Archive for January 25th, 2009
Sunday, January 25th, 2009The long awaited ninth parliament begins its journey this afternoon with the responsibility to deliver on people's high expectations that it will put the country on the right track towards prosperity.The magnificent Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban comes to life at 3:00pm after over two years as the new parliament sits in its first session with enormous crucial tasks, including taking decision about the fate of the 122 ordinances promulgated by the immediate past caretaker government within 30 days.The ninth parliament, which was supposed to be formed around two years ago, will have to deliver on people's expectations for changes in the ...
(read more) Sunday, January 25th, 2009Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday appointed six new faces as state ministers expanding her council of ministers formed 18 days ago.The new state ministers are Advocate Md. Shahjahan Miah, Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, Advocate Md. Quamrul Islam, Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku, Md. Motahar Hossain and Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak.The council of ministers now has 24 ministers and 14 state ministers.President Iajuddin Ahmed administered their oath of office in a simple ceremony in Bangabhaban at 7:10pm. Hasina, Awami League's presidential nominee Zillur Rahman, ministers and civil and military high officials were present at the swearing-in ceremony.The new state ministers' ...
(read more) Sunday, January 25th, 2009Even if her enemies had tried they couldn't have done a better job of embarrassing Sheikh Hasina and her barely two-week-old government. First the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of Awami League (AL), and now the party's grassroots leaders, including a cabinet minister and an MP, have done precisely the things that she has promised, and is trying to, totally move away from. Their actions have brought blemish upon her and her party's brilliant electoral victory and raised unnecessary doubts in the public mind as to how serious is the AL chief's commitment to bring “change” in politics and ...
(read more) Sunday, January 25th, 2009Driven by abject poverty, Rohingyas living in Cox's Bazar camps and adjacent areas undertake perilous sea journeys in search of better lives in Malaysia via Thailand.Although the practice has been going on for nearly five years, the issue came into the spotlight when Indian and Indonesian coastguards rescued several hundred Rohingyas and some Bangladeshis a few weeks ago. Many others were feared dead in the Indian Ocean.Denied citizenship and persecuted in Myanmar, an estimated 2 lakh Rohingyas infiltrated the Bangladesh border since the early 1990s, only around 23,000 of whom living in two camps in Cox's Bazar are registered as ...
(read more) Sunday, January 25th, 2009The Dhaka University (DU) yesterday witnessed an ignoble rat race among teachers to get to the newly appointed university officials to pay their admiration and adulation depriving students of their precious classes.Over 200 teachers rushed in a hustle and bustle towards the Registrar Building to congratulate pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Harun-or Rashid and Treasurer Professor Mizanur Rahman on their appointment.With flowers, bouquets in their hands and hardly caring about their professional duties, they spent hours to welcome the two, who assumed their offices yesterday after taking over from their predecessors.As the old senate room was crammed with teachers many ...
(read more) Sunday, January 25th, 2009Thailand offered yesterday to host a regional conference to prevent the mass migration - and resulting suffering - of refugees after the Thai navy was accused of brutally mistreating boat people from Bangladesh.Foreign Ministry officials met envoys from India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Myanmar to discuss the exodus of refugees from camps in the impoverished South Asian nation, ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdee said."We are also in talks with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees both in Thailand and in Geneva to help alleviate what these people are facing right now," he said.Thousands of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas - members of a ...
(read more) Sunday, January 25th, 2009Finance minister AMA Muhith has written letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and National Board of Revenue (NBR) regarding publication of wealth statements of the prime minister, ministers, members of parliament and other 'powerful persons' within next month.Sources said the letters sent last week mentioned that the ruling Awami League's election manifesto said wealth statements of powerful persons have to be published every year for the sake of transparency.Wealth of family members of these persons also has to be included in the statements.Finance ministry sources explained that by powerful persons the minister referred to persons involved in government work. ...
(read more) Sunday, January 25th, 2009The Right to Information Ordinance proclaimed by the immediate past caretaker government appears unlikely to be ratified by parliament anytime soon.Speaking to reporters yesterday, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed did not reply directly to queries if the newly elected legislature convening today will ratify the ordinance.Instead, he said the caretaker administration promulgated many ordinances--some out of necessity and some without consultation with the stakeholders."You journalists are major stakeholders in the matter [Right to Information], but did they discuss the ordinance with you before promulgation?" he asked.In response to growing demands from civil society and rights organisations, Fakhruddin Ahmed-led administration ...
(read more) Sunday, January 25th, 2009BNP Chairperson and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia at a meeting with party lawmakers yesterday discussed their strategy at the inaugural session of the ninth parliament today.She also selected her party representatives in the Business Advisory Committee, Privilege Committee and Housing Committee of parliament.Held at the party chairperson's Gulshan office, the meeting was attended by 17 lawmakers and some senior leaders of the party.Meanwhile, the BNP parliamentary party will sit today at 2:00pm at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban to finalise its strategy and to discuss other issues relating to the inaugural session.At yesterday's meeting, Khaleda ...
(read more) Sunday, January 25th, 2009The treasury bench is annoyed as Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar overruled the chief whip's seating arrangement and made a new arrangement for the opposition ahead of today's parliament session."The chief whip has wrongly made the seating arrangement, which is righted by the Speaker being empowered by the rules of procedures [article 7]," said Sircar, who contested the December 29 national polls from BNP but couldn't win.The Speaker also said BNP lawmakers led by Leader of the Opposition and party chief Khaleda Zia will attend today's inaugural session in parliament.Sources say the treasury bench allocated three seats for the opposition on the ...
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