Archive for February 5th, 2008
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) yesterday at a meeting with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed asked his government to create an environment conducive to holding elections to city corporations and some municipalities in April, either by relaxing or by lifting the state of emergency in respective areas.The EC also suggested the emergency regime to gradually allow 'indoor politics' all across the country to facilitate electoral reforms including registration of political parties with the commission, which is supposed to be completed in June according to the announced electoral roadmap, sources said.Being informed about the EC's plan for holding the due polls ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 5th, 2008The judge hearing the Tk 2.99 crore extortion case against Awami League President Sheikh Hasina walked out of the courtroom yesterday as the defence and prosecution rowed over his decision, abruptly ending the day's proceedings.Tempers began to flare as soon as the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court allowed the prosecution to reopen plaintiff Azam J Chowdhury's deposition.At one point, both the sides expressed resentment at Judge Azizul Huq's conduct and went on to say that if things do not improve they would not continue with this court.Addressing the judge, Advocate Qamrul Hasan Khan said, “You have already closed the deposition.” ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 5th, 2008The United States yesterday said it would be better for Bangladesh to withdraw the state of emergency as soon as possible and hold an election participated by all.It also said civil rights must be protected and due legal process in trials, including the trials of the two former prime ministers, should be followed.The visiting senior US official Donald Camp said this yesterday. Camp met the chief adviser, the chief election commissioner (CEC) and the army chief yesterday."The sooner the state of emergency is lifted the better, the sooner the election can be held, the better," Camp told reporters after ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 5th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) adopted a plan yesterday to hold the second round of electoral reform talks with political parties after February 12, no matter what verdict the High Court (HC) delivers on the nagging BNP issue.On that day the HC will resume hearing a writ petition filed by a faction of BNP challenging the EC's invitation to M Saifur Rahman-led faction of the party to the first round of talks, which was scheduled for November 22 of last year.The EC could not hold the talk with BNP in over two months due to the legal roadblock which ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 5th, 2008At least 48,000 poultry infected with the bird flu virus have been culled across the country over 24 hours till yesterday afternoon as reports of more suspected deaths flow in.The government has stepped up vigilance and opened more control rooms in its efforts to fight further spread of the virus across the country.At least 26,000 poultry and domestic fowls were culled and 20,000 eggs destroyed at villages within the one-kilometre radius of sadar upazila in Kushtia on Sunday night, reports our correspondent.Officials have also begun compiling a list of poultry farms and chicken owners in the one-kilometre radius beyond this ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 5th, 2008Switzerland-based ICB Global Finance Group Holdings AG has won the bidding for purchasing majority shares of the problem-ridden Oriental Bank at Tk 350.77 crore, a senior Bangladesh Bank official said yesterday.The other bidder Domestic Investment Consortium offered Tk 251 crore for 50.1 percent stake in the private bank.A five-member committee headed by Bangladesh Bank (BB) deputy governor Murshid Kuli Khan for evaluating the tender proposals opened the financial offers yesterday and found that the Switzerland-based consortium has offered the highest."The BB will formally announce the winning bidder's name on February 14 and place the documents before the higher authority," Khan ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 5th, 2008The caretaker government should immediately relax emergency rules and allow indoor politics across the country creating scopes for the parties to consult their grassroots leaders to speed up political reforms.Prescribed or imposed reforms, instead of those made on the basis of consensus within political parties, would not bring desired qualitative changes in democracy in the country.Political leaders and civil society members expressed these views at a roundtable on "Political Party Reforms for Effective Democracy" in the capital yesterday.Some of them however said parties should proactively approach the government with their key reform proposals. Talking about rules to check ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 5th, 2008The government yesterday asked the central bank to take initiatives so that commercial banks keep the difference between deposit and loan interest rates within two-three percent to boost investments and reduce business costs.The government also decided to relax the interest waiver policy of the state-owned banks to recover old and bad loans."Free market economy does not mean that one can do anything one wishes. The central bank (Bangladesh Bank) should play the mediating role in such a situation," Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam said after a meeting with the top brass of state-owned and private commercial banks.Sources said the finance ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 5th, 2008Promulgation of the draft 'Bangladesh Police Ordinance 2007' apparently hits a snag as the home ministry has recently asked Police Headquarters to consult stakeholders on the draft at thana, district and divisional level.Top police officials smell a rat in the order and allege the directive is given with an intention to lapse time so that it could not be promulgated during the caretaker government rule. They also allege bureaucrats are not in favour of privileges the ordinance would provide the police with.Speaking anonymously, a top police official expresses his suspicion: "If it's not promulgated during the caretaker rule, no other ...
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