11 Jul 2008

• Election Commission upset as errant candidates allowed to contest polls : Recommends action against addl commissioner of Rajshahi
• Govt yet to control birth rate at its expected level : 30 million people suffer from malnutrition -The number will increase
• 14-party picks mayoral candidates for 4 cities : Talukder Khaleque in Khulna, Badsha in Rajshahi, Kamran in Sylhet, Hiron in Barisal
• Don’t try to make Bangladesh another Iraq or Afghanistan’ : BNP will thwart transit deal with India - Delwar

10 Jul 2008

• India wants transit deal signed in July : ‘We are not ready now to go for such an agreement: said a high official at the communication ministry
• Khaleda for political unity, softens stance: Problems can be solved thru’ discussions
• Revenue earnings exceed target by Tk 1230cr - NBR : Reveals names of 20 top tax, VAT paying cos
• President seeks enhanced ADB assistance to power, gas sectors
• BIMSTEC countries express grave concern over price hike of essentials, fuel
• SC upholds stays on Hasina cases
• Infrastructure a big challenge: Hua Du
• CEC urges pol. parties to explain problems if local polls held first
• Some 1581 people killed, 1106 injured in five months : Road accident on the rise

09 Jul 2008

• CA stresses food security at D-8 summit
• ACC to start drive against different ministries next month : Drive against banks, NGOs, hospitals, tax offices being delayed for want of expertise
• India, Bangladesh pay too much for state workers
• Call for raising negotiating skills to capture export markets

08 Jul 2008

• Khaleda can be released the way Hasina freed : CA tells Bangladeshi community in KL
• Trial Court issued arrest warrant against DCC Mayor Khoka : High Court grants him bail, stays all proceedings of the case till July 16
• Fresh congestion hits Ctg Port
• Bangladeshis abroad boost economy by $7.9 bln - Officials
• Persecutions against women unabated across the country : 567 females killed in last six months

07 Jul 2008

• Ban on trade unionism to go partially : A gazette notification relaxing the emergency rules would be issued soon
• Tarique exempted from personal appearance
• Step taken to withdraw 30,000 child workers from risky jobs
• 118 high profile citizens convicted in 14 months : 10 special courts were set up after the present CG came to power to try the graft cases field by the ACC & the NBR
• Dialogue unfruitful - Zillur : Govt unwilling to lift emergency, AL won't join any poll race, he says

06 Jul 2008

• EPR Amendment Soon : High profile graft accused may get bail
• Nasim still suffering from brain haemorrhage
• Encroachment to make Dhaka uninhabitable in 20 years : Dhaka has already been on the brink of destruction due to unplanned urbanisation
• Reserve in 2009 will be equivalent to only 1.7 months' import payment
• Aziz blames reduced flow of Boro to market for higher rice price

05 Jul 2008

• Biofuel caused food crisis : Secret World Bank Report
• 2.5cr ( 20.5 million ) Bangladeshis become refugee due to Climate Change : G-8 leaders asked to limit the emission of gas, compensate damage
• Delwar accuses govt of bias towards AL : "The CA & CEC treated AL like its close relative during the electoral dialogue-Delwar

11 Jul 2008

Election Commission upset as errant candidates allowed to contest polls : Recommends action against addl commissioner of Rajshahi

Khadimul Islam, The New Age BD

The Election Commission on Thursday found gross irregularities in declaring valid by the appellate authority the nomination papers of five errant candidates in Rajshahi city corporation polls, including those of a mayoral candidate, which had been rejected by the returning officer.
At a meeting, the commission expressed frustration that its endeavours for reforming the electoral system in order to free the elections from all sorts of irregularities and influence might go in vain due to such shady activities of field-level officials of the civil administration.
The EC found Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman, additional divisional commissioner (general) of Rajshahi, to have been involved in gross irregularities and suggested that the administration should take action against him.

