Archive for September 21st, 2008
Sunday, September 21st, 2008Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed last night declared that the much anticipated ninth parliamentary election will be held on December 18 this year, and the polls to upazila parishads will be held in two phases on December 24 and 28.Addressing the nation, the military backed caretaker government chief said the Election Commission (EC) will announce the detailed schedules for both polls at an appropriate time and the state of emergency will be relaxed for electioneering."No more there can be any doubt over the polls. I firmly believe we are moving towards holding the elections with participation of all political ...
(read more) Sunday, September 21st, 2008BNP and its allies yesterday told the Election Commission (EC) they will not accept the new electoral provisions being implemented in the upcoming parliamentary polls.Sitting with the EC separately, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) also called for scrapping of constituency re-demarcation and immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency.Yesterday's were the last in a series of electoral talks between the commission and political parties.BNP and its alliance partners demanded that the new electoral laws and rules be scrapped or suspended till the national election is over.They argued that it is not possible for them to abide by the ...
(read more) Sunday, September 21st, 2008The council of advisers yesterday gave final approval to the much-awaited Right to Information (RTI) Ordinance 2008 aimed at ensuring people's right to information.New posts will be created in most of the government offices and non-government organisations (NGOs). Officials holding those posts will provide people with the information they seek within 20 days of receipt of applications from them, says the ordinance.But in cases of issues concerning a person's life and death, arrest and release from jail, the officials will have to provide primary information within 24 hours, it says.The widely-debated law ensures people's right to information from organisations ...
(read more) Sunday, September 21st, 2008At least 30 people, including seven policemen, were injured and about 40 vehicles vandalised in clashes between garment workers and the law enforcers in the city's Malibagh area yesterday.The two-hour long violence caused total chaos in the area.The employees of Islam Dresses Ltd, at Malibagh Chowdhuripara, were demanding 100 percent festival bonus on their basic pay.Clashes erupted as police charged baton on the workers shortly after they put up roadblocks on the Malibagh DIT road at about 3:15pm creating huge traffic jam as the employer ruled out paying bonuses above 25 percent of the basic pay.Chase and counter-chase continued ...
(read more) Sunday, September 21st, 2008Investigators are now probing Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh's suspected involvement or link with militancy at home and abroad following Thursday's arrest of 10 of its leaders and activists in Rajshahi.Sources in the law enforcement agencies yesterday said the arrests were not unexpected and that the agencies were looking for Tahrir men after a few of them distributed leaflets at Baro Masjid in Rajshahi around 10 days before the arrests.Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) Commissioner Mahbub Mohsin yesterday said the arrest of Tahrir leaders on Thursday was not surprising. "We had been looking for the organisation's leaders and activists for distributing leaflets at ...
(read more) Sunday, September 21st, 2008At least 40 people were killed in a massive car bombing at the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistan capital Islamabad on Saturday in what appears to have been a suicide attack.Many people were still trapped inside the burning building last night as rescue efforts continued, police said.Flames were seen shooting out of the hotel, a key meeting place for foreigners and one of the most carefully guarded sites in the city, after the powerful blast, which was heard from quite far away.Police officials said it appeared to be a car bombing but could not confirm it had been a suicide ...
(read more) Sunday, September 21st, 2008Hailing the announcement of election dates, political parties last night said it will help dispel confusion and doubts over holding of the long-stalled parliamentary polls.They however expressed mixed reaction over the chief adviser's observations about the state of emergency. While some welcomed his plans regarding withdrawal of emergency curbs, others criticised him for not being specific about the matter.Besides, a few parties voiced concern about the dates for upazila and general elections being too close.Talking to reporters at his Gulshan residence, AL acting president Zillur Rahman said it is a good speech to listen to. But it is more rhetorical ...
(read more) Sunday, September 21st, 2008The United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union have made guarded response to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed's speech, announcing the dates for parliamentary and upazila parishad elections.“We are still analysing the Chief Adviser's remarks, but we are pleased to see that elections will be held before the end of this year according to roadmap. And we look forward to seeing free, fair and credible elections this year,” a spokesperson for the US embassy here said.A British High Commission spokesman said, “We welcome the confirmation of date for the parliamentary polls and the reassurance that this will provide to ...
(read more) Sunday, September 21st, 2008Inter-district buses are halting at counters in Kalyanpur and Shyamoli in the capital to pick up and drop passengers despite a government ban, adding to existing traffic congestion.The authorities ahead of Ramadan decided that no inter-district bus will be allowed to enter the city, except those which go through the city to their destinations.However, these buses, allowed to enter city after 8:00pm, have not been authorised to pick or drop passengers on the way.Residents and commuters on Mirpur Road allege some inter-district buses, which don't need to cross the city, start entering Kalyanpur bus stand and even Shyamoli from ...
(read more) Sunday, September 21st, 2008The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) yesterday collected samples of powder-milk brands available on the market to test for melamine.The findings will be published in a week, it said.Meantime, officials in Chittagong seized several cans of Chinese Yashili brand dry milk recently blacklisted by the health directorate.The BSTI will give priority to testing three milk brands--Yashili 1, Yashili 2 and Sweet Baby 2, produced in China where international media reported three babies died and thousands fell sick in recent weeks after drinking melamine-contaminated baby formulas.The institution asked the chemistry department at Dhaka University for chemical agents necessary for ...
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