Archive for December 22nd, 2008
Monday, December 22nd, 2008In a major step the Election Commission (EC) yesterday decided to launch investigations against three BNP and two Jatiya Party candidates who allegedly concealed information in their affidavits submitted with nomination papers.If found guilty, they might be declared disqualified by EC at this stage. If they are elected and the commission's orders come after polls, their election will be declared void and the seat will fall vacant.The new article 91E of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) provides EC with the authority, though political parties, especially BNP-Jamaat-led four-party alliance, have been vehemently opposing it and demand scrapping of the ...
(read more) Monday, December 22nd, 2008The election campaign strategies of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia differ, often starkly, in texture and tone.Besides, Khaleda is spending more time holding rallies and is on a whirlwind campaign tour. She has put in every ounce of her strength to visit as many spots as possible within the shortest possible time. The BNP chief starts her day around 9:00 in the morning and continues her tour and rallies late into the night. On one occasion at least, she addressed a 5:00am rally.By comparison, Hasina has kept her campaign much truncated. She usually starts her ...
(read more) Monday, December 22nd, 2008Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad's waning popularity in the greater Rangpur area and Awami League's (AL) continuing indifference to its leaders' electoral rivalry with JP nominees there despite being partners in an electoral alliance, have brought new hopes for BNP-led four-party alliance nominees in the area.Four-party alliance's chances are also boosted by the fact that in past elections JP nominations kept changing in the constituencies of what was once known as 'the fortress of JP' led by the former dictator. Some of the recent rebellions within the party were also attributed to that fact.Ershad first emerged as the ...
(read more) Monday, December 22nd, 2008Two years ago the Barapukuria coalmine project appeared to be a white elephant for the government. The corruption-inflicted mining project was producing coal at a cost of $91 a tonne instead of $35 as was projected in the early nineties.The mining company was incurring a loss of Tk 50 crore on average every year while shouldering an enormous loan liability.The same Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) is now cautiously expecting to strike its first operating profit by the end of the current fiscal year.Due to low and inefficient production of coal in 2005-06, the mine incurred a loss of ...
(read more) Monday, December 22nd, 2008Candidates of the two electoral alliances are paying more attention to the large number of voters living in the slums and undeveloped areas of Dhaka-17 constituency who outnumber the sophisticated voters in the posh areas.Eight candidates--of them three retired army men--are contesting the December 29 parliamentary elections in the constituency that consists of cantonment, Gulshan, Kafrul, Pallabi and Tejgaon police stations.The Awami League-led grand alliance nominated Jatiya Party Chairman Lt Gen (retd) HM Ershad in the seat while BNP Chairperson's Adviser Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah is contesting for the BNP-led four-party alliance and Maj Gen (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim ...
(read more) Monday, December 22nd, 2008The Election Commission (EC) yesterday decided to deploy judicial magistrates in the December 29 general election, following the Supreme Court's (SC) disapproval of its earlier decision to empower executive magistrates to try punishable electoral offences.A quasi-judicial body, the commission on November 27 chose to give executive magistrates the power practised by their peers in the judiciary. It was only later that it sought the apex court's opinions on the matter.In a circular on December 7, the home ministry said the establishment ministry would take necessary steps to translate the EC plans.However, the general administrative committee of the SC headed ...
(read more) Monday, December 22nd, 2008Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her life is under threat since a certain quarter is afraid of the mass surge in favour of Boat, her party's electoral symbol, ahead of the parliamentary election."You have already read in newspapers about the apprehension of attacks on me. I am the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and I am not scared of any threats," she said."Terrorists attacked me time and again and BNP-Jamaat alliance government patronised the attackers," Hasina said addressing huge election rallies at different constituencies in Tangail and Mymensingh.She said Bangabandhu sacrificed his life for the country ...
(read more) Monday, December 22nd, 2008BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said, if voted to power, her government will construct the Padma Bridge at Mawa to connect the southern region with the capital.She also pledged to supply natural gas from the Shahbajpur gas field in Bhola to other parts of the region.The BNP chief made the pledges at different election rallies in Munshiganj and Barisal.On her way to the southern divisional district, she also addressed rallies at Louhojang Bazar of Munshiganj, Gournadi, Babuganj and Uzirpur of Barisal and Madaripur, introducing candidates of the BNP-led four-party alliance to the voters and seeking votes for them.Khaleda had left ...
(read more) Monday, December 22nd, 2008Awami League (AL) yesterday expressed concern that the reported plan to kill its president Sheikh Hasina could be an attempt to foil the December 29 election.Meanwhile, in the face of the assassination plan by Islamist militants as revealed by the media, AL has asked the caretaker government to ensure foolproof security for Hasina who has already survived a grenade attack on August 21, 2004.HT Imam, co-chairman of AL's election conducting committee, said this during a press briefing at the party's media cell in Dhanmondi.Home Adviser Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin meanwhile said yesterday that the government has already taken the ...
(read more) Monday, December 22nd, 2008Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad yesterday asked for forgiveness for the 'mistakes' he had made in the past, and pledged to do everything to free politics of violence.In an address to the nation broadcast by Bangladesh Television and Betar in the evening, he said, “I have always strived to work for the country. Along the way, I might have made mistakes with or without knowledge and hurt some people. I beg pardon for that.”He said if his party goes to power, the army would be presented with the state's highest award for what they did to 'save the nation ...
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