Archive for December 14th, 2008
Sunday, December 14th, 2008BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday announced her party's election manifesto on the slogan 'Save country, save people', and said they will reform the caretaker government system and scrap the special powers act if voted back to power.She also pledged measures to contain price hike of essentials, curb corruption, restore law and order, combat terrorism, and allow the judiciary full independence.The former prime minister said if BNP wins the December 29 election and forms government, it will make all representatives release their wealth accounts within 30 days of oath-taking.She read out the 36-point polls charter at a city hotel ...
(read more) Sunday, December 14th, 2008The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs symbolises the government's sheer political indifference to the War of Independence, the most important phase for any nation around the globe.Formed in 2001 after the four-party alliance featuring BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami came to power, the ministry carefully ignored works on genocide and other crimes during the Liberation War, reveals an investigation by The Daily Star.Many of its officials deemed the issue "very sensitive matter" and thought it best to turn a deaf ear to the ever-increasing demand for the trial of war criminals.The ministry has no plan as yet to work on war ...
(read more) Sunday, December 14th, 2008Politics had been uninspiring for quite some time. It made a turnaround when the Awami League unveiled its election manifesto Friday. More than a list of promises to lure voters, it is an economic document for development with clearly set goals, some achievable and some quite lofty, to hold the party accountable if it is elected to power. The problem with the manifesto, however, is elsewhere -- in the question of implementation and financing.In setting short-term goals, the AL has obviously kept curbing of inflation as the number one task and it has laid down some economic mechanisms such as ...
(read more) Sunday, December 14th, 2008Residents of the capital are witnessing significant changes in this year's election campaign with no graffiti and poster on city walls and no decorated campaign gate on roads, thanks to the new electoral code of conduct.Although electioneering officially started on Friday with the lifting of restrictions on processions and rallies, the festive election atmosphere the city is used to, is yet to be discernible.Candidates of the major electoral alliances yesterday brought out processions, held rallies and hung posters from ropes at different spots. They also started going from door to door seeking votes in the 15 constituencies of the ...
(read more) Sunday, December 14th, 2008Economists have termed the Awami League's projection of time-bound economic plans in its electoral manifesto a good sign and said it would hold the party accountable to the people.They said it would also help time-to-time monitoring of the specific short- and long-term visionary plans the party has formulated focusing on economic targets.The economic programmes incorporated in the AL election manifesto depend on financing and implementation strategy, they added.On Friday, AL President Sheikh Hasina announced the manifesto with a target of taking the GDP growth to 8 percent by 2013 and bringing down poverty rate to 25 percent. The AL also ...
(read more) Sunday, December 14th, 2008The Election Commission (EC) has cleared the candidature of BNP nominee Dr Enamul Haque in Rajshahi-1 constituency ignoring the electoral laws that clearly disqualify him from contesting the upcoming parliamentary election.Enamul, also former inspector general of police, was appointed a member of Bangladesh Law Commission in November 2004 on a three-year contract that expired on November 28 last year.As per the new electoral laws, Enamul, who was entitled to salary, allowances and other facilities of a High Court judge during his service in the law commission, will not be eligible to contest the parliamentary election before November 28, ...
(read more) Sunday, December 14th, 2008The nation pays tribute to the martyred intellectuals today amid increasing demand for trial of war criminals who systematically killed prominent Bangladeshi intellectuals and professionals at the fag end of the Liberation War on this day in 1971.On this day in 1971 renowned academics, doctors, engineers, journalists, teachers and other eminent personalities were dragged blind-folded out of their homes in the capital and killed in cold blood to intellectually cripple the newly-born nation. Their bodies were dumped at Rayerbazar, Mirpur and a few other places in the city.Sensing the imminent defeat, the Pakistani occupying army and their local collaborators formed ...
(read more) Sunday, December 14th, 2008The nation pays tribute to the martyred intellectuals today amid increasing demand for trial of war criminals who systematically killed prominent Bangladeshi intellectuals and professionals at the fag end of the Liberation War on this day in 1971.On this day in 1971 renowned academics, doctors, engineers, journalists, teachers and other eminent personalities were dragged blind-folded out of their homes in the capital and killed in cold blood to intellectually cripple the newly-born nation. Their bodies were dumped at Rayerbazar, Mirpur and a few other places in the city.Sensing the imminent defeat, the Pakistani occupying army and their local collaborators formed ...
(read more) Sunday, December 14th, 2008A total of 9,976 candidates have filed applications for contesting the January 22 Upazila Parishad elections in 481 upazilas of 64 districts across the country.Yesterday was the last day for filing applications for candidature.Of the total, 4,222 candidates are running for chairmanship, 3,543 for vice-chairmanship in the open positions while 2,211 filed applications for the same position reserved for female candidates.One candidate each is seeking candidacy for vice-chairman (female) post in Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat, Jamalganj in Sunamganj and Bera of Pabna district.There was no showdown by the candidates as it is prohibited by the Election Commission ...
(read more) Sunday, December 14th, 2008BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday urged people to vote for the BNP-led four-party alliance to foil the conspiracy to make the country a 'failed and subservient' state."A political alliance has been conspiring to make the country a failed and subservient state.They foiled the January 22 election last year killing people and brought the present government to power," Khaleda said at a street rally at Mohammadpur Town Hall Bazar in the capital.In the last two years, the caretaker government destroyed the country's economy and failed to check the prices of essentials many of which have gone out of the reach ...
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