29 Aug 2008

• Jail Killing Case Farook, Rashid, Huda and AKM Mohiuddin acquitted : Death sentence confirmed in respect of a dead accused
• Tarique granted bail in all cases : His release now a matter of time
• Mega transport project for greater Dhaka kicks off : $5.52b STP aims to ease traffic congestion, attach top priority to pedestrians' movement
• BD used as transit for trafficking drugs - Home Adviser

28 Aug 2008

• Process in releasing Tarique is on verge - Home Adviser : HC grants him bail in 11 cases out of 12
• EC preparing to hold UZ polls tentatively on Oct 23 : Political leaders will be allowed to participate in election campaign
• Bangladesh Bank move to speed up transaction : Mobile phone banking to expedite money transfer
• Manpower brokers in big hundi racket to buy job demands

27 Aug 2008

• '15m people of country's coastal area will be landless' in a few yrs
• "Govt responsible for Tarique’s accident" : Two cases lodged against JCD activists, Tarique's condition improving
• Food price hike pushed 40 lakh into poverty : WB lead economist says
• New campaign against Bangla speaking people in Assam
• Govt set to monitor phone calls despite writ pending with HC

26 Aug 2008

• Tarique slips in bathroom and is injured : JCD goes on rampage on hearing news of Tarique's injury
• Cancellation of TAC sought for being ultra vires of Constitution : HC to hear a writ challenging TAC Ordinance today
• Some 2633 victimised by acid attack in last 9 years - ASF says
• Emergency won't be a bar to national election: Ershad
• BB profit up 50pc : Rising value of gold, income contribute to growth
• CCH revenues mark 43pc rise

25 Aug 2008

• Multimillion dollar FDI plans on hold : Proposals seek to invest mostly in power and gas infrastructure
• Govt reforms run at snail’s pace : Regulatory Reform Commission (RRC) itself now ailing
• Indian BSF apologies for killing two BDR personnel : BDR gives a list for returning 1464 Bangladeshi criminals
• AL and BNP leaders stress : Participation of all parties a must for true democracy
• TAC set to extend deadline by one month for seeking clemency : Only 21 corrupts approach so far

24 Aug 2008

• Anti-Corruption Commission keeps suing graft suspect families despite High Court verdicts
• Medical board head urges Tarique’s overseas treatment : Physicians won't take responsibility if anything happens
• BNP vows not to contest parliamentary polls held after upazila-It wants release of Begum Zia first : EC preparing for UZ polls in Oct prior to general elections
• DU teachers, students demand withdrawal of all cases
• Hawkers, developers occupy 40 pc of city’s footpaths
• Janmastami today : The day is a public holiday in the country

23 Aug 2008

• Economic and political situation will worsen if govt fails to address them - Economists
• Registration criteria put parties in tough situation : ‘impractical’ conditions for registration was an ‘irresponsible’ act of the government-Mujahid
• Cloud of uncertainty over last 15 govt jute mills : No allocation of fund yet for raw jute while traders refuse to supply on credit

29 Aug 2008

Jail Killing Case Farook, Rashid, Huda and AKM Mohiuddin acquitted : Death sentence confirmed in respect of a dead accused

The Bangladesh Today

The High Court has confirmed death sentence of only one accused out of three death convicts in Jail Killing Case, while speculation is rife that the accused whose death sentence has been upheld already died several years ago. One whose death sentence has been confirmed is Resalder (Retd) Muslemuddin while Dafadar (dismissed) Marfat Ali Shah and Dafadar (dismissed) Abul Hashem Mridha have been acquitted and all these three are still fugitive.
Four out of 12 who were earlier awarded life imprisonment by the lower court has been acquitted as they are behind bar and filed appeal against their conviction.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Ataur Rahman Khan passed this order pronouncement which started on August 18 after hearing the appeals for over 26 days.
Meanwhile, the Awami League and some other political parties, and a family of a slain national leader killed inside jail in 1975 have rejected the High Court verdict in the Jail Killing Case.

Tarique granted bail in all cases : His release now a matter of time

The Bangladesh Today

The release of BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman is now a matter of time as he has been granted bail in the last case for eight weeks from the Supreme Court on Thursday. Despite bail in 11 corruption and extortion cases, the release of Tarique could not be possible as he didn't get bail in the Sabbir murder case till yesterday. As the Supreme Court granted him bail, there will be no legal bar for his release now.
Talking to this correspondent another counsel Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon said that it will take another two or three days time for his release as by this time the Court's bail orders will be signed by the Judges and then bail bonds will be communicated to the jail authorities.

