Archive for September, 2008
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday rejected a bail petition filed by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in an extortion case filed by businessman Noor Ali.A vacation bench of the HC comprising Justice Sheikh Rezowan Ali and Justice Md Rais Uddin rejected the bail prayer on grounds that the petitioner must be present in the country for seeking bail, but she has been abroad on parole for treatment.Meanwhile, talking to The Daily Star last evening, Additional Attorney General Mansur Habib in a surprising comment said, "The High Court's refusal to grant bail to Sheikh Hasina might have a negative ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 30th, 2008The new code of conduct for parliamentary polls officially took effect on September 18, but Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said the Election Commission (EC) is unable to enforce the rules mainly due to non-registration of the political parties.The CEC identified this as a “major problem” in enforcing the code of conduct, which was made for the registered political parties and candidates contesting the polls.As part of the sweeping electoral reform initiatives, EC has promulgated the code of conduct with stringent provisions including imposing restrictions on electioneering until three weeks before the start of balloting.Now the political ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 30th, 2008Traces of melamine have been found in the Chinese baby formula Yashili 2 that was earlier found available in markets in some parts of the country.Plasma Plus, the private testing laboratory, yesterday confirmed this in its report to the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI).The government is also taking steps to amend the breast milk substitute regulation of marketing ordinance-1984 in order to take sterner action against those who are importing unregulated milk powder that pose a threat to public health.The testing laboratory found melamine in Yashili 2 milk powder's 8008 batch.Director General of BSTI Azmal Hossain told The Daily ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 30th, 2008Average bulk power tariff has been increased by 16 percent to Tk 2.37 per kilowatt, to be effective from tomorrow, which is Tk 2.04 right now.The latest power tariff adjustment is the first by Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) since its formation.BERC Chairman Golam Rahman yesterday formally announced the new rate at a media conference held in the commission's office.The retail rate for consumers will however remain unchanged for now."The distribution companies are required to formally apply to the commission for increasing the retail tariff," Golam Rahman said replying to a question of journalists.Rahman hoped that the distribution ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 30th, 2008The Appellate and High Court (HC) divisions of Supreme Court (SC) have been without adequate judges as two judge's posts at Appellate Division have remained vacant since July 2 and no new judge was appointed to the HC in more than four years.Sources said at least seven HC Division judges would retire next year while five Appellate Division judges would retire by 2010 with the chief justice retiring next year.The shortage has resulted in increasing number of cases pending with both the divisions, causing suffering to litigants.At present, the Appellate Division has five judges against seven posts following retirement of ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 30th, 2008Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, will be celebrated across the country tomorrow if the Shawal moon is sighted today.If the new moon is not sighted today, the Eid will be celebrated on Thursday ending the month-long fasting of Ramadan.Muslims in the country and the rest of the world will seek divine blessings, peace, progress and prosperity in Eid congregations.Islamic Foundation sources said the National Moon Sighting Committee will sit at 6:45pm today to scour the sky for the Shawal moon. It will also collect information on moon sighting from the district-level moon-sighting committees and the meteorological ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 30th, 2008Awami League (AL) yesterday expressed disappointment over the High Court judgement that rejected party Chief Sheikh Hasina's bail petition in an extortion case.AL will launch agitation programmes next month after Hasina's return, AL acting president Zillur Rahman said while addressing a discussion titled 'Democracy, humanity and non- communality from the view point of Islam' at a city hotel followed by an iftar party."We did not expect it. We are sad and hurt. Sheikh Hasina should have been granted bail," Zillur said.He said Hasina has been implicated in several cases on false charges.Islami Oikya Jote (OIJ), a component of ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 30th, 2008Almost all tickets for journeys out of Dhaka to other districts in the country have been sold as the Eid rush reached its peak yesterday. A few tickets that remain are being sold at incredibly high prices.Despite the high prices of tickets, thousands of people heading home for the holidays were seen at bus terminals, the launch terminal and railway stations with their luggage. They take with them gifts for their family members, relatives and friends.For most yesterday was the last working day before Eid. Government offices, however, will remain open today.Jasmine Akhter Jenny, an NGO worker, ...
(read more) Tuesday, September 30th, 2008The government offices will remain open today despite a daylong speculation about a holiday announcement at the secretariat yesterday.Government officials and employees in the capital and elsewhere in the country were expecting the Eid holidays to start from today.Since no notice was issued in this regard, today will be a normal workday for government employees.If the Shawal moon is sighted today, the Eid will be celebrated tomorrow causing problems for the government employees who will come to offices today.However, most of the government employees working in the capital have already left."A small number of employees will turn ...
(read more) Monday, September 29th, 2008The BNP-led four-party alliance yesterday placed before the government and the Election Commission a five-point demand, including withdrawal of state of emergency and scrapping of the Representation of the People Order (Amendment) 2008, as conditions for participating in the upcoming parliamentary election.At a meeting of the alliance leaders it also announced programmes for holding countrywide rallies on October 12 to press their five-point demand.The other demands are holding of upazila elections after a reasonable interval of the national polls, withdrawal of the Gatco, Niko and Barapukuria corruption cases and other false cases against alliance leaders, and release of all political ...
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