Archive for October 7th, 2008
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) yesterday asked the parliamentary aspirants to remove by October 15 their posters conveying Eid greetings to people.If they fail to take away the posters they have put up, they will risk losing candidatures in the December 18 general election for breaching the code of conduct, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda.Speaking at a press briefing at the EC Secretariat, he also said the commission is working towards a mechanism involving local administration to ensure strict enforcement of the electoral code.It has also decided to assign each district two election monitoring officers for proper ...
(read more) Tuesday, October 7th, 2008A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against nine accused including former BNP ministers M Saifur Rahman, Aminul Haque and state minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain and former Jamaat minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid in Barapukuria coalmine graft case.The court directed BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Jamaat-e Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, former BNP ministers Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam and MK Anwar, now on bail in the case, to appear before it on October 12.Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Azizul Haque also asked the jail authorities to produce two other accused in the case -- detained ...
(read more) Tuesday, October 7th, 2008Dhaka would focus on linking Bangladesh to China through Myanmar and settling the maritime delimitation during bilateral talks with Myanmar's Vice Senior General Maung Aye, who arrives today on a three-day visit.However, the longstanding issue of repatriation of the Rohingya refugees would get lesser importance at the high-level discussion as it is not on the agenda, say foreign ministry officials.“We've a number of projects we're planning together with Myanmar. I'm positive the visit will boost our cooperation in all these areas," Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told The Daily Star yesterday.He said the discussion would focus on construction of a ...
(read more) Tuesday, October 7th, 2008Compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations in the country have been short measuring clients up to 10 percent of their purchases, tampering the meters of dispensers and by not installing required cooling mechanisms, alleged engineers of Rupantarito Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL).On an average, CNG worth Tk 18,40,000 is stolen daily from the consumers by the authorities of 230 filling stations in the country through this method, while the filling stations get about 2 million cubic metres of natural gas daily from Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, according to sources in Titas and RPGCL.No action has yet been ...
(read more) Tuesday, October 7th, 2008Deepening fears about the financial crisis in Europe and doubts about a 700-billion-dollar US rescue sent European and Asian stocks tumbling Monday as governments scrambled to shore up confidence.The 50-billion-euro (68-billion-dollar) bailout of the fourth biggest German bank Hypo Real Estate and the takeover of Dutch-Belgian bank Fortis by French giant BNP Paribas did little to ease a growing sense of alarm."There is all-out panic," said Adrian van Tiggelen, ING senior strategist in the Hague.Germany's move to guarantee all savings deposits to prevent a run on banks added pressure on other European governments to make similar promises, following the lead ...
(read more) Tuesday, October 7th, 2008Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday ruled out any possibility of scrapping the revised Representation of the People Order (RPO) that made registration with the Election Commission (EC) mandatory for political parties."Nothing will be left if the revised RPO is cancelled. If it is to be scrapped, why have we spent so much time on it," the CEC said at a press briefing at the EC Secretariat conference room referring to the BNP-led four party alliance's demand for repealing the revised RPO.As part of electoral reforms, some new provisions were inserted in the RPO in August. ...
(read more) Tuesday, October 7th, 2008The Council of Advisers yesterday finally approved a second amendment to the revised Representation of People Order (RPO) to facilitate the political parties' registration with the Election Commission by submitting their provisional party constitution for time constraints.As per the latest changes in the politico-electoral rules, the political parties who will get registered with the Election Commission through submitting the provisional constitution will have to submit their ratified constitution to the EC within six months of the first sitting of the ninth parliament.Chaired by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, a meeting of the Council of Advisers approved the Representation of People ...
(read more) Tuesday, October 7th, 2008Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury has said the United Nations (UN) may send election observation mission to Bangladesh during the forthcoming parliamentary elections even if the polls take place under the state of emergency.“The UN will send its officials to observe the elections scheduled for December 18,” he told reporters after a meeting with UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka Renata Lok Dessalian at the foreign ministry yesterday.Renata also told reporters that she discussed the possibility of sending UN election observers to Bangladesh.Asked whether the elections will be acceptable under the state of emergency, she said the main matter is to ...
(read more) Tuesday, October 7th, 2008The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) submitted the charge sheet in Barapukuria coalmine corruption case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia only to keep her away from the elections, said BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday.BNP's ally Jamaat-e-Islami termed the submission of the charge sheet a conspiracy."They [the ACC] have filed the case against her with the political intention to torture her mentally so that she cannot take part in the elections," Delwar said during a press briefing held at his Nam flat in the city.Terming the case baseless and ill-motivated, Delwar said Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina have ...
(read more) 
