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| Govt to withdraw import duty on edible oil | Biman in trouble, 3 private airlines filling void | Dhaka-Kolkata train service may be deferred | US presses Govt to honour commitment to polls this year | Govt firm to hold free, credible polls: CA | Natwar Singh quits Congress | Poultry farm owners allege graft in compensation | Amid Rubble of Storm, Teams Scour Ravaged Texas Coastline | Amid Rubble of Storm, Teams Scour Ravaged Texas Coastline | Eminent Jurist William Sloan in Dhaka | Kosovo declares independence from Serbia | Eid-ul-Fitr today | Trial of Barge-mounted case against Hasina adjourned till Feb 19 | DSE capitalisation hits record Tk 80,000cr | SEC resumes UCBL share trading | Swiss co offers highest bid to buy Oriental Bank | Indian rice exporters to move to courts | Bangladeshi, Indian workers on strike at 3 Bahrain camps | ACP, 2 cops placed on 2-day remand on alleged robbery charges in Ctg | AL urges EC to decide on dialogue with BNP | Hasina agrees to be hospitalised | Court rejects Khaleda bail in Niko case | Russia, Georgia Claim Cease-Fire Violations as EU Pushes Peace | EC to ask govt for war criminals' trial | At least 3 die after fire exchange in BDR HQ | Gillard takes Australian helm | BNP starts mass contact to enforce Jun 27 hartal | Law on tourist spots protection passed | 10 hurt as Indians fire into Bangladesh
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Politics
2008-03-17 Govt to withdraw import duty on edible oil
The government is going to take certain fiscal steps such as withdrawing customs and excise duties on import of edible oil, considering a new programme to minimize the sufferings of millions of people ? specially middle class and hard-hits peoples- due to high prices of essential commodities, finance adviser said Sunday. Expressing concern over the price spiral in a meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam said, ''We have taken a number of steps and planning more actions to mitigate the impact of the price increase on the people.'' The adviser attributed the rise to high prices of imported food commodities while noting that the Government was ready for any fiscal measures to rein in price hiking even as efforts would be made towards self-sufficiency in these essential items. ''We have decided withdraw 10 percent customs duty on import of edible oil and the NBR will issue an order in this regard within a couple of days,'' adviser Azizul told journalists after the meeting with the IMF team on reforms of the National Board of Revenue (NBR). The Bangladesh Bank (BB) is also going to fix interest rate on loans for import of powder milk at 12 percent. The special interest rate for bank loans for the purpose of power milk import is to keep the prices of milk power stable, said a BB official. Mr. Azizul pointed out that contributing to the price spiral were the soaring global prices of certain items which Bangladesh has to import such as edible oil and rice. Since inflation was driven mainly by the prices of these commodities, the only way of insulating the country from the rise in global rates was to become self-sufficient in these commodities. The Government, he said, was willing to take monetary and other measures also. ''We are ready to take any fiscal step to keep inflation under check,'' he said. One such effective measure, he said, was the interest rate and the NBR should be trusted to use it
2008-05-25 Khaleda denies charges in Barapukuria
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s detained chairperson, former PM Khaleda Zia, on Saturday denied outright any corruption in the Barapukuria coalmine deal and said she had instructed the authorities concerned to take action against the persons responsible for the delay in coal extraction.
A team of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s taskforce in the afternoon interrogated her in the special jail in the Jatiya Sangsad complex on the Barapukuria coalmine graft case. A deputy director of the ACC, Monirul Islam, who is investigation officer of the case, led the interrogation. Khaleda’s attorneys, Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas and Mahbub Uddin Khokan, were also present at the time.
After leaving the jail, Shimul told New Age that Khaleda had totally denied her involvement in the case.
‘Everything was done through due process and as per the rules of business. The charge was framed illegally,’ Khaleda was quoted by Shimul to have said.
‘No question can be raised over my involvement in the case; rather I had issued notes to take action against persons responsible for the delay in coal extraction from the mine,’ she said.
‘If cases are filed in such a manner, no government in future will be able to run the state,’ said an irritated Khaleda.
Both the attorneys said they did not discuss any other issue on the day. Khaleda Zia and 15 others, including 10 of her former cabinet colleagues, were sued for allegedly embezzling Tk 158.71 crore by awarding contracts to the highest bidder for production, operation and maintenance of Barapukuria coal mine.
Other accused in the case includes former ministers Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, Matiur Rahman Nizami, M Shamsul Islam, MK Anwar, Aminul Haque, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and AKM Mosharraf Hossain.
The commission’s assistant director Samsul Alam lodged the case with Shahbagh police s
2008-03-18 Govt to withdraw 10pc import duty on edible oil
The government is going to take certain fiscal steps such as withdrawing customs and excise duties on import of edible oil, considering a new programme to minimize the sufferings of millions of people, specially middle class and hard-hits peoples- due to high prices of essential commodities, finance adviser said Sunday. Expressing concern over the price spiral in a meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam said, ''We have taken a number of steps and planning more actions to mitigate the impact of the price increase on the people.'' The adviser attributed the rise to high prices of imported food commodities while noting that the Government was ready for any fiscal measures to rein in price hiking even as efforts would be made towards self-sufficiency in these essential items. ''We have decided withdraw 10 percent customs duty on import of edible oil and the NBR will issue an order in this regard within a couple of days,'' adviser Azizul told journalists after the meeting with the IMF team on reforms of the National Board of Revenue (NBR). The Bangladesh Bank (BB) is also going to fix interest rate on loans for import of powder milk at 12 percent. The special interest rate for bank loans for the purpose of power milk import is to keep the prices of milk power stable, said a BB official. Mr. Azizul pointed out that contributing to the price spiral were the soaring global prices of certain items which Bangladesh has to import such as edible oil and rice. Since inflation was driven mainly by the prices of these commodities, the only way of insulating the country from the rise in global rates was to become self-sufficient in these commodities. The Government, he said, was willing to take monetary and other measures also. ''We are ready to take any fiscal step to keep inflation under check,'' he said. One such effective measure, he said, was the interest rate and the NBR should be trusted to use it as an instru
2008-03-18 Bangabandhu's birthday celebrated
The 88th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation, is being observed on Monday. Bangabandhu, who fought all his life for establishing the rights of people, was born in 1920 at Tungipara in Gopalganj Awami League (AL), its front organisations, and socio-cultural organisations have taken up programmes to celebrate the day. Leaders of AL, its front organisations and socio-cultural organisations placed wreaths at the portrait of Sheikh Mujib at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on road no-32 in the capital's Dhanmondi at 7:00am and also at Bangabandhu's mazar at Tungipara in Gopalganj . AL will hold a discussion at the auditorium of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in the capital at 3:00pm Tuesday. Acting party President Zillur Rahman will chair the discussion.Both national and party flags were hoisted at all AL offices across the country at 6:00am.A milad and doa mahfil was held at his mazar . In a statement, acting party President Zillur Rahman said independent and sovereign Bangladesh emerged on the world map under Bangabandhu's gallant leadership. He said the defeated forces in the liberation war began distorting history after the killing of the father of the nation to tarnish the country's image. Zillur said the BNP-Jamaat coalition continued distorting history after assuming power through conspiracy in 2001. The AL leader said Bangabandhu's eldest daughter Sheikh Hasina has been kept behind bars under false charges brought against her. He demanded immediate release of Hasina for sending her abroad for better treatment. In another statement , acting AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam urged people to observe Bangabandhu's birth anniversary in a befitting manner.
2008-03-18 Rupali Bank share investors passing anxious time
The abortive bid to sell the public -owned Rupali Bank to a Saudi Prince has pushed the bank's shareholders to a worrying situation as they fear slump in the bank's share once its trading resumes. Investors are passing anxious time ahead of the resumption of the bank share trading. The government on last Monday rescinded a deal with Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud to sell off 93.26 per cent shares in Rupali Bank for $458 million following his non-compliance to pay the money and take over the bank. Rupali Bank share was traded at meager Tk 500 on June 24,2006 and it jumped to Taka 2597.50 when the sale-off process continued in the late 2006. On October 16,2007, the bank's share price jumped to taka 3124.50 from Taka 1986.75 on October 9.The share price dropped to as low as Taka 1297 as on June 13 last year due to delay in handing over the ownership of the bank to the Saudi Prince. It, however, closed at Taka 2904.25 on the day before the bourses halted its trading. Volatility in Rupali Bank share price prompted the stock exchanges to halt its share trading on a temporary basis for several times before the November 5 suspension last year . The Dhaka and the Chittagong Stock Exchanges have kept trading of the bank's shares suspended till now .Currently 6.74 per cent shares of the bank are listed with bourses. A share buyer said "I bought shares of the bank at taka 2800 each.Now I fear a heavy financial loss as the bank's disinvestment process has failed ." A SEC official said the commission would take decision over the resumption of the bank's share trading after getting government communiqu? on the scrapping of the deal with the Saudi Prince.
