Friday, June 13th, 2008Secretariat of the Election Commission (EC) is yet to gain full financial and administrative autonomy as it is still being operated under the office of the chief adviser.Three months ago, on March 9, President Iajuddin Ahmed promulgated an ordinance that paved the way for setting up an independent secretariat for the EC with the status of a division.However, the cabinet division of the government has yet to complete the necessary amendment of rules of business that stands in the way of separating the EC secretariat from the prime minister's office (PMO), now the office of the chief adviser, said sources ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday urged Dhaka University students to be more original in their thought and be more innovative in finding ways to take advanced technology to the poor.The Nobel laureate also called for a separate stock exchange for 'businesses for the good of the people' that would cater to investors willing to buy shares of locally designed innovative organisations run by students to eradicate poverty.Yunus made these comments while speaking at Dhaka University's 43rd convocation after receiving an honorary Doctorate of Law from the university for winning the Nobel Peace Prize along with his brainchild ...
(read more) Thursday, March 1st, 2007President Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday urged the politicians to build up a knowledge-based society by taking steps against the harmful sides of student politics."It's time to take steps against the harmful sides of student politics. This is important to build up a knowledge-based society. And to make that happen, sincerity and sympathy of our political parties are needed. I would like to draw attention of the politicians in this regard," he said.The president was addressing the 43rd convocation of Dhaka University on its campus. An honorary doctor of laws Degree was conferred on Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus at the convocation.Expressing ...
(read more) Tuesday, February 27th, 2007President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed have expressed deep shock at loss of life and property in a devastating fire at Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation Bhaban in the capital yesterday.In separate statements, the president and the chief adviser prayed for peace of the departed souls and conveyed sympathy to the members of the bereaved families and those injured.They also directed the authorities concerned to make arrangement for quick and proper treatment of those injured.The president directed the authorities concern to strengthen the rescue operation for evacuating the people trapped in the multi-storied building.He asked the officers and ...
(read more) Monday, February 12th, 2007The president yesterday promulgated Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Ordinance 2007 completing the legal process of separating the judiciary from the executive."President Iajuddin Ahmed has approved the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Ordinance 2007 for separation of the judiciary," said a communiqué from Bangabhaban.Attorney General barrister Fida M Kamal told UNB over cellphone that he would submit the Ordinance before the full hierarchy of the Supreme Court today to meet the latest deadline.The long-awaited ordinance to amend the century-old Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for separating the magistracy from the executive control was earlier endorsed by the council of advisors of the caretaker ...
(read more) Wednesday, January 17th, 2007President Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday appointed five more advisers, completing the reconstitution of the council of advisers to the caretaker government headed by Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed. Three of the newly appointed advisers--former secretary Ayub Quadri, former inspector general of police Anwarul Iqbal and physician Maj Gen (retd) Matiur Rahman-- were sworn in yesterday, five days after the president administered the oath of office to the chief adviser on January 12.The president administered the oath of office to the three advisers at the Bangabhaban at 7:10pm.He will administer the oath of office to two other advisers--Dr Iftekar Ahmed Chowhdury, a ...
(read more) Tuesday, January 16th, 2007A section of BNP leaders are making moves to change the president, who holds the defence portfolio during the tenure of the caretaker government with the authority of transferring and promoting the armed forces personnel.Losing confidence in President Iajuddin Ahmed, BNP is lobbying for a new face in the presidency believing that a change might help it in the upcoming election.Iajuddin's last speech on Thursday night frustrated the BNP leaders and now they want someone 'more loyal' to them in the presidency, sources said.The leaders who want to change the president believe that the speaker of the last ...
(read more) Sunday, January 14th, 2007The government is formulating rules to impose a ban on the activities of political parties during the period of state of emergency, following an Emergency Power Ordinance promulgated by President Iajuddin Ahmed on Friday.The ministries of law and home affairs, which are preparing rules to enforce the state of emergency, have also started preparing rules to impose censorship on the media including newspapers, said highly placed sources.The censorship on the media is destined to have a drastic quashing effect on the freedom of speech and thought just like during a period of martial law, many said.The Emergency Power Ordinance has ...
(read more) Saturday, January 13th, 2007The president's latest address to the nation and resignation from the post of chief adviser (CA) to the caretaker government (CG) proved that earlier he did not inform the people about the real situation over the parliamentary election, now postponed.President Iajuddin Ahmed, who had taken over as the CA ignoring several constitutional provisions regarding appointment to this post, kept on informing the nation in different ways that the CG led by him created an ideal atmosphere for holding a free and fair election.He also repeatedly claimed that there was no scope to delay the polls, the Election Commission (EC) ...
(read more) Saturday, January 13th, 2007Mokhlesur Rahman Chowdhury was removed yesterday from his post of adviser to the president after he tricked the country's private television channels into suspending broadcast of their news bulletins under a censorship threat in the first hours of the state of emergency.Mokhles, whose trick however did not work for the print media, claimed to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Bangla Service that he resigned from the post and was not removed.Soon after the declaration of a state of emergency Thursday night, Mokhles unilaterally called all private television channels and radio stations and issued a verbal order to immediately stop broadcasting ...
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