Archive for November 23rd, 2007
Friday, November 23rd, 2007Donor nations and agencies have so far pledged over $550 million in assistance for the cyclone Sidr-hit people in south and southwestern districts as the government yesterday unveiled a three-phase rehabilitation plan.The Food and Disaster Management Ministry has outlined both short and long term rehabilitation programmes for the cyclone-hit areas, which include repair of damaged roads and houses as well as saving the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, ministry sources said.Meanwhile, a disaster management expert yesterday asked the government to repair roads in the affected region as first priority for easy transportation of relief materials to remote areas."I think ...
(read more) Friday, November 23rd, 2007Detained Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday told a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team that she believes former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and a few others conceived the grenade attack on her on August 21, 2004.Sources said Hasina named a number of political leaders, also including former deputy minister Asadul Habib Dulu, but expressed doubts whether the masterminds of the attack will be brought to book and she will get justice.A three-member CID team led by Special Superintendent of Police Nowsher Ali yesterday recorded Hasina's statement on the grisly grenade attack on an AL rally on Bangabandhu ...
(read more) Friday, November 23rd, 2007A Dhaka court yesterday sent Ashraf Hossain, a Saifur-led BNP leader, to jail after he surrendered in a case filed for illegal sale of a duty-free car within three years of import under special privileges for lawmakers.His detention is the first for any of the pro-reform stalwarts. It came as a further blow to the faction as only a few days ago the High Court (HC) had stayed operation of the Election Commission's (EC) invitation for them to join the electoral talks, said sources close to the Saifur-Hafiz group.Earlier in September, he along with Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan was expelled ...
(read more) Friday, November 23rd, 2007With the winter setting in, over one million people made homeless by Sidr are desperate for shelter and warm clothing in fear of their, especially the children's, vulnerability to cold-related diseases.Report of an infant's death by pneumonia came from Char Nazib village in Kalapara upazila yesterday.Water crisis also persists in a number of remote areas as reports of diarrhoeal cases kept coming from several southwest districts.The homeless are desperately pleading for assistance to reconstruct their houses to fight off the cold.According to the government figures, 11.69 lakh houses were damaged by the cyclone, with at least 3.58 lakh completely ...
(read more) Friday, November 23rd, 2007The man was holding a glass of reddish liquid with a stench to make any one wrinkle their noses in distaste.“This is our drinking water. Now see for yourself what we are surviving on," said Altaf Hossain from Bogidoshghar, the last village before the Sundarbans in Bagerhat.When asked where he got this water from, Hossain said it was from the canal. In the same canal floated dead bodies of people till they were buried. But dead chickens and fish still remain.The dominant feature while travelling through the villages of Shoronkhola and Morelganj upazilas is the shocking lack of safe ...
(read more) Friday, November 23rd, 2007The Armed Forces Division yesterday put the death toll from cyclone Sidr at 3,199 which was 3,167 on Wednesday.The AFD officials disclosed the figure at a press conference at the Disaster Control and Monitoring Cell of the Dhaka Cantonment.They said the AFD has restored river communications in many parts of the cyclone hit districts. Besides, road communication and electricity supply in the areas battered by cyclone Sidr are expected to be restored within a week.Six water purifying plants have already been set up in the cyclone-affected areas while the process of installing three more are underway as per ...
(read more) Friday, November 23rd, 2007In the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr, the country's shrimp or frozen food industry, the second largest foreign exchange earner, fears an estimated loss of Tk 250 crore."As per our assessment, we will incur a loss of Tk 200 crore to Tk 250 crore," said Kazi Belayet Hossain, president of Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters' Association (BFFEA).Shrimp farms in the three southern districts -- Bagerhat, Satkhira and Khulna -- that were severely ravaged by Sidr, are likely to suffer 70 percent or Tk 175 crore of the estimated loss.Farms in this region are well known for their Black Tiger shrimp, also called ...
(read more) Friday, November 23rd, 2007The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to take statements of the accused during enquiry or investigation from now onwards to ensure transparency in its work.The anti-graft watchdog will also consider bringing changes in its work pattern if it feels necessary to achieve its goal.ACC Director General (Administration) Col Hanif Iqbal said according to the ACC Act it is not a must to take the statement of an accused during enquiry or investigation--the commission may take it if it feels necessary."But now we have made it obligatory as the accused has the right to defend themselves regardless of the charges brought ...
(read more) Friday, November 23rd, 2007The government yesterday admitted its failure to distribute children's food among Sidr victims, saying it is providing them with cash to buy that and has also asked donors to help in this regard.Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumder said this after a meeting with secretaries at the Cabinet Division yesterday.Emergency relief for the affected people will continue as long as it is necessary, he said, adding that steps are being taken to bring the cyclone victims back to work.The secretaries attending the meeting have called upon the civil officials and employees to donate one day's salary to the Chief Adviser's Relief ...
(read more) Friday, November 23rd, 2007A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against former Awami League (AL) lawmaker Dr HBM Iqbal, four of his family members and Mirza Azam, also an ex-MP on AL ticket, in graft cases.Meantime, detained former communications minister Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda were shown arrested yesterday in a Tk 2crore extortion case.Another Dhaka court yesterday re-fixed December 5 to hear a seven-day remand petition against former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar who is charged with taking Tk 21 crore in bribe in exchange for dropping murder charges against a son of Basundhara Group chairman.IQBAL CASE ...
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