2008-03-18 Expatriates demonstrate against CA at London
UK branch of BNP and Jubo league held demonstrations protesting Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed's visit to Britain alleging that he had violated human rights. Demonstrators hoisted black flag and chanted slogans demanding release of two top leaders Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, declaration of election date and stop, in their words, attempts to destroy two biggest political parties in the name of anti-corruption drive. Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed arrived in London Sunday on a three-day official visit after attending the 11th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Dakar of Senegal. Ambassador John Dennis, director of Asia and Commonwealth Office of British Government, and Shafi U Ahmed, Bangladesh high commissioner in London, received the chief adviser at the Heathrow airport. CA then checked in Dorchester Parklane hotel near Hyde Park in west London. UK branch of Jubo League staged protest in front of the hotel. Later in the evening, BNP organized protests while Fakhruddin was heading to Baden Powel auditorium at Queen's Gate to address a meeting with expatriates. Hundreds of protesters chanted slogan demanding withdrawal of state of emergency and release of two leaders. The demonstration organized by BNP continued outside the auditorium during CA's speech.
2008-02-21 Biman in trouble, 3 private airlines filling void
Aviation industry marks a boom with the launch of three private airlines in last eight months and another set to start commercial flights next month. Private airline operators say the industry is growing by 7.5 to 8 percent every year, adding, the market size of passengers is worth around Tk 3,500 crore. ''The aviation industry witnessed a 7.6 percent growth globally last year and it was also the same in Bangladesh,'' said Captain Tasbirul Ahmed Choudhury, chairman and managing director of United Airways (BD) Ltd, which started operation in July 2007. Apart from United Airways, Best Air made its debut in mid-January and Aviana Airways, with the brand name Royal Bengal, in late January, both on domestic routes so far. Earlier, GMG Airlines was the only private airline operating on domestic routes along with national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd. Anmole Albab Airlines Ltd, another local private airline, under the brand name of A2 Air is set to operate international passenger flights from Bangladesh in March this year. Initially, it will operate flights to the Middle East and Far Eastern countries. ''We have already completed all the procedures to collect two Boeing-747 aircraft to operate flights on international routes,'' said Wahidur Rahman Rana, chief financial officer of Anmole Albab Airlines. Retired employees of Biman also formed a body last year to float a new private airline. Non-resident Bangladeshis' contribution to the industry is significant as they, mostly from the UK and the US, have launched two of the four private airlines. These airlines are operating flights with 10 different aircraft. GMG has seven aircraft in its fleet with two Dash-8, three Boeing MD-80, one Boeing 737 and one Boeing 747. United Airways has one Dash-8-100, Best Air one Boeing 737, and Aviana Airways has one Dash-8-100. The private airlines are also planning to add more aircraft to their fleet so that flights can be expanded to international d
2008-03-28 Dhaka-Kolkata train service may be deferred
KOLKATA: Notwithstanding efforts by Indian and Bangladesh authorities to launch the Kolkata-Dhaka train service from April 14, its inaugural run may be deferred if a request by the West Bengal government is considered. With the panchayat elections in the state scheduled in May, the West Bengal government wants the train service not to be launched between April seven and May 21, fearing that going ahead with the programme may violate the election code of conduct. The matter was discussed during a meeting at the state secretariat on Monday among Eastern Railway General Manager N K Goel, state Chief Secretary A K Deb and Home Secretary A M Chakraborty, railway sources said. "It appears that the government does not want the inauguration to be held between April seven to May 21. This figured in the meeting, but no decision has yet been taken," the sources said. Panchayat elections in West Bengal are conducted under the aegis of the State Election Commission. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has already announced in Parliament that the 'Moitree Express' would run from April 14, coinciding with 'Pahela Baisakh' the first day of the Bengali New Year. Bangladesh Communication ministry officials, however, said the date would be announced officially after a supplementary deal between the railway officials of the two countries, expected to be signed during three-day bilateral talks in Dhaka from April one.
2008-03-18 AL blames Govt for its failure in reining price hike
Awami League Sunday blamed the government for its failure to contain price hike of essential commodities which has aggravated people's sufferings across the country. The party also viewed that the nation would face a disastrous situation if the present trend of price spiral of daily necessities continued unabated. ''The price hike of essentials might be due to inefficiency of the government, lack of coordination and absence of timely action to contain the same. Question has arisen in public mind whether the government is working. The government should be pro-active in containing price hike on an emergency basis. It should shun its policy of 'nothing to be done' in this regard,'' said acting general secretary of Awami League Syed Ashraful Islam responding to a question of newsmen. Briefing newsmen on the resolutions adopted at the joint meeting of Awami League presidium and the organising secretaries at party president Sheikh Hasina's political office at Dhanmondi in the city, he said they had adopted some resolutions after extensive discussions on the latest political situation now prevailing in the country, lifting of the state of emergency, allowing indoor politics, Sheikh Hasina's treatment, announcement of the election schedule and the programmes of the 88th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Acting president of Awami League Zillur Rahman chaired the two-hour-long meeting which was attended by its presidium members Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed and Kazi Zafarullah. Six organising secretaries and secretaries in charge of various affairs of the party also attended the meeting.
2008-03-18 Speaker urges to uphold the Constitution
Underscoring the need for running the country by an elected government, Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Barrister Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar Sunday called for holding parliament polls as early as possible. ''The parliamentary standing committees could play an important role in curbing corruption and irregularities. Only an elected government and effective parliament could ensure accountability,'' he said while speaking as chief guest at the launching ceremony of the ''Strengthening Public Accounts Committee Project'' at a city hotel. The function was jointly organised by Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat and the World Bank (WB). Ashfaque Hamid, secretary of Parliament Secretariat made the welcome address and Khandakar Anwarul Islam, Director of the Public Accounts Committee Project, presented the project summary. Xian Zhu, country director of the World Bank and Ahmed Ataul Hakim, Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh were present as special guests. Citing Articles 58(d), 123(3), 72(4) of the Constitution, the Speaker highlighted the importance of holding the parliament election and said the prime task and responsibility of the interim government is to carry on routine work and hold the national election rather than take policy decisions. Mentioning the functions of the Public Accounts Committee of the Jatiya Sangsad, he said the committee has the responsibility to maintain government expenditure and detect financial irregularities. ''The parliamentary committees could contain all sorts of corruption and irregularities in the administration,'' Barrister Sircar said. He said, ''All the institutions of the state are derived from the Constitution and it is our duty to uphold the Constitution.'' ''We should remain with the Constitution as nobody is above the Constitution,'' the Speaker said while mentioning the importance to uphold the constitutional process.
2008-03-18 Tentative date for polls after June: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda Saturday said the commission (EC) is considering announcement of a tentative date for national elections after June as the final draft of voter list will be in their hands by then. ?The date will be announced after June. We'll try and see if something can be done at that time,? the CEC told reporters as he was asked when the EC would announce the date for holding the stalled polls. The final draft of voter list will be completed by the end of June, and at that time the EC will see whether a date can be announced or not, he added. The CEC was talking to the reporters after an hour-long meeting with a five-member UNDP delegation headed by visiting UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis. UNDP Resident Coordinator Reneta Dessallien accompanied the delegation. Emerging from the meeting, the visiting UNDP administrator, whose agency is assisting poll-preparatory works, observed that there is no reason for elections not going to be held as per the Election Commission -announced roadmap. ?It shouldn't be, and elections should be done removing obstacle, if any,? Kemal Dervis told the journalists when asked if he thinks election would be held as per the roadmap. Asked about the UNDP-supported ongoing project on voter listing, the UN agency administrator said a correct voter list is a precondition for an acceptable election and the current voter list, which is the one being prepared, is comparatively more flawless than the past one. He pointed out that there are some specific and common problems with voter lists in different countries in the world, and he shared his experiences of other countries with the EC. Asked if discussion took place on national and local elections between them, Dervis said they discussed the issues of national elections.