Govt yet to control birth rate at its expected level : 30 million people suffer from malnutrition -The number will increase

The Bangladesh Today

Country's 3 crore ( 30 million ) people are now suffering from malnutrition and the number will increase further as the people do not have sufficient money to buy food items due to sky rocketing price hike of essentials.
"In future, more low income groups will have to suffer from serious malnutrition if the prices of essentials remain at their high rates. Specially the children will become more vulnerable as their parents are failing to feed them minimum food," Health and Family Welfare Adviser AMM Shawkat Ali told newsmen at a press conference held at the conference room of the ministry on Thursday.
He said the government is yet to control the birth rate at its expected level.

14-party picks mayoral candidates for 4 cities : Talukder Khaleque in Khulna, Badsha in Rajshahi, Kamran in Sylhet, Hiron in Barisal

The Daily Star

The Awami League (AL)-led 14-party combine yesterday announced the names of its candidates for mayoral posts in the August 4 polls to four city corporations. The announcement came after two-day long discussions among its leaders.
Held at AL acting president Zillur Rahman's Gulshan residence, the protracted meeting unanimously nominated Talukder Abdul Khaleque for Khulna City Corporation (KCC), Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran for Sylhet City Corporation (SCC), Shawkat Hossain Hiron for Barisal City Corporation (BCC) and Fazle Hossain Badsha for Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC).
Of the four contenders on the combine ticket, three belong to AL and the other to Workers Party.
Legal experts however observe that parties cannot chose candidates in an election that is non-partisan.
According to the electoral code of conduct, the local polls are non-partisan and the contestants are not allowed to use their political affiliations, party names and portraits of leaders during electioneering.

Don’t try to make Bangladesh another Iraq or Afghanistan’ : BNP will thwart transit deal with India - Delwar

The News Today BD

BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain Wednesday appealed "foreign friends" of Bangladesh not to back any conspiracy that might put the country''s military into a position of confrontational against the people, reports UNB.
There is an effort by some foreign powers to label Bangladesh a heaven of Islamic fundamentalists, he said at a discussion sponsored by the BNP-led four-party alliance. "Don''t try to make Bangladesh another Iraq or Afghanistan," he said.
The alliance held the meeting in the city''s Engineers Institute to demand lifting of the state of emergency.
Referring to recent moves, he said any intention to sign a deal with India for giving it transit facilities lacks constitutional mandate.
About a meeting slated for July 18 between Bangladesh and India, Delwar said the present "illegitimate, unconstitutional" government has no right to ink any such deal.
He again challenged the move by the caretaker administration for holding the local government polls ahead of the national election, saying that it "goes against the constitutional mandate."

10 Jul 2008

India wants transit deal signed in July : ‘We are not ready now to go for such an agreement: said a high official at the communication ministry

The New Age BD

New Delhi has been asking Dhaka to sign a five-year transit agreement to allow India to transport goods to and from its north-eastern states through Bangladesh territory, sources in the bureaucracy said.
The High Commission of India in Bangladesh in a recent communication made to the foreign ministry revived the old issue of transit and wanted an agreement to be signed during the bilateral diplomatic parley scheduled for July 17-18 in the Indian capital, a top government official said.
India’s long-pressed demand for transit, or diplomatically-worded transshipment, through Bangladesh was lost in political debates and mutual mistrusts stemmed mainly from New Delhi’s reluctance to ease non-tariff barriers to bilateral trade.
An inter-ministerial meeting will soon be convened by the foreign ministry to finalise country position on the most sensitive issue that was carefully avoided by the two previous governments fearing political backlash in the country.
‘Actually, the issue of giving transit facility to India has not yet been decided taking into account the sensitivity involved with it,’ communication secretary Mahbubur Rahman told.
‘We are not ready now to go for such an agreement. We can at best propose a comprehensive study and consultation involving experts,’ said a high official at the communication ministry.

