Archive for December 12th, 2008
Friday, December 12th, 2008The Awami League (AL) and Jatiya Party (JP) finally reached an agreement yesterday to nominate JP candidates in 48 seats from the AL-led electoral grand alliance in the upcoming ninth parliamentary elections.The settlement came at the eleventh hour of candidacy withdrawal following two days' dramatic events centring seat sharing between the two components of the alliance.Intense negotiations between the two parties had faltered late Wednesday night when JP withdrew itself from the alliance because of "being deprived" of nomination after the AL offered JP about 30 seats. Earlier, JP got assurance of getting 47 seats from the alliance leader.But JP ...
(read more) Friday, December 12th, 2008Following a seat-sharing deal between BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamaat received 34 seats to run for the upcoming national polls under the banner of four-party alliance.However, in four other constituencies--Chapainawabganj-3, Sirajganj-4, Rajshahi-3 and Jhenidah-3--Jamaat candidates will be battling against candidates of their ally BNP.BNP also gave four seats to the two parties in Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), Brahmanbaria-2, Jessore-5, Sunamganj-3 and Madaripur-1, and two seats to Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Bhola-1 and Bhola-2.However, IOJ candidates too will be contesting BNP and Jamaat candidates in Netrakona-3 and Cox's Bazar-2 constituencies."We requested them [BNP and Jamaat] to withdraw ...
(read more) Friday, December 12th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) has cleared candidacy of 119 parliamentary aspirants including seven from Awami League (AL) and BNP each during hearings of appeals filed against cancellation of nomination papers by Returning Officers (ROs).Meanwhile, many aspirants whose candidacy were either accepted or rejected by the EC at the end of hearings on Wednesday night waited for the certified copy of EC decision at the commission secretariat until yesterday evening.The EC secretariat was very sluggish in completing formalities, which according to many aspirants caused difficulty in withdrawing candidacy and filing appeals with the High Court (HC) against the commission's decision.Admitting the ...
(read more) Friday, December 12th, 2008The state of emergency, imposed in the country on January 11, 2007, will be withdrawn on December 17, the caretaker government announced Wednesday night."The government has decided to lift the state of emergency from December 17 with the approval of the president," Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said reading out an announcement during a press briefing at the PID conference room.He also said restrictions on rallies and processions would be withdrawn from today to facilitate campaign for the parliamentary elections scheduled for December 29.The government's spokesman said the election campaigns must be conducted following the Code of Conduct, 2008, ...
(read more) Friday, December 12th, 2008Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday offered munajat at three shrines in Sylhet before formally starting her election campaign today with the announcement of her party's election manifesto.Hundreds of supporters standing on the two sides of city streets with colourful banners and festoons and party symbol boat and chanting slogans welcomed the AL chief on her way to the shrines of Hazrat Shah Jalal, Hazrat Shah Paran and Hazrat Burhanuddin Shah.Hasina entered the Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal at 12:35pm amid tight security and spent there about half an hour to offer prayer before visiting the shrines of Shah ...
(read more) Friday, December 12th, 2008Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslims, was celebrated across the country on Tuesday.After offering prayers at Eid congregations, well-off Muslims sacrificed animals commemorating Hazrat Ibrahim's devotion to Allah as illustrated by his readiness to give up his beloved son Hazrat Ismail.They (Muslims) shared the sacrificial meat with their relatives and neighbours and distributed meat among the poor.The main Eid congregation was held at National Eidgah Maidan at 8:00am. Acting Khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Mufti Nuruddin conducted the prayers.Islamic Foundation also arranged five Eid congregations at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 7:00am, 8:00am, 9:00am, ...
(read more) Friday, December 12th, 2008Film actor and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) ward councillor Monwar Hossain Dipjol was sent to jail Wednesday, a day after the BNP leader was arrested.He has been convicted and sentenced to 45 years' imprisonment in four cases, two cases filed under Arms Act and one each filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Board of Revenue.Dipjol went into hiding after January 11, 2007, and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-4) arrested him Tuesday at a house in Adabar in the capital.After his arrest, Rab personnel handed him over to Darussalam police who produced him before the Court of Chief Metropolitan ...
(read more) Friday, December 12th, 2008The government has asked Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television to give equitable and objective coverage to the election campaign of political parties and alliances.The Ministry of Information has already given a guideline to both the state-run media for the election coverage of political parties registered with the Election Commission (EC), an official handout said.The guideline to be effective from December 12 would help hold a free, fair and neutral election through publicity of the manifesto-based information of the political parties, it said.The guideline will remain in force until 48 hours ahead of polls day, the handout said. ...
(read more) Friday, December 12th, 2008At least 41 people were killed and 54 others injured in separate road accidents in 11 districts and the capital during Eid holidays.Of them, eight were killed in Bogra, seven in Dhaka, five in Khagrachhari, four in Sirajganj, three each in Jamalpur, Barisal and Satkhira, two each in Thakurgaon and Rangpur, and one each in Jessore, Gaibandha, Narail and Brahmanbaria.Our correspondent in Bogra reports: Eight people including three children were killed while three others injured in two separate road accidents in the district in last three days.The deceased were identified as microbus driver Omar Faruq,35, China Begum,40, Russel,10, Jaheed ,10, ...
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