2008-03-18 Quarishi wants polls under emergency
Progressive Democratic Party convener Ferdaus Ahmed Quarishi has said that elections must be held under the emergency to ensure credible polls free from influences of muscle and money. 'State of emergency can ensure free and fair elections, as it will prevent musclemen and black money from influencing electioneering,' he said at a press conference at the party office in Dhaka Saturday. Precedence is there of holding elections under emergency and even under martial law, he mentioned. 'Do the people, who are demanding withdrawal of emergency before polls, want martial law?' he asked. 'Some people, who have already been convicted or in fear of being convicted of graft charges, are demanding withdrawal of emergency in order to get rid of the charges. They don't want fair polls,' he claimed. Ferdaus said that Awami League president Sheikh Hasina should be sent abroad following due process of law to ensure her proper medical treatment. Party leaders Noor Mohammad Khan, Rafiqul Hossain, Riazul Hossain, Abdul Latif Bhuiyan and Sudhir Kumar Hazra were present at the press conference.
2008-03-21 US presses Govt to honour commitment to polls this year
The United States urged the Bangladesh government on Thursday to stage ''free, fair and transparent elections'' this year as promised. Fakhruddin Ahmed, head of the military-backed nonparty interim government that has headed Bangladesh since January 2007, reaffirmed the commitment in a joint statement issued Wednesday with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said. ''The United States urges the Bangladesh government to uphold its commitment to hold free, fair and transparent elections by December 2008,'' as the commitment renewed in the joint statement promised, Casey said. ''While the government's progress on updating the voter list and combating corruption is encouraging, we urge the government to move forward on its dialogue with political parties and to remove restrictions on freedoms of assembly and the press,'' Casey said. ''Political parties must be able to participate fully in a democratic process.''
2008-05-25 Barrister Harun ur Rashid's Column
Saga of Indian rice to Bangladesh.
By Barrister Harun ur Rashid
Former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.

Cyclone Sidr on the 15th November last year caused nightmare in Bangladesh. Ripping through the south western coast, killing thousands of people, demolishing houses, crops, and livestocks, the cyclone left a trail of devastation over thousands of square kilometres.
It is estimated that besides the death of more than 2,300 people in 23 districts and nearly 4,000 people injured, the cyclone has affected 887,000 families of 103 upazilas, killed 242,000 livestock and destroyed crops on 23,000 acres of land and flattened nearly three million houses.
Sympathies and assistance poured into Bangladesh for the victims from neighbours and international community. India’s External Affairs Minister came to Bangladesh and it was agreed that India would sell 5 lakh tons of rice to Bangladesh at $430 per tonne to meet its needs.
People of Bangladesh felt pleased that at a time of need, India came forward to assist Bangladesh.
But that sentiment steadily evaporated as the days passed on because rice from India had been seen to be made too difficult to reach Bangladesh through land borders, partly because of stoppage of India’s customs on export of non-basmati rice and partly because the price of rice in India reached $1,000 per tonne.
Although the ban or the price was not applicable to export rice for Bangladesh as agreed earlier, the conduct of Indian customs at the borders created confusion and some anger in the minds of people in Bangladesh. To many, it seemed that India’s customs department was independent of other agencies of the Union government. Why was this problem of implementation?
Bangladeshi people were asking, among others, three questions:
Is it because of the lack of coordination between the agencies of the Union government in New Delhi? Or
Is it a deliberate attempt by Indi
2008-03-18 Govt firm to hold free, credible polls: CA
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed has said the main target of his administration is to hold free and acceptable parliamentary polls by the set deadline as no one wants to return to the days before January 11, 2007. Fakhruddin, now in London on a three-day official visit after attending the 11th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) at Dakar, said his government is working hard to establish sustainable democracy, fundamental rights of the people and coexistence of all religious faiths through various reforms. 'More than half of the voter list has been prepared, election rules and regulations are at the final stage and we?re going to have a free, fair and credible election,'he told a meeting with representatives of the Bangladeshi community at Baden Powell Assembly Hall in London Sunday evening. He said the expatriate Bangladeshis will be enlisted as voters and assured that his administration will remove any complicacy over having the double citizenship.
2008-03-18 Nat'l parliament, local bodies polls may be held concurrently: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda Monday said national parliament and upazila polls may be held simultaneously, while he was inspecting the elections to the FBCCI governing body using transparent ballot boxes. Expressing satisfaction over the FBCCI polls, the CEC said ''FBCCI is holding both chamber group and association group elections together here. We are also considering holding the national and upazila polls at the same time. Although any decision has been made up till now on this issue''. Huda said, ''We'll collect the sample transparent ballot boxes using for FBCCI elections and test their suitability.'' The FBCCI elections began at 9am to continue through to 4:30pm for the some 1,536 voters to elect 12 directors each from chamber and association groups. The race saw 22 contestants in the association group and 27 in the chamber group, an FBCCI election official said. Another 14 directors?seven members from as many chambers and another seven from seven associations have already been nominated. All 38 directors will elect the president and the vice president Wednesday. Former BGMEA president Annisul Huq and former FBCCI director MA Rouf Chowdhury are vying for the post of president. Prof Ali Ashraf, chairman of the election board, said that the FBCCI elections are being held at using transparent ballot boxes, brought in from abroad as a test case, but such boxes can also be made locally. The national elections can also be held successfully if the Election Commission demonstrates ''expected skills and sincerity'', Ashraf added.
2008-02-13 Natwar Singh quits Congress
Natwar Singh quits Congress Former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, who had to resign from the government in the wake of the Iraqi food-for-oil scam, on Wednesday announced his resignation from Congress but parried questions whether he planned to join the BJP. He made the announcement in the presence of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia at a BJP-sponsored Jat rally in Vidyadhar Nagar, 20 km from Jaipur , and soon after launched a blistering attack on Sonia Gandhi. 'Wait and see' was all that he would reply to questions on whether he would join the BJP or whether he expects to get a BJP seat to Parliament as his term in Rajya Sabha is coming to an end shortly. Singh, suspended from the party and facing a petition for his disqualification from Rajya Sabha, quit the Manmohan Singh government after the Volcker Committee findings in the UN oil-for-food scam in which he and his son were named as beneficiaries. The Pathak Inquiry Authority, set up to go into the findings, found that he had used his position to get oil contracts from the Saddam Hussein regime for his son's friend Andaleeb Sehgal. However, the authority said Singh did not personally benefit from the deal. A few months later he was suspended from the party while his son Jagat Singh, an MLA in Rajasthan, was expelled. His case is being dealt with by the Congress disciplinary action committee.
2008-02-13 ADB renews call to increase price of gas, power, petrol
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has again suggested the government to increase price of petroleum, gas and electricity. At the same ADB also showed its interest to invest in energy sector. Finance Adviser A B Mirza Azizul Islam held a meeting with ADB Country Director Hua Du on Tuesday. Later, the ADB chief told the journalists that the government is giving huge subsidy in energy sector which is creating pressure on the economy. To reduce the pressure, she suggested the government has to increase the price of oil, gas and electricity. After considering the various aspects, the government has to take its decision, said Hua Du. She also stressed on ensuring the system so that the benefit of subsidy may reach to the poor peasants
2008-02-18 Poultry farm owners allege graft in compensation
Poultry farm owners have alleged that some livestock officials inflate the numbers of culled birds in fixing compensations for farms plagued by the bird flu virus. Officials and owners of the farms share the extra-money siphoned off government funds under the cover of inflated numbers, several farm owners alleged Sunday. Mohammad Salahuddin Ahmed, director (administration) of the Directorate of Livestock, denied the charges.
2008-09-15 Amid Rubble of Storm, Teams Scour Ravaged Texas Coastline
Amid Rubble of Storm, Teams Scour Ravaged Texas Coastline HOUSTON — State officials mounted the largest rescue operation in Texas history on Sunday, taking nearly 2,000 people by boat and helicopter out of flood-ravaged towns on the coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. At the same time, millions of others coped without electricity and faced shortages of food, water and gasoline.
2008-09-15 Amid Rubble of Storm, Teams Scour Ravaged Texas Coastline
2008-02-18 Eminent Jurist William Sloan in Dhaka
President of US Jurist Association, Canada Chapter William Sloan arrived in Dhaka early Saturday to discuss legal matters relating to the cases filed against detained former Premier Sheikh Hasina. The human rights lawyer will also observe the human rights situation in Bangladesh during his one-week visit. Sheikh Hasina's special aide Dr Hassan Mahmud said Sloan will meet lawyers of Hasina Saturday night. Details of his schedules were not finalised yet. He will leave Dhaka for Canada on February 23. Sloan arrived here within weeks of Canadian lawyer Payam Akhavan 's visit to Dhaka.
