Archive for December 13th, 2006
Wednesday, December 13th, 2006President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday swore in new advisers to his cabinet, less than a day after the resignation of four advisers, but failed to take any steps to resolve the crisis that caused the advisers to quit.Maj Gen (retd) Ruhul Alam Chowdhury, Prof M Moinuddin Khan and Shafiqual Haque Choudhury took their oath of office in the afternoon while Dr Shoeb Ahmed was sworn in at night.Their appointment came following the resignation of Dr Akbar Ali Khan, Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, CM Shafi Sami and Sultana Kamal, who left the caretaker government complaining of the president's unilateral actions.The ...
(read more) Wednesday, December 13th, 2006Most of the top level policy makers of Awami League (AL) yesterday took a strong stance against participating in the upcoming parliamentary election under the caretaker government (CG) led by Iajuddin Ahmed, while a small group of leaders wanted to negotiate further for finding out a solution to the electoral crisis.The minority group wants to negotiate sending of Election Commissioners SM Zakaria and Modabbir Hossain on leaves of absence to pave their way to the election, which they are ready to consider as a victory.But the majority of policy makers feel that sending only the two controversial commissioners on leaves ...
(read more) Wednesday, December 13th, 2006Several thousand members of the minority communities in Dinajpur town who were not included in the updated voter list may not be enrolled this time also due to acute shortage of voter registration forms. Besides, the names of many under aged students of a madrasa in the capital's Mohammadpur area, registered as voters earlier, were not deleted from the list till yesterday while correction of it ends on Friday.Filed level Election Commission (EC) staffs continue to show negligence to list people who were not enrolled earlier. Severe shortage of voter registration forms is one of the main reasons for this.These ...
(read more) Wednesday, December 13th, 2006Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday made 27 electoral pledges including controlling price hikes, solving the crisis of power supply, curbing corruption and militancy, and separation of the judiciary from the executive branch of the government. "We would like to constitute a government that will push Bangladesh forward on the path of good governance. If we are voted to power, we will bring the price level within the people's reach and will keep it in check, we will set up a price regulatory authority to monitor the market," said the AL chief while addressing a monthly luncheon meeting of ...
(read more) Wednesday, December 13th, 2006BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan yesterday dismissed the perception that election would not be credible if any party boycotts the election. Bhuiyan, however, urged all political parties to join the election process while speaking at a press briefing at Hawa Bhaban last evening. "Although we want an election with the participation of all parties, the election process cannot be stopped only because a party is unwilling to join the election."He also said, "I will request the president to hold discussion with them (Awami League-led 14-party alliance) and bring them in election."The BNP secretary general ruled out the 14-party ...
(read more) Wednesday, December 13th, 2006Leaders of the Awami League (AL) led 14-party coalition yesterday said they will seek to resist what they said was President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed's plan to hold a stage- managed election.Addressing a rally at the city's Muktangan, they said resignation of the four advisers portends that it will not be possible to hold a free and fair election if the president continues as the chief of the caretaker government.The leaders threatened to go for even tougher agitation programmes with one-point demand for Iajuddin to stand down as the chief adviser if the 'package of proposals' drawn up by ...
(read more) Wednesday, December 13th, 2006Housing and Public Works Adviser Dhiraj Kumar Nath yesterday said the president refused to make a written request to the four advisers who resigned asking them to return to the caretaker government."I went to the residences of the four advisers with the president's message for their return, but they wanted a letter from the president," Dhiraj told reporters at his office.But President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed refused to send any letter of request, arguing that he had already talked to the advisers over the telephone, Dhiraj said.Dhiraj said the new advisers have already taken oaths and the advisory council ...
(read more) Wednesday, December 13th, 2006The Election Commission (EC) may give a few more days' time for correcting the updated voter roll if needed. "The time for correcting the voter list might be extended if necessary," EC Secretary Abdur Rashid Sarker said yesterday. He was talking to the reporters after a meeting with a three-member Awami League (AL) delegation at his office.Led by MA Mannan, the AL team talked about the follow-ups of their demands and suggestions placed to the EC secretary on December 10 regarding amendments to the updated voter list, when they also handed over a letter of the AL general secretary to ...
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