Archive for December 1st, 2008
Monday, December 1st, 2008The High Court (HC) yesterday upheld the constitutional provision for disqualifying a person from contesting parliamentary elections if they are sentenced to not less than a two-year term under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR).This would imply that some 75 well-known politicians of different parties cannot qualify for the ninth parliamentary election slated for December 29.But while legal experts are saying this, lawyers of one of these convicted politicians commented that the HC rule does not disqualify his client's candidature.The HC bench comprised of Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana and Justice Md Rezaul Haque delivered the verdict, disposing of a writ petition ...
(read more) Monday, December 1st, 2008Awami League (AL) and Jatiya Party (JP) finally struck a bargain over seat sharing last night after a day of high drama that at times had threatened to break up the electoral union between the parties.In the end, JP contented itself with 50 seats.Earlier in the day, JP Chairman HM Ershad warned that if his party is not given 60 seats and a pledge of presidency it would quit the grand alliance and contest the December 29 election on its own.As speculations ran rife that the former military strongman was parting from the alliance, policymakers of the two parties met ...
(read more) Monday, December 1st, 2008Over seven and a half years after the Ramna Batamul blast, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday pressed charges against 14 operatives of banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad Al Islami (Huji) in two cases filed for the carnage.CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, investigation officer (IO) in both cases, submitted the charge sheets before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka.The bloodbath that took place during Pahela Baishakh celebrations on April 14, 2001 left 10 people dead and scores injured.Of the cases filed with Ramna Police Station, one was for murder and the other for possession and use of ...
(read more) Monday, December 1st, 2008BNP and its allies submitted nomination papers separately across the country on the last date yesterday as the alliance leaders failed to reach an agreement over seat sharing for the upcoming parliamentary election.The alliance leaders said they would finalise the issue before the December 11 deadline for withdrawal of nomination.Meanwhile, more than one candidates of the four-party alliance filed nominations for the same seat in many areas including some seats in Dhaka city. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Kashem Ali and BNP leader Habibunnabi Sohel, foe example, filed nomination for Dhaka-8.The alliance leaders said papers of one of the candidates in these ...
(read more) Monday, December 1st, 2008Six activists of Ulama Anjuman-e Al-Bayinat who partially vandalised the sculpture 'Balaka' in front of the Hotel Purbani International in Motijheel on Saturday night were sent to jail yesterday.Earlier, Motijheel police filed two cases against 10 identified and three to four unidentified activists of Al-Bayinat. The police filed one case for vandalising the sculpture and the other for assaulting law-enforcers.Different socio-political organisations have meanwhile condemned the attempt to remove Balaka.Students of Dhaka University (DU) took out processions, held rallies and blocked roads on the campus in protest against the move.Several hundred students under the banner of Sangskriti Rakkha Andolan [movement ...
(read more) Monday, December 1st, 2008Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil resigned yesterday facing severe criticism for handling of internal security during the terror attacks on Mumbai.Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at an all-party meeting in New Delhi unveiled a set of measures to strengthen the country's anti-terror apparatus to combat terrorism, reports our correspondent Pallab Bhattacharya from New Delhi.Manmohan said the government has finalised a set of legal measures, which include setting up of a Federal Investigation Agency.He said measures have been initiated to beef up maritime and air security. "This will involve the navy, coast guard and coastal police as well ...
(read more) Monday, December 1st, 2008Several nominees of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a few independent candidates staged big showdowns in Chittagong yesterday by gathering party activists and supporters during submission of nomination papers violating the electoral code of conduct.The candidates, including Salauddin Quader Chowdhury (Ctg-2 and Ctg-6), Jafrul Islam Chowdhury (Ctg-15) and Mostafa Kamal Pasha (Ctg-16) of BNP and independent candidates Mahfuzur Rahman Mita (Ctg-16) and Dr Mahmud Hassan (Ctg-2), came to the deputy commissioner's office along with huge a crowd for submitting nomination papers.Jamaat-e-Islami Chittagong city unit Ameer Maulana Shamsul Islam, who is vying for Chittagong 14 as the lone 4-party alliance candidate ...
(read more) Monday, December 1st, 2008BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has claimed to be self-educated in the affidavit attached with her nomination paper submitted for the Bogra-6 constituency.She did not mention any information about formal education.But a book published by the Parliament Secretariat on lawmakers of the eighth parliament says she studied at Dinajpur Govt Girls' School and Surendra Nath College.The book was published under supervision of Speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar. Before its publication all the then members of parliament (MPs) were asked to provide information about them, including their educational qualifications.Like other MPs, Khaleda also provided her information where she had described her academic records.According ...
(read more) Monday, December 1st, 2008A total of 2,460 nomination papers were filed with the Election Commission (EC) for the upcoming parliamentary election, record low since the 1991 national election, commission sources said last night.The two major electoral alliances are yet to finalise the lists of their candidates in 300 constituencies for the elections.Highest 23 nomination papers were submitted in Dhaka-8 constituency while lowest three nominations were filed in Thakurgaon-2, Pabna-2, Bagerhat-4, Mymensingh-1, Kishoreganj-4 and 6 and two other constituencies each.The number of nomination papers submitted in October 2001 election was 2,563, in June 1996 polls 3,093 and in 1991 election 3,855. ...
(read more) Monday, December 1st, 2008Jail authorities again caught detained former BNP state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar talking on a cellphone at a cabin of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).The phone was seized and he was moved to a prison cell around 8:00pm last night as punishment for violating the jail code.Meanwhile, former BNP lawmaker engineer Manjurul Ahsan Munshi was released on a High Court bail yesterday afternoon from Dhaka Central Jail.Deputy Inspector General of Prisons (DIG-Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddique told The Daily Star, "Lutfozzaman Babar was caught red-handed talking on a mobile phone around 2:40pm in the cabin of BSMMU.""Further ...
(read more) 