Mega transport project for greater Dhaka kicks off : $5.52b STP aims to ease traffic congestion, attach top priority to pedestrians' movement

The Daily Star

The government yesterday launched a long-term mega project to establish an integrated environment-friendly traffic management system in greater Dhaka to relieve people of the nagging traffic congestion. The 20-year Strategic Transport Plan (STP) includes 17,400 square km of water and surface ways in Dhaka and neighbouring Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Gazipur and Manikganj districts.
Metro train services, elevated motorways, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), construction of roads connecting the east of the capital to the west, flyovers, footbridges and new roads, and repair of damaged thoroughfares are the main features of the plan. It is aimed at a safe, reliable and affordable transport system in the city with pedestrians getting the highest priority.
The total expenditure is estimated at $5.52 billion excluding the cost of land acquisition.

BD used as transit for trafficking drugs - Home Adviser

The Bangladesh Today

Home Adviser Major General MA Matin on Thursday said the Golden Triangle (Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand) and Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan) are making Bangladesh a transit for trafficking of drugs. Matin said while inaugurating a two day long workshop on 'Narcotics Law Enforcement' held at city hotel yesterday.
He said Bangladesh does not manufacture any narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances illicitly. The smuggling, diversion and abuse of pharmaceuticals originating from India are considered the single largest drug problem in Bangladesh.
Expressing grave concern he said the number of drug users is increasing in both urban and rural areas. The number of injecting drug users (IDUs) is also on the rise, with the majority using buprenorphine. There are approximately 20,000 - 25,000 IDUs in the country.

28 Aug 2008

Process in releasing Tarique is on verge - Home Adviser : HC grants him bail in 11 cases out of 12

The Bangladesh Today

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman will be released anytime as the government has started taking the issue seriously and the High Court also granted him bail in almost all cases. A spokesman of the caretaker government on Wednesday said the process of releasing Tarique Rahman is at final stage, simultaneously the High Court has granted him bail in all cases except one where he is likely to be bailed today.
After a meeting with IG (Prisons) at the secretariat Home Adviser Maj Gen MA Matin (Retd) yesterday told reporters "process is going on within the government to send Tarique Rahman abroad for better treatment and there is no legal bar to his release now."

EC preparing to hold UZ polls tentatively on Oct 23 : Political leaders will be allowed to participate in election campaign

The Bangladesh Today

The Election Commission (EC) is taking preparations with a tentative date on October 23 for holding the upazila polls as per its earlier announcement, but the EC is yet to finalise in how many upazilas the elections will be held.
Talking to the reporters at the EC secretariat yesterday EC Secretary Humayun Kabir also said that the forthcoming upazila polls is also non-political like the other local polls, but the political leaders would be able to participate in election campaign as per the verdict of the High Court.
He said there should not be any doubt over holding the upazila polls before the national elections and the EC would finalize the list of upazilas after a few days as everything depends on the completion of final voter list of those areas.
Meanwhile, the EC yesterday called upon the political parties to be registered through a notification in the country's leading national dailies for participating in the forthcoming general elections. But on the very first day, no political party made any contact with the EC for registration.

Bangladesh Bank move to speed up transaction : Mobile phone banking to expedite money transfer

The New Nation BD

Bangladesh Bank, with a set of regulations, is going to formalise mobile phone banking in the country to speed up money transfer by expatriates. The central bank already has drafted a guideline to this effect and has asked banks to submit their written opinions on it in two weeks.
In the novel banking system, the branches or exchange houses of the banks in different countries would inform a local bank or exchange house of the amount being sent by an expatriate worker.
The bank or exchange house concerned will inform the recipient of the remittance through an SMS, and will request the recipient to collect the money from a mobile phone outlets working as payment centres.
This will help increase expatriates' remittances in the formal channel, BB officials expect.
However, the Governor in the seminar expressed frustration that the commercial banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) have no written code for corporate governance.

