Archive for June 2nd, 2008
Monday, June 2nd, 2008In her first appearance at the court since her arrest, former premier Khaleda Zia yesterday demanded withdrawal the state of emergency by June and general elections by October this year.She came down heavily on the caretaker government, saying it is hatching conspiracy to make the country "dysfunctional" instead of holding the polls, its main task.The BNP chairperson was hauled before the Special Court-9, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, on a blue jeep amid tight security.Clad in a white chiffon saree and black sunglasses, Khaleda looked confident and waved hands to lawyers and journalist as she entered ...
(read more) Monday, June 2nd, 2008BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday asked her party's Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain not to bring any changes to party committees at different levels across the country.The former premier made her suggestions to Delwar, also her lawyer, during a closed-door meting after she appeared before the special court yesterday. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes.She asked him to keep the party united and prepare the party for a movement to restore democracy in the country.Khaleda replaced BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan with Delwar just before she was arrested last September.Earlier in the day, the special court granted ...
(read more) Monday, June 2nd, 2008The joint forces and police arrested 1,637 persons, including grassroots level leaders of the Awami League (AL) and BNP, across the country during their 24-hour drives until yesterday morning.The joint forces arrested 548 persons during their special drives while the police held 1,089 persons. Of those arrested by the police, 87 were arrested by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).According to DMP sources, of the 87 arrestees two are convicts in separate cases and 21 had arrest warrants against them while 46 were arrested in regular cases, six for mugging, two for murder, two in illegal arms cases and eight on ...
(read more) Monday, June 2nd, 2008The construction work of a 25-kilometre direct road between Bangladesh and Myanmar is likely to begin by the middle of next year.The communications ministry has already started the process of selecting a consulting firm for conducting the feasibility study and making the cost estimation of the highway, which would boost trade and interaction between the peoples of the two neighbouring countries.“We hope to start the construction works in nine months to one year,” Communications Secretary Dr Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday, adding that Myanmar is enthusiastic about it as well.Apart from facilitating trade between the two countries, ...
(read more) Monday, June 2nd, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday rejected a writ petition filed by detained former premier Sheikh Hasina challenging the legality of continuing the trial proceedings of the barge-mounted power plant graft case against her.Hasina filed the writ petition stating that according to the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1958, trial proceedings of a criminal case must be completed within 60 days of taking the case into cognisance.She mentioned in the petition that the trial of the case against her became 'functus officio' or null and void, and no court has the jurisdiction anymore to try it now, as the trial court ...
(read more) Monday, June 2nd, 2008Near about 3,000 appeals have been filed with the Election Commission (EC) till yesterday -- the last day for the filing of appeals against re-demarcation of 51 parliamentary constituencies.This is by far the largest number of such appeals filed by leaders of various political parties following the EC's move to re-demarcate 133 constituencies before the next parliamentary elections.Earlier in 1984, when the EC took steps to redraw parliamentary constituencies, only 307 appeals were received by the EC.The latest re-demarcation plan of the EC was unveiled on April 29 this year amid growing opposition from major political parties that maintain that ...
(read more) Monday, June 2nd, 2008Detained former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is accused in three cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during the rule of the interim government.The first case -- Gatco graft case -- was filed on September 2 with Tejgaon Police Station, while the Niko scam case was filed with the same police station on December 9 last year.The third case -- Barapukuria coalmine graft case -- was filed with Shahbagh Police Station on February 26 this year.The ACC filed the Gatco graft case against 13 including Khaleda and her son Arafat Rahman Koko on charge of ...
(read more) Monday, June 2nd, 2008Rapid Action Battalion has arrested two men who were part of the team that threw grenades on an Awami League (AL) rally in the capital on August 21, 2004.The two detained men later in a news briefing admitted to journalists that they took part in the grenade attack which was aimed at assassinating AL chief Sheikh Hasina.Rab arrested Rafiqul Islam alias Sabuj, 28, from Baliakandi of Rajbari, and Uzzal Hossain alias Ratan, 26, from Noahata under Sripur in Magura in the 24 hours preceding 3:30pm yesterday, Rab Additional Director General (ADG) Col Gulzar Uddin Ahmed told a news briefing yesterday.The ...
(read more) Monday, June 2nd, 2008Severe traffic congestion choked the city's Farmgate and adjoining areas yesterday as the law enforcers closed the busy thoroughfares leading to parliament area for nearly three hours.The step was taken on security grounds as AL chief Sheikh Hasina and BNP chief Khaleda Zia were produced in the special courts set up in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex in separate cases.From about 9:30am, all sorts of vehicles were barred in the road stretching from the Rokeya Sarani and Bijoy Sarani to Farmgate-Manik Mia Avenue intersection, just in front of the main entrance of the special courts area.Commuters from ...
(read more) Monday, June 2nd, 2008Communications Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader yesterday said the government is leaving no stones unturned to bring Awami League (AL) and BNP to the ongoing political dialogue with the government."It is the political parties that demanded the dialogue. It is they who earlier said no condition can be imposed. You see, the government has not imposed any conditions," the adviser said talking about the government initiatives to bring AL and BNP to the table.”Now it is their duty to join the dialogue," Quader told reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat.Trying to explain that the government is not the opponent of political ...
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