Archive for September 28th, 2008
Sunday, September 28th, 2008The Election Commission's (EC) efforts to ensure registration of the political parties before the December 18 polls have run into difficulties with Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) of the BNP-led alliance opposing some of the criteria.Despite the EC's latest move to ease the registration procedure, BNP continues to be in a quandary over the issue for its allies' strong objections to the conditions that restrict registration of the religion-based organisations, sources in the four-party alliance said.It was the opposition of Jamaat and IOJ that led to retreat from Tuesday's announcement that BNP would get registered on meeting ...
(read more) Sunday, September 28th, 2008Acids are sold freely at the city's Tantibazar, only a quarter of a kilometre away from Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office which is responsible for controlling production, transport, storage, usage and sale of acids.Taking advantage of the authorities' inactivity, the acid market is running rampant increasing incidents of acid crimes in the country."You only have to pay Tk 30 for a pound of sulphuric acid and Tk 40 for a pound of nitric acid. As you have not brought any bottle, you can take this jar for Tk 200," said an acid seller of Goalnagar in Tantibazar showing a little jar ...
(read more) Sunday, September 28th, 2008With only 18 months left for Bangladesh to meet an international deadline, the Department of Immigration and Passport has recently requested the government to immediately finalise the five-year project for switching over to machine-readable passports (MRP) and visas.A total of 1.5 crore machine-readable passports are expected to start being issued by the end of next year under the Tk 560 crore project.The department last week sent the tender schedule of the project to the home ministry for approval.The proposal says the winner of the bid will have to ensure printing of 20,000 passports every month with their own ...
(read more) Sunday, September 28th, 2008Pashchimanchal Gas Company Ltd (PGCL) is not giving any new connection in Bogra, Pabna and Sirajganj for the last nine months showing gas and pipe 'crisis' and Petrobangla 'directives'.However, Petrobangla officials deny any shortage of gas in PGCL and say there is no directive to stop giving domestic or commercial gas connection in the districts.Senior PGCL officials in Bogra told to The Daily Star all types of fresh connections have been stopped since January following a "decision" of Petrobangla."We received a letter from Petrobangla on May 29 and stopped all new commercial connections until supply of gas increases," says a ...
(read more) Sunday, September 28th, 2008In a faceoff that returned again and again to judgment, John McCain portrayed himself as a battle-tested elder running against a naive rookie, while Barack Obama suggested the Republican is a hothead who made the wrong choices on the Iraq war, corporate taxes and more.Now they take the themes from an intense first debate back to the campaign trail, looking for some edge in a tight presidential race. With 38 days left, McCain is headed for Washington and the dispute over a Wall Street bailout, while Obama plans to visit Republican-leaning states where the Democrat thinks he can make ...
(read more) Sunday, September 28th, 2008One child was killed and 18 people were wounded yesterday in a bomb attack in a crowded shopping area in the Indian capital, police said.The bombing came exactly two weeks after several markets in New Delhi were hit by deadly serial blasts claimed by an Islamist militant group called the Indian Mujahideen.A young boy was killed instantly when he tried to return a bag containing the bomb to suspects who fled the market before the explosion, police said."Two young men in black denims, black T-shirts and wearing helmets drove a motorcycle to the market and the pillion rider dropped a ...
(read more) Sunday, September 28th, 2008In her first public appearance since being released on bail from detention on September 11, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said her party will start its electoral preparations after the Eid-ul-Fitr."We will decide on a strategy for the election campaign in consultation with the leaders of the party as well as the four-party alliance," she told reporters after an iftar gathering in the National Press Club auditorium jointly organised by factions of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ)."I will sit in my new office at Banani and will start electoral activities after ...
(read more) Sunday, September 28th, 2008UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said Bangladesh may become the lead country of the proposed international stabilising force for Somalia.The UN chief expressed the view during a meeting with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed at his office at the UN headquarters on Friday.Ban Ki-moon said details of the international stabilising force for Somalia will be discussed during his expected visit to Bangladesh on November 1. He also appreciated the role of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in UN missionsUN millenium development goals (MDGs), food security, upcoming election in Bangladesh, climate change and socioeconomic progress were discussed during the meeting.The CA said Bangladesh's commitment ...
(read more) Sunday, September 28th, 2008Two separate petitions will be submitted to the High Court (HC) tomorrow (Monday) for bail in favour of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, now abroad on parole, in the Niko and barge-mounted power plant corruption cases filed by the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC).Hasina's counsel barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh yesterday told The Daily Star that he would submit the bail petitions to the vacation bench of the HC comprising Justice Md Anwarul Haque and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury on Monday.On September 23 an HC bench comprising Justice AKM Fazlur Rahman and Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal sent back the same bail ...
(read more) Sunday, September 28th, 2008Awami League (AL) Joint Secretary General Obaidul Qader was barred by immigration officials at the Zia International Airport (ZIA) yesterday from leaving the country for India for medical treatment.Qader was released on September 5 after securing bail on medical grounds from the High Court (HC) in all five cases against him.The AL leader who spent around 18 months in detention had been undergoing treatment at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).AL sources said Qader, scheduled to leave for New Delhi via Kolkata by a Jet Airways flight at 9:20am, reached the VIP lounge at the ZIA at ...
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