Manpower brokers in big hundi racket to buy job demands

The Daily Star

Amid lax management in the overseas sector, recruiting agencies and manpower brokers smuggle about Tk 8,000 crore every year in the form of hundi to buy visas or job demands for Bangladeshi workers. Such illegal transactions spawn enormous malpractices forcing a large part of low-skilled workers into penury. But the government measures fail miserably in negotiating with labourer receiving countries to check frauds.
The key villain behind the workers' woes is a syndicate of local and international brokers, who jointly exploit the nation's main remittance earners. Bangladesh earned around Tk 55,000-crore remittance in 2007-08 fiscal year from around 60 lakh expatriates.
A section of middlemen buy visas or job demands from the employers, even against bribe, and sell those to urban brokers or recruiting agencies making visa cost very high, industry insiders say.
Manpower businesses say over 50 percent of the money the workers spend to get overseas jobs is smuggled out of the country to pay the visa traders in the form of hundi.

27 Aug 2008

'15m people of country's coastal area will be landless' in a few yrs

The Financial Express

Climate analysts Tuesday predicted that some 15 million people of the country's coastal area would be landless within next few years due to the effect of climate change throughout the world. They said around thirty thousand square kilometres of land of the coastal area would be inundated due to the rise of sea level, the direct outcome of climate change, making the people of the region 'climate refugees'.
They made the observations while presenting their research papers on the second day of a six-day international conference on 'climate change and food security in South Asia' at the Senate Building of Dhaka University (DU).

"Govt responsible for Tarique’s accident" : Two cases lodged against JCD activists, Tarique's condition improving

The Bangladesh Today

Condition of detained BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, who has received head injury after falling down in a bathroom of the prison cell at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Monday, is improving.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of (Prison) Brig Gen Zakir Hasan after meeting with Home Secretary at the Bangladesh Secretariat, told journalist that jail authority is not responsible for his injuries because the accident happened at the prison cell of BSMMU where he is undergoing treatment.
Replying to a query about sending Tarique abroad for better treatment the IG (Prison) said the jail authority has nothing to do in arranging his overseas treatment and physicians are already taking care of his health in the BSMMU.
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), student wing of BNP, on Tuesday warned the government of waging a tougher agitation movement if their demand to release Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman is not met soon.
Meanwhile, following Monday's violent incident that took place in Dhaka University (DU) and Dhaka College areas two cases were lodged with New Market and Shahbagh police station in this connection.

Food price hike pushed 40 lakh into poverty : WB lead economist says

The Daily Star

The recent food price hikes following natural disasters in the country and the volatility in international food market might have pushed over forty lakh people into poverty, said a World Bank (WB) projection yesterday. Said WB Lead Economist Vinaya Swaroop at a discussion with journalists on impacts of food crisis in Bangladesh.
In his presentation on 'Bangladesh: The Economics of Food Crisis', he said WB's recent poverty report on Bangladesh suggests that the stronger GDP growth between 2005 and 2008 was expected to reduce poverty by around 5 percentage points.
"However, the food price shock is projected to have raised poverty rate by around 3 percentage points from the baseline poverty rate of 2005. Thus, the net impact on poverty of the combined effects of economic growth and the food price shock is likely to have been a decline of 2 percentage points -- from 40 percent in 2005 to 38 percent in 2008," Vinaya said in his presentation.
Asked on ways to tackle price hikes of agricultural inputs, he said efficiency in using them should be increased. "You have to see how you can get the best yield by using the least of fertilizer or irrigation.”

New campaign against Bangla speaking people in Assam

The New Nation BD

Propaganda against Bangladesh is rife again in the India's north-eastern state of Assam and branding Bengali speaking people there as intruders, informed sources said.
The propaganda against Bangladesh and the Bengali speaking people is aimed at driving them away from the state and move to that effect has geared up, sources added.
Instigated by the state government, political leaders, government officials and the Indian newspapers are enthusiastically writing that Bangladesh is helping the Assam's revolutionary political organisation United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). This propaganda aims to keep Bangladesh under pressure, sources observed.
Reports in the Assam media mentions that hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis are entering into the state to earn their livelihood without valid documents. These people become citizen of India and later join in different important departments of the country.
Informed sources said the reason behind the propaganda against Bangladesh is to hide the government's failure to stop the movement of independence in the north eastern states. ULFA started movement since 1979 for the independence of Assam, the sources added.

