Bangladesh News

Voter listing with photo kicks off in Rajshahi

Sunday, August 12th, 2007The Election Commission (EC) yesterday kicked off the field level task for simultaneously preparing a fresh voter list with photographs and national identity cards from Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC). The field level task for preparing the voter list across the country will be completed in phases while the voter-listing task in Khulna City Corporation and eight municipality areas will start in this month.According to the EC's roadmap announced on July 15, the task for preparing the voter list will be completed in October next year for holding the stalled ninth parliamentary election in December 2008.The EC Secretariat and its ... (read more)

Diarrhoea continues to spread in flood-hit areas

Sunday, August 12th, 2007At least four people died of diarrhoea across the country during the last two days, the first diarrhoeal deaths in this year's flooding. Over 1,000 diarrhoea patients checked into an already overcrowded International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) in the capital yesterday. The four who died of diarrhoea were from Sherpur, Jhenidah, Sirajganj and Sunamganj.Meanwhile, Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) said at present it is holding 14 districts as flood affected. The districts are Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Faridpur, Rajbari, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Gopalganj, Chandpur, Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj and Gazipur. It expected significant improvement of the overall flood ... (read more)

Make cops professional, free of political influence

Sunday, August 12th, 2007Legal experts and former high officials yesterday called for the government to form a professional and honest police force free of political influence to serve the cause of democracy and the rule of law.The law enforcers must be imparted upgraded skills, given financial incentives and allowed to conduct themselves in a way that would ensure their accountability.The observations came at a roundtable discussion on Draft Bangladesh Police Ordinance, 2007. A number of former inspectors general of police (IGPs), Attorney General Fida M Kamal, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nayeem Ahmed, legal experts and rights activists took part in the programme organised ... (read more)

Dhaka in dilemma over Rohingyas held in KSA

Sunday, August 12th, 2007Saudi Arabia is trying to deport 267 Rohingyas to Bangladesh saying that they had migrated to the Middle Eastern country from Bangladesh.According to an official concerned, the Saudi government has recently asked the Bangladesh mission in Jeddah to make arrangement for deporting the Rohingyas, who have been arrested on charges of criminal activities.The Saudi government however could not show any document, which can prove that they are Bangladeshi citizens, a foreign ministry official told The Daily Star.Following such requests from Saudi Arabia, an inter-ministerial meeting was held recently at the home ministry. Officials of the foreign and food and disaster ... (read more)

Strong dollar on kerb market smacks of money laundering

Sunday, August 12th, 2007The exchange rate of US dollar has been unusually high at the kerb market during the last three months -- a trend that might be a result of smuggling dollar out of the country by black money holders.According to Bangladesh Bank (BB), on August 7, each dollar was selling at Tk 72.90 on the kerb market -- Tk. 4.40 higher than the official selling rate of Tk 68.50.Industry experts and economists speculate that the kerb market is experiencing a rise in the demand for dollars following the anti-corruption drives of the present government as black money is being converted into ... (read more)

It’s time to help flood victims, not to do politics

Sunday, August 12th, 2007Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed yesterday said it is the high time for the politicians to do politics through helping out the flood-hit people."Forget about party politics right at this moment and start serving the flood victims," he said while talking to journalists after distributing relief at Amulia in Demra.He also noted that it is the prime responsibility of each citizen to stay beside the flood-affected people and extend their cooperation to them at this hour of urgent need.Blasting real estate companies for trickery with their clients, he said, "You see a huge signboard here. Advertisements say ... (read more)