Archive for February 25th, 2008
Monday, February 25th, 2008In efforts to ensure access to justice for the hills people, sessions courts will start functioning in the three districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) within next 10 days.To be set up as a stopgap measure, they will only deal with criminal charges while the divisional commissioner and deputy commissioners (DCs) will continue taking care of civil matters until the government introduces civil courts after amendments to the existing laws.As part of the provisional arrangements, Chittagong district judge, metropolitan sessions judge and special division anti-corruption judge might be assigned to run sessions court in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari at least ...
(read more) Monday, February 25th, 2008Responding favourably to a tidal rise of the demand for trial of war criminals, the Election Commission (EC) yesterday announced that it will make a recommendation to the caretaker government to initiate steps for the trials.Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda disclosed the plan on the first day of the second round of electoral reform talks with parliamentary political parties yesterday.The talks resumed without BNP being on the list of invitees due to its unresolved factional feud, making it's representation a matter of dispute between two rival factions, a settlement of which is currently pending in the High ...
(read more) Monday, February 25th, 2008A special court dealing with corruption cases yesterday sentenced former Awami League (AL) lawmaker Sheikh Helaluddin to 13 years' imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information about wealth from the ACC.The court also sentenced his wife Rupa Chowdhury to three years' jail and fined her Tk 50,000, as she was found guilty of abetting her husband in accumulating the wealth. She would have to serve an additional month in jail if she failed to pay the fine.Sheikh Helal, also a cousin of AL chief Sheikh Hasina, and his wife remain on the run and were tried in ...
(read more) Monday, February 25th, 2008Authorities concerned culled 58,032 domestic fowls and destroyed 53,434 eggs in eight districts yesterday following detection of avian influenza.With this 9,68,731 chickens have so far been culled and 11,71,636 eggs destroyed.Sources at the bird flu control room said chickens were culled at Shila Poultry, where bird flu was detected, and 13 other poultry farms within its one-kilometre radius in Savar.Chickens were also culled at farms in Jamalpur, Rajshahi, Thakurgaon, Feni, Gazipur, Bogra and Chandpur.A correspondent from Thakurgaon reports: At least 9,585 domestic fowls--9,553 chickens, 29 ducks and three pigeons--were culled and 30,091 eggs were destroyed in Jakkha village of Pirganj ...
(read more) Monday, February 25th, 2008Jacques Kallis' five-for in the morning session all but shattered Bangladesh's dreams of setting a challenging target as South Africa finished the third day of the first Test on the verge of a win at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.The sturdy right-arm paceman put an end to the two overnight batsmen's nearly hour-long resistance by getting the outside edge of Zunaed Siddiqui (74) to record-breaking wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.It started a predictable collapse that saw the home team lose their last six wickets for just 34 runs.Bangladesh's stumble in one session was nothing out of the ordinary but the ...
(read more) Monday, February 25th, 2008The Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) is expected to begin its journey in a few months by starting to set up its first industrial unit, claimed to be the world's largest shoe manufacturing factory.Kihak Sung, chairman of Korean company Youngone Corporation that owns the KEPZ, in an interview said depending on the market situation his company will pump in $70-100 million to set up the factory in phases from May.The factory with 72 assembly lines will employ 15,000 people when completed. It will produce more than 100,000 pairs of shoes every day--30 million pairs a year--for exporting.According to Sung, this ...
(read more) Monday, February 25th, 2008Although the government decided to recruit 13,202 police personnel in 2006-08 fiscal years, only half the target joined the force due to bureaucratic red tape with the deadline expiring in four months.The cabinet committee on law and order in 2006 approved an organogram to create posts and recruit 30,459 police personnel between the ranks of additional inspector general to constable in phases in five fiscal years.According to the new organogram, 6,497 police personnel were supposed to be recruited in 2006-07FY and 6,705 others in 2007-08FY. The government in two phases has already recruited 6,968 personnel but recruitment of 6,234 remains ...
(read more) Monday, February 25th, 2008The advisory council approved a proposal for constructing fencing boxes inside Bangladesh and India 150 yards from the zero point for operating passenger-train services between the two countries.A weekly meeting of the council of advisers, chaired by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, approved the proposal, incorporating the new provision in the draft agreement on cross-border passenger train movement.The new provision says, "Considering the security of passengers and trains, the government of India and the government of Bangladesh may construct a box-type temporary fencing from zero point along the railway of the respective territories on a mutually agreed drawing and design."It adds: ...
(read more) Monday, February 25th, 2008Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed arrived in New Delhi yesterday on a weeklong visit to India at the invitation of Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor.Bangladesh high commissioner to India and representatives of Indian Armed Forces, among others, received Gen Moeen at the airport.During his stay in the Indian capital, the army chief will call on India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister AK Antony. Besides, he will meet chiefs of the three services of India.Gen Kapoor will host a dinner on Sunday evening in honour of Gen Moeen. He will be given six ...
(read more) Monday, February 25th, 2008The government did not allow international human rights lawyer William Sloan to hold press conference in Dhaka on February 22 as he came to Bangladesh on a tourist visa, a home ministry release yesterday said.It said Sloan had told immigration officials on arrival at Zia International Airport on February 16 that he was very interested in seeing different paintings. As a tourist, it was only logical for him to see different paintings according to the country's law."But without doing that, Sloan, also president of Canada chapter of American Association of Jurists, attended dinner with lawyers, gave interviews to private media ...
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