2008-02-18 Kosovo declares independence from Serbia
Kosovo declared itself a nation on Sunday, mounting a historic bid to become an independent and democratic state. `Kosovo is a republic-an independent, democratic and sovereign state, ` parliament speaker Jakup Krasniqi said as the chamber burst into applause. Krasniqi, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and President Fatmir Sejdiu signed the declaration, which was scripted on parchment. Across the capital, Pristina, revelers danced in the streets, fired guns into the air and waved red and black Albanian flags in jubilation at the birth of the world`s newest country. The US and a number of EU countries are expected to recognise Kosovo on Monday. Serbia has threatened Kosovo with diplomatic and economic sanctions, but not force. Its ally, Russia, also opposes Kosovan independence. Earlier on Saturday, president Thaci, said `the influence of Belgrade has ended.` `The success of Kosovo's independence as a new beginning will be clearly measured by respect for the rights of minorities, especially Serbs,` he told the state public broadcaster. On Friday, Kosovo`s parliament convened to approve a procedure to adopt new laws that would come into effect upon independence, including measures to guarantee the safety of Serbs. NATO, which still has 16,000 peacekeepers in Kosovo, boosted patrols in the tense north and in scattered isolated enclaves where most of the Serbs live in hopes of easing the chances of violence. An international police deployed Saturday to back up local forces. The EU gave its final go-ahead Saturday to send an 1,800-member mission to replace the current U.N. administration, administering Kosovo since 1999 when Serb troops who had started a brutal crack down on Kosovans were driven away by NATO troops. The mission is designed to help build a police, justice and customs system for independent Kosovo.
2008-10-02 Eid-ul-Fitr today
Eid-ul-Fitr today Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated (today) Thursday across the country with festivities and religious fervour. Shawal moon appeared on the skies of Bangladesh on Wednesday. Muslims in the country and other parts of the world will seek divine blessings, peace, progress and prosperity in Eid congregations. Although Eid-ul-Fitr was observed Tuesday in several Arab states of the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, the Eid will be celebrated in Bangladesh Thursday as the new moon was not sighted in the country on Tuesday. As Shawal moon was sighted in Saudi Arabia and many other Middle-eastern countries on Monday, they observed Eid-ul-Fitr the following day. On Tuesday a mammoth congregation of nearly two million Muslims offered their Eid prayers at the holy Makkah Mukarama. Besides Saudi Arabia Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated Tuesday in Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen, Tunisia, Libya, Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan and Mauritania while, as like Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Morocco, Algeria and Sultanate of Oman will be celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr today (Thursday). Though a small segment of citizens at a few places of Bangladesh celebrated Eid on Tuesday and Wednesday, country`s overwhelming majority Muslims will celebrate Eid on Thursday, ending full 30 days of fast of holy month of Ramadan on Wednesday. Muslims start offering their Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in mosques and Eidgahs across the country from early Thursday morning. Like every year they round off their month long Ramadan fast by celebrating and offering special prayers on the Eid day. Hundreds of thousands of people have already left capital Dhaka to celebrate the Eid with their kiths and kins and neighbours of their villages. Lead News Fabulous Dhaka With Eid-ul-Fitr knocking at the door mega city Dhaka wore a festive look as soon as the sun set on Wednesday. All government offices, and many private houses, gov
2008-10-02 Eid-ul-Fitr today
Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated (today) Thursday across the country with festivities and religious fervour. Shawal moon appeared on the skies of Bangladesh on Wednesday. Muslims in the country and other parts of the world will seek divine blessings, peace, progress and prosperity in Eid congregations. Although Eid-ul-Fitr was observed Tuesday in several Arab states of the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, the Eid will be celebrated in Bangladesh Thursday as the new moon was not sighted in the country on Tuesday. As Shawal moon was sighted in Saudi Arabia and many other Middle-eastern countries on Monday, they observed Eid-ul-Fitr the following day. On Tuesday a mammoth congregation of nearly two million Muslims offered their Eid prayers at the holy Makkah Mukarama. Besides Saudi Arabia Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated Tuesday in Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen, Tunisia, Libya, Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan and Mauritania while, as like Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Morocco, Algeria and Sultanate of Oman will be celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr today (Thursday). Though a small segment of citizens at a few places of Bangladesh celebrated Eid on Tuesday and Wednesday, country`s overwhelming majority Muslims will celebrate Eid on Thursday, ending full 30 days of fast of holy month of Ramadan on Wednesday. Muslims start offering their Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in mosques and Eidgahs across the country from early Thursday morning. Like every year they round off their month long Ramadan fast by celebrating and offering special prayers on the Eid day. Hundreds of thousands of people have already left capital Dhaka to celebrate the Eid with their kiths and kins and neighbours of their villages. Lead News Fabulous Dhaka With Eid-ul-Fitr knocking at the door mega city Dhaka wore a festive look as soon as the sun set on Wednesday. All government offices, and many private houses, government and privat
2008-02-13 Trial of Barge-mounted case against Hasina adjourned till Feb 19
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's counsels prayed to the court for her bail Wednesday at the Special Judges' Court set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex. At around 10.00 am Judge Md Firoz Alam resumed proceedings of a corruption case against Sheikh Hasina involving illegally awarded contracts to set up barge mounted power plants. The former Premier was not brought to the court as she was still reportedly unwell after falling sick in court Tuesday. Referring to the February 6 High Court verdict that quashed another extortion case against Hasina after ruling illegal its trial under Emergency Power Rules (EPR), Hasina's lawyers said the present case should be dismissed since it had also been tried EPR. The defence lawyers further prayed to the court to free Hasina on bail. ''She is suffering from a number of medical complications including headaches, eye ailments and high blood pressure. She should be freed,'' they said. The prosecution lawyers opposed her bail. The court will continue hearing of the case on February 19. On February 7 the special judge's court had deferred the hearing after the prosecution lawyers appealed for more time. On Tuesday, the Appellate Division upheld the High Court's earlier bail order for former power secretary Toufique-e-Elahi Chowdhury who was also accused in the case. The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2 last year. Other accused are: former chairman of the Power Development Board Nuruddin Mahmud Kamal, Summit Group directors Md Aziz Khan and Farid Khan, United Group directors Hasan Mahmud Raja and Abul Kalam Azad and curator of the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust Syed Siddikur Rahman. According to case details, the accused accepted bribes of around Tk 3 crore in exchange for awarding contracts to two companies to set up three barge-mounted power plants at Haripur, Shikalbaha and Khulna. The case alleged that the former prime minister purchased 19 kathas of land
2008-02-12 DSE capitalisation hits record Tk 80,000cr
The market capitalisation of the Dhaka Stock Exchange on Thursday hit Tk 80,226 crore, its highest ever mark, due to rise in the share prices in last couple of days. The market indicator crossed Tk 80,000 crore mark for the first time as its previous highest was Tk 79,697 crore on January 16. On Wednesday, DSE market capitalisation was Tk 79,059 crore. Stock market analysts attributed the upward trend in liquidity inflow to the latest moves taken by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the capital market regulator. On Sunday, the SEC raised the maximum rate of margin loan for merchant banks at 1:1 with effect from February 10 with a view to improving the liquidity situation at the market. The regulatory body also reintroduced financial adjustment facility against the trading of shares of `A`, `B`, `G` and `N` categories from Sunday. Stock prices gained on Thursday for the straight second day due to buying spree from the investors, said operators. The DSE general index gained 55.51 points or 1.89 per cent to close at 3000.17, while its blue chips index, DSE20, advanced by 32.69 points or 1.39 per cent to close at 2381.08. Chittagong Stock Exchange`s selective categories index gained 89.31 points or 1.85 per cent to close at 4911.89, while its blue chips index, CSE30, advanced by 145.61 points or 2.18 per cent to close at 6826.10. The market capitalisation at the CSE increased to Tk 64,361 crore from the Wednesday`s Tk 63,280 crore. Turnover at the DSE also increased to Tk 271.67 crore from the Wednesday`s Tk 195.91 crore and the CSE turnover went up to Tk 53.67 crore from Tk 40.46 crore. On Tuesday, the DSE and the CSE recorded their highest ever turnovers with Tk 372.37 crore and Tk 65.86 crore respectively. Of the total 232 issues traded at the DSE, 176 advanced, 49 declined and seven remained unchanged, and out of 145 issues traded at the CSE, 106 posted gains, 33 dropped and six remained unchanged.
