Archive for July, 2007
Tuesday, July 31st, 2007The High Court (HC) yesterday granted Sheikh Hasina ad interim bail in an extortion case and ordered the government not to have the case tried under the emergency power rules.The ruling however does not mean the detained Awami League (AL) president will soon be released as meantime she has been shown arrested in another case.At a courtroom crammed full of people, the HC also asked the military-backed interim government to reply within two weeks why its approval for trial of the case under the emergency rules should not be declared illegal.The HC order came in response to a writ ...
(read more) Tuesday, July 31st, 2007Road communications in many parts of northern districts snapped as roads went under floodwater, while ferry services on Nagarbari-Paturia route remain suspended leaving around 100 buses and trucks stranded.Many flood-protection embankments across the country developed cracks creating panic among people, while people who have already been marooned are getting infected with various water-borne diseases, mainly due to lack of drinking water.Five people died in connection with flooding in Sirajganj yesterday. They are Ashif, 2, son of Asraf Ali of Tentulia under Ullahpara, Sharmin, 3, daughter of Shamim Hossain of the same village, Yamin, daughter of Monirul Islam of Chhayadabad ...
(read more) Tuesday, July 31st, 2007The floods have seriously affected production of crops including paddy, jute, sugarcane and vegetables in 262 upazilas of 44 districts, which may lead to further increase in the price of food items, especially vegetables.Crops of 1.56lakh hectares of land have gone under floodwater, said sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).Crops especially seasonal vegetables and Aus paddy of these areas will be lost if floodwater stays for a long time, DAE sources said.They fear Aman plantation that is usually done by August will be delayed too.However, the agriculture department officials said they are getting ready to recover the ...
(read more) Tuesday, July 31st, 2007The Power Development Board (PDB) yesterday served scamster Obaidul Karim's shell company BON Consortium with a notice for terminating the power purchase agreement (PPA) with it on Meghnaghat-2 450 megawatt power project. In a letter to BON Consortium's Orion House office at Tejgaon in the capital, the PDB said BON failed to close the project's financial arrangement within the agreed deadline of May 27 last. The PDB then gave it an extra time till July 15 to meet its contractual obligations but it failed again."Under this circumstance, pursuant to Aricle 4.4 (a) (of the PPA), PDB hereby issues Notice ...
(read more) Tuesday, July 31st, 2007A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against detained former state minister Amanullah Aman, Sonali Bank CBA leader BM Bakir Hossain and Dhaka City Corporation Ward Commissioner Mirza Khokon after the National Board of Revenue (NBR) filed three tax evasion cases.Charges were framed against Aman, ex-BNP lawmakers Joynal Abedin Faruque, Nazimuddin Alam and other one in connection with a case filed under the Public Safety Act (PSA).Controversial businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun was sent to jail yesterday after completion of a seven-day remand in a graft case.AMAN CASE Judge Mohammad Azizul Haq of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court issued the arrest warrant ...
(read more) Tuesday, July 31st, 2007The Awami League (AL) has hailed the High Court (HC) verdict granting bail to detained party chief Sheikh Hasina as victory of truth and said they have got justice in the 'false and fabricated' case against her.Acting AL President Zillur Rahman said, "I hope the government will now be cautious so that law is not abused in future. If they (govt) abuse law further, it will be very sad ... Law should take its own course.""Talking to reporters at his Gulshan Residence in the capital, Zillur said people have become furious over filing of 'false cases' against the AL president. ...
(read more) Tuesday, July 31st, 2007Just days before the commencement of the field level work of preparing the voter list with photographs, the Election Commission (EC) is now searching for options to avoid a conflict with a Supreme Court (SC) directive regarding the electoral roll.The SC in the last one year declared null and void two voter lists, which had been prepared without complying with electoral laws and court directives.The present EC decided to prepare a voter list with photographs afresh but the SC had asked the main election office several times to update the voter list prepared in 2000.Amid such a situation the ...
(read more) Monday, July 30th, 2007Continuous rise of water in almost all the rivers in the country's north, northeastern and middle parts left nearly a million people marooned causing immense sufferings to them and damage to crops.Low-lying areas in the eastern part of the capital, which is already facing waterlogging, are likely to be inundated in the next 48 hours, as small rivers surrounding Dhaka and Narayanganj are about to approach danger levels.Buriganga water yesterday flowed 107 cm below danger level.Mira, a minor girl of Velakopa in Kurigram and two people in Nilphamari yesterday died from snakebite. Two people also drowned in Kurigram.Our Mymensingh ...
(read more) Monday, July 30th, 2007Detained Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court (HC), challenging the government move to bring the Tk 3 crore extortion case against her under the emergency power rules.On her behalf, Barrister Rafique-ul Huq turned in the petition likely to be heard today.In another development, the former prime minister has been shown arrested in the case that AL leader and businessman Noor Ali filed against her for a Tk 5-crore extortion over a power plant deal 10 years ago.Earlier in the day, Barrister Rafique took permission from the court for filing the ...
(read more) Monday, July 30th, 2007The Election Commission (EC) is apprehending that women of families with persuasions of religious conservatism might avoid visiting voter registration centres to have their photographs taken for the voter list on grounds of 'religious restrictions'. Based on the apprehension, the EC is sending directives to deputy commissioners (DC) across the country to initiate measures to ensure registration of all eligible women as voters, sources in the EC Secretariat said."We started sending written directives to deputy commissioners from Thursday asking them to take proper measures to ensure that eligible conservative women are registered as voters," a senior official of the ...
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