Khaleda for political unity, softens stance: Problems can be solved thru’ discussions

UNB/The New Nation BD

DHAKA - Detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Wednesday held out an olive branch to the caretaker government to resolve all problems peacefully through dialogue.
"I don't believe in conflict," she said, "all problems can be resolved through peaceful discussions." During her appearance in a special court in connection with the GATCO scam case, Khaleda made the remarks talking to inquisitive reporters.
Asked about Education Advisor Hossain Zillur Rahman's comments that all-out efforts are underway to bring BNP to the table for dialogue, she said, "I know nothing about it."
Asked whether she received any proposal from the government, Khaleda, also chairperson of BNP, said, "I'm in custody and there is no scope for talking, except for reading select newspapers supplied by the authorities."
"We want election and we want to cooperate with the government for free and fair elections," she said.

Revenue earnings exceed target by Tk 1230cr - NBR : Reveals names of 20 top tax, VAT paying cos

The New Nation BD

The government's revenue earnings during the just concluded fiscal year of 2007-08 surpassed all the previous records exceeding the revised target by Tk 1,231 crore. "This is for the first time in the history of Bangladesh that we have succeeded to earn Tk 47,201 crore against the target of Tk 45,970 crore," said MA Mazid, Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) addressed at a press briefing.
For the first time, the NBR also disclosed the names of top ten companies, which paid the highest amounts of tax and VAT during the outgoing fiscal year.
The top 10 taxpayers are: GrameenPhone (Tk 435 crore), Standard Chartered Bank (Tk 220 crore), Chevron Bangladesh (Tk 180 crore), Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (Tk 161 crore), Titas Gas (Tk 136 crore), HSBC (Tk 118 crore), South East Bank Ltd (Tk 88 crore), Pubali Bank Ltd (Tk 78 crore), Citi Bank NA (Tk 76 crore) and Prime Bank Ltd (Tk 67 crore).
The top 10 VAT payers are: British American Tobacco Bangladesh (Tk 2828 crore), GrameenPhone (1438 crore), Dhaka Tobacco Ltd (Tk 1180 crore), Titas Gas Field (Tk 764 crore), Seba Telecom Ltd (Tk 601 crore), Habiganj Gas Fields Ltd (Tk 465 crore), AKTel (Tk 277 crore), Kailashtila Gas (Tk 196 crore), Rural Electrification Board (Tk 105 crore) and Rashidpur Gas Fields Ltd (Tk 101 crore).

President seeks enhanced ADB assistance to power, gas sectors

UNB/The New Nation BD

DHAKA - President Professor Iajuddin Ahmed sought enhanced assistance from the Asian Development Bank in developing power, gas and transportation sectors of Bangladesh.
He stressed the need for funding these priority sectors while talking to ADB Country Director Hua Du when she paid a farewell call on the President at Bangabhaban yesterday.
During the meeting, the outgoing ADB country chief apprised the president of the donor agency's different activities and support to Bangladesh in achieving its aspired goals in various fields, including expanding quality primary education, creating business environment, developing private sector, ensuring high economic growth and food security, and protecting environment.
She mentioned that the funding agency made the highest allocation in 2007-08 fiscal with US$ 965 million for Bangladesh during the present government, and the disbursement also recorded the highest amount during the same period.
Hua Du, who has stayed for the last six years in Bangladesh, highly appreciated the people of the country for their warm hospitality, courage and hard work.
The President thanked the outgoing ADB country Director for her performance during the six-year-long tenure.

BIMSTEC countries express grave concern over price hike of essentials, fuel

The Bangladesh Today

The representatives of BIMSTEC, who attended the ministerial meeting on 'Poverty Alleviation' in Dhaka, have expressed their concerns following sky rocketing price hike of essential commodities including food grains and fuel.
Besides, they also discussed on climate change issue which is contributing to a decline of food production in the Southeast region. As a result, the process of poverty reduction is being hampered seriously.
Replying to a query Adv. Aziz said in the meeting it has been widely discussed about how and in what way poverty can be reduced in these member countries through regional cooperation in the mid and long term.
Aziz said decision on 'food bank and climate change' will be taken in the next ministerial level meeting scheduled to be held in Katmandu in the middle of the next year.
The Finance Adviser said best practices taken for poverty reductions among the member countries, can be followed by other countries to get rid of poverty. BIMSTEC groups are Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand, and it started its journey in 1997.