2008-02-12 SEC resumes UCBL share trading
The trading of the shares of the United Commercial Bank Ltd resumes on Thursday at the bourses as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday withdrew halt on the trading of shares of the bank with immediate effect considering the submitted documents on the AGM credible. The DSE and the Chittagong Stock Exchange, on an earlier instruction from the SEC, kept suspended the trading of the shares of the UCBL from January 31. An official of the SEC said the commission halted the trading of the shares of the UCBL over the bank?s annual general meeting related issues. However, the bank on Sunday submitted to the commission requisite documents of its 23rd AGM held on January 31. The UCBL, reportedly, at its 23rd AGM saw wrangle among the shareholders of the bank. It was the bank?s pending AGM for the year 2006. Earlier on January 2, the SEC formed a committee to probe into the unusual trading of the shares of the UCBL at the stock exchanges. A two-member committee comprising of SEC?s deputy directors, M Rezaul Karim and M Abul Kalam, was asked to submit its reports in 30 working days. But the committee did not submit its report till Wednesday. Meanwhile, stocks gained on Wednesday as investors bought shares to avail the lower prices of shares after the previous day?s rise, said operators. The DSE general index gained 22.03 points or 0.75 per cent to close at 2944.66, while its blue chips index, DSE20, advanced by 1.33 points or 0.06 per cent to close at 2348.38. The CSE selective categories index gained 43.85 points or 0.92 per cent to close at 4822.59, while its blue chips index, CSE30, advanced by 12.46 points or 0.19 per cent to close at 6680.49. Turnover at the DSE, however, slid down to Tk 195.91 crore from the Tuesday?s historic highest mark of Tk 372.37 crore and the CSE turnover went down to Tk 40.46 crore from its highest ever of Tk 65.86 crore on Tuesday. Of the total 240 issues traded at the DSE, 161 advanced, 60 declined and 19 rema
2008-02-12 Swiss co offers highest bid to buy Oriental Bank
The ICB Financial Group Holdings AG, a Swiss-based company, has emerged as the highest bidder for over 50 per cent shares of the troubled Oriental Bank Limited. It has offered Tk 350.67 crore for the shares. ''The ICB Financial Group has offered Tk 350,67, 43, 888 for buying the shares of Oriental Bank Limited while the Domestic Investors Consortium, Bangladesh, quoted Tk 251 crore,'' Deputy Governor of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) Murshid Kuli Khan told reporters after a meeting of the tender evaluation committee. He also said the central bank will announce preferred bidder on the basis of technical revaluation committee report. Earlier, a five-member tender revaluation committee was formed, headed by Murshid Kuli Khan, to recommend one potential investor after scrutinising all bidding documents submitted to buy the shares of the bank. Under the tender timetable, the name of preferred bidder will be announced formally on February 14 next after approval of the central bank. The central bank will approve the preferred bidder for purchasing the Oriental Bank shares on February 11 next, they noted. The government has already extended the moratorium on some banking activities of the Oriental Bank Limited for six more months to protect depositors` interest and facilitate restructuring of the bank. The fresh order came into effect from January 25 last, they added. Earlier on January 25, last year, the ministry imposed a six-month moratorium restricting the withdrawal of cash above Tk 10,000 by depositors. In case of new account holders, no such restrictions applied. The Shariah-based private commercial bank that suffered a severe financial crisis was taken over by the central bank on June 19, 2006 to protect the depositors` interest. The central bank then appointed an administrator to run the bank temporarily. The bank is now running its business through 30 branches across the country, where a total of 713 employees are engaged at different levels
2006-02-12 Indian rice exporters to move to courts
The Indian rice exporters have decided to move to the higher court against the sudden restriction by their government on the private sector rice export to Bangladesh, sources said. India banned exports of non-basmati rice on February 08. Although, the Food Adviser AMM Shawkat Ali said on Sunday the restriction by India on the private level export of rice will have no bearing on the government`s procurement of five lakh tonnes rice from India to meet the prevailing emergency. However, experts predicted that it would consequently create an adverse impact on the local markets of Bangladesh. The Indian rice exporters also expressed their resentment on the issue. They are now raising the issue to the higher authorities. Besides, terming the decision as inhumane, the rice exporters are preparing to go to court as last resort. If the crisis can not be settled by negotiation in 3-4 days, the issue will certainly move to the court, an Indian exporter association source claimed. Meanwhile, the rice importers of Bangladesh said this restriction will cause heavy losses to the businessmen and rice dealers. They claimed that the sudden ban on export of rice by India is nothing but a conspiracy to increase the prices of rice. A rice importer said that the Indian government has fixed the price of per ton rice at $ 500. However, Bangladeshi rice dealers imported rice at $380 per ton. But the Indian government is determined to export the rice at its given price. So they imposed ban on export of rice through the private channel, he said. The abnormal price hike of essentials especially the rice price is posing great national concern to the people and it worried the government too. Reports reaching here said that hundreds of trucks carrying rice for Bangladesh were stranded on the Indian sides of two major land ports Benapole and Hili as New Delhi suddenly put restriction on
2008-02-12 Bangladeshi, Indian workers on strike at 3 Bahrain camps
Work on a $6 billion project was hit for the second day Sunday with over 2,000 workers from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan go on strike in Bahrain over a pay dispute. Workers from the GP Zacharides Company, who are based at a labour camp in the landmark Durrat Al Bahrain development, went on strike demanding better salaries and living conditions. Labourers were promised BD100 and skilled workers BD120 when they were recruited. But they are being paid BD57 and BD69 respectively. The workers joined the protest against the poor living conditions as around 30 men are sharing one bathroom without water heater. The workers were threatened by the management that they would be sacked if they continued their strike while they insisted on protesting until their demands were fulfilled. Member of the Anti-Slavery International and Lawmaker Faisal Fulad said: ?It is the second major strike in Bahrain in less than a week after nearly 750 Asian workers downed tools at Almoayyed Contracting demanding better pay.? Earlier, the workers had barricaded themselves with the Chinese men inside their camp from 5 am Saturday. ?We will open the gates only when the management and concerned authorities come to negotiate,? they had said.
2008-02-12 ACP, 2 cops placed on 2-day remand on alleged robbery charges in Ctg
ACP, 2 cops placed on 2-day remand on alleged robbery charges in Ctg Three policemen, including Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for Panchlaish Zone Abu Saleh Mohammad Mofazzel Haque, were placed on a two-day remand Monday in connection with a robbery in the city. Judge of the Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate?s Court granted the remand when police appealed for a five-day remand. Two others are identified as ACP?s bodyguard Ehsanul Islam and driver Mohammad Abdur Rob. Earlier at about 3:30am, a team of Kotwali police under Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) arrested the three from the ACP`s office following a complaint by Faruk Ahmed Chowdhury, a businessman. In the complaint, Faruk said the ACP along with two constables came to his house at about 1:30am and looted valuable, including gold ornaments, worth about Tk 500,000 at gunpoint. On the other hand, denying the allegation, ACP Mofazzel Haque called it a conspiracy and said he went to the businessman`s residence in connection with the investigation of a case. CMP Deputy Commissioner (north) Mostafa Kamal admitted the complaint against the three policemen. mhk/th/11 Feb
2008-02-12 Small vehicles and minibus likely to be banned in the capital
The government is going to ban small vehicles and minibus in Dhaka in order to remove the increasing traffic jam. The decision will be finalized by next week. This issue was discussed at a meeting on Sunday regarding removal of traffic jam in Dhaka city. LGRD adviser Anwarul Iqbal presided over the meeting. "Today we have discussed with the chiefs of different voluntary organizations. The agenda of the meeting included the causes of the increasing traffic jam in the capital and the solutions of them. We have taken both short and long term decisions," said the adviser. Mentioning Dhaka as an unplanned city he said that only 6 percent of the total area of the city is for traffic whereas it is supposed to be 25 percent. Now we have to remove traffic jam by utilizing this 6 percent in a proper and planned way. For this we need skilled management like London, he said. "We need cheaper and easier vehicles instead of small one. The government will impose taxes more than double on old vehicles and reduce taxes on new ones. It will reduce the use of old vehicles in Dhaka," the adviser said. A two lane underpass will be constructed at Banglamotor. But the government doesn?t want to make any new flyover to bring the traffic jam from Mohakhali to Jahangir gate. Cables of all service sectors have been drawn under the footpath to avoid digging streets. Railing will be set up on footpath to ensure right use of foot over bridge. Anwarul Iqbal said that underground water was 93 percent of the total demand of Dhaka Wasa. As a result the underground water level is going down and increasing the risk for us. Hence, in a certain period we may have to shift Dhaka city for lack of water, he said. No university and business organization in the residential area will be given trade license, the adviser said. Experts opined that railway line under or over the ground is impossible, sources in the meeting said.
