Archive for September 5th, 2008
Friday, September 5th, 2008The government yesterday ordered abolition of the mines and minerals directorate of Petrobangla and re-introduced the post of director administration as per a new organogram that, experts believe, would hurt the nascent mining sector.Sources said the organogram initially proposed by Petrobangla years ago did not recommend the abolition or introduction of the director administration's post."The establishment ministry has devised it simply to unnecessarily put a joint secretary in Petrobangla's director's post," observes a source.Petrobangla's Operation Directorate will now look after the affairs related to the Barapukuria coalmine company and the Maddhyapara hard rock mine company.Besides, the two companies ...
(read more) Friday, September 5th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) might face difficulties registering Islamic political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, as the existing laws do not allow parties to run activities in the name of or on the basis of religion.The Special Powers Act (SPA) 1974 strictly restricts formation of political parties on the basis of religion. In addition to this, new provisions of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) now stand against registration of the Islamist political parties.As of yesterday, 15 Islamic political parties collected application forms for registration with the EC. EC Secretariat officials said the number would increase as parties including Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh ...
(read more) Friday, September 5th, 2008Tarique Rahman, undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital since his release on bail on Wednesday, has obtained a new passport and will apply for British visa on Sunday."Yes, he has got given a fresh passport and will fly off as soon as he gets the visa," his counsel, Nasiruddin Asim, yesterday said.Nine passports--four each belonging to Tarique and his wife, and one to his daughter Zaima Rahman-- are claimed to have been gone missing from his in-laws' Dhanmondi residence."He may get visa within 48 hours if he can produce valid documents. He has valid visa ...
(read more) Friday, September 5th, 2008Nine villages were submerged, crops were destroyed, shrimp enclosures washed away and 8,000 people rendered homeless when a section of the flood-protection embankment on the Kobadak in Satkhira near the Sundarbans gave in.Floodwater inundated parts of Munshiganj town. The flood situation in the eastern parts of the capital is expected to deteriorate in a day or two. Inundations of fresh low-lying areas in other central parts of the country are feared.A few thousand marooned people in the flood-affected districts are suffering due to the lack of food, drinking water and fodder for their livestock. In some areas the ...
(read more) Friday, September 5th, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday granted three months' anticipatory bail to former caretaker government adviser Justice Fazlul Huq in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).The embattled former judge, charged with amassing wealth through illegal means and concealing assets information from the ACC, has been asked to submit bail bonds to the trial court within the period.A bench comprising Justice AFM Abdur Rahman and Justice SM Emdadul Hoque ruled for bail, considering Huq's age (70) and the positions he had held over the years.On September 2, ACC Assistant Director Mohammad Ibrahim, also investigation officer (IO), submitted charge ...
(read more) Friday, September 5th, 2008The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) so far found 1,766 complaints valid for investigation out of 82,633 lodged with the commission.The ACC yesterday issued notices upon Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka's son Ishrak Hossain and daughter Sharika Hossain asking them to submit their wealth statements to the commission. The son and daughter of Khoka did not receive the ACC notices. The commission posted the notices to home of the city mayor yesterday.Meanwhile, the ACC also approved two charge sheets against two people, including former Khulna City Corporation mayor Kazi Aminul Haque, in cases filed in connection with concealing wealth ...
(read more) Friday, September 5th, 2008The government yesterday extended Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's parole by a month to October 6 to facilitate her medical treatment in the United States.The extension would be effective from September 7 on the same conditions set during her release on June 11, a press release from the information directorate said.Earlier on August 7, her parole was extended for a month to September 6.Meantime, Hasina's doctors in the US Wednesday said she has completely lost hearing in the right ear and developed new eye complications.Hasina has no possibility of regaining hearing in the right ear and needs to wear hearing ...
(read more) Friday, September 5th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) will announce very soon the schedules for holding polls to upazila parishads and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) towards the end of next month, the EC secretary said yesterday.In line with its decision to start holding upazila polls from October 23, the EC might announce within a week the polls schedule ignoring political parties' opposition to upazila elections before parliamentary polls, other sources in the EC said.Most of the political parties invited to talks with the EC from next week are likely to protest holding of upazila polls next month, arguing that this would hamper ...
(read more) Friday, September 5th, 2008Detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia would be released through legal procedure but she has to seek bail in all the cases filed against her, Commerce and Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said yesterday."She [Khaleda] has to seek bail in all the cases she is facing...She will be released once she is granted bail," Zillur told reporters at the secretariat.Zillur's comments came a day after Khaleda's eldest son and BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman was released on bail in all the 13 cases filed against him. Zillur was addressing a weekly briefing at the commerce ministry.About the release of ...
(read more) Friday, September 5th, 2008Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar said yesterday that Tarique Rahman's release has created the right kind of environment in the country to clear the air of uncertainty over holding of the national election.He said "We hope Madam (BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia) will also be released through the legal process of the country and democracy will be restored."Sircar was addressing a discussion meeting organised by BNP as part of its three-day programme to mark the party's 30th founding anniversary.Since being elected the Speaker of the national parliament in 2001, this is the first time Jamiruddin Sarkar has been seen attending ...
(read more) 