SC upholds stays on Hasina cases

Bdnews24.com

DHAKA - The Appellate Division on Thursday upheld a High Court order staying the proceedings of two graft cases against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by chief justice MM Ruhul Amin, gave the ruling after hearing twin government appeals against the stays on the barge-mounted power plant case and Niko case against Hasina.
The High Court Monday put two-month freezes on the trial proceedings of the two cases against Hasina and other accused.
The court also asked the government and the Anticorruption Commission to explain within four weeks why the cases against Hasina should not be cancelled in line with the former prime minister's petitions challenging their validity.

Infrastructure a big challenge: Hua Du

Bdnews24.com

DHAKA - Infrastructure development remains a huge challenge to Bangladesh's economic growth, said outgoing Asian Development Bank country director Hua Du on Wednesday.
"Despite the vast improvement in infrastructure supports like, power, energy, transport and communications, it is not matching the country's demand," Hua Du said in her speech to a farewell by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
Hua Du is expected to leave Dhaka Monday, ending her five-year stint in Bangladesh. She has been serving as head of the mission since 2005 and will now join the bank's head office in Manila.
Pointing to the need for huge investments in infrastructure development, Hua Du recommended a public-private partnership initiative in this regard.

CEC urges pol. parties to explain problems if local polls held first

The Bangladesh Today

Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda on Wednesday urged the political parties to explain to the nation what are the problems with them if local government polls are held before the parliamentary elections.
Besides, the EC will go for strict enforcement of the newly enacted code of conduct in the upcoming local-body polls after July 13, the day set for formal electioneering to begin amid relaxation of some provisions of the state of emergency for holding these polls.
"If anybody (candidate) violates any provision of the electoral code of conduct, the EC will take action against those candidates as per the newly enacted laws. The highest punishment for violating the code of conduct is cancellation of his or her candidature." CEC said.

Some 1581 people killed, 1106 injured in five months : Road accident on the rise

The Bangladesh Today

Many people meet the tragic end of their lives and receive serious injuries everyday on various highways and roads due to frequent road accidents at different routes across the country but the government's regulatory bodies assigned to check such deadly incident, don't discharge their duties.
According to sources, at least 1581 people were killed and 1106 other inured during the last five months at different places in the country. On the other hand, the law enforcers lodged around 1425 cases under Traffic Act against 1948 people including the driver of the transports but the law enforcers were able to arrest only 379 people in this connection.
In recent days the trend of road accident is on the rise. When people move by transports, they don't know whether they will reach their destination with their lives or not. On the other hand, the victims who receive serious injuries are also passing an human life as they can't do any work for their family members. As a result they are becoming extra burden on their respective families.

09 Jul 2008

CA stresses food security at D-8 summit

Bdnews24.com

Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed on Tuesday urged the eight developing Islamic countries to create a fund to guarantee food security.
Addressing the summit of the Developing-8, commonly known as D-8, in Kuala Lumpur, Fakhruddin stressed the need for working collectively in ensuring energy security in eight biggest Muslim countries that grouped into the D-8.
Fakhruddin also said the D-8 members should take "tangible measures" so that people of the grouping could travel every country without visa. Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey are the members of the D-8 formed in 1997.