2008-05-25 Oil tops 135 dollars as records smashed
Agence France-Presse . London
Oil prices stormed to record highs this week, spiking above 135 dollars as investors showed no let-up in their thirst for black gold amid tight supplies, high demand and a weak dollar.
Oil: Brent North Sea oil struck an all-time high of 135.14 dollars and New York light sweet crude reached a record 135.09 dollars on Thursday, driven by growing concerns that energy supplies will fail to keep up with demand.
They later slumped as investors banked profits but resumed their upwards march on Friday. ‘It seems there is no stopping soaring oil prices,’ said Andrey Kryuchenkov at the Sucden brokerage in London.
‘Investors doubt that the market will be able to meet ever growing demand in the long run, with booming emerging market economies underpinning robust demand for energy.’
Crude futures have risen by more than a third since the beginning of 2008 when they struck 100 dollars for the first time, lifted by unrest in oil-producing countries, falling energy inventories, OPEC’s unwillingness to hike output, high Asian demand for fuel and a weak dollar. A struggling US currency makes dollar-commodities cheaper for foreign buyers.
Oil prices breached 130 dollars for the first time on Wednesday and continued higher on news that US energy inventories had unexpectedly fallen last week.
Abdalla Salem El-Badri, the secretary general of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said this week that the cartel’s members were unhappy with surging prices which he blamed on speculators and a weak dollar.
OPEC, which produces 40 per cent of the world’s oil, is reluctant to bend to US-led demands for it to pump more crude to help cool rocketing prices.
The 13-nation cartel insists that the market is well supplied and that record prices reflect speculative investment activity rather than actual supply and demand conditions.
By Friday, New York’s ma
2008-02-21 Bangladeshi calls for war-crimes justice: Merle English
Mina Farah remembers fleeing into the hills of northern India with her family and other refugees as thousands of their compatriots were killed. It was 1971, when the people of East Pakistan - then a province of Pakistan - were engulfed in a nine-month war for independence. The result of the civil war was the formation of two states: Pakistan and Bangladesh. Farah, 53 - an immigrant from Bangladesh and a Jackson Heights businesswoman, dentist, author, activist, wife and mother of four - was a teenager during her country's struggle for self-rule. An estimated three million people were killed, she said. Many women and girls were raped and tortured and fighters murdered by roaming death squads. Today, Farah is seeking justice for Bangladeshis whose human rights, she said, were violated by other Bangladeshis who collaborated in the mass killings. She wants the United States and the United Nations to declare the slaughter to have been genocide. But above all, she wants collaborators - some of whom she said are living in Jackson Heights and elsewhere in New York City - brought to justice. She is ''making a noise about these war criminals to remind people of the history of all this so they can join the quest for justice,'' Farah said recently at one of several meetings she convened in Jackson Heights - a community with about 150,000 Bangladesh-American s - to drum up support for her crusade. She visits Bangladesh every two months and has appealed to the government, she said, to ''prosecute the war criminals. They are not hiding,'' she said. A room in her family's home in Bangladesh that was used as a jail and torture chamber is kept as ''evidence of the injustice. The house was full of blood, ropes, things they used for torture,'' she said. Shamshul Haque, consul general of Bangladesh in New York, said the issue ''is for the courts to decide. The issue is going on in the community and in the political arena,'' he said. ''I have no information right now what is
2008-02-21 AL urges EC to decide on dialogue with BNP
Awami League urged the Election Commission to take an early decision on dialogue with BNP without wasting time. ''EC should take immediate decision about dialogue with BNP. Failure will generate doubt in the minds of the people about holding polls,'' AL presidium member Tofael Ahmed told reporters after meeting with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD). Acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman presided over the meeting at his Gulshan residence. The meeting decided to raise identical proposals based on 31-point charter of electoral reform at proposed dialogue with the government. Tofael said exclusion of BNP from dialogue with EC is not desirable by the people. EC could not decide if and when it will meet with BNP. The nation would not wait for long, he said, and urged EC to hold dialogue with BNP without wasting time. Expressing deep concern at the failing health of party president Sheikh Hasina in jail the AL leader urged the government for her immediate treatment in accordance with advice of her physicians. He also called for initiating dialogue between the political parties and government to remove doubts about the election. JSD president Hasanul Huq Inu said national consensus government could be formed for a limited time based on their 23-point demand after the election. He stressed the urgency for unity of progressive, democratic and pro-liberation forces. Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Begum Matia Chowdhury, Kazi Zafarullah, Syed Ashraful Islam and Abdul Mannan Khan of Awami League and Syed Jafar Sazzad, Mainuddin Khan Badal, Shirin Akter and Sarif Nurul Ambia of JSD were present at the meeting.
2008-02-21 Hasina agrees to be hospitalised
Detained Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina has finally agreed to receive treatment in the country and is likely to be taken to a city hospital in a day or two. The former Prime Minister prefers Square Hospital for treatment and check-ups, while the jail authorities suggest she should undergo treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). Deputy Inspector General (prisons) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said, ''Taking her to a hospital is a serious matter. If things are alright, we will finalise everything Wednesday, after discussions with higher authorities.'' Meanwhile, President of US Jurist Association Canada chapter William Sloan termed the trial of the barge-mount graft case filed against former premier Sheikh Hasina ''not a public trial'' after he was barred from entering the special court. Hasina's counsel on Tuesday said as there is no law that bars a visitor from observing a public trial, refusal to allow Sloan enter the court will tarnish the image of the country. Expressing disappointment William Sloan said to make a trial transparent, it is important to hold it in an open court. ''I am very disappointed. I have visited many countries to watch different trials and I was allowed each time except for today and once during the trial against Pinochet in Chile,'' Sloan said. ''Nasty things happen in the dark, and it cannot be called a public trial,'' he added. Sloan said the public must be convinced that a trail is being held in a transparent way and openly; and when the accused person is someone like Sheikh Hasina, the trial must be held in public. He said questions will rise in international level as the process in which the trial is being held is not transparent. Meanwhile, police on duty at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban claimed Sloan requires special permission to enter the court since he arrived in Bangladesh with a tourist visa. Hasina's personal assistant Hasan Mahmud said, ''William arrived in Bangladesh a
2008-02-21 Sharif calls for Mush's ouster
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif struck a belligerent note by calling for Musharraf's resignation after the humiliating defeat of PML (Q). Looking relaxed, cracking jokes and talking in measured tones, Sharif made it clear that all the unconstitutional steps taken by the present government would be reversed. When asked if he would push for Musharraf's impeachment, Sharif said, ''Let the judiciary first decide if he is eligible for the post. And this decision should be taken by the judges sacked by Musharraf. The judges should be restored to their posts immediately.'' Although a consensus government is a foregone conclusion, the issue of restoring the sacked judges may create glitches between the two largest parties, the PPP and PML. On Tuesday evening, Zardari demanded immediate release of all the lawyers and judges under house arrest, but remained non-commital on reinstatement of the sacked chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhury ? a move that could create fissures in the budding coalition. But, Tuesday was a day of change in Pakistan, with almost all political parties talking with sense and sensibility. While the PML(Q) accepted its defeat without fuss, leaders of both PPP and PML(N) talked of building institutions
2008-02-21 PPP emerges biggest party in Pakistan polls
Though there is no decisive victor either at the centre or in any of the four provinces, slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Tuesday emerged as the single largest party in the national elections. PPP secured 86 seats in the 272-member National Assembly but needs at least 50 more to form the government. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took the second spot with 66 seats while the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) backed by President Pervez Musharraf trailed third with 49 seats. The Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) with its power base in urban Sindh got 19 seats, the Awami National Party (ANP) 10 and the religious alliance Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) could get only three seats in the National Assembly, a huge comedown from the 78 seats it had in the previous parliament. Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari, who now heads the PPP after his wife's assassination Dec 27, came to Islamabad soon after results showed that his party was leading in the polls. He is scheduled to chair PPP's executive committee meeting in the evening before meeting Sharif in the capital. Sharif, who had to rush to Mansehra to attend the funeral of his daughter's mother-in-law who died Monday night, will be here Tuesday evening. ''Several meetings are expected,'' his party's senior leader Zafar Ali Shah said. MQM chief Altaf Hussain has already announced his support to PPP and PML-N in case they form a joint government at the centre. The ANP has also showed its interest in cooperating with the ''anti-Musharraf'' alliance. Both Zardari and Sharif did not contest the elections and cannot become prime minister until they are members of the National Assembly. The prime minister has to be a member of the lower house of the parliament before taking oath of office. However, both have the option of contesting by-polls that can be held by mid-March. According to PML-N senior vice-president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, th
2008-02-20 Musharraf rules out resignation despite conceding trounce
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, says he has no plans to resign, despite a heavy defeat suffered by the Musharraf- backed main party and its allies in the country's parliamentary elections. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Mr Musharraf said there was a need to move forward to help bring about a stable democratic government in Pakistan. Meanwhile the party of late former PM Benazir Bhutto says it is ready to form a coalition with Nawaz Sharif's PML-N. A union of Ms Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) with the PML-N of another former PM, Nawaz Sharif, would have more than half parliament's seats. If a new governing coalition manages to muster a two-thirds majority in parliament, it could call for Mr Musharraf to be impeached.
