Archive for May 15th, 2008
Thursday, May 15th, 2008The caretaker government yesterday invited 13 more political parties including the Awami League (AL) and both the factions of BNP to the electoral reform dialogue, which will begin at the chief adviser's office from May 22.The other parties are Jatiya Party (JP), Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Unity for Political Reforms, Islami Shashantantra Andolon, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Khalequzzaman), Khelafat Andolon (Hafezzihujur), Khelafat Majlish of Shaikhul Hadith, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, and Progressive Democratic Party.The AL said yesterday that it would participate in the dialogue with party chief Sheikh Hasina freed.It prepared a six-point charter of demands including ...
(read more) Thursday, May 15th, 2008The caretaker government has moved to ensure that people get information about functioning of local government bodies as part of efforts to establish accountability and transparency in their activities.The LGRD ministry has drafted laws on different local government bodies incorporating provisions for people's access to information, and punishment for refusal to give information, sources said.The council of advisers to the caretaker government has already finalised two draft ordinances on city corporations and municipalities which contain provisions allowing citizens to have information on them.In the proposed ordinances on zila, upazila and union parishads, the LGRD ministry has incorporated ...
(read more) Thursday, May 15th, 2008The northern horizon of Dhaka City is going to see a lot of changes as Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) is developing its most ambitious residential project yet in a nine-square-kilometre vast wetland in Uttara.Once the project is fully implemented, commuters will also notice significant changes in the communication between the central and northern parts of the city.Under the new project, 20km from the Zero Point of Dhaka City, vast wetland just behind the botanical garden beside the Mirpur flood protection embankment is being filled up dividing each residential sector into multiple blocks.Rajuk authorities said almost 30 percent space is being ...
(read more) Thursday, May 15th, 2008A special court yesterday jailed former state minister for law barrister Shahjahan Omar for 13 years for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).The court dealing with graft cases also sentenced his wife Mehjabin Farjana Omar to three years' imprisonment for abetting him and keeping the ill-gotten wealth in her possession.Another special court yesterday sentenced detained Daily Janakantha Editor Atiqullah Khan Masud to seven years imprisonment in yet another case filed against him on charge of forging a Rajuk approval for a building design.The court also fined Atiqullah Tk 1,22,44,200 in ...
(read more) Thursday, May 15th, 2008Leaders of both factions in BNP in a crucial meeting yesterday reached a consensus and prepared a draft charter for reuniting the party, which will be made public soon, according to meeting sources.The meeting reached a consensus that pro-Saifur faction will nullify the decisions made in the much disputed October 29, 2007 meeting of the so-called standing committee, where the clique was formed appointing Saifur Rahman and Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed acting chairman and acting secretary general respectively.The move will mean dissolution of pro-Saifur faction and merger of it with Khaleda loyalists currently led by the detained chairperson ...
(read more) Thursday, May 15th, 2008Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Motiur Rahman Nizami yesterday alleged that the caretaker government is not taking proper initiatives for the electoral reform dialogue with political parties and is rather making a fresh move to arrest political leaders."There has been a move to create a vacuum in the country's leadership through depoliticisation," Nizami said yesterday--just a day after the Anti-Corruption Commission pressed charges against him and others in the Gatco graft case."So far as I came to know, a process is underway for arresting me. But I am not worried about myself. I have not committed any corruption...I am worried about the country ...
(read more) Thursday, May 15th, 2008The Department of Shipping has proposed forming shipping police to intensify patrol on river routes for strengthening enforcement of rules and checking launch disasters.The department, which failed to check such disasters occurring every year despite various steps over the years, also requested the government to form the police wing with cops from the police department."We have requested the government to immediately appoint 50 police personnel for only monitoring if the vessels are following the rules," said Shipping Department Director General Captain AKM Shafiqullah.He said the government is sincerely considering the proposal.According to sources in the shipping department and Bangladesh Inland ...
(read more) Thursday, May 15th, 2008The collision between two passenger trains at Ashuganj early yesterday took place due to violation of signal by the Sylhet-bound Upaban Express drivers and negligence on part of Ashuganj stationmaster, a top railway official said.The accident killed eight people and injured about 100 others. Besides, the Bangladesh Railway incurred a loss of over Tk 2 crore as five compartments of the two trains and the engine of the Upaban Express were damaged and the Ashuganj terminal smashed.Director General of Bangladesh Railway (BR) Mohammad Belayet Hossain told The Daily Star, "Two drivers of the Upaban Express and the stationmaster of Ashuganj ...
(read more) Thursday, May 15th, 2008Food ministry will send a letter to the Bangladesh Bank (BB) today urging it to ask private commercial banks not to provide loan facilities to individuals who might use it for stockpiling rice.The initiative is aimed at making the current boro procurement drive of the government successful and stabilising the price of rice, said food ministry sources adding that the BB earlier instructed all commercial banks to ensure that their rice miller clients repay loans within three months of disbursement of the loans.Meanwhile, the boro procurement drive that was launched on April 17 has yet to gain momentum. As per ...
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