Archive for December 5th, 2006
Tuesday, December 5th, 2006The council of advisers to the caretaker government yesterday decided to have the Election Commission (EC) recast and transfer secretaries of some ministries that are considered to have an important bearing on the conduct of election.In a significant breakthrough in the efforts to resolve the long-drawn-out political crisis, they have already asked the EC to rearrange the election schedule and correct the voter list so that all parties take part in the polls.The advisers said they did not take the decisions under any pressure from any quarters.BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan said they will comment on the advisers' decisions ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 5th, 2006At least three people were shot dead and 50 wounded in a fierce gunfight between BNP and Awami League (AL) men in Moheshkhali Island under Cox's Bazar district yesterday as the renewed transport blockade enforced by the 14-party combine entered the second day.The dead were identified as local leader of BNP's youth front Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal Jainal Abdein Badainna, 22, Jubo Dal leader Abdul Goni, 28, and local Jubo League (AL's youth front) leader Mozammel Hossain, 28, -- all from Kalarmarchara union in Moheshkhali upazila.Rajib Barua, a sub-inspector of Moheshkhali Police Station, was bullet-hit in the leg while three ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 5th, 2006The caretaker government yesterday announced to bring major changes in the civil administration as demanded by the Awami League-led 14-party alliance. Meanwhile, the government yesterday promoted 353 officials including 10 secretaries many of whom had been deprived of their promotion during last few years.After a hectic meeting of the Council of Advisers at Bangabhaban, Information Adviser Mahbubul Alam told reporters that the council decided to transfer seven to eight secretaries in a bid to create a condition conducive to holding a credible election.The 14-party has been demanding changing the secretary of some vital ministries, including the home and establishment, ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 5th, 2006In the wake of a proposal by the council of advisers to the caretaker government (CG), the Election Commission (EC) at an emergency meeting last night started searching for ways to correct mistakes in the updated voter list, and it will inform the CG today about possible steps to further update the electoral roll. "We discussed updating the voter list," acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Mahfuzur Rahman told reporters while leaving office at 8.45 last night.He declined to reply when asked if the EC discussed changing the election schedule announced on November 27.Sources however pointed out that ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 5th, 2006In a positive political development, the Awami League-led 14-party combine yesterday suspended the fourth round indefinite blockade programme as the council of advisers decided to implement several of its demands."We are postponing our non-stop blockade. We want to see now how the caretaker government acts in meeting our demands, as assured by advisers," Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, coming out of an emergency meeting, told the press.The bigwigs of 14-party alliance gathered in the meeting at her Dhanmondi office after the council of advisers declared to carry out some vital decisions for fair polls.Hasina, however, said her alliance would enforce ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 5th, 2006Three allies of the BNP in the four-party alliance led by it have demanded 105 parliamentary seats for their candidates in the next general election but BNP plans to offer them only 45 seats, sources said. Top leaders of the alliance will finalise the seat sharing issue after the selection of BNP candidates through interview.Meanwhile, BNP completed distribution of nomination forms yesterday, and interview of the nomination seekers will begin today at Hawa Bhaban.Nomination seekers from Sylhet and Chittagong divisions will be interviewed by the party parliamentary board headed by party Chairperson Khaleda Zia on the first day. ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 5th, 2006US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs John Gastright has urged all political parties to show a flexible approach and think with an open mind as much as possible to have a creative solution to the present political crisis over election in Bangladesh.Gastright, who came here yesterday morning on a two-day visit, made the remarks to reporters after his meeting with Finance and Planning Adviser Akbar Ali Khan at the finance ministry office.The political parties should come forward and work together "in a sprit of cooperation" for the benefit of Bangladesh, said the US government functionary, who ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 5th, 2006The pro-Awami League (AL) lawyers yesterday formed a committee to probe the vandalism on the Supreme Court (SC) premises while those loyal to the BNP kept pressing the chief justice for a suspension of the apex court's operation.The two opposing groups of lawyers held daylong demonstrations yesterday to press home their demands and no judicial work took place at the SC for the second consecutive day due to the countrywide blockade enforced by the AL-led 14-patry combine.Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum (JAF), the pro-BNP lawyers' organisation, continued demonstrations for contempt proceedings against the culprits in the November 30 vandalism which they ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 5th, 2006Despite solving the problem of 'Tasria' -- residential rental documents in Saudi Arabia -- hajj pilgrimage by intending non-ballottee pilgrims is still uncertain as Biman Bangladesh Airlines is unable to operate sufficient flights for them due to slot limitations at Jeddah airport.Even after attaining their visas, around 15,000 non-ballottee pilgrims out of 48,000 will not be able to reach Saudi Arabia as Bangladesh Biman had to cancel 15 flights on the Dhaka-Jeddah route from November 31 to December 4 due to the Tasria problem and will not operate additional hajj flights beyond its already declared schedule (November 26 to December ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 5th, 2006Experts and development activists in a conference yesterday warned of a social disaster in the coming decades if the issue of development programmes for the urban poor were not addressed. Speakers at the conference also highlighted the often-ignored incapability of the poor to use money effectively and the rich people's power to prevent pro-poor taxation policies.They were speaking on the second day of a three-day conference on: "What works for the poorest?" The conference was organised by Brac at its headquarters in Dhaka in collaboration with the Brooks World Poverty Institute and the Chronic Poverty Research Centre at the ...
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