Govt set to monitor phone calls despite writ pending with HC

The New Age BD

The government is going to monitor and coordinate tapping of telephone calls through a national monitoring centre, comprising officials of intelligence agencies, under the home ministry while a writ petition challenging telephone tapping has been pending with the High Court for 27 months.
According to sources in the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, a national monitoring centre will be set up under the home ministry to coordinate the tapping of phone calls and monitor call activities.
The centre will be run by a committee with representatives of the commission, Rapid Action Battalion, the police and two intelligence agencies.
Sources in the commission and the international gateway and interconnection exchange operators said the process was on to set up teletapping equipment which might go into operation by December.
Although the government has finalised the teletapping process, it is yet to submit its reply to two rules issued by the High Court asking it to explain the legality of the provisions for telephone tapping.

26 Aug 2008

Tarique slips in bathroom and is injured : JCD goes on rampage on hearing news of Tarique's injury

The Bangladesh Today

Elder son of former PM Khaleda Zia on Monday received injury on the head and other parts of his body as he slipped in a bathroom of the prison cell at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital.
Tarique went to the bathroom at about 12 pm. When he tried to come out of the bathroom, he suddenly fell over the basin and received injury on the right side of his head, backside, right knee and ankle - said Dr of BSMMU. He also said that after being examined, Tarique was taking rest and would be on observation for 48 hours.
Meanwhile, one person died in a motorcar gas cylinder explosion and several vehicles were torched and vandalized as Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activists went on the rampage in the city demanding the release of detained Tarique Rahman.
The angry students went on the rampage, vandalised vehicles and set fire to a private car no-Dhaka Metro Ta-517023 passing through Mirpur Road from Science Laboratory crossing to New Market.
A tense situation has been prevailing on the DU campus following the violent incident. A good number of law enforcers have been deployed in and around campus to avert further untoward incidents.

Cancellation of TAC sought for being ultra vires of Constitution : HC to hear a writ challenging TAC Ordinance today

The Bangladesh Today

Truth and Accountability Commission Ordinance 2008 providing for constitution and functioning of TAC aimed at voluntary disclosure and submission of illegal properties on the part of the corrupt persons has been challenged before the High Court.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Mashuk Hossain Ahmed is expected to hear today (Tuesday) a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ which has been filed challenging the TAC Ordinance and praying for its cancellation.
The petition has been filed by for Deputy Attorney General and SC lawyer Adilur Rahman Khan, Awami League leader Dr Dipu Moni, Ubinig ED Farida Aktar and acting director of Odhikar Nasiruddin Elan.

Some 2633 victimised by acid attack in last 9 years - ASF says

The Bangladesh Today

At least 2633 persons were victims of acid attack during the last nine years from 1999 to 2008 across the country. A report prepared by Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) released at a press conference at Radisson Water Garden Hotel on Monday said that a number of 115 incidents were recorded in 1999, 174 in 2000, 252 in 2001, 367 in 2002, 335 in 2003, 266 in 2004, 217 in 2005, 180 in 2006, 156 in 2007 and 76 by July 2008.
Gradually attacks on the women are increasing because in the last year out of the total victims, women were 70 per cent while children were 20 per cent and men were 10 per cent and women between ages of 13-34 years are mostly victimised by these acid attacks, it said.

Emergency won't be a bar to national election: Ershad

The Financial Express

Defending state of emergency, Jatiya Party (JP) chairman HM Ershad Monday said the emergency won't be a barrier to holding the national election as the just concluded elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities were held smoothly, reports UNB.
He said many political parties demanded lifting of emergency before holding the upcoming parliamentary elections. "But the JP made no such demand, as I think emergency will not create any bar to holding the national election. Rather, it will have a supportive role."
He said in the last 15 years, no election was held so peacefully and neutrally in the country as the elections to the four city corporations and nine municipalities.

BB profit up 50pc : Rising value of gold, income contribute to growth

Rejaual Karim Byron and Sajjadur Rahman, The Daily Star

Increased value of gold and income from foreign and domestic sources have helped Bangladesh Bank (BB) to post about 50 percent more net profit in the immediate past fiscal year compared to the previous year.
The central bank's earnings reached Tk 5,176 crore in the 2007-08 fiscal year (FY), a 49.57 percent rise from Tk 3,460 crore in FY 2006-07.
Income from gold and silver was 832 percent more in FY 2007-08 than in the previous year.

