Archive for October 20th, 2008
Monday, October 20th, 2008Finally, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday collected application forms for registration with the Election Commission (EC), as the deadline for submissions ends today.Throughout the day, the parties were busy readying documents required to be attached with the forms.While Jamaat has already finalised its provisional constitution, BNP was working on its to meet the criteria for registration, now mandatory for political parties seeking election to parliament.Both the parties have made major amendments to their charters. Especially, Jamaat has brought about some drastic changes.Referring to no response yet from the government to the party's seven-point demand, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain ...
(read more) Monday, October 20th, 2008Instead of issuing a clear message regarding the eight brands of powdered milk, the commerce secretary yesterday said it is up to the people whether or not to feed their babies with the baby formula tested positive for melamine contamination until the government conducts further tests within seven working days.Asked who would be responsible if consuming the imported milk causes any public health hazard by this time, Commerce Secretary Firoze Ahmed said, "We cannot take that responsibility."Everybody knows through the media what has been found in which brands of powdered milk, so why don't we leave it up to the ...
(read more) Monday, October 20th, 2008Former BNP state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment in an arms case, has been staying at the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital for 16 out of almost 17 months of his detention.This is the longest stay of any high-profile corruption suspects at the prison cell during the last two years.Arrested on May 28 last year, the former state minister spent over 94 percent of his imprisonment at the prison cell in three phases, jail sources said.Like him, most of over 150 bigwigs, detained after January 11, ...
(read more) Monday, October 20th, 2008Awami League (AL) yesterday said it would not take part in any election if the state of emergency is not withdrawn and AL President Sheikh Hasina is not "permanently and unconditionally" released."In no circumstances we will take part in any election without Sheikh Hasina and amid the state of emergency…we will not hold any party council without her," said AL acting President Zillur Rahman.He said this while addressing a protest rally at the city's Institution of Engineers' Bangladesh. AL organised the rally as part of its countrywide protest programmes to press home the demand for "permanent and unconditional" release ...
(read more) Monday, October 20th, 2008The government is going to introduce uniform charges for pathological and imaging tests at public hospitals in a few weeks, officials said.The hospitals have long been imposing freewheeling charges on patients for such tests in the absence of any regulation."Public hospitals fix the costs of diagnostic tests on their own and have been charging the patients accordingly over the years," Dr Akhter Hossain Bhuiyan, director (hospitals and clinics) at the health directorate, told The Daily Star.The standardised charges will be placed for approval at the next meeting of the National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reforms/Reorganisation (Nicar), he said adding that ...
(read more) Monday, October 20th, 2008An all-round performance, in every sense of the word, from Shakib Al Hasan brought Bangladesh back from the precipice to a place from where the Tigers can realistically dream of a victory against New Zealand after the third day's play of the Brac Bank first Test here yesterday.The sun-drenched, half-filled Chittagong Divisional Stadium passed nervous hours as the youngster from Magura made sure Bangladesh gain a substantial 258-run lead going into Day Four, and he himself walked off with two Bangladesh records: the best all-round performance and the best bowling figures.Shakib started from where he had left off on Day ...
(read more) Monday, October 20th, 2008Political scientist Dr Harunur Rashid said the 1/11 changeover and the following exercises for institutional and political reforms will have positive impact on the country's political culture and the country would not plunge back into the pre-1/11 days."In immediate effect, the political parties are responding even by changing their party constitutions, turning their front organisations into associated organisations. It is not only due to pressure but also their realisation," he said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star.There are some successes including preparation of national ID cards, separation of judiciary from the executive and reconstitution of the Election Commission ...
(read more) Monday, October 20th, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday denied Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojahid bail in Barapukuria coalmine graft case, ordering him to surrender within two weeks to the trial court which had earlier issued an arrest warrant against him.Simultaneously the HC directed the government not to harass or arrest Mojahid within that period.After hearing the bail petition, an HC bench comprising Justice Mohammad Anwarul Haque and Justice Farah Mahbub issued the orders in the case filed by the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC).Lawyers concerned said the HC's denial was due to the arrest warrant against the petitioner.On October 6, ...
(read more) Monday, October 20th, 2008The University Grants Commission (UGC), statutory apex body in the field of university education in Bangladesh, has endorsed the findings by probe committees of rampant corruption and irregularities in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).However, UGC cannot take action against misappropriation in BSMMU, but it believes the authorities concerned should take necessary action against the people involved in corruption, insiders say."Generally the University Grants Commission cannot intervene in such internal matters of a university. The commission is not a controlling authority; it's just a facilitator. Only the university authorities and the government agencies concerned can take actions in this regard," ...
(read more) Monday, October 20th, 2008In the wake of sharp reaction among guardians, students and teachers, the government has shifted from its earlier stance that asked all educational institutions to commence their classes at 7:30am to ensure smooth traffic movement in the capital.The government yesterday decided that the educational institutions didn't have to follow the directive. They can now start their classes at any time between 7:30am and 8:30am.The decision was taken at a meeting at the education ministry with Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman in the chair. Top officials of the ministry and teachers from different educational institutions in the city were present at ...
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