Archive for November 15th, 2008
Saturday, November 15th, 2008Thursday's High Court (HC) order declaring the Truth and Accountability Commission (Tac) illegal has dealt a body blow to the drive against high-profile graft suspects, observed those involved in the anti-corruption efforts.The caretaker administration is now seriously concerned about the fate of its anti-graft campaign, they added.Tac chief Justice Habibur Rahman Khan has said the commission would not function as long as the HC order remains operative.Meanwhile, most of the graft cases at the special courts have been stayed for several months.Officials concerned said the government measures against corruption have in fact ground to a halt because of ...
(read more) Saturday, November 15th, 2008A whole new polarisation may arise centring the race for the December 18 parliamentary election if BNP keeps away from participating in it since some of its leaders and key ally Jamaat-e-Islami desperately want to contest the poll.Political leaders concerned said the four-party alliance may split over differences regarding boycotting the election held on schedule. Jamaat and Jatiya Party may take part in the election separately in that case.A few BNP leaders known as reformists said they would take part in the election if it is held as per the announced schedule and if the party does not decide on ...
(read more) Saturday, November 15th, 2008The authorities have yet to take legal action against dishonest traders who illegally marketed Chinese powdered milk, proving either way the laxity of the government in protecting public interests.Three infant formula brands -- Yashili-1, Yashili-2 and Sweet Baby-2 -- were marketed without registration with the Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN) until melamine scare began haunting consumers early September.The Daily Star investigation found a fullcream powdered milk brand was also marketed by Lalmai Food Products Ltd without registration of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).Marketing any infant and baby food requires registration with IPHN, which banned the three ...
(read more) Saturday, November 15th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) now considers holding of the ninth parliamentary election within December a legal obligation as the commission in an affidavit to the Supreme Court has promised to do so."We told the court in an affidavit that we would hold the ninth parliamentary election within December. Now we have no scope to deviate from the commitment," Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain told The Daily Star on Thursday.In the affidavit submitted to the High Court (HC) Division of the Supreme Court on May 6 this year, the EC promised that it would hold the stalled ninth parliamentary election ...
(read more) Saturday, November 15th, 2008The jail authorities yesterday issued show-cause notices upon detained former BNP ministers Moudud Ahmed, Nazmul Huda, Mirza Abbas and ex-MP Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan in connection with holding meetings in the prison cells of BSMMU with their party men and relatives violating the jail code.The authorities also suspended 28 of their jail guards posted at the prison cells of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in connection with negligence of duty. They were also issued notices to explain as to why further actions would not be taken against them.Inspector General of Prisons (IG-Prisons) Brig Gen Zakir Hassan told The Daily Star, ...
(read more) Saturday, November 15th, 2008Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday said the government will strive to bring Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to the negotiating table, as it believes dialogue between the two will remove uncertainty over the December 18 election.The same day Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina once again said she will sit with her opposite number in BNP, but matters relating to the upcoming parliamentary polls will have to be top of the agenda.Her special aide Hasan Mahmud said, "Our leader is ready to be in dialogue with Khaleda Zia despite serious reservations of our leaders and workers. She wants to ...
(read more) Saturday, November 15th, 2008Monira still cries for her son Jihad. "Sometimes I just forget that he is no more," lamented Monira as she was talking over phone from Southkhali, a remote village near the Sundarbans.The Baleshawar river was never so furious before. Monira, her husband Shamsul and their elder son Babu cheated death that night when the river waters sprang up atop the trees. But fate was not in favour of Jihad.Many people from Southkhali believe the life they are living since devastating cyclone Sidr ripped through Bangladesh on this day a year ago is a bonus.Like Southkhali in Bagerhat hundreds of villages ...
(read more) Saturday, November 15th, 2008World leaders headed to Washington on Friday to try to find ways to tackle a global economic crisis that has plunged much of Europe into its first recession since the euro currency was formed.The worst financial crisis in 80 years has weakened the world's major economies and official data showed the 15-nation euro zone economy had shrunk by 0.2 percent for the second quarter in a row."We think that the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better," said Nick Kounis, an analyst at Fortis Bank."We will probably see further falls in output in the first few months ...
(read more) Saturday, November 15th, 2008A recent Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) move to check the quality of processed food items being imported from India has almost brought import of these through Benapole Land Port to a halt.BSTI in a letter issued on October 28 asked importers to have a complete quality check by BSTI before offloading processed food items at the port. This led to a suspension of offloading processed food items since Wednesday.The move raised questions about the capability of BSTI to check the quality of a large number of food items. It takes 15 to 21 days to receive certificates of ...
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