Archive for March 9th, 2007
Friday, March 9th, 2007Clad in a black bullet proof jacket inscribed with 'RAB' in yellow and a helmet, arrested Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, was yesterday brought to a Dhaka court under heavy security and remanded for four days.Tarique has been charged with extortion of Tk 1 crore from a construction firm, Al-Amin Construction, a concern of Amin Mohammad Foundation.Owner of the construction firm, Amin Ahmed, who got ticket as a BNP candidate from a Noakhali constituency for the cancelled January 22 election, filed the case against Tarique with Gulshan Police Station yesterday.At 11 at night, a ...
(read more) Friday, March 9th, 2007The Election Commission (EC) has made a move for reviving the power to punish any person for contempt of the EC similar to that the High Court Division enjoys.In 2001, the EC was given the power for a few days, but the then president Justice Shahabuddin Ahmad repealed the provisions by promulgating another ordinance in the face of severe criticism.The reconstituted EC, which is moving for massive electoral reforms, is now planning to revive the provision, according to which the commission shall have the same power as the High Court Division has to punish any person for its contempt as ...
(read more) Friday, March 9th, 2007Nobody represents the rot that ate away into the very vitals of BNP more dramatically than Tarique Rahman. President Ziaur Rahman for all his constructive (Saarc) and shameful (Indemnity Act) actions was universally respected for his financial honesty. Tarique, as his elder son, on the contrary, appeared hell bent on destroying that core image. Leave alone being concerned, he seemed to bask in his reputation of corruption and never for a moment gave the slightest impression that he was either bothered by it or would ever do anything against it. He considered himself as the product of destiny and took ...
(read more) Friday, March 9th, 2007The government plans to hand the still-unofficial taskforces enormous authority to crack down on corrupt people and culprits. Under the supervision of a National Co-ordination Committee headed by Communication Adviser Major General (retd) MA Matin, the taskforces will be authorised to conduct search or confiscate properties of people linked with any types of crime.General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Nine Infantry Division Major General Masud Uddin Chowdhury will act as chief coordinator of the national committee, which will evaluate list of culprits put forward by different auxiliary agencies.The central committee of the coordination body, which drafts in all seven ...
(read more) Friday, March 9th, 2007The caretaker government has slapped a complete ban on all sorts of political activities, including indoor politics, processions and meetings, across the country until further order."Stern legal actions will be taken against the violators of the order," said a press note issued last night by the home ministry.The press note said it is for all concerned that despite a ban on the political activities under the State of Emergency Rules 2007, different political parties conducted their political activities and the government took a lenient view thereof."But, it was noticed that different political parties were misusing the government's liberal attitude," ...
(read more) Friday, March 9th, 2007A vast swath of expensive land in the posh section of Banani in the capital, popularly known as 'BNP Palli' (BNP village), is bristling with under construction multi-storey residential buildings although Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (Rajuk) claims that it suspended the process of plot allotment there.Most of the allottees there happen to be former ministers, state ministers and lawmakers of BNP.Mizanur Rahman Minu, mayor of Rajshahi, and Mujibor Rahman Sarowar, mayor of Barisal, are now next-door neighbours. Houses of former BNP state ministers Alamgir Kabir of Naogaon, and Prof Razaul Karim of Narayanganj are also next to each other in ...
(read more) Friday, March 9th, 2007With the arrest of her elder son Tarique Rahman and a number of top ranking party leaders, immediate past prime minister BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia now seems a bit worried about the future of her party.Party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in a statement yesterday demanded immediate release of the political leaders including BNP Standing Committee Member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain and party Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman against whom there are no specific allegations.Bhuiyan yesterday met Khaleda Zia at her cantonment residence and had discussions with her, especially on Tarique's arrest, sources said.The BNP chairperson yesterday remained the ...
(read more) Friday, March 9th, 2007Terming the arrest of Tarique Rahman, BNP's senior joint secretary general, an expected action, a cross section of people yesterday urged the government to ensure exemplary punishment of the corrupt regardless of their political and family identity.They said the authorities should immediately make public specific and detailed corruption charges against Tarique as well an estimate of his wealth.Meanwhile, the arrest of Tarique Rahman was talk of the town yesterday. The main topic of discussion among people at all levels of the society was Wednesday night's drive by the joint forces and arrest of allegedly corrupt political leaders, particularly Tarique, son ...
(read more) Friday, March 9th, 2007Having enjoyed popularity as the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) mayor for a long time, ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury suddenly became a different person after being elected to the post for the third time in May 2005.Allegations of nepotism, misconduct with CCC officials and staff, encroaching on government land, and corruption surfaced against him during the past 22 months since the last mayoral election.Instead of fulfilling his 40-point pledge, Mohiuddin, who has 14 cases filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Commission, began his third tenure consolidating his own interests, sources alleged.Mohiuddin has been mostly criticised for his ill behaviour with the CCC ...
(read more) Friday, March 9th, 2007The advisory council committee on purchase yesterday cancelled controversial tenders for seven small power projects and asked the Power Development Board (PDB) to invite fresh tenders. It also cancelled a tender for filling up 22 land allotments under Rajuk's third phase Uttara residential area development. Excessive rate quoted for the job was the reason for cancellation of the tender.The committee has asked the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) to float fresh for the job. It however approved the work to fill up 25 other land allotments.After a meeting of the committee yesterday, its Chairman and Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul ...
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