Archive for March 1st, 2007
Thursday, March 1st, 2007Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday seized a luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) owned by Harris Chowdhury, former political secretary to immediate past prime minister Khaleda Zia, and arrested his two brothers-in-law along with the driver of the car.Earlier on Sunday, Joint forces seized an ultra luxury Range Rover imported by former state minister for communications Salahuddin Ahmed from Pacific Centre at Mohakhali in the city -- former foreign minister Morshed Khan's business enterprise.The Range Rover was being used without registration. The Range Rover -- currently one of the most expensive SUVs on the market at a retail price of ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday sent a list of 15 graft suspects to the Cabinet Division and home ministry to initiate the process of confiscating their properties. They failed to submit wealth statements to the ACC in time."AS per the emergency power rules, the government will seek permission from magistrates to freeze properties of corruption suspects who have failed to submit wealth statements. The government will now specify the authorities which will initiate this process," ACC Secretary Delwar Hossain told The Daily Star.The 15 are on the list of 50 graft suspects whom the ACC had asked to submit wealth ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007Security personnel yesterday stepped up surveillance around former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's residence on Moinul Hossein Road in Dhaka Cantonment.A reliable source yesterday told The Daily Star that the measure was taken after intelligence agencies were informed that Hawa Bhaban spokesman Ashik and Tarique Rahman's close aides Mia Nuruddin Apu and Shakil had been hiding inside Khaleda's house.Four security personnel were seen standing at the entrance of the house at about 5:30pm yesterday.Ashik, Apu and Shakil might have taken shelter in the house to evade arrest during the ongoing drive by the joint forces, said the source.The ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007The supply of fish from Myanmar to the wholesale markets in the capital has returned to almost "normal" just five days after the biggest ever drive against formalin-laden fish at three large fish markets.It was learnt at the Sawarighat wholesale market yesterday that the supply of Burmese fish remained suspended for two days after Saturday's drive that saw seizure and destruction of 6.5 tonne fish.Meanwhile, retailers' disinterest in buying Burmese fish has resulted in a 50-percent increase in the prices of local fish, especially ruhi and katla.The presence of Burmese fish at the wholesale markets, however, was not as much ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007The Awami League (AL) at a meeting with the chief election commissioner (CEC) yesterday demanded holding of the parliamentary election by June after preparing a credible voter list with photographs instead of identity cards. The Election Commission (EC) however at this moment is not thinking about declaring any timetable for holding the due ninth parliamentary election, which was earlier scheduled for January 22. It has rather emphasised massive electoral reforms for a credible election.Opposing the idea of using voter identity cards in the next parliamentary election, the high-powered delegation of AL technical committee on elections argued that it would take ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007The joint forces arrested two local leaders of BNP and its youth wing Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal for possessing corrugated iron (CI) sheets meant for relief in Netrakona and Lalmonirhat and recovered 497 such sheets from across the country yesterday.Police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested 1,683 others who include 42 convicted in different criminals cases, 976 wanted criminals and 19 others accused in arms and explosives acts in 24 hours ending at 6:00am yesterday, said a home ministry press release.Members of the armed forces arrested 52 people including 35 criminals during the period.In Khulna, the joint forces recovered 300 government ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007With a number of controversies surrounding him, Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain retired yesterday without receiving a traditional farewell from the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).A group of pro-BNP and pro-Jamaat-e-Islami lawyers, government law officers including the attorney general, and the High Court (HC) and Supreme Court (SC) judges, however, accorded a farewell to Mudassir.Five HC judges did not attend the farewell function held at the Chief Justice's Courtroom yesterday morning.This was for the second time that the SCBA refrained from according farewell to a retiring chief justice. Earlier in 1989, the highest ranking association of the country's lawyers ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007Law Adviser Mainul Hosein yesterday said the upcoming Anti-terrorism Ordinance 2007 would allow capital punishment be awarded to anyone found guilty of terrorism."This stringent punishment is being determined not just because our country has terrorism problems, because we can get more international cooperation in fighting terrorism if we promulgated this ordinance," Mainul told the press after holding a high-level meeting at the law ministry yesterday.The meeting discussed the draft of the ordinance. Home ministry officials, Bangladesh Bank officials and officials from the intelligence departments of the defence and the police participated in the meeting. Mainul asked the participants of ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday urged Dhaka University students to be more original in their thought and be more innovative in finding ways to take advanced technology to the poor.The Nobel laureate also called for a separate stock exchange for 'businesses for the good of the people' that would cater to investors willing to buy shares of locally designed innovative organisations run by students to eradicate poverty.Yunus made these comments while speaking at Dhaka University's 43rd convocation after receiving an honorary Doctorate of Law from the university for winning the Nobel Peace Prize along with his brainchild ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007President Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday urged the politicians to build up a knowledge-based society by taking steps against the harmful sides of student politics."It's time to take steps against the harmful sides of student politics. This is important to build up a knowledge-based society. And to make that happen, sincerity and sympathy of our political parties are needed. I would like to draw attention of the politicians in this regard," he said.The president was addressing the 43rd convocation of Dhaka University on its campus. An honorary doctor of laws Degree was conferred on Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus at the convocation.Expressing ...
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