Archive for November 7th, 2007
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007A Dhaka court yesterday placed Mahbubur Rahman Joynal, managing director of Hotel Purbani, on a three-day remand in an arms case while another court sent to jail his girlfriend and alleged Yaba dealer Nikita alias Zannatul Ferdous, her parents and brother.The investigation officer prayed for a seven-day remand to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka, in the arms case against Joynal that was filed after four knives were found at his Dhanmondi residence in an October 30 raid.Three more cases were also laid against the hotel official with Mohammadpur Police Station under the Narcotics Control Act, the Foreign Currency Regulation ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 7th, 2007Forty people including six lawmakers were killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan yesterday in the deadliest attack since the 2001 fall of the Taliban, a health official said.Government officials said the bomber blew himself up outside a sugar factory in the northern province of Baghlan as dozens of people, including children, welcomed a delegation of senior members of parliament and other dignitaries.There was no immediate claim of responsibility but there have been around 120 suicide attacks in Afghanistan this year, most of them blamed on the extremist Taliban movement, which is waging an intensifying insurgency.The burnt ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 7th, 2007Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said the Election Commission (EC) had followed the 'doctrine of necessity' in deciding to invite the Saifur-led faction to the talks on electoral reforms.He claimed the EC has taken the right decision and now there's nothing to do about it. However, if any party feels aggrieved they can go to the courts of law.He referred to the phrase when his attention was drawn to the BNP constitution that does not provide for acting chairman and acting secretary general and empowers only the chairperson to convene and preside over the party's standing ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 7th, 2007Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said the government is working to strengthen the local government so that it can take its services to people's doorsteps and bring transparency and accountability in all sectors.A high-powered experts committee formed earlier will next month submit its recommendations on strengthening the local government structure, he said while addressing top bureaucrats at the Cabinet Division yesterday.He asked the secretaries of different ministries and departments to focus more on output and outcome while implementing government programmes so that people get the best from all inputs in the socio-economic sectors.This was Fakhruddin's third formal meeting with the ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 7th, 2007The government may still try war criminals under the much-neglected Genocide Act 1973, which allows it to set up tribunals to try and punish members of military and 'auxiliary' forces from any country guilty of war crimes and genocide in Bangladesh.The central figure in drafting the act, Dr Kamal Hossain, told The Daily Star, "In principle, this law is in force and can be invoked for all the cases that fall under its ambit."The inclusion of auxiliary forces in the act allows setting up of a tribunal by the government to try and punish war criminals from forces such as ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 Regulatory Reforms Commission Chief Akbar Ali Khan yesterday said most of the non-government organisations (NGOs) in Bangladesh do not have satisfactory transparency and accountability and are not operating for the benefit of the poor."Most of the NGOs are not running for the benefit of the poor. Bureaucracy has gripped most of the NGOs. A genuine NGO should be controlled by root level people. Whereas, most of the NGOs in the country are now being controlled by top officials," said Khan, also former adviser to a caretaker government, as the chief guest of the launching ceremony of a project ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 7th, 2007Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah yesterday said if the Election Commission (EC) does not reverse its decision to have Saifur-led faction in the electoral talks, they would have recourse to legal measures in a day or two.An adviser to the BNP chairperson, he said there would be serious doubt in public mind about the conduct of a free and fair election if the commission refuses to invite Khandakar Delwar Hossain, the secretary general appointed by Khaleda Zia, to the dialogue.Talking to reporters at his Mohakhali residence, Hannan claimed they have already received the detained chairperson's nod to go to court.Party ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 7th, 2007A section of officials of recruiting agencies and Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) are allegedly swindling thousands of job seekers out of an enormous amount of money for sending their digitised fingerprints to Malaysia with the false impression of finalising their jobs, said sources in Baira and manpower businesses.So far, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 jobseekers have been cheated this way, said official sources at Baira.Over 2.5 lakh workers are now working in the South East Asian country and more are lining up at recruiting agencies for a better future.Under the current recruiting process, a Malaysian employer first ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 7th, 2007The Public Service Commission (PSC) is going to issue the much-awaited circular for the 28th BCS examinations with new recruitment rules after two and a half years.The PSC has taken all preparations for the largest public service examinations for 1,720 posts in 14 general and 13 technical-professional cadres, sources said.The circular is likely to be published in all national dailies within two to three weeks, the sources added.PSC member Mohammad Ashraf has been made the chairman of the 28th BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service), while necessary papers including application and ISF forms have already been published, said the sources."The establishment ministry ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 7th, 2007The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against former environment secretary Ismail Zabiullah and his wife in connection with illegally accumulating wealth and concealing this information in the wealth statement submitted to the commission.The ACC will begin issuing notices against 11 graft suspects asking them to submit their wealth statement in a couple of days after ACC high-ups approves them. The deputy director concerned of the ACC, who is supposed to forward the notices for approval, was on leave yesterday due to illness.ACC Assistant Director Helaluddin Sharif filed the case Monday night with Ramna Police Station under sections of 26 ...
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