Archive for January 27th, 2009
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009The new government has amended its rules of business, empowering Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to appoint as her advisers and special assistants as many persons as she deems necessary.The amendments authorise the premier to determine the terms and conditions of the appointments as she deems expedient in public interest, and also allow her to let any of the advisers or special assistants attend meetings of the cabinet or any other government committee.Exercising his constitutional authority, President Iajuddin Ahmed on Thursday brought the amendments to some sections of the rules of business, sources in the cabinet division said.Prime ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 27th, 2009The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) recommended Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL) to permanently close all its telegraph offices after a probe revealed that expenditure of the almost idle and corruption-riddled offices were 15 times their income between 2000 and 2008.The investigation found that even though telegraph is hardly used nowadays, there are about 3,500 people employed in 450 telegraph offices in the country.A number of employees are involved in abusing power and corruption causing a huge loss of government money, the ACC said.The probe also revealed that during the eight years each telegraph office on a monthly average received and ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 27th, 2009We have always complained about the opposition normally being unhelpful, unreasonable, quarrelsome, combative, quick on their feet to walk out, and generally negative. Seldom have we found anything to thank them for. At last BNP-led opposition has given us something to cheer and be grateful for. On Sunday, they gave us the best joke of the year.For what else can we call their walkout in protest at President Iajuddin's speech because he 'violated the constitution'? Hear, hear! BNP's sudden love for the constitution would have been extremely heartening, if only (and how sincerely we wish) it were genuine.The joke ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 27th, 2009Probes into the assassination of former finance minister SAMS Kibria symbolise the bankruptcy of law-enforcement agencies, as the latest finds completely contradict the previous investigation report.During the last BNP-led alliance rule, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against 10 BNP men including a top leader of Habiganj district unit.But its latest probe prompted by a series of complaints from Kibria family and the complainant unearths a link of banned Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami with the assassination.CID Special Superintendent of Police (SSP) Md Nisharul Arif, who is supervising the investigation, told The Daily Star: "I'm convinced from the findings that ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 27th, 2009The Election Commission (EC) Secretariat continues to receive complaints from defeated upazila election candidates but the commission is yet to work out a procedure to investigate those, and go for the next course of action.Of the two complaints it received yesterday, one is against state minister Dipankkar Talukder and the other concerns ruling Awami League (AL) lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder.In the last two days, the EC Secretariat got over 100 complaints from defeated contestants stating that ruling Awami League (AL) lawmakers and activists influenced voting, intimidated voters and stuffed ballot boxes after beating up and driving out their ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 27th, 2009The main opposition BNP wants to see President Iajuddin Ahmed impeached for 'violating the constitution by failing as the chief adviser to hold the parliamentary polls within the stipulated 90 days'.Policymakers of the ruling Awami League (AL) however do not subscribe to the BNP's views on grounds for the possible impeachment.They think the president had 'flouted the constitution by assuming the chief adviser's role' in the first place.Against this backdrop, the Election Commission (EC) yesterday informed Speaker Abdul Hamid about its plans to hold the presidential election on February 18 as Iajuddin's tenure had long expired, sources in ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 27th, 2009In line with its election pledges, the Awami League government has taken initiatives to try war criminals after long 37 years of the Liberation War.Three ministers and the attorney general yesterday held a meeting on how to start the much-expected trial of war criminals who were involved in genocide in 1971 in collaboration with the Pakistani occupation forces.Law Minister Shafique Ahmed, Home Minister Sahara Khatun and State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam entrusted Attorney General Mahbube Alam with the task to examine the legal aspects of the procedure.Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her maiden press conference immediately after ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 27th, 2009BNP fears fresh complication over rearrangement of seats of lawmakers at the Jatiya Sangsad as the speaker yesterday said he will reorganise the seats.BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury said if the treasury bench brings changes to the seating arrangement, they would have no other option but to boycott the parliament session.Joynal Abedin Faruq, opposition chief whip, told The Daily Star that the treasury bench is yet to inform him about any rearrangement of seats in the House."Seating plan in the House would be redone following discussion with the opposition," Speaker Abdul Hamid yesterday said. Sources said the speaker ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 27th, 2009A special court in Dhaka yesterday sentenced Shafiur Rahman Babu, absconding younger son of former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, to 13 years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) in a corruption case.Special Court-4 Judge Jesmin Anwar found Babu guilty of amassing Tk 13.85 crore through illegal means and concealing information of wealth worth Tk 1.2 crore to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).Of the total ill-gotten wealth, Babu accumulated wealth worth over Tk 6,24,61,292 illegally and amassed Tk 7,60,31,000 beyond his real source of income. He had also concealed wealth information of Tk 1,27,94,453 to the ACC.Babu was also fined Tk 15 lakh in ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 27th, 2009Newly elected Speaker Abdul Hamid said yesterday the government will soon place a bill in parliament to amend the constitution to create a second post of deputy speaker, who will be elected from the opposition.BNP, the major opposition party in the House, however said they will not propose anyone for the post that will require amending the constitution.Senior BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury told The Daily Star yesterday that they would not accept the post of deputy speaker (to be created). "BNP is not in such a distressed condition that it will have to take donation like VGD (vulnerable group ...
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