2008-02-20 Bhutto, Sharif parties in talks for coalition govt
Stung by a humiliating defeat in the Pakistan elections, President Pervez Musharraf was fighting for survival with his back to the wall, while hoping that Asif Ali Zardari's PPP, with its 87 members in a House of 272, would tie up with the block of 38 MPs of his PML(Q) - an overture that Zardari appears to be rejecting. It seems PPP and Nawaz Sharif's PML(N), with 66 MPs, would come together and put Musharraf in a tight corner. This, however, doesn't necessarily mean that the General's days are over. As President, he would seek to carve space for himself as a mediator between the two partners - Zardari and Sharif - who have been bitter rivals in the past and differences between them are only expected to crop up once the exuberance of their victory subsides. While Washington is expected to use its influence with the key Pakistan figures, Zardari, Sharif, Musharraf and Army Chief Ashfaq Kiyani. Still, there is no getting away from the fact that vote was being read as a popular rejection of Musharraf's cosiness with the US, and Zardari and Sharif would have to be seen to be heeding that. What this would mean for the war against terror will become clearer in the coming days. The turnout at the polls was 46%, the highest ever in a Pakistan election. Significantly, the Islamic parties have fared very badly - the top party, MMA, got just 3 seats. But a large number of these formations boycotted the polls. So it might be risky to assume their popular support has withered away. Right now the focus is moving to government formation. Zardari and Sharif have agreed to meet on Thursday to discuss the possibility of regime formation. Although it isn't official yet, the name of PPP's interim chairman Makhdoom Amin Faheem's name is being proposed as the consensus candidate for PM. Along with talks of a consensus government, Zardari also set a flutter with his statement that the next regime will have to redefine the war on terror.
2008-02-20 Court rejects Khaleda bail in Niko case
A Dhaka court Wednesday turned down an appeal seeking bail for detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a corruption case involving in awarding a deal, allegedly by means of abusing her power unlawfully, to Canadian oil and gas company Niko Resources Ltd for extracting gas that caused huge losses to the state. Judge Md Azizul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court in Dhaka rejected the petition after hearing the appeal. Khaleda's counsels argued that their client Khaleda needed bail since she had been suffering from physical and mental ailments. They also assured the court that Khaleda would face the case when she would be on bail. The lawyers said the deal with Niko for extracting gas from Feni, Kamta and Chhatak fields was inked on June 14, 2001 when Sheikh Hasina was in office. Later, the 4-party alliance government led by Khaleda Zia only maintained the continuity of the deal, they said. The accused had no ill motive or design to go ahead with the previous deal, they insisted. But the judge was not satisfied and rejected the bail. On December 9 last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Assistant Director Mahbubul Alam filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station against Khaleda Zia and four others saying that although Khaleda Zia had been the custodian of the country's wealth as the prime minister, she awarded Niko an opportunity to extract gas worth Tk10,000 crore, criminally violating her oath, abusing her power unlawfully, and through corruption. It showed that the deal and its necessary procedures took place between November 3, 2001 and September, 2005. The ACC had accused former energy secretary Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former acting energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, and Vice-president (South Aisa) of Niko Research Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif in the case. The counsels said they had no idea why filing of the case took too much time since the alleged crime had taken place two years ago. They said there was no expla
2008-08-13 Russia, Georgia Claim Cease-Fire Violations as EU Pushes Peace
Russia, Georgia Claim Cease-Fire Violations as EU Pushes Peace Russia and Georgia accused each other of violating a cease-fire in force since yesterday afternoon as the European Union pressed ahead with a peace plan that ended a five-day Russian offensive. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said Russian tanks continue to operate within Georgia, destroying ``infrastructure,'' as Russia said it was responding to sporadic attacks by Georgian snipers while observing the terms of a cease-fire declared by President Dmitry Medvedev. ``Large-scale weapons are being used,'' Saakashvili told reporters today in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. ``Russian tanks are in the streets, and Russian soldiers are behaving extremely aggressively.'' Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the deputy head of Russia's General Staff, said in Moscow that the cease-fire was ``not being fully observed'' by Georgia. The truce violations come as EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels to hammer out a deal on implementing a six-point peace plan that Russia and Georgia agreed to yesterday. The EU may send military personnel to South Ossetia, the separatist Georgian region that sparked the conflict, to monitor the cease- fire, said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country brokered the accord. Cease-Fire Violations Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Giga Bokeria said Russian tanks in the city of Gori this morning destroyed military facilities. Nogovitsyn said no tanks were in Gori and that Russian forces have observed the cease-fire since 3 p.m. yesterday. A Russian Foreign Ministry official said no Russian troops are in the city. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the country's forces will withdraw only after Georgian troops return to their barracks. Nogovitsyn said 74 Russian soldiers died in the fighting and 171 were wounded. Nineteen soldiers are missing in action, he said. Temur Iakobashvili, Georgia's minister for reintegration issues, said 175 of the country's soldiers di
2008-07-13 DSE shares dip sharply amid regulator’s warning
Share prices at Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) fell 3 percent across the board Wednesday, a record drop in last seven months, amid panic sales on the heals of warning of strict monitoring by the regulators. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday warned stock brokers that they would intensify their surveillance activities. The fall has no relevance to or impact of the national budget announced on Monday, a fund manager told UNB. Brokers, however, observed that buying commensurate with the sales pressure emerged as breath taking while investors took position in the falling market on profit expectation. They said the panicked sales was compensated by the buyers to register a substantial turnover of Tk 361 crore, demonstrating a healthy sign in the market. “It’s a sigh of relief that there were buyers in the market too,” said the fund manager. “A correction in the overheated market has been overdue.” During the day’s trading, the DSE General Index dropped 93 points or about 3 percent to close at 3,025 points while the All Share Price Index (DSI) fell 76 points or nearly 3 percent to close at 2,567 points. Both the DGEN and DSI curves nosedive during the early hours of trading, but recovered to some extent in the mid-day only to stay there for a while before tumbling to end the day’s trading. Earlier on November 20 last year, the benchmark index lost 81 points in a single day while it was 75 points on January 31 this year. Of the total 237 issues were traded on Wednesday, only 18 issues registered gains, 215 incurred loss and four remained unchanged in the “unusual” market behaviour. Major gainers were Sajib Knit, Anlima Yarn, Dhaka Bank, Padma Oil, Arami, Bengal Biscuit, Northern Insurance, Samata Leather, Janata Insurance and 3rd ICB. Metro Spinning, Aims Ist Mutual Fund, Meghna Cement, Prime Insurance, Union Capital, Premiere Leasing, United Leasing, Legacy Footwear, Phoenix Finance
2008-02-18 Farms in bird flu peril
their menus while home consumption too has slumped. “We are going broke. We are selling chicks to poultry farmers at a token price to minimise our losses,” said Shah Habibul Haque, director of Aftab Bahumukhi Farm Ltd, a leading poultry hatchery. He claims their business has incurred on average a loss of Tk 2 crore every month since November last year. “Things look even grimmer for small farm owners. They are losing their capital,” he said adding that currently they charge only Tk 7-8 for a day-old chick, about one third of production cost at Tk 22. The avian influenza, which broke out in Bangladesh early last year, has now reached epidemic proportions sweeping across the poultry industry that accounts for over 1.6 percent of GDP. According to official data, the government has detected bird flu virus in 152 farms in 43 districts and culled 6.42 lakh fowls as of February 16. Operators report a loss of nearly Tk 5,000 crore because of plummeting sales coupled with a steady rise in the prices of poultry feeds. “At a rough estimate, we have made a loss of nearly Tk 5,000 crore,” said Moshiur Rahman, convener of Poultry Industries Co-ordination Committee. Industry sources said thousands of farms have been forced to shut down in a year due to bird flu outbreaks and hike in prices of feed ingredients. Around half a crore people are directly or indirectly employed in the industry involving 1.5 lakh farms. “Our sales have dropped drastically,” said Delwar Hossain, owner of Janata Poultry at the Kaptan Bazar, one of the biggest wholesale-cum-retail markets for poultry products in the capital. He said daily sales in his wholesale store hovered around Tk 1.50 lakh in January. “Now I struggle to have sales of Tk 25,000 a day,” he said. Khokon Mia, a retailer at Kaptan Bazar, said the sales at his shop have dropped 58 percent on point to point basis. In retail outlets, chickens sell at Tk 65-70 a kg, whereas only a month
