Archive for August 27th, 2008
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) has finally decided to start holding the much-talked-about upazila elections from October 23, braving political parties' strong opposition to holding these polls before the national election planned for December.In the first phase, the EC will hold elections in 200-250 of the 482 upazilas on two different dates, the commission decided at a meeting on Monday.It has also decided to hold election to Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) alongside the upazila polls, EC sources said, adding that the date for DCC polls is yet to be fixed.The schedules for the upazila elections will be declared on September 10.The ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 27th, 2008Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said it is the responsibility of the Election Commission (EC) to announce the schedule for national elections after completing voter list across the country.He reiterated that the national elections would be held according to the roadmap as announced earlier.“It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to announce the exact date of general election after finalising the voter list across the country,” the CA said while briefing newsmen after holding a meeting of the Council of Advisers at Khulna Circuit House conference room yesterday.Chaired by the chief adviser, the meeting approved the ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 27th, 2008The recent food price hikes following natural disasters in the country and the volatility in international food market might have pushed over forty lakh people into poverty, said a World Bank (WB) projection yesterday."Over four million people in the country may have been pushed back in poverty because of the food crisis," said WB Lead Economist Vinaya Swaroop at a discussion with journalists on impacts of food crisis in Bangladesh in the bank's office in the capital.In his presentation on 'Bangladesh: The Economics of Food Crisis', he said WB's recent poverty report on Bangladesh suggests that the stronger GDP growth ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 27th, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday granted a four-month ad interim bail to detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman in the "Zia Orphanage Trust" fund embezzlement case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).The HC granted anticipatory bail to Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami in the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case until the trial court concerned accepts the charge sheet of the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case.The HC also granted ad interim bail to Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, former parliamentary affairs adviser to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, and Giasuddin Al Mamun, friend of Tarique Rahman, in separate criminal cases.Hearing ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 27th, 2008In the name of public interest, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) continues temporarily requisitioning around 300 private vehicles on a daily basis through a controversial requisition law that the police chief himself terms a "black law".This requisitioning is supposed to be made on the basis of urgent need. But this has become a daily affair as the need for these vehicles has become "permanent".Yet nobody in the government seems to be taking the initiative to fill up the demand of motor vehicles through procurement. "The reality is that requisition will continue in this manner because nobody will take the initiative," says ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 27th, 2008The government-formed Hill Management Committee has decided to immediately implement protective measures to prevent landslides and make the dwellings in foothill areas risk-free instead of going for large-scale evacuation.On the basis of suggestions from the Technical Protection Committee, it decided at a meeting on Monday evening that hill regions would be made risk-free through development of retaining walls, afforestation, bamboo plantation and setting up physical barriers like sacks of sand and walkways.Chittagong Divisional Commissioner and convener of Hill Management Committee Hossain Jamil chaired the meeting held at the Chittagong Circuit House.Representatives from Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 27th, 2008The country is preparing to face the aftermath of climate change in around 50 different sub-sectors under six thematic areas of agriculture, health, livelihoods, disasters management, environment and development.Bangladesh will present its national action plans at a conference in London in September, according to a presentation at the international symposium on "Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia".In the presentation on "Climate Change and Bangladesh," Rabindranath Roy Chowdhury, joint secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, said the government has formed a high-powered committee to implement the national action plans.Bangladesh, one of the worst victims of climate ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 27th, 2008The three-day ninth home-secretary level meeting between Bangladesh and India begins in Dhaka Friday, with New Delhi likely to press for an extradition treaty to exchange criminals hiding in each other's territory to escape arrest at home.Bangladesh has, however, consistently maintained that such a treaty must take in all Saarc countries."India is keen to sign an extradition treaty with Bangladesh only, but Dhaka is not interested as the treaty should involve all members of the regional forum," said a foreign ministry official.In 2002, India sought Dhaka's cooperation in mutual legal assistance, counter-terrorism and extradition.The foreign ministry official said Saarc ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 27th, 2008The police department cancelled all functions of the newly launched Political Intelligence Office (PIO) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in the wake of severe criticism from political parties and people of various other sectors.Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad yesterday told The Daily Star, "We have decided to cancel all functions of the PIO since it drew severe criticism and protest.""We stopped the PIO functions on August 24 to honour political party leaders and people of various sectors," the IGP said, adding, "The ordinance, however, exists."Nur Mohammad said personnel who were designated to different jobs at the PIO ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 27th, 2008Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said political parties must register with the Election Commission (EC) as the EC cannot deal with so many political parties in the country.The CEC was talking to journalists after the inauguration function of the "First Dhaka Inter-School Debate Competition" held at St Gregory's High School in Old Dhaka."Registration is necessary because it is impossible for us to deal with 100 or more political parties," CEC Huda said, adding, "If there is a problem regarding registration by October 15, we can discuss it with political parties and reach a solution."He told journalists that ...
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