CCH revenues mark 43pc rise

The Financial Express

CHITTAGONG - Chittagong Customs House (CCH) earned revenue worth Taka 20.17 billion up to August 20 during the current fiscal which was 43 per cent more than that of the corresponding period of the preceding year.
According to the available statistics, it appears that out of the past three fiscals, CCH could not succeed in realising revenue upto the fixed targets during two fiscal years, although it could surpass the target in last fiscal (2007-08).
CCH sources said, coordination in fixing rate of duty, enhancing administrative efficiency and cooperation of the joint forces are attributed to be the grounds of achieving such a record and success in collecting revenue during the stated period.

25 Aug 2008

Multimillion dollar FDI plans on hold : Proposals seek to invest mostly in power and gas infrastructure

Jasim Uddin Khan, The Daily Star

Six large-scale foreign direct investment proposals have been on hold for the past several years because of government dithering, absence of a coal policy and shortage of gas -- the common setbacks which had earlier prompted Tata Group to pull investment out of Bangladesh.
The investment proposals came from the companies including Abu Dhabi Group, UK-based Global Oil and Energy Ltd, Malaysian Azimat Corporation Ltd, Essar Group of India and Italian-Thai Development Company. Some of the foreign companies, intending to invest primarily in infrastructure, withdrew their plans.
Dr Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, said the flow of foreign direct investment in the country had declined as the government failed to ensure availability of gas.
The government must provide available energy resources to local as well as foreign companies as required by growing economic growth, he said.

Govt reforms run at snail’s pace : Regulatory Reform Commission (RRC) itself now ailing

The New Nation BD

The snail's pace of the Caretaker Government's reform programmes in the administrative and business arena seems unlikely to remove the decade-old backlogs as the Government's tenure is likely to end by December. The Government, in a landmark decision to remove bureaucratic legal and procedural complexities, formed a high profile Regulatory Reform Commission (RRC) headed by former Adviser Dr Akbar Ali Khan.
The Government also formed a Better Business Forum (BBF) headed by Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed to identify barriers to business and reform the administration by removing all the obstacles.
The RRC is mandated to review all government rules and regulations, and identify those that needs to be annulled, modified, or left unchanged, and make suitable recommendations to the government to infuse dynamism into governance, administration and the economy.
But, red-tapism, bureaucratic tangles and some pending cases in the High Court are hindering the progress in the reforms, apart from a few. Some ministries are also allegedly not cooperating with the RRC.
Ailing Commission Chairman Akbar Ali Khan went on sick leave in May. The activities of the RRC and implementation of its suggestions at the ministry level could not progress much since then.

Indian BSF apologies for killing two BDR personnel : BDR gives a list for returning 1464 Bangladeshi criminals

The Bangladesh Today

With a call for resolving various dispute relating to border issues, five-day Director General level border conference between BDR and Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) concluded on Sunday at the BDR headquarters in capital Dhaka.
Director General of BDR Major General Shakil Ahmed led a 22-member team while his counterpart BSF Director General Ashish Kumar Mitra led a 19-member delegation. The conference concluded with the signing of a Joint Record of Discussion (JRD).
After the conference, the DGs of BDR and BSF at a joint press briefing said bilateral issues came up and both sides emphasized joint activities in the frontier areas to reduce trans-border crimes and to erect barbed wire fences 150 yards inside territories of the respective countries.
BSF DG Ashish Kumar Mitra apologizing for the recent killing of two BDR personnel by the BSF said it is highly regrettable. "We will be very much careful not to repeat such incident in future. As curfew is being imposed during the night at Indian border areas, we are requesting Bangladeshi people living adjacent to the border not to move that time," Ashish Kumar said.
Meanwhile, UNB adds: Indian border security force (BSF) shot dead two Bangladeshi nationals in Satkhira border on Saturday night.

AL and BNP leaders stress : Participation of all parties a must for true democracy

The Bangladesh Today

Leaders of both Awami League (AL) and BNP on Sunday said only participation of all political parties in the next general elections can ensure a true and functional democracy in Bangladesh. They also emphasized on cooperation between the caretaker government and political parties to hold the polls scheduled by the end of this year for smooth transfer of power to an elected democratic government at the outset of next year.
Participating in a discussion meeting on "Transition to Democracy, its possibility and Challenges in Bangladesh" held in the capital yesterday, BNP and AL leaders urged the government to create a level playing field for all parties in order to hold a free, fair and credible national election as per the roadmap.