ACC to start drive against different ministries next month : Drive against banks, NGOs, hospitals, tax offices being delayed for want of expertise

Firoz Mamun, The Bangladesh Today

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is set to launch a massive drive against widespread corruptions prevailing in different ministries as well as directorates, departments and projects under those.
ACC has been launching anti-corruption drive against top politicians but mere taking action against an individual is not enough to eliminate corruption from the society and thus it is necessary to root out corruption from ministries and various government departments.
Although the ACC has a plan to launch drive against other public service oriented departments like law enforcing agencies, public and private hospitals, banks, income tax offices and NGOs but that has not been possible so far for want of required manpower and expertise.
But before commencing drive against ministries, a team of ACC will go to the secretariat, sit with the secretaries, DGs and other top officials to discuss about various issues of corruption therein.

India, Bangladesh pay too much for state workers

AFP

MANILA - Many developing countries are paying higher salaries to their state employees than they can afford and stunting economic growth in the process, a study by the Asian Develop-ment Bank shows.
"The higher the relative government pay rates, the lesser the economic growth attained," the study of 19 Asian, African and Latin American countries said.
"The high relative government pay rates cost the country in terms of economic growth, while the higher employment share does not seem to have any economic growth impact," the Manila-based bank report said.
"India stands out among the high-pay countries, as it has experienced one of the most pronounced increases in relative government pay rates in recent decades," the study said.
"The least favourable estimates identify Bangladesh as a country with one of the highest relative government pay rates," it said.

Call for raising negotiating skills to capture export markets

The Bangladesh Today

Speakers at a discussion have called on government and private organizations to concentrate on producing diversified products, market promotional activities, increasing negotiating skills at national and international levels in the existing competitive global market for capturing export market.
They said the facilities which we can achieve in the multilateral discussion are not realized in the bilateral meeting because the persons involved in the dialogue lack negotiating skills.
They said workers especially women who are the driving force of our garment industry are deprived of their basic rights such as real wage, medical care, workable ambience, transportation facilities from their authorities.

08 Jul 2008

Khaleda can be released the way Hasina freed : CA tells Bangladeshi community in KL

UNB/ The Daily Star

KUALA LUMPUR - Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said his government is ready to extend to detained former premier Khaleda Zia the same gesture shown to another ex-premier Sheikh Hasina through her interim release for treatment abroad.
“Sheikh Hasina was released through a legal process for her treatment abroad and the government has issued notification in this regard. If she (Khaleda) desires, same gesture will be extended to her -- there is no hesitation about it,” he said at a meeting with Bangladeshi community in the ballroom of Hotel Renaissance in Kuala Lumpur.
The chief adviser made the remarks responding to a question as to why the government is not freeing Khaleda Zia the way Sheikh Hasina was released.
He said the government wants that competent persons get elected through participation of all parties in the general election. The caretaker government is not a competitor to anyone.
He said there is no room for confusion about holding of the general election before the end of December this year, and the government has extended its all-out support to the Election Commission to do that.

Trial Court issued arrest warrant against DCC Mayor Khoka : High Court grants him bail, stays all proceedings of the case till July 16

The Bangladesh Today

The High Court granted bail to Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka till July 16 in a graft case with regard to amassing illegal property beyond known sources of income and concealing information from his wealth statement.
Meanwhile, the High Court stayed all proceedings of the case pending before the trial court till this time and issued a Rule asking the authority to show cause as to why the case against Khoka shall not be quashed.
The higher judiciary passed this verdict as Sadek Hossain Khoka moved a petition before it after the lower court had issued his arrest warrant.

Fresh congestion hits Ctg Port

Jasim Uddin Haroon, The Financial Express

The Chittagong Port is witnessing fresh congestion after about a year mainly due to slow delivery of import cargoes and a stockpiling of empty containers in the yards.
Chittagong Port officials Monday told the FE that they were failing to store containers at the General Cargo Berths (GCBs) in the port area on the day due to scarcity of space.
He also said most container handling equipment goes out of order during rainfall which hampers cargo movement at the port.
He hinted that there will be a queue of vessels shortly with the prospect of aggravating the situation further.
However, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Sunday issued an order for forced return of empty containers to free the port yards from congestion.

