Archive for October 18th, 2009
Sunday, October 18th, 2009Forty-two out of 345 lawmakers, including three state ministers, have never paid any income tax, claiming they do not have taxable income.Sources at the Election Commission and the National Board of Revenue said most of these lawmakers have Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) but they do not pay any tax. A few do not even have their TINs.The 42 in question are from both the treasury and the opposition benches.An NBR official said each of these 42 MPs spent Tk 15 to 20 lakh in the parliamentary election and the limit for tax-free income is Tk 1,65,000 per year; so, it ...
(read more) Sunday, October 18th, 2009Bangladesh Rifles authorities have identified the St Martin's Island as the probable main target of Myanmar and asked the government to immediately strengthen its defence by constructing aircraft landing zones and concrete bunkers.In a strategic proposal that came in the wake of constant military build-up and intimidation by Myanmar, the BDR has also urged the government to increase defence capability of land and sea borders to repulse any possible aggression by the neighbouring country.Marking 148km stretch of border with Myanmar and India as unguarded, the border force has suggested setting up temporary frontier camps until a new battalion is set ...
(read more) Sunday, October 18th, 2009Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said none would be spared for graft practices and wrongdoings regardless of his or her party affiliation to have a poverty free Bangladesh by 2020.“Poverty cannot be eradicated without curbing corruption,” Hasina told an anti-poverty rally at the Bangabandhu International Convention Centre amid boycott by the main opposition BNP and its alliance partners.“Those who make wealth through corruption and siphon off money abroad will not be let off,” said the premier.The Anti-Corruption Commission would work independently to curb corruption, said Hasina while addressing the rally as the chief guest.Speaker Abdul Hamid, who ...
(read more) Sunday, October 18th, 2009The government has taken initiatives to introduce 30 percent quota for the children of freedom fighters in the recruitment rules for assistant judges.The initiative was taken, as a number of candidates from the families of freedom fighters could not qualify in the examinations for the offices of assistant judges.When the matter was brought to the notice of the law ministry that there is a rule of 30 percent quota for the children of freedom fighters in the government service the ministry took the decision, sources said.The government has recently withheld its decision to recruit 101 assistant judges to the ...
(read more) Sunday, October 18th, 2009Sale of fake mineral water in containers in different areas of the capital has turned a booming business with ruling party men or others using their names allegedly getting involved in it and controlling the market.Small hotels, tea stalls and confectionaries sell such fake mineral water to their customers for Tk 1 a glass, causing serious health hazards.The illegal trade is spreading since the authorities conduct drives only to unearth fake mineral water plants, and not against sale of such water.Contacted, Director of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) Mohammad Lutfur Rahman Khan admitted this, and said from now on ...
(read more) Sunday, October 18th, 2009Experts at a round table yesterday stressed the need for incorporating Demand Side Voucher scheme (free surgery and post-operative privileges) with the National Eye Care Plan to eliminate cataract blindness from the country by 2020.Approximately 6.5 lakh people in the country are suffering from cataract blindness and some 1.5 lakh new cases add with the number each year. If the government allocates Tk 40 crore per year, which is now Tk 4 crore, for surgery for the next five years blindness due to cataract could be vanished from the country, said the experts.The mid-term review of the National Eye Care ...
(read more) Sunday, October 18th, 2009Education gradually turns inaccessible for the Adivasi people as the languages they speak are on the verge of extinction due mainly to a lack of practice.Of the 30 existing Adivasi languages, at least seven have so far become endangered. Reduction in population in respective community and neglect by successive governments worsened the situation.Researchers recommend launch of a separate education system at least at primary level for the indigenous people in their mother tongue to save the languages. If taken, the move would also be the first step to save the literature and culture of these communities, they believe.So far, Khumi, ...
(read more) Sunday, October 18th, 2009Though the number of foreign-funded NGOs has increased sevenfold in the last 18 years manpower of NGO Affairs Bureau (NGOAB) remains the same hindering the activities of the NGO regulatory body.Sources concerned said the bureau started its work under the Prime Minister's Office with 67 officers and employees in 1990 to monitor 347 foreign-funded NGOs across the country but it is still running with the same manpower to monitor 2,397 NGOs.Though there have been allegations of NGOs' corrupt practices and misuse of foreign funds, the NGOAB can not run its regular monitoring activities for shortage of manpower, said a high ...
(read more) Sunday, October 18th, 2009A ruling Awami League lawmaker, whose annual income was around Tk 1 lakh before the election less than 10 months ago, has bought a luxury minivan for Tk 22 lakh.M Meraj Uddin Mollah, MP from Rajshahi-3 (Paba-Mohonpur) constituency, splashed out on a Toyota Noah at a showroom in Chittagong on September 29.The next day, he spent around Tk 60,000 more to register the multi-purpose vehicle with Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Rajshahi, say registration documents obtained by The Daily Star.In an affidavit attached to his nomination papers for the December 29 general election, Meraj claimed he is a farmer by ...
(read more) Sunday, October 18th, 2009Speaker Md Abdul Hamid yesterday said the absence of Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Khaleda Zia in the `historic' anti-poverty rally has really hurt him.General Secretary of Awami League (AL) Syed Ashraful Islam also said Khaleda Zia's stance for not joining the anti-poverty rally organised by all-party parliamentary group (APPG) has frustrated the whole nation.UNB adds: Speaker Abdul Hamid said, “This rally has been organised on behalf of the Jatiya Sangsad. This is neither a political rally nor any group's gathering. Here both head of the government and leader of the opposition have been invited as guests. Hence, the ...
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