Saturday, March 29th, 2008 Climate change is an issue of justice and security that poses a serious challenge to the country already faced with numerous problems, experts told a discussion yesterday.It requires a change in lifestyle and adaptation to different geographic, economic and social changes.Titled “Challenges of Global Warming”, the discussion was organised by The Daily Star and was one of the three on the Bangladeshi economy, social sectors and climate change.The discussions were arranged for the visiting editors of Asian News Network (ANN) and moderated by Mahfuz Anam, current ANN chair and editor of The Daily Star.Dr QK Ahmed, executive director of ...
(read more) Friday, March 21st, 2008 The government should consider consulting political parties before adopting the budget for the next fiscal year so that the next elected government accepts it, Regulatory Reforms Commission (ACC) Chairman Akbar Ali Khan said yesterday."It isn't clear how the elected government will accept the budget if the election is held by December this year. Some say they would not accept it unless the government consults with them. I think the government should consider their demands for proper implementation of the budget," Akbar said.Akbar, a former finance and planning adviser, made the remarks at a discussion on the framing of PRSP (Poverty ...
(read more) Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 The demand for trying war criminals has become a national issue and the government must make its response, speakers at a roundtable yesterday said.They said the trial of war criminals is required to establish justice in the society.Mentioning that representatives of the anti-liberation war element Jamaat-e-Islami have penetrated different organs of the government as well as the armed forces, speakers observed that the government has turned its back on its earlier stance regarding the trial of war criminals.Dainik Prothom Alo at its auditorium at the city's Karwan Bazar organised the roundtable titled "Let's start the process of ...
(read more) Sunday, January 20th, 2008 Leaders from across the political spectrum yesterday said there should be no return to politics of the pre-1/11 era and reforming democracy should mean greater democratisation in the country.Leaders of the Awami League (AL), BNP and left-leaning and emerging parties said sustainable political reforms need to ensure strengthening of governance processes and not just reshuffle in the government organisations.They were speaking at a roundtable styled "Dialogue, Elections and Future Political Stability" organised by the daily Prothom Alo.Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain said it is incorrectly believed that people cannot participate in polls without arms or black money. "They say ...
(read more) Sunday, January 20th, 2008 The early afternoon of yesterday belonged entirely to four exceptional micro entrepreneurs and a microcredit institution, who were awarded for their individual and organisational successes, their visions, and their enterprising spirit.The winners are testaments to the success of microcredit programmes in which Bangladesh is the pioneer.In the spirit of celebrating the outstanding, Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards 2007, a global effort of Citi Foundation, were formally announced at a gala reception in Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.Barison Begum of Jessore won the Best Microentrepreneur of the Year award, while Mossammat Rahima Begum of Satkhira received the Best Woman Microentrepreneur award.Anannyo Samaj Kallyan ...
(read more) Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan speaks at a seminar titled 'Overcoming Disappointments of Democracy' organised jointly by The Daily Star and the Prothom Alo in Cirdap Auditorium in the capital yesterday. Photo: STAR Amnesty International (AI) Secretary General Irene Khan yesterday called on the government to ensure that the new human rights commission has the teeth to try everyone, and to ensure fair trials for imprisoned politicians.She also asked the government to make the police transparent, and to respect human rights.The AI chief, a Bangladeshi national, expressed her concern at government restrictions on the media and human rights ...
(read more) Sunday, January 6th, 2008 Global human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) yesterday asked the caretaker government to try war criminals."We want the present government to initiate some process. The future democratic government will have to take the issue forward. But some steps regarding that should be taken at this moment," Irene Khan, AI secretary general, told reporters after attending a seminar on 'Campaign for Human Dignity' in the capital.Irene is leading a special AI delegation to Bangladesh to discuss human rights issues with the government, political parties and civil society on the eve of the first anniversary of declaration of the state of emergency. ...
(read more) Sunday, January 6th, 2008 Dialogues between political parties and the government are an imperative to resolve the present political crisis in the country and to pave the way towards holding a free, fair and credible election, said speakers at a roundtable yesterday.Former advisers to caretaker governments, the military secretary to the president, leaders of Awami League (AL) and BNP, and civil society leaders were among the speakers.They said failures of the present caretaker government will jeopardize the countries future.The speakers also urged the government to dispel all doubts in the public mind about the next election.Criticising the government for its lack of ...
(read more) Sunday, January 6th, 2008 Three out of the four panellists at the BBC Bangladesh Sanglap yesterday demanded immediate resignation of Food and Disaster Management Adviser Tapan Chowdhury for his "irresponsible remarks" about the soaring prices of rice.Awami League Organising Secretary Mahmudur Rahman Manna said, "He [the food adviser] knows nothing about the government's initiatives and that is why he has the right to stay in the cabinet no more. There has been nothing more stupid in the country's past than the comments of the adviser." He said a number of the advisers to the caretaker government did not have any experience in running ...
(read more) Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 Editors of leading national dailies yesterday held a meeting in the capital to discuss the prevailing situation in the print and electronic media.The meeting presided over by Editor of the Independent Mahbubul Alam, discussed flow and rate of advertisements, irregular payment of advertisement bills by the advertisers and advertising agencies, problems in collecting bills of government advertisements, said a press release.Matiur Rahman, editor of Prothom Alo, Shafiq Rehman, editor of JaiJaiDin, Golam Sarwar, editor of Jugantor, Amanullah Kabir, editor of Amar Desh, AMM Bahauddin, editor of Inqilab, Alamgir Mohiuddin, editor of Naya Diganta, Abul Asad, editor of Sangram, Matiur Rahman ...
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