Bangladeshis abroad boost economy by $7.9 bln - Officials

AFP/The Bangladesh Today

DHAKA - Overseas Bangladeshis have pumped a record 7.9 billion dollars back into their home economy in the past financial year, thanks to an increase in expatriate workers, officials said on Monday.
The amount, to the year ended June 30, 2008, grew by two billion dollars on the previous year, pushing the foreign exchange reserve to a comfortable six billion dollars, central bank governor Salehuddin Ahmed said.
Bangladesh Bank general manager Nabagopal Bhowmik told -"It's the biggest increase we have ever seen since our people started going abroad with jobs. If the trend continues, we will receive around 10 billion dollars of remittance in the 2008-09 fiscal year," he said.
Bhowmik said that as well as a rise in the number of people working abroad, the introduction of strict anti-money laundering laws had also boosted the inflow of money through legitimate banking channels.
The country's overseas employment ministry said nearly 832,000 people got jobs abroad in 2007 -- almost double the number the previous year-mainly in oil-rich Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, and Southeast Asia. In the first six months of 2008, a record 489,312 people-up 43 percent on the same period last year-got jobs abroad.

Persecutions against women unabated across the country : 567 females killed in last six months

The Bangladesh Today

Violation of human rights and persecution against women have increased alarmingly as a number of 567 females were killed during the last six months across the country. "As many as 66 women were murdered after rape, 99 for dowry, and 402 for general reasons other than rape, dowry or domestic violence," said different leaders of women organizations at a press conference in the National Press Club on Monday.
They alleged apart from these murders, 47 women died for unknown reasons and 135 committed suicide and all these incidents of deaths and suicides are alleged to have committed for or linked with torture against women.
Leaders of women associations demanded for an enactment of an anti-sexual harassment policy for the educational institutions and different offices, opening an objection centre at all educational institutions where the victims can place their objections and joint initiative effort by journalists, members of debating societies, cultural activists, general students and teachers to resist violence against women.

07 Jul 2008

Ban on trade unionism to go partially : A gazette notification relaxing the emergency rules would be issued soon

The New Age BD

About 18 months through the state of emergency, the interim government now mulls over allowing trade union activities on a limited scale amid calls from local and global rights groups.
‘We have requested the home ministry to relax the Emergency Powers Rules allowing limited trade union activities so that collective bargaining agents can hold their stalled elections,’ labour and employment adviser Anwarul Iqbal told. He said a gazette notification relaxing the emergency rules would be issued soon.
Labour leaders, however, demanded complete withdrawal of the ban on trade unionism.

Tarique exempted from personal appearance

The New Age BD

Detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s eldest son Tarique Rahman was on Sunday exempted from personal appearance in a special court during proceedings in the Bashundhara Group bribery case.
The judge of the special judge’s court 3 passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Tarique seeking exemption from personal appearance in the court on health ground and permission to go abroad for better treatment. BNP’s senior joint secretary Tarique was brought to the court premises by an ambulance, but was not produced in the court as he was unable to sit, court sources and his lawyers said.
On June 15, the same court exempted Tarique’s younger brother Arafat Rahman from personal appearance in court during the proceedings in the GATCO graft case, but held back the petition filed by Tarique’s counsels.

Step taken to withdraw 30,000 child workers from risky jobs

The Financial Express

Adviser for LGRD and Cooperatives, and Labour and Employment M Anwarul Iqbal Sunday said the government has taken an initiative to withdraw 30,000 child workers from risky jobs and provide them with institutional education.
Besides families of the child workers will be given micro- credits to make them self-reliant, he said.
The adviser was addressing a press briefing after a tripartite meeting of government, owners and workers for finalising the national child labour elimination policy in the conference room of the Local Government Division in the city.
The adviser said the child labour elimination policy is being formulated for building the children as worthy citizens of the country providing them with proper education.
He said the policy would be placed before the council of advisers for final approval soon and a law would be formulated later as per the policy to eliminate child labour.

