Bangladesh News

One out of 88 DCC typists passes test

Friday, May 30th, 2008 Bribery was the key to landing a job for 88 typists at the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) in 2006. The taskforce that is currently investigating irregularities at the DCC has made the discovery, said sources. Investigators of the taskforce found out that each of the 88 new recruits paid between Tk 1 lakh and 1.5 lakh for the job to a section of dishonest DCC officials, the sources added. Sources at the taskforce said after the discovery, the taskforce from January 7 to 13 of this year arranged re-examination sessions for the recruits, but only one of the 88 was able to exceed ... (read more)

Tk 2.45cr Ill-gotten Wealth : Tofail, family sued

Friday, May 30th, 2008 The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday filed a case against senior Awami League (AL) leader Tofail Ahmed, his wife Anwara Ahmed and daughter Taslima Ahmed Zaman for corruption. ACC Deputy Director Golam Shahrier Chowdhury filed the case with Ramna Police Station accusing Tofail of amassing Tk 2.45 crore wealth, which is inconsistent with his known sources of income, and concealing information about Tk 1.86 crore in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC. Anwara Ahmed and Taslima Ahmed Zaman committed offence in abetting Tofail in the graft, the complainant said in the first information report (FIR). The former minister deposited Tk 1.86 crore, ... (read more)

Over 23pc drop out of HSC exams

Friday, May 30th, 2008 Over 23 percent students registered in class XI to sit for the HSC examinations this year have dropped out due mainly to financial constraints. About 6.07 lakh students were registered as regular students under nine education boards after passing Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations. But only 4.64 lakh sat for the Higher Secondary Certificates (HSC) examinations began yesterday, according to statistics prepared by authorities. As many as 143,297 students or 23.58 percent will not appear in this year's HSC examinations under seven education boards, one technical education board and one madrasa board, say the statistics published earlier by a coordination unit of ... (read more)

Biman strikes deal with Boeing in 2 weeks

Friday, May 30th, 2008 Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd is likely to strike a deal with US plane-maker Boeing to procure two Boeing 737-800s within the next two weeks. Biman is likely to sign another deal with Orient Thai in three-four days to lease a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet in order to minimise the disruptions in its flight schedules. Sources at the civil aviation ministry said the deal with Boeing will also include an option to buy two more similar planes. The two 737-800s, scheduled to arrive in 2015, will be used on regional routes. A high-level Boeing delegation is to arrive in Dhaka today to discuss ... (read more)

CA reiterates commitment to peace missions

Friday, May 30th, 2008 Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said Bangladesh's commitment to the United Nations is backed by her readiness to make substantial contributions to peace missions and tackle any challenging and complicated situation. “Bangladesh is also capable of mobilising well-trained and well-equipped forces having vast experiences at a very short notice. The government of Bangladesh remains committed to further modernising the country's armed forces and police to enable them to accomplish their noble tasks more effectively,” he said. The CA was addressing a function marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre here. The Armed Forces Division (AFD) in ... (read more)

No farewell for CJ on last working day

Friday, May 30th, 2008 The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) did not accord farewell to outgoing Chief Justice Md Ruhul Amin on his last day in office yesterday in protest against some recent judgments of the apex court. This was for the third time the SCBA refrained from giving farewell to a retiring chief justice. Earlier, the lawyers' body did this in the case Syed JR Mudassir Husain, who retired as chief justice on February 28 last year, for his 'arbitrary reconstitution 'of the court benches during his tenure, members of the SCBA said. And In 1989, it did not bid farewell to the then chief ... (read more)

Dialogue with business leaders June 3

Friday, May 30th, 2008 The government will meet business leaders, non-resident Bangladeshis and workers' representatives to discuss the electoral roadmap and political stability. Meanwhile, the Islamic Constitution Movement (ICM) during their dialogue with the caretaker government yesterday pressed for the formulation of a law to punish acts of blasphemy. Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday said the chief adviser will meet business leaders from across the country on June 3, which will be coordinated by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). FBCCI leaders met Zillur Wednesday when the apex body of business leaders expressed doubt over the dialogue and the chances of political ... (read more)

Vital documents eaten up by termites

Friday, May 30th, 2008 Important documents of the barge-mounted power plant graft case against former premier Sheikh Hasina and seven others have been found eaten up by termites. While cross-examining a prosecution witness at the Special Court-1 on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises yesterday, Hasina's counsels revealed that parts of several pages of the tender file of Wartsila Power Development Ltd Consortium has been destroyed by termites. The defence produced the file before the court and the court recorded the matter. The defence yesterday cross-examined two prosecution witnesses--Sub-Inspector and recording officer of the case AK Anwarul Islam and Additional Director of Power Development Board (PDB) Abdul Halim. Following ... (read more)

Ex-secy Akhter, 15 others charged

Friday, May 30th, 2008 The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against detained former power secretary ANH Akhter Hossain, incumbent Managing Director of Desco Saleh Ahmed and 14 others in the Desco share scam case. ACC Assistant Director Amirul Islam, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet against them to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court showing 26 people as prosecution witnesses. The charge sheeted accused include former chairman of Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority (Desa) Towhidul Islam, ex-joint energy secretary SM Mesbaul Islam, ex-deputy energy secretary Zahidur Rahman, incumbent Deputy Energy Secretary Abdullah Mahmud, Senior Assistant Secretary Laila Jesmin, Deputy Secretary ... (read more)

Charge sheet against Huji cadres Abu Zandal, Gharami

Friday, May 30th, 2008 A Satkhira court yesterday framed charges against Zandal and Gharami, operatives of banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji), for possession of 44 grenades. The two accused -- Moin Uddin alias Abu Zandal and Nazrul Islam Gharami -- were brought from Dhaka and produced before the court yesterday amid tight security for hearing of the case. Judge Ashish Ranajn Das of the District and Sessions Judge's Court passed the order and fixed June 4 and 5 for recording of statements from prosecution witnesses in the case, said court sources. Zandal, a close aide to Huji chief Mufti Hannan who led the ... (read more)