Archive for January 12th, 2009
Monday, January 12th, 2009Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday categorically warned her cabinet colleagues that she will not hesitate to remove them from offices if they fail to fulfil her party's election pledges to the people, or if allegations of corruption are brought against them."Take full charge of your respective ministries within seven days, and work to overcome the challenges we face. I'll not accept any exception," Hasina told them in a cabinet meeting in Bangladesh Secretariat.She said both the people and political opponents are keenly watching if Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance government can deliver, adding, "We can't fail."In a separate meeting, Hasina, ...
(read more) Monday, January 12th, 2009The US and UK yesterday sought Bangladesh's assistance in their bid to recover around $200 million allegedly paid in kickbacks to former prime minister Khaleda Zia's son Arafat Rahman Koko and some ministers of the last BNP-led government.A delegation comprising the United States justice department's deputy chief Linda M Samuel, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Deborah Heprevotte and UK Institute of Management consultant Ferdous Ahmed made the request for help at a meeting with Law Minister Shafique Ahmed at his secretariat office.They handed him a list of the persons suspected of receiving the sums during the immediate past four-party ...
(read more) Monday, January 12th, 2009In absence of proper retail price adjustment, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is reaping a very high profit of Tk 6 per litre of kerosene and diesel and Tk 30 per litre of octane and petrol.The BPC is making a profit of Tk 4.47 crore a day with the Tk 6 profit in each litre of kerosene and diesel, says an official asking not to be named.The government last year significantly hiked the petroleum prices as the international price skyrocketed up to $147 a barrel in July. But the price nose-dived the following month and is now hovering around $40.However, the ...
(read more) Monday, January 12th, 2009Awami League (AL), the ruling party, plans to complete formation of all important parliamentary bodies in the inaugural session of new parliament to ensure the executive's accountability to the legislature, right from the beginning.On instructions from Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina, Vice-Principal Abdus Shahid, who has been picked to be chief whip, is already working to that end, said sources in AL.Talking to The Daily Star via phone on Saturday night, Shahid said he is trying his best to have the parliamentary standing committees formed in the first session.It will be a major step ...
(read more) Monday, January 12th, 2009Israel indicated for the first time yesterday that an end was in sight to its war on Hamas, amid some of the heaviest clashes of an offensive that has killed nearly 900 people in the Gaza Strip.Infantry units backed by tanks pushed deeper into Gaza's main city, sparking some of the fiercest battles yet of the 16-day-old war Israel launched in response to rocket fire from their stronghold.But Israeli officials suggested the Jewish state was nearing the end of its deadliest ever offensive in the Palestinian enclave, despite having last week waved off a UN Security Council resolution calling for ...
(read more) Monday, January 12th, 2009More than two lakh voters of Noakhali-1 constituency go to polls today to elect their representative in the ninth parliament.People in the constituency expect a neck-and-neck battle even though the constituency is considered a BNP stronghold. Awami League (AL) last won the constituency way back in 1973.Election to Noakhali-1 (Chatkhil-Sonaimuri) was deferred following the mysterious death of Gonotantri Party leader and grand alliance candidate Nurul Islam on December 4.Authorities completed necessary preparations for the polls and a three-tier security around all 105 polling centres have been put in place. A total of 1,955 members of police, ansar and ...
(read more) Monday, January 12th, 2009The new government should soon ask the ministers, lawmakers and secretaries of all ministries to declare their wealth statements as part of its commitment to establishing good governance in the country, Shushashoner Janney Nagorik (Shujan) said yesterday."We hope the prime minister will soon ask the ministers, lawmakers and secretaries to declare their wealth statements. We are waiting for it," Shujan Chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said at a discussion on democracy and good governance at the Jatiya Press Club.The government should create a separate cell in every ministry to deal with the complaints of irregularities and also refrain from favouring partisans ...
(read more) Monday, January 12th, 2009Fugitive wives of ruling Awami League lawmaker Obaidul Quader and Awami Swechchhasebak League General Secretary Pankaj Devnath were enlarged on bail as they surrendered to the High Court yesterday.Quader's wife Isratunnesa, who was convicted in two corruption cases, including one on tax evasion, got bail for three months each in the two cases on surrender to the court.Responding to a petition, a division bench comprising Justice M Mozammel Hossain and Justice Afzal Hossain Ahmed passed the order staying the operation of the trial court judgment.On September 25, 2007 an anti-graft court sentenced Isratunnesa to eight years' jail in a ...
(read more) Monday, January 12th, 2009Bolstered by the success in holding last month's credible parliamentary poll, the Election Commission (EC) is now ready for the upcoming upazila parishad polls, as it ordered all law enforcing agencies yesterday to ensure peace by any means during the local government elections."We've taken all preparations. We've decided to deploy the army to avoid any unwarranted situation during the upazila polls, although it was not our primary choice," Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda told reporters coming out of a high-level meeting on poll security.The poll chief said being concerned by the recent post parliamentary poll violence, the commission ...
(read more) Monday, January 12th, 2009The government has decided to constitute a high-powered expert committee for a thorough review of the constitution, said a senior minister.The decision came from the yesterday's cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.“The committee will be formed to enrich and update the constitution by bringing about amendments to it,” Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Quader told The Daily Star at his office yesterday.He said the committee will come into being very soon. Persons having vast knowledge about constitution and legal affairs will be included in the committee, he added.Bangladesh adopted its ...
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