Archive for May 23rd, 2008
Friday, May 23rd, 2008Former president and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad was yesterday acquitted in another corruption case filed against him 17 years ago.The former president faced numerous criminal charges after he was deposed in a popular uprising in 1990. In August and September 2006, he was acquitted in four graft cases following his announcement of joining the BNP-led four-party alliance. He was also acquitted in a gold smuggling case.Judge Golam Mortuza Majumder of the Special Court for Dhaka Division also acquitted detained former chairman of Bangladesh Shilpa Bank AKM Mosharraf Hossain and four others in the case.The four others are Managing Director ...
(read more) Friday, May 23rd, 2008The cross-examination of the barge-mounted power plant graft case against former premier Sheikh Hasina and seven others continued yesterday with the defence asking the plaintiff whether he investigated the case being directed by the high-ups.In response, SM Sabbir Hasan, also investigation officer and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) deputy director, only said, "No."The defence cross-examined Sabbir, the first prosecution witness, on investigation during over two-hour trial at the special court set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises from 10:00am.The trial began at the court of Special Judge Firoz Alam on Wednesday.The judge adjourned trial at 12:25pm and fixed May 25 (Sunday) ...
(read more) Friday, May 23rd, 2008A student of Chittagong University (CU) died yesterday crushed by the wheels of the university shuttle train after he attempted to jump from a foot over-bridge onto the roof of the moving train at Sholoshahar Railway Station in Chittagong.The ill-fated was identified as Mahmudul Hasan Mamun, a third year student of the accounting department.In reaction to his premature death, students of the university barricaded the station and torched its furniture, stationmaster's office, police rooms and two compartments of the train. They virtually closed down the station for six hours.The blockade resulted in massive traffic jams across the port city.Sources and ...
(read more) Friday, May 23rd, 2008Tagar, one of the four criminals who escaped from Chuadanga district prison last week, was killed in a shootout between the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and his cohorts at Patikabari village in sadar upazila in Kushtia district early yesterday.The criminal, Asiqur Rahman Tagar, 32, was earlier arrested from a hideout in Uttara of the capital city Wednesday morning and brought to Kushtia for interrogation.He is linked with the outlawed Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) and also is the leader Tagar Bahini, a gang named after him, which is active in several southwestern districts.According to a Rab press briefing in Kushtia yesterday, ...
(read more) Friday, May 23rd, 2008A diploma engineer of Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (Desa) resides in a palatial house on a 45-katha land worth Tk 15 crore in the city's posh Banasree area.Majibur Rahman, a sub-divisional engineer of the Sales and Supply Department at the Satmasjid Road branch of Desa, also owns over 500 kathas of land in and outside the city and a five-storey building on a 10-katha land worth Tk 6 crore at North Goran.Sources alleged that Majibur has amassed wealth--land properties, assets and money--worth over Tk 100 crore through fake vouchers, forgery through fake billing and illegal electricity connections.Hailing from Homna upazila ...
(read more) Friday, May 23rd, 2008The Election Commission (EC) will ask the government to form a constitution review commission to recommend amendments critical to ensuring a strong parliamentary democracy.Talking to reporters at his office yesterday, Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain said a number of issues need to be addressed through constitutional amendments.Those include allowing lawmakers to play due role in parliament, increasing the number of parliamentary seats, introducing bi-cameral parliament and proportional representation, raising the number of reserved seats for women through direct election and restructuring power between the highest constitutional posts.“Our recommendation to form the review commission will be among the suggestions to be ...
(read more) Friday, May 23rd, 2008The Awami League (AL) and BNP have started talks with their allies to settle strategies for dealing with crucial issues including release of former premiers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia and their participation in the ongoing dialogue with the government.The BNP-led four-party alliance yesterday held a meeting and prepared a 14-point charter of demands including release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia after withdrawal of all cases against her and ensuring her participation in the dialogue.The AL has also sat with the components of the 14-party combine in the last couple of days and reached a consensus that the dialogue would ...
(read more) Friday, May 23rd, 2008The government yesterday started the pre-polls formal dialogue with political parties, meeting the Workers Party of Bangladesh (WP) and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) and assuring them all "necessary" steps to ensure other parties' participation in the talks.But the Awami League acting president took the wind out of the dialogue's sails yesterday, saying the party is still unsure about its participation thanks to the detention of party chief Sheikh Hasina.The first two of the much-awaited meetings also fleshed out some key points of the government agenda for the talks, including how the next government could review the constitution and create a ...
(read more) Friday, May 23rd, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday ruled that the Election Commission (EC) has violated the constitution by not holding the general election within the stipulated 90 days since dissolution of parliament.It, however, accepted the commission's decision to hold the long-stalled election in December this year, considering it reasonable in the context of existing realities.In reaction to the HC observations, Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain said the present EC was formed after expiry of the 90-day time limit.With ATM Shamsul Huda at helm, it took charge on February 5 last year.Ruling on a writ petition yesterday morning, an HC bench comprising ...
(read more) Friday, May 23rd, 2008A Rajshahi court yesterday sentenced to death four persons including Rajshahi University (RU) teacher Dr Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin for the gruesome killing of RU geology and mining department teacher Dr S Taher Ahmed.The three others are caretaker at Taher's residence Jahangir Alam, his brother Abdus Salam and brother-in-law Nazmul. They had made judicial confessions.In the judgement, Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge ATM Mesbauddoula acquitted two of the accused -- former RU Islami Chhatra Shibir president Mahbubul Alam Salehi, a suspected mastermind of the killing, and Jahangir's father Azimuddin Munshi.Mohiuddin, a brother-in-law of former post and telecommunications minister Barrister Aminul ...
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