118 high profile citizens convicted in 14 months : 10 special courts were set up after the present CG came to power to try the graft cases field by the ACC & the NBR

The New Nation BD

As many as 118 high profile citizens including Ministers, State Ministers, Lawmakers, Bureaucrats and Businessmen were jailed for different terms by the special courts over the last 14 months.
A total of 10 special courts were set up after the present caretaker government came to power to try the graft cases field by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the National Board of revenue (NBR)
Most of them were convicted in 71 cases for amassing wealth through illegal means and concealing facts in the wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and also for evading tax. ACC and NBR lodged the cases with different police stations and also with courts.

Dialogue unfruitful - Zillur : Govt unwilling to lift emergency, AL won't join any poll race, he says

The News Today BD

Awami League acting president Zillur Rahman on Sunday termed the party''s July 3 dialogue with the government unfruitful, as what he said the government does not want to withdraw the state of emergency "We went to talk to the government with a big hope to reach consensus. But the dialogue was not fruitful.
The government does not want to lift the emergency rules… there were also disagreements over some other crucial issues," he said.
The Awami League leader made the remarks, while replying to questions from journalists after a Jubo Mohila League delegation met him at his Gulshan residence on the occasion of its 6th founding anniversary.
Zillur Rahman categorically said that the Awami League would not take part in the upazila and parliamentary polls under the state of emergency.

06 Jul 2008

EPR Amendment Soon : High profile graft accused may get bail

The Daily Star

The amendment to the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) planned by the government will create scopes of getting bail for many high profile corruption suspects and convicts who are not prime accused in any graft case.
The probable amendment will facilitate bail to politicians like Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, MK Anwar, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, M Shamsul Islam and Motiur Rahman Nizami, who are co-accused convicted or not in such graft cases.
A few more amendments are also likely to be made effective after the Truth Commission starts functioning maybe later this month, sources said.
Through these amendments the government is, however, unlikely to offer the scope for bail to any principal accused in a graft case, sources involved in the government's anti-corruption drive said.
According to the EPR, no convict can contest any election even if they appeal against the verdict. Earlier, a convict could contest elections with the appeal pending in the court.

Nasim still suffering from brain haemorrhage

The New Nation BD

Awami League leader Mohammad Nasim is still suffering from brain haemorrhage but his health condition is "clinically stable", an official with LabAid Specialised Hospital said yesterday.
AKM Mahbubul Hoque, head of the hospital's medical services, told reporters that different tests had confirmed that Nasim's brain haemorrhage continued. "Mohammad Nasim isn't out of danger yet," Hoque said. Nasim will be kept under intensive care for some more days.
The former home minister was admitted to the hospital on June 24 after he suffered a stroke in Kashimpur jail in Gazipur. The stroke paralysed the left side of his body and triggered brain haemorrhage. Joint forces arrested Nasim on Feb 4 last year on charges of corruption.

Encroachment to make Dhaka uninhabitable in 20 years : Dhaka has already been on the brink of destruction due to unplanned urbanisation

The New Age BD

Dhaka will not remain liveable after about 20 years if encroachment on the drains, canals and rivers goes on unabated, urban development experts and environmental activists warned on Saturday.
Bangladesh Paribesh Andalon, a platform of environmentalists, at a news conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity also demanded formation of an organisation like Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakhkha to improve the sewerage system of the mega city by reclaiming the canals, rivers and other water bodies in and around the city.
Development and protection of the canals, rivers and water bodies will also be responsibility of the body to keep the city free from water logging, they suggested.
Dhaka has already been on the brink of destruction due to unplanned urbanisation, they added, saying that construction of buildings, both small and high-rises, by filling up government land, canals, rivers and water bodies to meet the demand of increasing people were mainly responsible for the situation.

