Archive for April 28th, 2008
Monday, April 28th, 2008The government is likely to begin the much-awaited formal dialogue with the political parties in the first or second week of May.Speaking to the media yesterday, chief adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim said the agenda, format and venue of the dialogue and role of the participants will be finalised following a report on the meetings between advisers and political parties.He said the five advisers tasked with laying the groundwork will wrap up the preparatory meetings tomorrow and submit their report to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed the following day [Wednesday].At a press briefing at the Chief Adviser's Office in ...
(read more) Monday, April 28th, 2008Saifur Rahman faction of BNP yesterday asked the Election Commission (EC) to curtail the wholesale authority of law enforcement agencies to arrest anybody without a warrant on the polling day, and suggested empowering only the officers engaged in parliamentary election duties with the authority.Saifur loyalists also demanded announcement of the schedule for the stalled ninth parliamentary election soon, withdrawal of the state of emergency, and release of detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia."Only the officers [of law enforcement agencies] should have the power, to prevent it from being misused," said detained BNP Chairperson's Adviser Mofazzal Karim, who placed a ...
(read more) Monday, April 28th, 2008Detained Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said she would not leave politics on anyone's dictates.She made the comments to her lawyers after the court trying the MiG-29 graft case against her and six others adjourned the hearing on charge framing till May 4.“Everyone in the present caretaker government that wants to keep me from politics by filing cases must remember I won't give up politics on anyone's instructions.“It would be me and my people who would decide whether I should continue to be in politics,” one of the counsels for the former prime minister quoted her as saying. ...
(read more) Monday, April 28th, 2008A special court dealing with corruption cases yesterday sentenced former Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selim to 13 years imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).The court also sentenced Selim's wife Gulshan Ara to three years' imprisonment for abetting her husband and keeping the ill-gotten wealth in her possession.She was also fined Tk 1 lakh, in default of which she has to suffer six months more in prison.Judge Sirajul Islam of Special Judge's Court-7, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, also fined Selim Tk 10 lakh, in ...
(read more) Monday, April 28th, 2008Following an incident of fire in the eco-sensitive Lawachhara National Park during a seismic survey, US oil company Chevron Bangladesh suspended its survey work and launched an investigation.On Saturday, a fire broke out in the forest area where Chevron was conducting a three dimensional seismic survey for better understanding of the reserves of the nearby Moulavibazar gas field. Locals and forest department personnel doused the fire in an acre of the forestland known as Khashiya Punji.Amid concerns expressed by environmentalists, Chevron last month started the survey in the forest located close to the sealed-off Magurchhara gas field which blew ...
(read more) Monday, April 28th, 2008The ulema committee formed to review the National Women Development Policy could not pinpoint in its recommendations which provisions of the policy contradict the Quran and Sunnah, said a section of Islamic scholars.Considering the policy as a good document for establishing rights of every human being, they said those who are violating laws and threatening the government with greater movements have vested interests and should be brought under trial."The review committee could not pinpoint any verse in the Quran that the women development policy contradicts," said Hafez Maulana Ziaul Hasan, chairman of Sammilito Islami Jote.Talking to The Daily Star, a ...
(read more) Monday, April 28th, 2008The pro-Saifur faction of BNP could not break away from the tradition and hired hundreds of people to show off their strength as they sat with the Election Commission (EC) for the reforms dialogue yesterday.Most of these "supporters", who gathered on the road between the EC Secretariat and Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the presence of huge police force, were collected from different garment factories in Mirpur, Phulbaria and Sayedabad bus terminals, and Jatrabari kitchen market.However, there is a ban on such gathering and the police had filed a case under the Emergency Power Rules against the BNP faction loyal ...
(read more) Monday, April 28th, 2008Khaleda Zia-appointed BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday said the dialogue between the pro-Saifur faction and the Election Commission (EC) is part of a blueprint to exclude BNP from the election process."They [pro-Saifur faction] have been invited to the dialogue and they might even get the election symbol of sheaf of paddy but they will not be able to reach the people," Delwar told the press at his Nam flat."They will not be able to go to the constituencies with the election symbol as the people will give them a befitting reply," he said, adding that the Saifur-Hafiz group ...
(read more) Monday, April 28th, 2008Victims of an arson attack on four hilly villages under Baghaichhari upazila in Rangamati yesterday alleged that Bangalee settlers there set fire to their 77 houses on the night of April 20.They further alleged that some defence personnel were present during the occurrence.At a news conference held at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) the victims from indigenous communities of the hilly district demanded immediate arrest and punishment of the perpetrators.They also demanded compensation for and rehabilitation of the victims, and removal of the Bangalee settlers from the area.Binoy Chakma read out a written statement at the news conference, which was ...
(read more) Monday, April 28th, 2008The Awami League (AL) yesterday postponed its token hunger strike scheduled for tomorrow in all 64 districts "due to the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election".AL sources said they will observe the programme announced earlier only in the capital on May 5.The decision came at an emergency presidium meeting last night at party's acting President Zillur Rahman's Gulshan residence in the capital.The hunger strike programme was organised to press home the demand for the release of detained party President Sheikh Hasina.The programme has been postponed due to the SCBA election scheduled for tomorrow and the next day across ...
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