Archive for June 4th, 2008
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008Garment workers vandalised over 30 factories, two banks and three markets and set fire to a lorry and damaged over 40 vehicles in Savar yesterday following the rumour of a fellow worker's death in a road accident.Over 100 workers and pedestrians were injured during the attacks launched by several hundred garment workers who also blockaded the Abdullahpur-DEPZ road for five hours causing immense sufferings to commuters.Rupali, factory operator of Sharmin Group, and her sister Dipali of the same factory were hit by a lorry while they were crossing the road in front of the factory at Narasinghapur at about 8:00am ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 4th, 2008Business leaders yesterday told the government that they fear the current political crisis will give rise to political instability jeopardising the possibility of holding a credible general election.They also demanded a return to democracy through credible elections.The government, in turn, assured the business leaders that there is no reason to have doubts regarding the upcoming elections or the ongoing politico-electoral dialogues, but said political parties also have a responsibility to break the stalemate, for moving forward towards the elections.In the first meeting of a series of dialogues between the government and citizen groups, the business leaders also offered to work ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 4th, 2008The authorities have taken an initiative to find out how to release the two detained former prime ministers either conditionally or unconditionally to ensure their participation in the ongoing dialogue with political parties, but both have refused to accept any condition for their release.Sources said the two former premiers -- Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia-- might be released either on parole or on bail within a few days but they have to accept several conditions.In the last few weeks, unofficial talks between the two leaders and the authorities at various levels, also caretaker government advisers, took place at the ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 4th, 2008The government is going to propose Tk 25,600 crore outlay for the next fiscal year's Annual Development Programme (ADP), 57 percent of which will come from foreign funding, planning ministry sources said.The draft ADP will be placed before the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Saturday with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair.The national budget for the FY 2008-09 will be placed on June 9.The government will provide special allocations for creating food security, development of ICT sector and eradication of regional disparity in development works in the next ADP, sources said.According to the planning ministry proposal, ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 4th, 2008Former state minister for communications Salahuddin Ahmed was sentenced to 13 years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) on two counts in a corruption case yesterday.Meantime, a Dhaka court yesterday jailed detained former BNP lawmaker MAH Salim alias Silver Salim for five years' RI on charge of extorting Tk 10 lakh from a construction firm owner in 2003.Judge AKM Arifur Rahman of Special Court-10 also fined the detained ex-state minister Tk 2 crore, defaulting on which will hand him one more year in jail.His wife and co-accused Hasina Ahmed was acquitted on all charges.Salahuddin was jailed for 10 years for amassing ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 4th, 2008Political parties have a greater role to play in making the ongoing dialogue a success since it was actually their proposal, two advisers of the caretaker government said yesterday.“The political parties proposed the dialogue… it is the responsibility of all quarters, especially of the political parties, to make the dialogue a success for stability and advancement of the country,” Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said.He made the remarks when asked if the government was trying to communicate with the former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to make sure that Awami League (AL) and BNP, the two major political ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 4th, 2008UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for a huge rise in food production Tuesday as world leaders started a summit on the food price crisis that threatens to plunge millions more people into poverty.The UN secretary general said food output had to rise 50 percent by 2030 to meet rising demand, increased finance for agriculture and the elimination of "trade and taxation policies that distort markets."Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda urged fellow world leaders to release excess stockpiles of food to ease shortages in poorer countries, offering more than 300,000 tonnes of imported rice held by Japan."I believe that this not ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 4th, 2008The government yesterday published Building Construction Rules-2008 allowing highest 67.5 percent of a plot of land for constructing buildings.Under the new rule, which is amended Building Construction Rules-2007, owners of up to two kathas of land will be allowed to use highest 67.5 percent of their plot of land to construct a building, an official of the Department of Architecture said.They would have to construct building leaving 0.8 metre space at the edges instead of the previous one metre, he added.The changes were made as small landowners had been expressing dissatisfaction over the Building Construction Rules-2007, an official of ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 4th, 2008Incidence of gas pipe leakage that can lead to fatal accidents is becoming frequent as a good part of the city's gas distribution pipelines has become old through the decades and subject to careless handling by various construction works.Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd that handles country's 70 percent gas supplies says that in the city alone it deals with a dozen cases of pipeline leakages daily.As this number is alarming, the company is now taking up a pipeline survey project that will pinpoint weak pipelines needing replacement and repairs. This project may be undertaken next winter.Monday ...
(read more) Wednesday, June 4th, 2008Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University (SAU) was closed yesterday for an indefinite period following violent student demonstrations over their 7-point demands.The agitating students gave a 24-hour ultimatum for meeting their demands, defying the SAU authorities' order to vacate dormitories by 5:00pm.However, at around 8:00pm, a number of students were seen leaving their dorms, said witnesses.Dr Ruhul Amin, proctor of SAU, told The Daily Star that last week, when the university was officially open, students of levels 2, 3 and 4 went on vacation without approval from the authorities.As a disciplinary measure, the academic council of the university at a meeting on May ...
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