TAC set to extend deadline by one month for seeking clemency : Only 21 corrupts approach so far

The Bangladesh Today

Only 21 corrupt persons have so far approached the Truth and Accountability Commission for pardon in return for their amassed money, prompting the TAC authorities to think about extending the petition period as many are still in two minds.
"The Commission is definitely going to extend the deadline by another month after September 1 initially set by the Commission," a competent source told UNB on Sunday.
The TAC contemplation over extending time is the result of the lukewarm response from the corrupt individuals, who are on the horns of a dilemma as to whether to surrender their ill-gotten wealth to state exchequer or surrender them to the law under the ongoing clean-up drive against corruption.
None of the 36 penitent persons to be dealt with by the TAC is known to be any bigwig. They include retired and serving government officials, some wives of corrupt officials and a businessman.

24 Aug 2008

Anti-Corruption Commission keeps suing graft suspect families despite High Court verdicts

Moneruzzaman Mission, The New Age BD

The Anti-Corruption Commi-ssion in defiance of High Court orders continues to sue and press charges against the family members of corruption suspects.
The High Court, in at least four judgements, have said the commission has no authority to sue the family members of a person accused of amassing illegal wealth, on charge of helping the person in committing the offence, unless the family members are notified to submit their wealth statements.
The High Court first came up with the observation in its verdict delivered on June 8 on a writ petition filed by former minister Anwar Hossain Manju’s wife Tasmima Hossain, also a former lawmaker, challenging the initiation of the case against her for helping her husband in amassing illegal wealth.
The High Court quashed the case against Tasmima, saying the case was filed without any lawful authority.
According to the law and the rules, the commission needs to notify corruption suspects asking for the wealth statement. After receiving the statement, if the commission’s investigation finds they have concealed assets in the statements or if they possess wealth disproportionate to their legitimate sources of income, the commission can sue the suspects.

Medical board head urges Tarique’s overseas treatment : Physicians won't take responsibility if anything happens

Bdnews24.com

DHAKA - Orthopeadic specialist Sirajuddin Ahmed pressed the government on Saturday to send Tarique Rahman abroad for medical treatment at the earliest possible date, calling his condition 'critical'.
Professor Sirajuddin, chairman of the orthopeadic department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital and head of all four medical boards formed for Tarique, stressed the urgency for sending him abroad as he briefed reporters on the BNP leader's present medical condition.
Tarique Rahman's condition is "very critical", the specialist said, adding: "We will not take any responsibility if any major incident occurs."
Sirajuddin pointed out that he had strongly recommended Tarique be sent abroad for the sake of better treatment in his last report to the government.

BNP vows not to contest parliamentary polls held after upazila-It wants release of Begum Zia first : EC preparing for UZ polls in Oct prior to general elections

The Bangladesh Today

BNP leaders on Saturday again categorically said that the party will boycott the national polls if it is held after upazila election.
Talking to the Bangladesh Today BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain and BNP Chairperson's Adviser Brigadier ASM Hannan Shah (Retd) said government is implementing its blue print to hand over the state power to its agent and to prevent BNP from electoral race.
Delwar Hossain said first BNP will not participate in any election without release of party's Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and sending her son abroad for treatment and second the party will not accept upazila elections before the general polls.
Meanwhile, when major political parties including both Awami League and BNP warned that no local government election will be accepted prior to the parliamentary elections, the process for holding the upazila polls in October is nearing completion.
According to sources, the Election Commission has started all necessary preparations for holding elections in at least 340 upazilas as voter lists have been already completed therein.

DU teachers, students demand withdrawal of all cases

The New Nation BD

With the demand of withdrawal of all cases in connection with the August incident last year, teachers and students of Dhaka University wearing black badges observed a 'Black Day' on the Dhaka University campus yesterday as some teachers of the university were arrested on the day.
Students who languished in jail for many days for their role in the August incident last year arranged a solidarity meeting at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla to mark the day and also demanding withdrawal of cases filed against them.
However, the teachers backed by BNP-Jamaat were lukewarm in their observance of the day as no teachers participated in the programme.

