Archive for June 8th, 2009
Monday, June 8th, 2009Bangladesh Army seeks to form a special unit named, Quick Reaction Force (QRF), to ensure the country's internal security, particularly to tackle on an urgent basis -- incidents like mutinies and bombings.Terming such an unit 'indispensable' for the country 'under the current circumstances', the army in a report claimed that QRF troops will be able to neutralise the threats to the nation much quicker, sources said quoting from the proposals stipulated in the report.Placed for discussion before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Defence Ministry on last Thursday, the report also suggested that the government approves formation of a ...
(read more) Monday, June 8th, 2009The government as part of its stance against extrajudicial killings is likely to examine whether the controversial Joint Drive Indemnity Act, 2003 that indemnified all concerned for their acts during the Operation Clean Heart should be scrapped.Meanwhile, rights activists and eminent jurists who were strong critics of the law still believe it should be repealed to ensure fundamental rights of the people as enshrined in the constitution.Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shafique Ahmed told The Daily Star the government would examine the indemnity law if any person aggrieved by the joint operation wishes to get remedy or justice which ...
(read more) Monday, June 8th, 2009Taxes on bank deposits over Tk 10 lakh will be doubled in the next budget.Finance ministry sources said taxes on imported powdered milk, non-essential food items, Ayurvedic medicines, refrigerator and air conditioners would be increased.However, duties on computer, new hybrid motor vehicles, Internet and energy-saving bulbs will be brought down to zero.The sources said tax rate for deposits of Tk 1 lakh to Tk 10 lakh would be raised to Tk 350 from the present Tk 250 while for deposits ranging from Tk 10 lakh to Tk 1 crore the tax would be increased to Tk 1,000 from Tk 500.In ...
(read more) Monday, June 8th, 2009Detectives have found some political leaders and influential people in Bangladesh to have close relations with international mafia don Daud Ibrahim.The police suspect the influential people maintain close link with Daud to get his support in expanding their businesses in Dubai, a stronghold of the Mumbai-based mafia don."The names of a number of political leaders and influential people surfaced during interrogation of two detained accomplices of Daud. We're now verifying what kinds of relations they maintain with him," Deputy Commissioner (DC) Monirul Islam of Detective Branch (DB) told The Daily Star.He however refused to reveal the names and identities of ...
(read more) Monday, June 8th, 2009Defying the wetland protection act and a prime ministerial order, a real estate developer has embarked on a project to fill up Atir Khal, one of the busiest canals till today, connected with the river Buriganga, and serving thousands of farmers, traders, and commuters of at least a dozen places of Keraniganj.Waaspur Garden City, a syndicate of about 50 individuals, has now demarcated the canal that also includes an area below a 300 feet long bridge connecting Looter Char with Ghater Char.According to local residents, each member of the syndicate paid Tk 5 lakh to form the company, which ...
(read more) Monday, June 8th, 2009Three hundred lawmakers including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Speaker Abdul Hamid might soon be made advisers to municipalities in their respective constituencies, as a parliamentary standing committee recommended the move.The Parliamentary Standing Committee on LGRD Ministry yesterday recommended that the House passes the municipalities' bill with a set of recommendations including one for making lawmakers also advisers to the local government bodies.But technocrat ministers and women lawmakers elected to reserved seats are not recommended for the empowerment. All other ministers and lawmakers including the chief whip and other whips will become advisers to the municipalities if the bill ...
(read more) Monday, June 8th, 2009The next fiscal year might prove a tough one for the country's economy as economic growth in 2008-09 fiscal year dipped to 5.88 percent from the previous year's 6.2 percent with the decline in output of manufacturing and services sectors.Following the impact of the global recession, the turnover in the industry sector in the outgoing fiscal year dipped by 0.9 percentage point to 5.9 percent from the previous year's 6.8 percent.Growth in the services sector, which accounts for half of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) worth about $80 billion, fell to 6.3 percent this year from 6.5 percent ...
(read more) Monday, June 8th, 2009Massive transfers and promotions in the country's health sector have given rise to strong allegations that politicisation of the health sector is in full swing.It is alleged that only Awami League-affiliated doctors are being given lucrative posts while skilled doctors are being removed from responsible posts or transferred to remote regions because of their affiliation with other political parties.Experts and observers say leaders of Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (SCP)--a pro-AL doctors' wing--is going down the same path of oppression and manipulation followed by the pro-BNP doctors' wing Doctors' Association of Bangladesh (DAB) during the tenure of the last political government.Leaders of ...
(read more) Monday, June 8th, 2009Expatriate and local energy experts, parliamentarians and energy sector officials will examine the draft coal policy at a four-day exclusive brainstorming session, jointly organised by the energy ministry and Petrobangla.The session begins on June 15 at Jamuna Resort near the Jamuna Bridge, sources said.Eight expatriate experts due to attend the session are expected to arrive in the city this week from US and Australia.Energy adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, five parliamentarians from northern Bangladesh, representatives from the parliamentary standing committee on energy and secretaries of the ministries of power and energy would be present at the event financed by Petrobangla.The chairmen ...
(read more) Monday, June 8th, 2009The law ministry yesterday sent a letter asking the home ministry to strengthen security on the Supreme Court (SC) premises as an intelligence agency apprehends attack on the apex court premises.Law Minister Shafique Ahmed told The Daily Star yesterday that his ministry sent the letter to the home ministry following the intelligence report."Security should be strengthened on all the court premises across the country," Shafique said while talking to newsmen at his Secretariat office in the afternoon.Earlier in March this year, the SC authorities had requested the government to take immediate steps to ensure security on the court ...
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