Reserve in 2009 will be equivalent to only 1.7 months' import payment

Shakhawat Hossain, The Financial Express

The country's reserve in 2009, as projected by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will be equivalent to only 1.7 months' import payment due to impact of combined shocks of fuel oils and food prices hikes in the international market.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a study on Food and Fuel Prices-Recent Developments, Macroeconomic Impact, and Policy Responses, released on June 30 last projected that the country's external position in 2009 would be minus 2.0 per cent of the GDP for the combined shocks.
Before the combined shocks, the country's reserve position was equivalent to 2.4 months' import payment and -0.7 per cent of the GDP (gross domestic product).
Among others South Asian countries, Sri Lankan reserve has been projected to cover 1.4 months import payment, Pakistan 1.4 months, the Maldives -2.5 months, India 9.0 months and Afghanistan 6.5 months.

Aziz blames reduced flow of Boro to market for higher rice price

The Financial Express

Finance and planning adviser Mirza Azizul Islam Saturday said the government would start implementation of the "employment guarantee scheme" during the next lean season (September-October) by creating job opportunities for the unemployed poor.
"The policy guidelines to this effect have almost been finalised. We will send the final guidelines to the implementing ministries within 2-3 days," he said at a seminar in the city.
Businessmen, economists, academicians and others were present at the seminar.
Mirza Aziz at the seminar said prices of food especially rice have not come down until date as the Boro crop is yet to arrive in large quantities in the market.
The finance adviser said the much-awaited consumers' right protection act is expected to be finalised within a couple of months.

05 Jul 2008

Biofuel caused food crisis : Secret World Bank Report

Guardian UK/The Daily Star

Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian UK. The damning unpublished assessment is based on the most detailed analysis of the crisis so far, carried out by an internationally-respected economist at global financial body.
The figure emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises.

2.5cr ( 20.5 million ) Bangladeshis become refugee due to Climate Change : G-8 leaders asked to limit the emission of gas, compensate damage

The Bangladesh Today

As many as 2.5 crore ( 20. 5 million ) Bangladeshis have become floating people and refugee within the country due to the ill effects of climate change including flood, cyclone and drought. At a news conference organized by 'Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods.
Experts told that these people have been compelled to leave their homesteads and migrate to the capital and other towns for food and shelter and this catastrophe is caused by climate change, global warming and ecological imbalance.
Holding developed countries responsible for environment degradation they stated that although developed countries are contributing to the lion's share of greenhouse gas, the people of the least developed and under developed countries are suffering from it.
They cautioned that after a certain period of time, Bangladesh will be the worst victim of greenhouse gas and some parts of the country will be inundated and permanently come under water due to the rise of the sea level caused by global warming.

Real wages decline as living cost soars : Labour leaders, economist say absence of trade unionism reduces workers’ bargaining power

The New Age BD

Real wages of the workforce in different sectors either stagnated or declined in recent times largely due to soaring costs of consumption with inflation offsetting nominal pay increments, official statistics show.
Labour leaders and an economist have pointed their finger at the lack of employment opportunities and absence of bargaining capacity of the workers, apart from the price factor, for dealing severe blows to the living of the workers.
Things are to go from bad to worse for workers in days to come, as job scopes in the public sector industries have squeezed with jute mills— once the biggest employer in state sector — being shut down one by one, they forecast.

Delwar accuses govt of bias towards AL : "The CA & CEC treated AL like its close relative during the electoral dialogue-Delwar

The New Nation BD

BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain yesterday alleged that the Caretaker Government was filing cases against the party leaders to make them ineligible for contesting the election and added that many such cases were being readied.
Delwar's comment came a day after the Anticorruption Commission filed a case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and five others on charges of embezzling funds of Tk2.1 crore from Zia Orphanage Trust from 1991 to '96.
At a press briefing held in his NAM flat on Manik Mia Avenue in the city BNP general secretary rejected the case terming it "false, baseless and ill motivated." Delwar accused the Caretaker Government of applying double-standard in dealing with the two major political parties, the BNP and Awami League (AL).

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