Archive for August 17th, 2007
Friday, August 17th, 2007The past BNP-led alliance government's failure in power and gas sectors has pushed the caretaker government to an enormous challenge of handling a dozen major schemes for generation of 3,570 MW gas-based power and ensuring huge gas for them.These power projects exclude the small and rental power projects having a total capacity of more than 400 MW, tenders for which are now at a very advanced stage. Most of these small and rental projects will also be gas-based.As the country may not be able to fully meet the gas demand of these new power projects, the government is seriously considering ...
(read more) Friday, August 17th, 2007The overall employment rate has declined by 4.4 percent during the years 2000 to 2005, turning the employment situation in the country for the worse.A study conducted during the period by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) also found that the lowest income group, with per capita income of Tk 2,119 in 2005, has been hit the hardest as the employment rate for this group has declined by 8.1 percent.Income growth rate of the lowest 50 percent households was lower than that of the country's consumer price index (CPI) during the same period, the survey said.The study examined ...
(read more) Friday, August 17th, 2007 Raging floodwaters damaged the Sadipur Bridge on Faridpur-Char Bhadrashan-Sadarpur Road forcing people ans small vehicles to cross the river on boats. Photo: Focus Bangla Rise of the three major rivers Padma, Jamuna and Meghna water at many points and several rivers in the northeastern region following heavy rains in the upstream is threatening a fresh flooding in the country.Meanwhile, the number of diarrhoea patients continued to rise with 4,174 admitted to government hospitals across the country and 711 to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) in the capital as of yesterday evening.A total of ...
(read more) Friday, August 17th, 2007Although two years have passed since the Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) launched a countrywide bomb attack, the government has not yet found out the true masterminds behind that group.The mystery about the masterminds remains shrouded especially because the six militant leaders who were hanged on March 29 this year were not allowed to speak out before the media before their death.Questions that remain unanswered include those about the foreign links and funding that kept JMB operations alive for years.Meantime, quoting high police officials the press reported that JMB leader Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai's killing mission of ...
(read more) Friday, August 17th, 2007The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday adjourned the hearing on government's appeals against detained former premier Sheikh Hasina till August 26.A six-member full bench of the SC appellate division, headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Ruhul Amin, yesterday pronounced the adjournment of government's appeals against Hasina's bail granted by the High Court (HC) in two separate extortion cases and HC's stay on operation of an Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) order to Hasina asking her to submit wealth statementThe SC bench also extended its stay order on Hasina's bail in an extortion case filed by businessmen Azam J Chowdhury till August 26.Earlier ...
(read more) Friday, August 17th, 2007The Election Commission (EC) is determined to complete procurement of equipment and start field level task on a large scale for preparing the voter list with photographs in October as per its electoral roadmap."It is true that completion of procurement of equipment is being delayed for some time, but it will in no way delay preparation of the voter list," Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain yesterday told reporters.Sohul said the EC cannot start the large-scale field level task from September as per its earlier plan. "The field level task for voter listing will begin on a large scale from October. ...
(read more) Friday, August 17th, 2007Foreign Adviser Iftekhar A Chowdhury yesterday said there should always be civilian supremacy over the military in a democracy, but closer civil-military cooperation would bolster national security.Iftekhar was speaking as the chief guest at the concluding session of a four-day workshop titled, "Democracy, Governance and Security Reforms" that concluded yesterday with a set of eight recommendations, including enacting a Political Parties Act, instituting anti-corruption and effective parliamentary procedures, and bringing greater civilian control of security forces.A number of academic, political, and military personnel participated in the workshop jointly organised by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Asia-Pacific ...
(read more) Friday, August 17th, 2007Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed yesterday asserted that the election would be held by December next year and urged the people not to sell out their vote anymore."Vote has to be given to such persons who will take care of you through five years. Don't sell your vote and don't allow others to do that," he said while addressing the government officials, local elite and journalists at Rangpur Circuit House.Gen Moeen said work on voter list is going on. And national identity (ID) card, being prepared simultaneously in collaboration with the army, can be used for various useful purposes.The ...
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