Archive for November 12th, 2008
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008The caretaker government will not brook any election campaign or demonstration before November 27 as such activities violate the Emergency Power Rules (EPR). It warned of taking "stern actions" for breaching the rules.The government took the decision yesterday at a meeting of the advisory committee on law and order against a backdrop of frequent violation of the EPR by the country's three major political parties--the Awami League, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.Chaired by Home Adviser MA Matin, the meeting asked law enforcement agencies to go tough against violators of emergency rules until 21 days before the December 18 election date. This means ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 12th, 2008The December 18 parliamentary election in the capital might get to a new dimension as the number of constituencies in the metropolis was increased to 15 from eight.The Awami League (AL) finds no difficulties in adapting to the re-demarcated constituencies but the BNP is facing it hard to find out suitable candidates for "so many" seats.The AL has already collected names of candidates for all 15 constituencies through its grassroots level committees. The BNP, on the other hand, has neither enough candidates for these seats nor any clear picture of the new electoral map.AL's grassroots level committees held extended meetings ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 12th, 2008The home ministry has sent to the Election Commission a list of 103 politicians and businessmen who are convicted of criminal offences under Emergency Powers Rules, to assist the commission in keeping them out of the parliamentary and upazila parishad races.Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has yet to collect the list of individuals who were convicted of war crimes, although the chief election commissioner (CEC) earlier announced that the commission would collect the list to keep the war criminals out of the electoral races as well, EC sources said.The amended Representation of the People Order (RPO) and the new ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 12th, 2008Sirajganj District Health Department is stuck with adulterated milk being sold in Sirajganj district, as they don't have the funds required to carry out further tests to find out if any chemicals are present in the locally marketed milk.The health department sent five suspected samples to Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) for chemical tests, which were returned as the department could not pay the required fees for the tests.The tests for five samples of milk would cost Tk 25,000 at BSTI.The stagnant situation raises questions about the lack of coordination and cooperation between different government bodies.The fact ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 12th, 2008The Awami League (AL) has primarily found almost all candidates for the 15 re-demarcated constituencies in Dhaka but is still looking for more competent candidates for a number of these parliamentary seats to ensure victory.The party has already collected recommendations about possible candidates from the grassroots level committees from the 15 constituencies.The grassroots level committees have held extended meetings in the respective constituencies and recommended candidates' names to the AL Parliamentary Board (ALPB).Party insiders say ALPB headed by AL President Sheikh Hasina would take a final decision regarding nomination in the capital after formal formation of the grand electoral alliance ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 12th, 2008BNP is ill-prepared to field candidates for the seven new parliamentary constituencies added to the previous eight in Dhaka city.Though the party has yet to decide whether to participate in the December 18 national polls, it has been working to find suitable candidates for seats elsewhere in the country, said BNP sources.But it could not even begin the work for the capital. So far, it only has a makeshift plan ready for the 15 constituencies here.According to the plan, those elected to previous parliament from the capital will play a key role in picking candidates for the additional seats. ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 12th, 2008Noted jurist Shahdeen Malik does not think BNP and Awami League leadership will change the way they lead their parties and break with the culture of confrontational politics anytime soon.“However, the party men will someday want a different kind of leadership, and only then things will start to change,” he said in an interview with The Daily Star.Dismissive of the 'minus-two formula', he said, “Historically, following of a leader could not have been taken away by external means.”After around 30 years, people would naturally look for changed leadership.He however holds out hope that politics would be much cleaner in ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 12th, 2008The home ministry yesterday asked all to submit their licensed firearms to respective police stations across the country between November 20 and December 3.The small firearms will be in government custody until January 5, 2009, in order to keep the ninth parliamentary elections and upazila elections, scheduled for December 18 and December 28, violence free.The decision was made during a meeting of the advisory committee on law and order held at the home ministry with Home Adviser MA Matin in the chair.No new firearms licences would be issued to any individual until the elections are over and the sale ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 12th, 2008Police charged batons at a rally of Jamaat-e-Islami at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram Mosque in the capital, leaving at least 30 Jamaat workers injured.Witnesses said police resorted to baton charge when Jamaat and Shibir activists tried to come out of the mosque premises after completing their rally ignoring police request and breaking the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) at about 4:30pm.Around five thousands of Jamaat workers gathered on the mosque premises around 4:00pm as part of the party's countrywide protest programme demanding release of detained Jamaat leaders Matiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and BNP leader ...
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