Archive for November 18th, 2009
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009The Ministry of Communications is finally floating tender today for building an elevated expressway of 32.5 kilometres or more in Dhaka on a public private partnership (PPP) basis.The Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) under the ministry will receive pre-qualification documents for this $2 billion project from interested bidders till January 20.A tender evaluation committee will select qualified bidders on the basis of several criteria and the pre-qualified bidders would then be asked to submit their bids for financing and construction of the project. The qualified bidders would arrange necessary finances for the project.“We want to make significant progress in this project ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 18th, 2009Bangladesh this year has been ranked 13th from the bottom, three steps up its position last year, in the annual corruption perception index (CPI) of 2009 released by the Transparency International (TI) yesterday.Last year, Bangladesh was ranked 10th from the bottom and 147th among 180 countries, the report says.This year it has been placed 139th among 180 countries in the corruption perception index.According to the report, Bangladesh has made a significant progress in curbing corruption raising its score to 2.4 compared to last year's 2.1.Bangladesh is one of the nine countries that performed the best. The other countries are ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 18th, 2009The High Court issued a suo moto rule yesterday asking the government to explain extra-judicial killings within 48 hours.Home Minister Sahara Khatun however claimed that no such killings are being carried out in the country."We are not carrying out any crossfire right now. No such incident has taken place since our government assumed office," she told journalists after a special meeting on law and order at the home ministry.The court in the rule directed the government to show why appropriate actions should not be taken against Rab officials--Major Wahiduzzaman and Lieutenant Hasan and their companions--for the killings of Lutfor ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 18th, 2009BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain summoned four top party leaders of Chittagong unit for making decision regarding city unit council, which was foiled on Monday due to intra-party clash, sources said.Party insiders said the high command took the matter seriously and decided to take stern actions to send a message to the squabbling party leaders across the country so that the plan to hold councils is not hampered.The BNP secretary general summoned M Morshed Khan, Abdullah Al Noman, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Mir Nasir to discuss the issue today.The party high ups are worried as most of ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 18th, 2009Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the UN and the advanced developed countries to give priority to the most vulnerable countries (MVC) and least developed countries (LDC) and keep them in a separate group to face the effect of the climate changes caused by global warming.And there should be a separate adaptation and mitigation fund for MVCs and LDCs to face the consequences due to climate change, the premier said while addressing a joint working dinner with heads of 10 government and state here in the Italian capital Rome Monday night.The dinner was organised jointly by UN Secretary General Ban ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 18th, 2009The High Court yesterday in a verdict directed the government to refrain from making any payment to Niko, a Canadian oil and gas exploration company in Bangladesh, which probe bodies found responsible for the damage of Tengratila gas field in Chhatak.As per the HC verdict, the government cannot make any payment to Niko until the case, filed by the government seeking compensation for the damage, is settled or any agreement is made between both parties in connection with the compensation.The compensation case, filed last year, is now pending with a judge's court in Dhaka, said advocate Iqbal Kabir, a ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 18th, 2009A parliamentary committee yesterday formed a three-member body to investigate alleged corruption in awarding Global Agro Trade Co (Gatco) a container-handling contract at Dhaka inland container depot (ICD) during the last BNP-Jamaat rule.Headed by ruling Awami League lawmaker Shamsul Huq Chowdhury, the probe committee was asked to submit its report before the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry as soon as possible.At a meeting yesterday the committee also recommended shifting the ICD from the congested Kamalapur area to Gazipur, committee chairman Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury told reporters after the meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, who is also ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 18th, 2009A cadre of Purba Banglar Communist Party (ML-Janajuddah) was killed in a 'shootout' between his cohorts and police at Baniakanda village under sadar upazila here early yesterday.The deceased was identified as Hasan alias Boma Hasan alias Batam, 35, son of Sayed Ali of Defolbaria village in sadar upazila.Two police constables--Mohsin and Jafar--were also injured during the gunfight.Officer-in-charge (OC) Motiar Rahman of Jhenidah Sadar Police Station said, police raided Baniakanda village where the outlaws were holding a secret meeting around 2:00am.Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the criminals opened fire prompting them to fire back that triggered a ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 18th, 2009Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the Malaysian government to ensure maximum facilities for the Bangladeshi expatriates living in the ASEAN country.She made the call when a five-member delegation led by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin bin Mohd Yassin paid a call on her yesterday.The latter highly hailed Hasina's leadership for her strong role in saving Bangladesh's economy from the recent recession and its people from the global food crisis.They also exchanged views on the global climate change and its impacts on the developing and the least developed countries, the worst victims of the global warming.Sheikh Hasina ...
(read more) Wednesday, November 18th, 2009Ruling party lawmakers held a special meeting yesterday to discourage party activists from holding rallies or processions after the final verdict on the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case is announced.They also urged party members to support the efforts of the law-enforcement agencies and to encourage vigilance rather than excessive enthusiasm.“Remain watchful so that no untoward incident takes place in your constituencies,” Awami League leader and State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam told the lawmakers.Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad, as well as heads of other police units and senior officials of the Home Ministry attended the meeting, which ...
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