Archive for December 11th, 2007
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007In the face of a rising public demand, the government finally freed the four convicted teachers of Rajshahi University from Rajshahi Central Jail yesterday afternoon.The government claimed that the release came following a petition of mercy to the president from the convicted teachers. But the freed teachers rejected the government claim saying they had not petitioned the president for mercy.Moloy Kumar Bhoumik of the management department, and Dulal Chandra Biswas, Sayed Selim Reza Newton and Abdullah Al Mamun of the mass communications department came out of the jail around 3.45pm.Maj Hafizur Rahman Mollah, deputy inspector general (DIG) of prisons in ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 11th, 2007The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday filed three cases against five people including former foreign minister M Morshed Khan and his family members for income beyond known sources and concealing wealth information.ACC Assistant Director Talebor Rahman filed two cases--one against M Morshed Khan, his wife Nasrin Khan, and the other against Morshed Khan's son Foysal Morshed Khan and Foysal's wife Shyama Shezan Khan with Gulshan Police Station.In the case against Morshed Khan, the complainant said the former foreign minister has concealed from the commission information about property worth Tk 91.34 lakh.The first information report (FIR) mentions that the defendant has accumulated ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 11th, 2007The remains of Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman were brought home yesterday, 36 years after he embraced martyrdom in a battle with Pakistani occupation forces.Thousands of school students and villagers stood in line on both sides of the 15-kilometre road stretching from Bibir Bazar check post to Comilla town as the remains of the war hero were brought from Tripura, India. They showered Hamidur's coffin with flowers.The coffin draped in national flag was brought through the check-post at about 2:50pm.Hamidur was killed while fighting with Pakistani army on October 28, 1971. His fellow freedom fighters buried him at Hatimarachara village of ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 11th, 2007The country may face a rice shortage of at least 30 lakh tonnes due to loss of crop caused by Cyclone Sidr and repeated floods, according to a CPD-Brac report.However, it was observed that the shortage can be tackled through an agricultural rehabilitation package for the farmers comprising farm loans, irrigation facilities and smooth supplies of seeds and fertiliser."We usually have rice shortage of 10-15 lakh tonnes, but because of the recurrent natural disasters, there will be an additional shortage of 19 lakh tonnes, totalling the shortage up to 30 lakh tonnes at least," Mahbub Hossain, executive director of ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 11th, 2007The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) might question detained former premiers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia in cases filed against them for 'illegal' deals with Canadian gas company Niko.It is also likely to bring the cases under the emergency power rules.ACC Director General (Admin) Col Hanif Iqbal yesterday said the question of quizzing comes when an investigation calls for a clear view of the allegation brought against an accused. The same is applicable here meaning the two [Hasina and Khaleda] might be quizzed if necessary.He was speaking at a routine press briefing at the ACC headquarters.Replying to a query, he said ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 11th, 2007The government ban on cutting trees in the Sidr-ravaged Sundarbans has apparently saved the forest as a section of forest officials were ready to sell the damaged trees for their own benefit, witnesses and experts said.The forest officials had already started marking the damaged trees to chop off and sell those before the ban was imposed last week, the witnesses added.Experts said the affected mangrove forest of the Sundarbans will naturally regenerate itself if it is left untouched.Yet, the guardians of the World Heritage Site -- the forest department -- wasted no time in deploying local people in Sharankhola and ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 11th, 2007The VGF (Vulnerable Group Feeding) card programme for the affected people in the cyclone-torn areas in the district is in disarray as the card distribution process is riddled with massive irregularities.Soon after Cyclone Sidr lashed the southern coast of the country, the government declared to bring all the affected populace of the region under the net of VGF.However, the programme, under which one person from a family is eligible to receive a feeding card, is yet to bear any fruit. A large number of the residents alleged that they did not receive any card yet while multiple members from some ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 11th, 2007Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday regretted that many economically and socially disadvantaged people still do not have access to justice to vindicate their rights, over three decades after the country's independence."They are often deprived of basic legal and other institutional services, which put them in a situation of vulnerability where their entitlement to fundamental rights, dignity and justice is compromised," he said.The head of the caretaker government made the remarks while addressing a function in observance of the International Human Rights Day 2007 at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 11th, 2007The Advisory Committee on Public Purchase yesterday approved a proposal for procuring 43,000 tonnes of non-Basmati rice from the local suppliers.According to the proposal placed by the food ministry, the local traders will supply the rice at the rates between Tk 25.49 and Tk 27.65 per kg. The total price of 43,000 tonnes of rice will be Tk 115.52 crore.A meeting of the committee gave the nod to the purchase proposal.Food ministry officials said the purchase is part of the government efforts to build up a good stock of rice to tackle any situation.Earlier, the food adviser had ...
(read more) Tuesday, December 11th, 2007At least three people were killed and 15 others injured yesterday as the gas cylinder of a CNG-run bus exploded on Dhaka-Aricha highway at Muljan in Manikganj.One of the dead was identified as Akter Hossain, 35, son of Johur Molla of Patrai village. The identity of the other two could not be known as the bodies were burnt badly, reports our Manikganj correspondent.Police said the gas cylinder of a Paturia-bound CNG-run bus of NN Paribahan exploded after the vehicle hit a roadside tree at Muljan at about 5:00pm. The bus caught fire leaving two passengers dead on the spot and ...
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