside the Chittagong port.The capital remained cut off from the rest of the country and ...
(read more) Thursday, November 16th, 2006All eyes are now fixed on the president and chief adviser of the caretaker government as the advisers are expecting directions from him to decide the future course to resolve the ongoing political crisis. Wrapping up a three-day dialogue between the major political parties and the caretaker government, the four advisers who on behalf of the council of advisers opened the talks, yesterday met President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed and apprised him of the outcome of the talks.The advisers have also continued negotiation with the major political parties 'behind the scene' to reach a consensus, sources said."We ...
(read more) Thursday, November 16th, 2006Full operations of Chittagong Port resumed last night following postponement of the 14-party's countrywide blockade programme. Delivery of goods from the port and other activities started in full swing, reports received in Dhaka said.All activities at the country's premier seaport remained suspended for two days-- Sunday and Monday -- due to the blockade, and partial operations resumed Tuesday morning.Although limited activities at the port continued till yesterday evening, delivery of goods remained suspended till then, leaving around 60 vessels waiting at the outer anchorage, according to sources.Of the vessels, 16 are container carriers and the rest are general ...
(read more) Thursday, November 16th, 2006Security was beefed up at the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat and in adjoining areas yesterday following intelligence information of 'possible attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) due to his rigid stance on not stepping down.' Several hundred additional law enforcers, uniformed and plainclothes, were deployed on the EC secretariat premises after the intelligence report about an organised threat to the security of the CEC and the three other election commissioners, sources in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said.Security of the residences of the CEC and the election commissioners was also tightened.In the morning, DMP Commissioner ABM Bazlur Rahman ...
(read more) Thursday, November 16th, 2006The BNP-led four-party alliance yesterday decided to continue its counter programmes across the country protesting ' killings, anarchy, terrorism and vandalism' by the 14-party combine. The alliance extended its sit-in programme at divisional headquarters and rallies at district towns also for today.BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in a statement yesterday called upon city, district and upazila-level liaison committees of the four-party coalition to make the programmes a success in their respective areas.Meanwhile, the four- party held rallies and brought out processions in different areas of the capital yesterday as part of its counter programmes. Leaders of the BNP ...
(read more) Thursday, November 16th, 2006The Election Commission (EC) Secretariat yesterday claimed that none of the election commissioners is willing to resign now while the three election commissioners, who earlier told reporters of their unwillingness to continue their job, remained silent."They [election commissioners] do not have the attitude to resign from the posts. I talked to them," Secretary to the EC Secretariat Abdur Rashid Sarkar told reporters in his office yesterday.Directed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz, the EC secretariat in a press release yesterday termed 'baseless' the report run by a section of newspapers and electronic media that the election commissioners and ...
(read more) Thursday, November 16th, 2006Juktofront leaders yesterday unequivocally demanded immediate removal of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and the three other election commissioners, while Jatiya Party (Manju) said if the removal is necessary for ensuring participation of all political parties in the election, the caretaker government (CG) should decide accordingly.On the third day of bilateral dialogues between a four-member delegation of the council of advisers to the CG and different political parties yesterday, Juktofront and Jatiya Party informed the committee about their stances on the matter during separate meetings held in the state guesthouse Padma.The ledaers of Juktofront, a political platform comprising Unity for ...
(read more) Thursday, November 16th, 2006Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association yesterday hailed the 14-party combine for postponing its nonstop blockade programme until Sunday."We definitely appreciate the decision... It's a good decision, it's good for the country and the economy," FBCCI President Mir Nasir told the UNB over phone.Nasir along with some other business leaders called on Awami League President Sheikh Hasina at her residence on Tuesday night and requested her to avoid any programme that ultimately affects the economy."We're very happy as she has honoured our request postponing the blockade programme for the next ...
(read more) Thursday, November 16th, 2006Four robbers were killed during a gunfight with police while two others lynched by locals in Raozan upazila of the district early yesterday.The dead were identified as Azad, 27, Absar, 27, Khokan Barua, 26, Afsar, 24, Salahuddin, 27, and Alamgir, 25. All the six hailed from kadalpur in Raozan.Police recovered two light guns, two pipe guns, seven cartridges, one camera, two mobile phone sets and three torchlights from the spot.Sources said a contingent of 40 cops, led by the officer-in-charge (OC) of Raozan Police Station, took position in Bibirchhara area near Shamshernagar at midnight Tuesday on information that a gang ...
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