Hawkers, developers occupy 40 pc of city’s footpaths

Mamunur Rashid, The New Nation BD

At least 40 per cent of city's footpath is occupied by building materials of Real Estate Companies and street-hawkers. The occupiers are allegedly paying tolls to police, BRTA and DCC employees for smooth running of their business.
Most of the footpaths, under the control of the local musclemen, are being rented to Iftar item sellers and hawkers rushing to the capital for Eid business seven days ahead of Ramzan.
Earlier, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripaksha (RAJUK) and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) with the help of different law enforcing agencies launched a massive drive to evict the hawkers, vendors and demolished the illegal structures and business establishments in order to reduce traffic jam and ensure smooth movement of pedestrians.
With the conclusion of the drive, hawkers have reoccupied a major part of the city's footpaths while contractors and traders continue to store building materials on the pavements illegally. The city footpaths remain full with buyers and sellers throughout the day. The city dwellers cannot reach their destination in time.

Janmastami today : The day is a public holiday in the country

UNB/ The Financial Express

The people of Hindu faith will celebrate Janmastami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, Sunday amid festivity and religious fervour. President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed in separate messages greeted the religious community on the occasion of Janmastami.
The President in his message emphasised strengthening the existing bond of harmony and fraternity in society and building up Bangladesh as a "happy and prosperous country".
The CA said, "The bonds of communal harmony and fraternity have been prevailing among the people of Bangladesh for thousands of years. I hope Sri Krishna's ideology and lesson of love for mankind and justice would encourage his followers."

23 Aug 2008

Economic and political situation will worsen if govt fails to address them - Economists

The Bangladesh Today

The country's recession-ridden economy and political uncertainty may worsen further if the government fails to address them properly, eminent economists have apprehended. According to them, the economic slide will further intensify if government and political parties fail to reach an understanding on holding a free, fair and impartial election.
Following the latest political crisis in the country, foreign countries are not showing their interest to invest in the country. The economists emphasised the need for foreign direct investment and ensuring their security.
The economists apprehended that if this trend continues, it will hit the country's export sector badly. Top business tycoons of the country said that it is needed to create more employment opportunities by increasing local and foreign investment to eradicate poverty from the country.

Registration criteria put parties in tough situation : ‘impractical’ conditions for registration was an ‘irresponsible’ act of the government-Mujahid

The New Age BD

The newly-imposed eligibility criteria for registration with the Election Commission have left political parties in a tough situation, clouding the prospects of their joining the general polls planned in December unless some conditions are relaxed.
Politicians argue that the parities are not in a position to comply with the toughened conditions for registration with the state of emergency still in force as well as in a short notice before the ninth parliamentary election.
Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, however, gave a broad hint that the EC would reconsider, if required, easing of some provisions of the amended Representation of the People Order to bring all the parties on track to make the elections a success.
‘We reject the RPO as it is impossible for any party to comply with the conditions for registration [before the ninth parliamentary polls],’ BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar Hossain said on Friday.
Awami League presidium member Abdur Razzak said amending the party constitution and holding national council session were not possible under the state of emergency.
Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid said imposing ‘impractical’ conditions for registration was an ‘irresponsible’ act of the government.
Ganatantri Party president Mohammad Nurul Islam said the commission had put pressure on political parties by making registration mandatory. ‘It is an inappropriate approach,’ he said.

Cloud of uncertainty over last 15 govt jute mills : No allocation of fund yet for raw jute while traders refuse to supply on credit

The Daily Star

Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) run 15 factories, which are still in operation, might be forced to shut down soon as the government has yet to allocate any fund for purchasing raw jute, while traders are unwilling to sell the fibre to BJMC on credit anymore.
If closed, livelihoods of over 60,000 mill workers and the future of their families will be at risk while jute farmers will incur losses due to selling what was once the 'golden fibre' of the country at prices lower than production cost.
There were a total of 77 state-run jute mills, 10 of which were shut down, four were leased out, and 48 were privatized. Shutting down of the remaining 15 operational mills will be tantamount to hammering in the last nail on the coffin of the government run jute sector, according to traders and experts.
Ironically the shock is brewing at a time when the United Nations declared 2009 as the International Year of Fibre, because of worldwide increasing demand for jute due to its environment friendliness.

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