Archive for August 5th, 2007
Sunday, August 5th, 2007The Election Commission (EC) has asked the government to make a law for mandatory usage of national identity cards (NID), which will be prepared during the preparation of voter list, to get access to services and facilities in 22 fields. Asking the caretaker government to initiate necessary steps, the EC on Wednesday sent the draft law to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, sources in the EC Secretariat said.The EC has decided to simultaneously prepare the voter list with photographs and NIDs in a bid to encourage eligible people to register their names in the voter list by visiting voter registration centres ...
(read more) Sunday, August 5th, 2007Floodwater is approaching the eastern fringe of the capital as water levels of all major rivers surrounding the city continue to rise.Even though the Buriganga at Dhaka is still flowing 32cm below the danger level, the Balu at Demra, Turag at Mirpur, the Tongi canal at Tongi and the Lakhya at Narayanganj have risen by 30-39cm.Due to the absence of a flood-control embankment at the eastern part of the city, three quarters of Bashabo, Nandipara and Trimohini went under water. Boats have become the only means of transport in those areas.Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) sources said more parts ...
(read more) Sunday, August 5th, 2007Police yesterday attached the movable and immovable properties of Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam and his family and sealed their Gulshan house following a court ruling issued four days ago in connection with a tax evasion case. During the eight-hour raid in the three-storeyed building on Road No 88 in Gulshan-2, police made a list of the properties seized. They sealed the house at around 8:00pm and took it under their control.Police sources said that they have made a seizure list of over 175 goods inside the house, which is not possible to move."As ...
(read more) Sunday, August 5th, 2007While many fear that open pit coal mining will inflict disasters on a densely populated and agro-based country like Bangladesh, Germany's coalmines demonstrate that intelligent mining can protect all interests while producing coal in such huge quantities that can drastically improve the economy.Located in Germany's most populated area, the 282 square kilometre (sqkm) North Rhine Westfalia (NRW) coal mining zone stands as a bright example of how agriculture, water bodies, forests, communities and coal mines can co-exist for each other's benefit.Mining coal from open pits is a story of more than a hundred years for Germany. The NRW area is ...
(read more) Sunday, August 5th, 2007Recruiting agencies are smuggling around Tk 4,000 crore every year to the manpower receiving countries, especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, in absence of an authorised business mechanism.The amount is estimated considering the migration of around 4 lakh workers every year and spending over Tk 1 lakh in commission for each of them in the destination countries.Other businesses are allowed to open letter of credits (LCs) for importing products. But there is no such mechanism for manpower business though it requires foreign currency in buying job demands and exploring new markets.The recruiting agencies send the money through hundi, ...
(read more) Sunday, August 5th, 2007BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia may sue the National Board of Revenue (NBR) if it ultimately declines to accept the tax on undeclared money. Meanwhile, a writ petition is likely to be filed with the High Court today challenging the legality of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) notice issued to detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina for submitting her wealth statement.On July 31, Khaleda Zia through her representative deposited about Tk 33.87 lakh with Bangladesh Bank as tax on her undisclosed Tk 1.33 crore.NBR Chairman Badiur Rahman on Wednesday told reporters that they would not legalise Khaleda's undeclared money, as she ...
(read more) Sunday, August 5th, 2007There is an urgent need for enhancing the government's concern about the unfolding flood in the country, according to an expert group consultation organised yesterday by the non-government think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). The expert group also found it necessary to improve coordination among relevant government agencies and between government and non-government actors, and to instil an overall sense of confidence in the economy and society against the backdrop of the flood situation.The government needs to make it explicit that it warmly welcomes involvement of NGOs, private sector bodies and other civil society organisations in relief and ...
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