Archive for August 11th, 2008
Monday, August 11th, 2008Political parties will be able to contest in the upcoming upazila elections after all, as the Election Commission (EC) finally decided in principle to scrap its earlier plan of rendering the long over due polls non-partisan, sources in the commission said.The EC's new strategy for holding the upazila polls without rubbing political parties the wrong way, came after consulting legal experts, the sources added.If the EC's changed position remains unchanged, it will not file any appeal against the July 31 High Court (HC) ruling that scrapped the commission imposed restrictions on political parties barring them from contesting in the ...
(read more) Monday, August 11th, 2008In compliance with a recent High Court (HC) ruling, the government yesterday reinstated August 15 as National Mourning Day and a public holiday to commemorate the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.The decision came at a weekly meeting of the council of advisers, said Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim.The last BNP-led alliance government had cancelled the state observance of August 15 in 2002. The HC on July 27 declared the decision illegal. It also cancelled the order that had prohibited flying of the national flag at half-mast on the day.August 15 was first declared National Mourning Day ...
(read more) Monday, August 11th, 2008Awami League (AL) has decided to shore up its grassroots base by completing district committees as part of preparations for the parliamentary election and, if necessary, movement.The decision came at a meeting of AL presidium members, joint general secretaries and organising secretaries.Held at party chief Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi, the meeting also decided to write to the caretaker government and the Election Commission (EC), seeking dates for the second-round talks.AL acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam briefed reporters about the meeting presided over by presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury.He said AL wants the government not ...
(read more) Monday, August 11th, 2008Garment workers demanding back pay yesterday ransacked at least 15 garment factories and four shopping centres at Jamgorah in Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital.The violence triggered closing of more than 60 garment factories in the area.The agitating workers also blockaded the Dhaka-Tangail highway for over two hours and vandalized three vehicles, causing panic and a severe traffic jam.At least 20 people were injured as police clubbed the mob of agitators to restore order in the area.Meanwhile in Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ), two garment factories -- Softex Sweater Factory and Feather Light -- were shut down for various ...
(read more) Monday, August 11th, 2008The Bibiyana 450 megawatt power project has become uncertain due to poor handling by the Power Cell of the power ministry as its lone bidder Powertek Consortium has imposed a condition that the government will be responsible for paying up to $15 million for cancelling the project before its financial closure.This is the first time a private company has imposed such a condition on the government in a bidding process. Instead of rejecting such an idea, the Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) of the Power Cell on Thursday forwarded this "exception" to the law ministry for opinion.The bid originally participated ...
(read more) Monday, August 11th, 2008Swimming superstar Michael Phelps launched his quest for Olympic Games immortality on Sunday by smashing his own world record in winning the first of a potential eight gold medals.Phelps sparked an American charge which saw them win five medals in the pool for a Games total of eight including two gold.But China were steadily building a lead at the head of the medal table winning four further events to have six gold ahead of South Korea's three as the weather broke in Beijing and torrential rain disrupted tennis and archery.In the women's cycling road race, riders complained that they felt ...
(read more) Monday, August 11th, 2008Pervez Musharraf is very much angry with his friend George W Bush and some of his old friends in uniform. He tried to speak his American friend many times in last few days but the President of USA is not available to President of Pakistan on phone this time.Why Bush is not responding? He knows that Musharraf doesn't have the good news of arresting Osama bin Ladin or Mullah Omer. He only has some bad news about himself. Musharraf wants to tell Bush that look Al Qaida, Taliban and ruling coalition in Pakistan have united against him and USA ...
(read more) Monday, August 11th, 2008The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan (Shah Alam), his wife, and their four sons in a case filed for amassing wealth worth about Tk 107 crore beyond their known sources of income.They were also charged with concealing information regarding wealth worth about Tk 14.17 crore in the wealth statement submitted earlier to the commission.The charge sheeted accused are Shah Alam, his wife Afroza Begum, and their sons Shahdat Sobhan Tanvir, Safayat Sobhan Sanvir, Sayem Sobhan Anvir and Safowan Sobhan Tajvir.ACC Deputy Director Mahbubur Rahman, also the investigation officer (IO) of the ...
(read more) Monday, August 11th, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday granted bail to former Awami League (AL) minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain in a case filed for breaking the emergency power rules and ex-BNP lawmaker Ilias Ali in an extortion case.Meantime, the Appellate Division refused to accept the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) leave to appeal petition against an HC order that had granted anticipatory bail to Dr Taslima Zaman Ahmed, daughter of AL leader Tofail Ahmed, in a corruption case.Granting Engr Mosharraf ad-interim bail, the HC bench of justices Khademul Islam Chowdhury and Mashuque Hosain Ahmed also directed the authorities not to arrest or harass him and ...
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