Archive for April 21st, 2008
Monday, April 21st, 2008The men and women wrap up old tubes, cloth, thick polythene sheets and whatever they have around their legs every day before entering workplace because they know a moment's carelessness might make them disabled forever.They know very well their 'precautionary' measures would come to little help if a splash of melting metal falls on their feet, but these are everything they could manage.One of them, Suruj Mia, risks severe burns every day when he along with fellow workers goes near the furnace of the factory.Pointing to his feet in frustration, he says, "This is all we can do to save ...
(read more) Monday, April 21st, 2008Five out of eight BNP standing committee members, who are neither in jail nor expelled by its detained chairperson, asked the Election Commission (EC) yesterday to invite Khandaker Delwar Hossain as the legitimate representative of the party to the electoral reform talks with it.The request came in form of an official letter to the EC from the five standing committee members on the last day of deadline set by the commission for two feuding factions of the party to reconcile.A delegation of the faction loyal to Chairperson Khaleda Zia handed over the letter signed by the five to the ...
(read more) Monday, April 21st, 2008Awami League (AL) faces a dilemma of whether or not to participate in the ninth parliamentary election after a signal from the government that its detained chief Sheikh Hasina might be convicted of graft.Besides, it has yet to decide what it would do if she is not sent abroad for treatment immediately.This all has left the party confused about whether to join the proposed dialogue with the military-backed caretaker administration.Recently, some AL leaders were conveyed the message that the government would not show any 'leniency' towards Hasina and Khaleda Zia, former prime ministers in detention.Talking to The Daily Star ...
(read more) Monday, April 21st, 2008A staggering 1,344 people have been killed and 2,995 others injured in 1,110 road accidents on the stretch of narrow highway between Mirzapur and the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge since the inauguration of the bridge in 1997.Number of casualties on the highway has been rising steadily due to manifold problems -- traffic too heavy for the two-lane highway, reckless driving and other forms of traffic rules violations, hazardous bridges, absence of patrolling by law enforcers and lack of trauma and medical emergency facilities, said experts.Tangail police superintendent's office sources that provided the casualty data said among the injured, over 1,000 have ...
(read more) Monday, April 21st, 2008The issue of release of the former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia will come up during the formal dialogue between the caretaker government and the political parties, LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal said yesterday.“It (the issue of the two ex-PMs' release) will be on the agenda (of formal dialogue), though it is not being discussed in the pre-dialogue talks,” he told reporters while replying to a query at the Secretariat.At the moment, however, the advisers are working to set the modality of the formal dialogue, not the agenda, Anwarul said. “We're now working to build trust for the dialogue.” ...
(read more) Monday, April 21st, 2008British Metropolitan Police Service Scotland Yard is helping Bangladesh government and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in bringing back the siphoned off money to the country, outgoing British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury said yesterday."Wherever there is corruption, we will stand and help people to fight that issue," he told the press after a farewell visit to the ACC chairman and commissioners yesterday."Therefore, it is very natural for us to cooperate with Bangladesh government and the Anti-Corruption Commission...Scotland Yard is cooperating with the Anti-Corruption Commission on these cases," he said.Replying to a question regarding the cooperation from Scotland Yard, Choudhury said, "They ...
(read more) Monday, April 21st, 2008The government will not allow any hajj agencies to offer packages to aspirant hajj pilgrims if they do not sign an agreement with the government by April 30.In order to stop irregularities in sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, the government will publish in newspapers a list of agencies authorised to offer hajj packages to pilgrims "so that people do not fall victim to dishonest hajj agencies", officials of the religious affairs ministry said.The ministry sent letters to 269 hajj agencies in March and asked them to sign the agreement form made in line with the National Hajj Policy amended last ...
(read more) Monday, April 21st, 2008The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against detained Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader and his wife Ishratunnesa in a case filed for accumulating wealth illegally and concealing information in Quader's wealth statement.Meanwhile a Dhaka court has issued arrest warrants against a former member of National Board of Revenue (NBR) ATM Sarwar Hossain and his wife Nazma Sarwar in a case filed against them, also for amassing wealth through illegal means.CASE AGAINST OBAIDUL QUADER ACC Assistant Director, and investigation officer (IO) of the case, SM Shahidur Rahman submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court ...
(read more) Monday, April 21st, 2008The council of advisers of the caretaker government yesterday approved the Gram Sarker (Rescission) Ordinance 2008 abolishing the much-debated Gram Sarkar, the lowest tier of local government.The Gram Sarker Act 2003 that introduced the village government will be scrapped through the new ordinance.The council of advisers at its regular weekly meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair also gave final approval to the Bangladesh University of Professionals Ordinance 2008 to bring all educational and training institutions of Bangladesh Armed Forces under a single university. Earlier, those institutions were under various universities.The Gram Sarker Act 2003 ...
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