Archive for November 23rd, 2006
Thursday, November 23rd, 2006Download President and Chief Advisor Iajuddin Ahmed's speech to the nation - Nov 22, 2006: [ Download ]
(read more) Thursday, November 23rd, 2006Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz yesterday informed the president verbally that he will take a three-month leave of absence in response to the presidential initiative to resolve the political deadlock centring the popular demand for reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC). Even President/ Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed in his midnight address to the nation did not mention from when Aziz will go on leave.The CEC chief has also set a condition that he will stay in the country under full security protection from the government, Iajuddin revealed in his address.Ending a three-day long suspense, an emergency meeting of the ...
(read more) Thursday, November 23rd, 2006With added sufferings due to the non-stop road-rail-waterways blockade programme by the Awami league (AL)-led 14-party combine, people yesterday streamed onto the streets of the capital.Normal life and business, however, remained largely halted yesterday, the third day of the third-phase blockade enforced by the 14-party to press home their demand of Election Commission reconstitution.An attack on Jatiya Party men by Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at Bijoynagar left at least 22 injured, and a bus helper died after he fell from his bus that was chased by blockaders in Mirpur yesterday.No other incident of violence was reported from ...
(read more) Thursday, November 23rd, 2006President and Chief Adviser to caretaker government Iajuddin Ahmed announced late last night that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz agreed to go on a leave for three months to stay aloof from the election process."This should end the political standoff," Iajuddin said in an address to the nation over radio and television network.The president said he has decided to appoint two more election commissioners under article 118(1) of the constitution."I believe the initiative taken by the government to resolve the political unrest has been successful," he said, adding that there is no alternative for the political parties and the ...
(read more) Thursday, November 23rd, 2006The Awami League-led 14-party alliance will not accept any reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) by keeping the three "controversial" election commissioners and making one of them the acting chief election commissioner (CEC)."We will not accept any reconstitution of the EC if the most controversial election commissioner, SM Zakaria, and his two colleagues are not removed," Obaidul Quader, Awami League (AL) joint general secretary, told The Daily Star last night.He said the 14-party alliance will not even accept any of the three "controversial" election commissioners being made the acting CEC.The AL-led alliance also demanded removal of the EC secretary, EC ...
(read more) Thursday, November 23rd, 2006 Unidentified criminals mercilessly beat up the senior correspondent of The Daily Star in Bogra, Hasibur Rahman Bilu, and damaged his motorcycle yesterday allegedly for "reporting against the BNP." "Will you write again against the BNP?" said one of the attackers while beating Bilu.Bilu has been undergoing treatment at Mohammadia Hospital in Bogra with severe pain in both his lower legs and on the back.Journalists in Bogra staged a rally at the Bogra Press Club at 2:30pm protesting the attack and demanding immediate arrest and punishment to the persons responsible for it.Witnesses said six-seven youths with bamboo sticks in their hands swooped ...
(read more) Thursday, November 23rd, 2006BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday urged the caretaker government to immediately announce the election schedule and create a congenial atmosphere for holding the next parliamentary polls in due time."The constitutional process has to be protected," she said, and highlighted the significance of the coming polls for the nation.The immediate past prime minister made the demand while exchanging views with the agriculturists at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.The BNP chief termed the upcoming general election very important for the country, explaining that country's progress, advancement, independence, sovereignty and religious values would depend on this election.She urged the agriculturists to work for ...
(read more) Thursday, November 23rd, 2006The BNP-led four-party alliance yesterday reiterated its demand for immediate announcement of the schedule for next election, and declared that it would continue its demonstrations across the country until the demand is met.The alliance will submit a memorandum to the Election Commission EC) today at 11:00am to press home its demand."Announce the election schedule without delay and take appropriate measures for holding election," BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan urged the caretaker government (CG) and the EC at a rally held at Muktangon in the capital."We will continue our demonstrations in each thana, district and divisional headquarters until the ...
(read more) Thursday, November 23rd, 2006Coordinator of the 14-party alliance Abdul Jalil last night asked the president and chief adviser of the caretaker government to remove Election Commissioner SM Zakaria and other controversial commissioners from the Election Commission (EC) for the sake of a neutral election.He also demanded that the president should appoint neutral persons to the EC. No controversial person will be acceptable, he told reporters after meeting President Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban.Jalil, however, refrained from announcing any decision about withdrawing the countrywide blockade before listening to the president's address to the nation, which was scheduled to begin at 11:30 last night."We'll take decision ...
(read more) Thursday, November 23rd, 2006Hundreds of people in a festive mood gathered round the Mirpur10 roundabout. If you, for any reason, happen to miss the banners dangling from the foot over bridge at the roundabout, you would surely consider this a festival. But in fact, this seemingly cultural event is organised as part of the ongoing campaign to create public opinion against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz. As they say, every cloud has a silver lining. The eerie calm over the uncertainty of chief election commissioner's stepping down started to dissolve as soon as adviser Mahbubul Alam saw 'light at the end ...
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