Archive for May 6th, 2008
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia and 10 others for graft in awarding a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko.Former law minister Moudud Ahmed and state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain are among the other charge-sheeted accused.The anti-graft body is likely to submit charge sheet today against Sheikh Hasina, another detained former prime minister, and six others in a case filed on similar charges.This is the first time charges were pressed against Khaleda since her arrest on September 3 last year.ACC Assistant Director SM Sahidur Rahman, also ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 6th, 2008The next fiscal budget may set a target of Tk 70,200 crore as revenue collection, which will be 23 percent higher compared to the revenue income target of the current fiscal year.But despite the huge revenue target the government will have to depend on loans from banking sector to meet deficit of the planned Tk 100,800 crore budget in coming fiscal, sources said.The original budget of the current fiscal year set 16 percent revenue growth compared to the revised budget of the preceding year. The current fiscal budget sets a target to collect Tk 57,300 crore revenue.Preliminary estimate shows that ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 6th, 2008Awami League (AL) yesterday renewed its call to the caretaker government to release its detained chief Sheikh Hasina immediately, so the party may take part in the upcoming parliamentary election under her leadership.The country's present political crisis will not be resolved without the release of AL chief, said senior leaders of the party yesterday while addressing the party's token hunger strikers demanding Hasina's release, who has been detained since July 16 of last year.AL went on a six-hour token hunger strike to press home the demand for Hasina's unconditional release, and for permission to send her to the ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 6th, 2008Most of over 5,500 buses and minibuses running on city routes frequently violate traffic rules, contributing to traffic congestion and making it hazardous for passengers, pedestrians and other transport.These public vehicles stop almost anywhere to pick up or drop passengers, even while crossing a traffic signal or in the middle of a crossroads. A moment of chaos is immediately created as other vehicles behind impatiently honk to cross the signal before the red lights are on.This is an everyday scene in all the main bus stoppages including Mirpur-1 and 10, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and Gulistan.Moreover, operators of these buses 'invent' ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 6th, 2008The government-formed environment monitoring committee to oversee Chevron's 3D seismic survey in Lawachhara forest yesterday said that the US oil and gas company has violated the conditions of government's environment clearance certificate (ECC).Chevron did not inform the environment ministry about the fire incident on April 26 and about cracks developed on many houses in the area due to explosions during seismic survey, which is in clear violation of the ECC, said a report by the committee.It recommended the government warn Chevron and cancel the ECC issued to it if it violates the conditions again. The committee also recommended demanding ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 6th, 2008At least nine foreign oil and gas companies including some leading global names have expressed keen interest in the country's offshore block bidding for exploration.Some of these companies are expected to submit tomorrow their offers for exploration in eight shallow water blocks and 20 deep-sea blocks in the Bay of Bengal.Petrobangla said it sold promotional package and data of the offshore blocks worth $ 1.26 million to 24 companies. Of them, nine purchased both promotional and data packages and the others purchased only the promotional package.US company Chevron, Norwegian Statoilhydro Company, US Conono Phillips, Australian Santos International and Pearl Energy ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 6th, 2008More than 10,000 people have been killed in a tropical cyclone that struck Myanmar at the weekend, Foreign Minister Nyan Win told state television yesterday, adding that his nation would welcome international aid."According to the latest information, more than 10,000 people were killed," Nyan Win said, after briefing foreign diplomats."Information is still being collected, and there could be more casualties," he added.Nyan Win also welcomed Thailand's promise to send emergency food and medicine, saying Myanmar would welcome international aid from other countries."We will welcome help like this from other countries, because our people are in difficulty," he said.He said 57 ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 6th, 2008Detained Harkatul Jihad (Huji) leader Arif Hasan Sumon yesterday confessed to a court that he along with three other Huji members took four bombs to the Pahela Baishakh celebrations at Ramna Batamul on April 14, 2001 and detonated them remotely.After his five-day remand in two phases under Criminal Investigation Department's (CID) custody, he gave the confessional statement before Metropolitan Magistrate Waliul Islam between 2:30pm and 5:30pm yesterday.In the statement, he said he and three other Huji activists--Jewel, Sujan and Jony-- carried out the bomb attack at Ramna Batamul. He said three of the four bombs kept in a food ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 6th, 2008Apart from political parties, civil society representatives will also be invited to the formal dialogue with the government, Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said yesterday.“The chief adviser will address the nation in a week giving guidelines about the formal dialogue,” the commerce adviser told reporters at the Secretariat after a dialogue preparatory meeting at the office of Communications Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader.Zillur Rahman, is one of the five advisers assigned to coordinate pre-dialogue talks between the government and political parties, business community and civil society representatives.“We are now at the final stage of preparation for holding formal dialogue,” ...
(read more) Tuesday, May 6th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) plans to form an all-party working group in each district comprising representatives of registered political parties in an effort to check 'misdemeanour or malpractice' of observers in the coming parliamentary elections.In view of bitter experience in dealing with large number of polls observers in the past, the EC has drafted a code of conduct and strict guidelines for appointment and deployment of election observers, and plans formation of the working group, sources in the EC said.“The group shall be entrusted with two specifics tasks-- screening the background of persons nominated by the (observer) organisations ...
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