Archive for June 9th, 2008
Monday, June 9th, 2008Detained former premier Sheikh Hasina is set to be released from a special jail, which might be a big leap forward in the Awami League (AL) chief's trip abroad 'for better treatment', as a special court yesterday removed the legal barriers.Hasina's lawyers said since the barge-mounted power plant graft case against Hasina is in its trial phase, a court order exempting her from appearing in person before the court during the trial proceedings, was needed for her release.The judge yesterday accepted her petition for that exemption, submitted by her counsels on grounds of her illness, said Barrister Shafique Ahmed, ...
(read more) Monday, June 9th, 2008Detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia yesterday ruled out any possibility of going abroad, saying that she would have medical treatment at home if necessary.“I will not go abroad. Why should I? All things I have are in Bangladesh. I want to stay with the people as I have been,” the BNP chairperson told reporters after the hearing on the charge framing in Niko graft case against her and 11 others at a special court.“Who told you that I am going abroad,” the former prime minister inquired and the reporters told her that they came to know about it from ...
(read more) Monday, June 9th, 2008It is going to be an unusual year for any finance minister and a perilous one as well. The pressures on the economy are rising from too many fronts and so the stakes of tackling them are also going up. Along with the economic factors, the non-economic issues are becoming ever larger and may invade into the economic playing field.It is an unusual year because this is the second year the country is without an elected government that has put reforms -- institutional and political -- above everything. And as the election promised by December is approaching, people are ...
(read more) Monday, June 9th, 2008The government is increasing budgetary allocation for food by 120 percent in the coming fiscal year 2008-09, the major chunk of which will be spent for providing the poor with low-price food and keeping market prices stable.The allocation for food in FY08-09 will stand at around Tk 10,500 crore.The allocation in FY07-08 is Tk 4,760 crore, which will be increased by 15 percent in the revised budget, reaching Tk 5,500 crore, food ministry sources said.Although the targets of food procurement by the government and food distribution through different government channels were not fulfilled in FY07-08, the government is going to ...
(read more) Monday, June 9th, 2008The army will assist BTTB in recovering its Tk 641.81 crore outstanding bills of which Tk 120 crore is due with government organisations.A taskforce under the National Coordination Committee on Corruption and Serious Crimes (NCC) took charge of scrutinising irregularities in Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) on May 14 with an aim to strengthen the state-run landline operator scheduled to become a public limited company by July.The taskforce found that out of the Tk 641 crore outstanding bills, semi-government institutions owe Tk 71.4 crore, government organisations owe Tk 120 crore and the private sector owes the rest Tk ...
(read more) Monday, June 9th, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule upon the government to explain why some provisions of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2008, including the rules of complaining against a judge and criticising judgments, should not be declared beyond the powers of the constitution and void.After hearing a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Farid Ahmed issued the rule, asking secretaries to the president and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to reply within two weeks.Supreme Court lawyers advocate Shamsul Huq and advocate Tajul Islam filed the writ petition as a public ...
(read more) Monday, June 9th, 2008The Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh formally declared yesterday that they would not join the government-sponsored dialogue with political parties without the unconditional release of their Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.”We'll not enter into the talks without the unconditional release of Nizami, Khaleda and Hasina as we've said earlier that the dialogue and the election would not be credible keeping them behind bars," Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid told reporters at a press briefing at the party's central office.Mojahid said the government's "ill intention" is delaying the election through creating complexities instead ...
(read more) Monday, June 9th, 2008Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury was posted to the foreign ministry only six days after he was moved to the National Defence College (NDC) from his high-level post as the principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division (AFD).A government press release yesterday announced his new job ordered by President Iajuddin Ahmed. Lt Gen Zahurul Alam was also placed under the foreign ministry last week after being transferred from the NDC.The same day last week, Lt Gen Masud had resigned from his position as the chief coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Corruption and Serious Crimes (NCC).One of ...
(read more) Monday, June 9th, 2008The proposed national budget for 2008-09 was placed before the council of advisers yesterday.The advisory council in a meeting discussed the new budget elaborately.Finance Adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam gave a presentation on the budget at the meeting.The finance adviser will place the national budget before the nation at 3:00pm today through a televised speech.Members of the advisory council attended the meeting at the Chief Adviser's Office. The cabinet secretary, the press secretary to the chief adviser and secretaries concerned were present.Earlier, the finance adviser apprised President Iajuddin Ahmed of the proposed budget andtold him that the budget ...
(read more) Monday, June 9th, 2008A special court yesterday sentenced former prime minister Khaleda Zia's assignment officer Dr Firoz Mahmud Iqbal to five years' rigorous imprisonment in a graft case filed in connection with misuse of government vehicles.Judge Ashraf Hossain of the Special Court-5, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, also fined Firoz Tk 36 lakh. He will have to serve one more year behind bars if he failed to pay the fine.As Firoz is absconding and was tried in absentia, his sentence will come into effect the day of his arrest or surrender.Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC) Assistant Director Syed Iqbal Hossain filed the ...
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