Archive for May 16th, 2008
Friday, May 16th, 2008A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against 12 'absconding' accused in the Gatco scam case, including former ministers M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Matiur Rahman Nizami, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court directed the court's officials instantly to send copies of the arrest warrants to police stations concerned, asking the law enforcing agencies to report to the court about implementation of the order on May 22.The judge also fixed May 22 to produce the arrestees including Khaleda Zia and the fugitive accused, including Saifur ...
(read more) Friday, May 16th, 2008Despite failing to complete Maddhapara hard rock mine project even 10 years behind schedule, North Korean company Namnam is now asking the government to repay instalments of loans that it arguably did not give, highly placed sources said.Namnam is also trying to make the government accept the unfinished mine project as a completed one. And accordingly, it is trying to end the one-year guarantee period on May 24 without doing the project's unfinished tasks that it had promised to complete last year.While the company is claiming loan repayment instalments of $6.5 million, it actually owes Maddhapara Granite Mining Company ...
(read more) Friday, May 16th, 2008The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against detained former law minister barrister Moudud Ahmed in a case filed in connection with amassing wealth through illegal means and withholding information about wealth from the commission.The ACC alleged that Moudud amassed wealth worth over Tk 7.38 crore through illegal means and concealed information about wealth worth over Tk 4.40 crore from the commission.ACC Assistant Director Mohammad Ibrahim, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet against the BNP leader before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka showing 82 people as prosecution witnesses.On September 16, ACC Deputy Assistant ...
(read more) Friday, May 16th, 2008Prices of a number of drugs including inhalers, eye drops, oral saline and contraceptives have risen tremendously in recent times when people are already struggling to cope with rising prices of essentials.Drug retailers are not selling the drugs at maximum retail price (MRP) printed on the drugs with the excuse that the supply of the drugs are scarce and they are buying the drugs at higher prices from sources other than the manufacturers, alleged frequent users of the drugs.Scant supply has led to the price increase of some drugs including oral re-hydration saline, inhalers of Sulbutamol group, Aflinocol and ...
(read more) Friday, May 16th, 2008The efforts of electoral and political reforms made so far are unlikely to be successful as the issues could not be discussed at grassroots level due to the nationwide ban on politics, politicians and civil society members said yesterday.Under the state of emergency, politicians were under "different threats" that compelled them to remain indoors and prevented freedom of thought, they said, adding that the period did not have a congenial environment for reforms.Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, however, said the nationwide ban on politics has been lifted and the political parties should use whatever time they now ...
(read more) Friday, May 16th, 2008Leaders of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami against whom warrants of arrest were issued in connection with the Gatco graft case are still staying at homes although dozens of political leaders including Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia were arrested prior to or hours after lodging cases.These leaders, presumably blessed by a section in the government, may take the opportunity of the government's "soft stance" and not surrender to the court before May 22, the date for hearing of the case.A Dhaka court yesterday morning issued the arrest warrants against 12 persons. Earlier Tuesday night, charges were pressed against them along with former ...
(read more) Friday, May 16th, 2008The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) yesterday observed a two-hour work abstention at the Appellate Division, protesting some recent judgments of the apex court.The state law officers including Attorney General (AG) barrister Fida M Kamal and a group of lawyers led by former vice-chairman of Bar Council Khondker Mahbub Hossain however attended the court proceedings during the SCBA programme that began at 9:00am.The full-bench Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Ruhul Amin sat at 9:30am and carried out their judicial function as usual. They heard 25 out of 36 cases on the cause-list for yesterday.Speaking to newsmen at his ...
(read more) Friday, May 16th, 2008The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to file two cases against nine individuals, including former BNP ministers Shamsul Islam and Shajahan Siraj, and businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun, for corruption in making permanent allocation of about 24 acres of forestland in Bhawal National Park, Gazipur.The accused also include Orion Group Chairman Obaidul Karim, Shajahan Siraj's son Rajib Siraj, two incumbent senior government officials and a retired secretary. of accused.ACC Director General Col Hanif Iqbal told the regular briefing that the commission approved the filing of the cases for corruption relating to forestland.The first case will be filed against eight individuals for ...
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