Archive for August 30th, 2008
Saturday, August 30th, 2008Bangladesh Police introduced a special intelligence branch comprised of only women.Special Women Police Contingent (SWPC) deals with criminal activities by women, which have been on the rise.The police department introduced the new branch recently with a view to curbing sex trade, drug peddling, and trafficking of women and children.According to police sources, women are being used for trafficking other women and children, drug peddling, smuggling, and for swindling people, as crime lords feel safer to employ women for those jobs since traditionally they raise less suspicion.Sources said to deal with women criminals Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) already set up ...
(read more) Saturday, August 30th, 2008Release of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman will thaw the relations between BNP and the caretaker administration, paving the way for the party's participation in talks and the ninth parliamentary election, said BNP insiders.Following an 'understanding' between the two sides, the mother and son, both detained on corruption charges, are now expected to be freed in less than a week, they added.BNP leaders claim the way the military-backed administration had been dealing with them after 1/11 is quite 'discriminatory', and led to a growing gulf between the party and the government.BNP Vice-president MK Anwar, however, ...
(read more) Saturday, August 30th, 2008Awami League (AL) is viewing the military backed caretaker government's manoeuvring for releasing detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman as an undue administrative favour towards BNP-Jamaat alliance, according to party insiders.AL also feels that the government's move might necessitate a change in the party's earlier position of co-operating with it, the sources said.Meanwhile, with Khaleda's possible release on the threshold, AL President Sheikh Hasina might return to the country from the US on September 22 or 23.She might put pressure on the caretaker government for holding the parliamentary election by December before any other poll on ...
(read more) Saturday, August 30th, 2008Heavy downpour worsened the flood situation in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrakona while river erosion has taken a serious turn for the worse in Nilphamari due to swilling of the Teesta. Around 1 lakh people are said to be marooned in Netrakona.The situation is likely to worsen in the next couple of days.According to Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), flood situation in Sylhet and Sunamganj will deteriorate further as the region is experiencing heavy rainfall and more is likely.Low-lying areas in Bogra, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Tangail, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Dohar and Nawabganj of Dhaka district, Shibganj and Sadar ...
(read more) Saturday, August 30th, 2008The Detective Branch (DB) of police has arrested three cheats in the city for taking Tk 24 lakh from the family of former caretaker government adviser Justice M Fazlul Huq in return for getting Huq acquitted of corruption charges.The arrestees are Amalendu Das of Shamshernagar village under Kamalganj upazila in Moulvibazar, chairman of Amalendu Foundation for Research and Study and Spectrum Consultancy firm, sacked VAT inspector Golam Ambia and sacked police constable Mohammad Nuruzzaman alias Iqbal.Golam Ambia of Tikapara in Rajshahi city was sacked as a VAT inspector in 1997 for corruption while Mohammad Nuruzzaman was sacked in 2003 during ...
(read more) Saturday, August 30th, 2008With the month of Ramadan only a day or two away, prices of onion, aubergine, ginger, green chilli, sugar and milk that are used in preparing 'iftar' items have already marked a rise in kitchen markets in the capital.Demand for these goods increased significantly in the last few days, and traders say it would to go up further during Ramadan with the upward trend in their prices continuing throughout the month.Prices of some other popular iftar-related items like puffed rice, gram and 'bason' (powdered pulses), already very high, remained stable till yesterday.Meanwhile, prices of rice and edible oil came ...
(read more) Saturday, August 30th, 2008Pakistan presidential hopeful Asif Ali Zardari has moved to a top security location in Islamabad due to fears of attacks being made on his life, the country's prime minister said yesterday.Zardari, the widower of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto, plans to run in the September 6 poll to succeed Pervez Musharraf who resigned the presidency earlier this month under threat of impeachment."Asif Zardari has shifted to the prime minister's house because of security concerns," Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters in the southern port city of Karachi."He has shifted there because of dangers involved to his life especially at ...
(read more) Saturday, August 30th, 2008Echoing Bangladesh's concern over the increasing criminal activities in the region, Bimstec foreign ministers adopted a draft convention on combating international terrorism, trans-border organised crime and drug trafficking in New Delhi yesterday.In a joint statement following a daylong meeting, they hoped to finalise the draft in time for the Bimstec heads of state and government to sign it at their New Delhi summit in November.Foreign Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told the meeting that increasing criminal activities pose threats to regional peace and stability.He said Bangladesh "is committed to dealing with the issues firmly and decisively and the draft ...
(read more) Saturday, August 30th, 2008Farmers in Bogra produced large quantities of local-variety paddy as interim crop between Boro and Aman. According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Bogra, the farmers of Bogra would earn around Tk 210 crore in addition by growing the interim crop.Deputy Director (DD) of DAE, Bogra, Rustam Ali said the department expects about 70,000 tonnes of local variety rice, including Jhapri and BR-5, produced in 12 upazilas without any irrigation cost and with very little agricultural inputs used.The DAE had the target to produce 63,994 tonnes of local variety rice in Bogra on 26,120 hectares of land but farmers cultivated ...
(read more) Saturday, August 30th, 2008Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (Bapa) yesterday demanded immediate promulgation of the Real-estate Management Ordinance, 2008 to reduce harassment of property buyers.The proposed Real-estate Management Ordinance, 2008 is all right and objections raised by developers can be solved through discussions and it has to be done within the shortest possible time, said President of Bapa Prof Muzaffer Ahmad during a press conference held at WVA Auditorium on Dhanmondi Road-27."We are not against the reasonable amendment but this ordinance is very important for protecting the interest of property buyers," he said.He said it cannot be that a person will not face any punishment ...
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