Archive for December, 2008
Saturday, December 27th, 2008Contenders in the upcoming parliamentary election have until 12:00am tomorrow to wrap up their campaigns as the curtain will fall on the last two weeks' hectic electioneering at midnight today.None will be allowed to convene, hold or attend any public meeting, and no person will be allowed to organise or join any procession within the area of any constituency after midnight today.The restrictions will continue till forty eight-hours have elapsed since the completion of vote casting, according to a news release of the Election Commission (EC).According to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), any violation of ...
(read more) Saturday, December 27th, 2008The Government Attorney Department will now appoint lawyers only to the lower courts for dealing with cases on behalf of the state.The department after getting approval from the authorities concerned will recruit 976 attorneys for subordinate courts of the country, sources said.In May this year, during setting up of the department, it was empowered to recruit lawyers for all courts including the Supreme Court and for performing other duties.A new ordinance was recently promulgated and it took away the department's power of recruiting lawyers for the Supreme Court.The president promulgated the Attorney Service Ordinance, 2008 on December ...
(read more) Saturday, December 27th, 2008Judicial magistrates are facing difficulties in discharging their duties of trying electoral offences in the upcoming parliamentary polls due to non-cooperation of local administration.Many of the judicial magistrates yesterday informed the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat about the problems, sources said.They also requested the EC Secretariat to immediately issue instructions to district administration to cooperate with the judicial magistrates in their job. But it did not issue any such instructions until last night, officials said.The establishment ministry, which appoints deputy commissioners and upazila nirbahi officers who are chiefs of the district and upazila administration, had earlier appointed 319 ...
(read more) Saturday, December 27th, 2008The election rally of Awami League turned into a human sea at Paltan Maidan and its surrounding areas yesterday as tens of thousands of people joined the party's final showdown in the capital ahead of the national polls.The gathering gradually wore a festive look when AL supporters from different areas started thronging the venue of the rally with colourful banners, festoons and AL's election symbol 'boat' since morning.AL leaders, workers and supporters in processions joined the rally by chanting slogans, singing songs and dancing to the tune of musical instruments. The huge gathering of the rally spilled over to nearby ...
(read more) Saturday, December 27th, 2008At least 37 bombs were recovered from various places in Rajshahi, Naogaon, Jessore and Meherpur while three suspected JMB members were detained in Panchagarh yesterday.Meanwhile, the eight JMB operatives, arrested in Gaibandha with a big cache of explosives on Thursday, were placed on a five-day police remand.SM Moniruzzaman, superintendent of police in Gaibandha, told The Daily Star that the detained operatives of outlawed Islamist outfit JMB were being interrogated.Col Gulzaruddin Ahmed, additional director general of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), said they were making preparation to interrogate the eight JMB men under the Taskforce Intelligence (TFI).Gaibandha police arrested the eight JMB ...
(read more) Saturday, December 27th, 2008Former state minister and BNP leader Lutfozzaman Babar has been expelled from the party for contesting the ninth parliamentary election as an independent candidate."Following directives of the chairperson and according to 5 (ga) clause of the party constitution, Lutfozzaman Babar has been stripped of the party's post of publicity secretary and primary membership," said a party press release signed by BNP Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed yesterday.The controversial ex-state minister for home had been a close aide to Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of Khaleda Zia, during the tenure of the previous BNP-led alliance government.Following the promulgation of the state of ...
(read more) Friday, December 26th, 2008Over the years it dawned on him that they, the Biharis here, had made the same mistake twice, and that was supporting Pakistan first in 1947 and then in 1971.Now in his seventies, Moksud Alam of Geneva Camp in the city's Mohammadpur feels they have paid dearly for that.The good thing is, he says, they did not mess it up this time. “We got registered as voters by swearing allegiance to Bangladesh as soon as the opportunity came along.”Moksud knows their ballots weigh the same as do those of the other voters.Left marginalised for decades, they are now quite ...
(read more) Friday, December 26th, 2008BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday alleged that a party is plotting to assassinate her seeing huge public support for the BNP-led four-party alliance."Being afraid of the huge public support for the BNP-led electoral alliance across the country, a party is plotting to assassinate me," Khaleda said at an election rally at Shaheed Darogali Park in Sherpur.She also asked the BNP leaders and activists to keep guard at the polling centres until all votes are counted.Four-party alliance candidate in Sherpur-1 and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mohammad Kamaruzzaman organised the rally.Pointing to the government and the Election Commission, the former premier said, ...
(read more) Friday, December 26th, 2008Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged people to secure victory of peace over terrorism and development over corruption by giving mandate to her party in the December 29 parliamentary election.The AL chief warned against any attempts by any quarters to obstruct voting. "Your vote is your right. You will cast your vote for whoever you like, " she told an election rally at Lalbagh Balurmath in the capital."You know the BNP-Jamaat alliance came to power by rigging votes. It was evident as 1.23 crore fake voters were on the voter list prepared during their rule," the former ...
(read more) Friday, December 26th, 2008League (AL), who have been charged with corruption, are contesting the ninth parliamentary election from various constituencies across the country.Besides, at least 100 candidates including 34 from BNP and 24 from AL are facing murder cases and of them, two have been awarded life imprisonment on murder charge, said a Shushashoner Jannoy Nagorik (Shujan) survey report based on affidavit and tax returns of the candidates.Shujan Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar made public the survey report at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital.The organisation recently published a report on 102 constituencies and has ...
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