Archive for June 15th, 2009
Monday, June 15th, 2009Over 300 buildings including high-rises have been constructed in violation of the country's aviation rules around the Zia International Airport (ZIA) and Tejgaon Airport making take-off and landing of planes risky.Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) in 2007 issued notices to the owners of over 100 buildings including 45 high-rises asking them to knock down the illegal portions of the buildings.But no further progress was made in this regard as the government formed a committee to review the list of the illegal structures the same year.An official of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said they along with three other organisations ...
(read more) Monday, June 15th, 2009The government has a plan to implement two projects at a cost of Tk 1,159 crore for carrying out dredging in rivers including Buriganga, one of the rivers considered as lifeline of the capital city.Replying to lawmakers' queries, Water Resources Minister Romesh Chandra Sen yesterday disclosed the government's plans in parliament.On the lawmakers' angst over construction of Tipaimukh dam, the minister said the Tipaimukh dam project is not like the Farakka barrage and Indian government assured Bangladesh of not diverting water through the planned dam on the Borak river.He said the government is taking steps to conduct ...
(read more) Monday, June 15th, 2009The provision for whitening undisclosed money in exchange for 10 percent tax was incorporated in the proposed budget "under compulsion" despite the government's moral stand against it, said Prime minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Masihur Rahman yesterday.The provision will hopefully create scopes for a lot of investments in productive and industrial sectors and generate jobs, which are needed in this time of global economic recession, Masihur said, explaining the compelling circumstances.He was speaking as the guest of honour at the monthly luncheon meeting of Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) at Westin Hotel."The global economic recession affected the whole ...
(read more) Monday, June 15th, 2009With various flaws and loopholes environmental laws in our country have failed to take any measures against influential quarters responsible for environmental degradation, experts said.The foremost obstacle to implementation of the Environment Conservation Act of 1995 is that an aggrieved person has to take permission from the Department of Environment (DoE) and wait for two months to seek legal recourse under the law.The government took five years to enact the environment court act in 2000 to set up special courts conducted by a joint district judge.The court act requires one or more environment courts at every divisional headquarters. But ...
(read more) Monday, June 15th, 2009The US has urged Bangladesh to be cautious in trying war criminals of 1971, saying the issue should not be politicised.No action should be taken that might be considered a mechanism to weaken democracy in the country, said visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert O Blake yesterday.About numerous custodial deaths of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers being investigated in connection with the recent mutiny in the border security force, he said the matter should be probed seriously and persons responsible for the deaths should be brought to justice."We talked how it is important ...
(read more) Monday, June 15th, 2009The trial of war criminals will not begin this month as the Law Commission still working to make recommendations for amending the law for the trial needs two more weeks to complete its job.The government earlier announced that the trial would start under the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973 by the end of this month.Sources said the commission requires more time to do the job as most of the legal experts, asked to submit their views on the law by June 11, failed to do so. Moreover, some of them have sought a few more days from the commission.The ...
(read more) Monday, June 15th, 2009A major shake-up is underway in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a new foreign secretary taking over soon and a number of new ambassadors and high commissioners being appointed, highly placed sources said.Some of the new envoys are getting contractual appointments. Several diplomats seeking anonymity however said this might demoralise the serving career diplomats, while others feel that there is a shortage of experienced diplomats now in the foreign service.Incidentally, the ruling Awami League (AL) while in power in the past had discouraged contractual appointments. However, over the last two decades, 30 percent of diplomatic positions were filled ...
(read more) Monday, June 15th, 2009Former NSI director Wing Commander (retd) Sahab Uddin yesterday hinted at links of a former top army official and an ex-DGFI high-up to the 10 truckloads of weapons seized here five years back.Alongside NSI's the then director general Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim, the two attended the last meeting before arrival of the deadly consignment, Sahab said in his second confessional statement in the sensational arms haul case.The meeting was held at a hotel (Chef House) in the capital's Gulshan area barely two days before the seizure of firearms and ammunition at the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Company Limited ...
(read more) Monday, June 15th, 2009The BNP high command remains reluctant to address the demands from grassroots-level leaders centring the district convening committees despite growing disputes among the party men over the issue.The party high-ups think that all disputes over the committees will be over once the councils are held.However, joint conveners in a few district committees might be changed, said sources.Party Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain is now monitoring the overall situation, they added.Even BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia did not show any interest in discussing the matter at the standing committee meeting on Saturday night, said party insiders.BNP leaders and activists clashed ...
(read more) Monday, June 15th, 2009Six people, including an upazila chairman, were killed and around 30 bus passengers were injured in a road accident on Dhaka-Rajshahi highway at Senbagh under Puthia upazila of Rajshahi district early yesterday.Puthia police sources said that a Rajshahi-bound passenger bus of Hanif Paribahan from Dhaka collided head-on with a truck at Senbagh, leaving three people including the upazila chairman dead on the spot.On information, police rushed to the spot and rescued the injured with the help of local people. Of the injured, 20 were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in critical condition where three more succumbed to ...
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