2008-02-18 Netrakona Suicide Blast, 3 JMB men given death
2008-02-18 Netrakona Suicide Blast, 3 JMB men given death
This file photo shows JMB operatives Salahuddin alias Saleheen and Asaduzzaman Chowdhury alias Panir in police custody. They were sentenced to death yesterday. Photo: Focus Bangla A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced three activists of the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to death on charges of killing eight people including two Udichi leaders by carrying out suicide bomb attacks at Udichi and Shata Dal Shilpi Goshthi offices in Netrakona in December 2005. The convicts are Salahuddin alias Saleheen, Asaduzzaman Chowdhury alias Panir and Yunus Ali. Saleheen and Panir were in the dock during the delivery of the verdict. Yunus was tried in absentia as he is on the run. The court acquitted Fahima alias Farzana, also known as Rokeya, as her involvement with the killings was not proved. Judge AHM Mustaque Ahmed of the Speedy Trial Tribunal delivered the verdict. The court did not consider punishing JMB's second-in-command Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai and JMB's military commander Ataur Rahman Sunny as their death penalty for killing two Jhalakathi judges were earlier executed. The prosecution and the defence completed their arguments earlier and the court recorded statements of 29 prosecution witnesses during the trial. According to the prosecution, on December 6, 2005, the convicts made plans for the suicide bomb attacks during a meeting held secretly at Nagaor, a house belonging to Khorshed Master, at Acua in Mymensingh town. As per their plan, suicide bomb attacks were carried out at Udichi and Shata Dal Shilpi Goshthi offices around 10:30am on December 8, 2005 that left eight people dead and 40 others injured. One Arid alias Kafi made the explosives used to bomb the cultural organisations. The victims of the blasts are Khawja Haider, Sudipta Paul Shelly, Rani Begum, Joinal, Raisuddin, Yadev Das, Jahanara and Shawkat. Our Netrakona correspondent reports that after hearing the verdict, victims' family members expressed t
2008-03-28 EC to ask govt for war criminals' trial
The Election Commission (EC) is preparing a set of recommendations for the caretaker government on some crucial issues including trial of war criminals. Modification of the constitution's article 70, an increase in parliamentary seats and introduction of bicameral parliament will figure prominently in the suggestions being drawn up on the basis of demands raised by political parties during the electoral reforms talks, said sources in the EC. In line with its earlier announcement, the commission will submit those to the government at the end of April or early May. It believes the administration will take necessary steps in due time. In response to the call for trial of war criminals, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda on February 24 said: ?We don't have the jurisdiction in this regard. However, we will recommend that the government take measures to try the war criminals." At dialogue with the EC twice between September and February, all parties except Jamaat-e-Islami strongly demanded that the war criminals are disqualified from election and urged the government to initiate legal proceedings against them. In response to the growing public demand, the EC has already included in the proposed electoral laws a provision that says an individual would be barred permanently from contesting any sort of public election if he/she is convicted of war crime by a national or international tribunal. The EC has finalised the proposals for electoral reforms last week and is now preparing a comprehensive report on the outcomes of the talks, sources said. Earlier in February, the commission wrapped up its second round of discussions with 15 political parties. Once the long-stalled talks with the BNP are held, both the proposals and report would be sent to the caretaker government for consideration to translating the proposals into laws and acting on recommendations regarding issues like trial of war criminals. The EC hopes it will be able to hold talks
2008-05-03 Al-Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Hajj freed from Guantanamo
An Al-Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Hajj was released from U.S. treatm etn of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and returned home to Sudan early Friday after nearly six and a half years of imprisonment that drew worldwide protests. Sami, who had been on a hunger strike for 16 months, grimaced as he was carried off a U.S. military plane by American personnel in Sudan's capital, Khartoum. He was put on a stretcher and taken straight to a hospital. ''Thank God ... for being free again,'' he told Al-Jazeera from his hospital bed. ''Our eyes have the right to shed tears after we have spent all those years in prison. ... But our joy is not going to be complete until our brothers in Guantanamo Bay are freed,'' he added. ''The situation is very bad and getting worse day after day,'' he said of conditions in Guantanamo adding that ''rats are treated with more humanity''. He claimed guards prevent Muslims from practicing their religion and reading the Quran. Al-Haj was released along with two other Sudanese from Guantanamo Thursday. He was the only journalist from a major international news organization held at Guantanamo and many of his supporters saw his detention as punishment for a network whose broadcasts angered U.S. officials. Al-Haj was detained in December 2001 by Pakistani authorities as he tried to enter Afghanistan to cover the U.S.-led invasion. He was turned over to the U.S. military and taken in January 2002 to Guantanamo Bay, where the United States holds some 275 men suspected of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban, most of them without charges. Al-Hajj, who is originally from Sudan, was held as an ''enemy combatant'' without ever facing trial or charges. Al-Hajj was never prosecuted at Guantanamo so the US did not make public its full allegations against him. But in a hearing that determined that he was an enemy combatant, US officials alleged that in the 1990s, al-Hajj was an executive assistant at a Qatar-based beverage company that provided support to M
2008-05-03 12,000 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants lodged in various foreign jails: study
Nearly 12,000 Bangladeshi nationals, mostly illegal immigrants, are presently lodged in foreign jails including the Arabian Gulf, according to a study published Friday. Among those jailed, more than 2,500 have been convicted while the rest are under trials according to the study. Most of the Bangladeshi nationals were caught in various countries while trying to illegally enter those countries, the study said. Of the total detainees, 9,995 are in Saudi Arabia, 1,000 in Malaysia, 627 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 225 in Singapore, according to the study. Among these, 922 have been convicted in Saudi Arabia and 574 in the UAE. As many as 217 Bangladeshis have been convicted in Singapore, 398 in Malaysia and 92 in Russia, the study said.
2008-05-03 IDB not to change interest rate on $200m loan
The Islamic Development Bank has agreed to the government request for not changing the interest rate on the $200 million loan for fuel import, for which government and the bank had signed an agreement in March, a high Energy Division official said on Sunday. ''The IDB has informed us today that it has agreed to our request for not changing the interest rate on the $200 million loans that is in the pipeline,'' energy secretary Mohammad Mohsin said Sunday. Mohsin, however, said they were yet to be confirmed when the loan would be disbursed. Sources in the division said the Islamic Trade Finance Corporation, a concern of the IDB that lends fund to the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, had sent a letter to the energy division on Sunday informing that it would send the copy of the agreement the 'parties' signed. ''The ITFC, however, has not directly said it agreed to the government request, but the there is a positive indication. The division will be confirmed about the IDB stance after getting the copy of the agreement,'' said a source. The petroleum corporation signed the agreement with the IDB for $200 million in loans on March 31 with an interest rate of LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) plus 1.75 per cent as part of a long-term cooperation.
2008-05-03 BIWTA starts excavation of main channel of Dhaka circular waterway
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has started excavating about 6-kilometre of main channel of the Dhaka Circular Waterway under Phase II of the project. SAS and MEL JV, which have been awarded the work order for excavation of the channel stretching between Ashulia and 500-metre eastern side of the Tongi Railway Bridge, started the work on April 15, said a BIWTA official. The companies will complete the work within 14 months, he said, adding BIWTA is excavating the channel spending Tk 6.46 crore. The total excavation work under the second phase of the circular waterway project from Ashulia Bridge to Kanchpur Bridge via Tongi will be completed in five phases, he added saying that the Dhaka Circular Waterway Phase II work will be completed by the year 2010. A total of 40.5 kilometres of canals and rivers, including 23 kilometres of main channel, will be excavated under the Phase II of the circular waterway project. ''The SAS and MEL JV have been given the work order of the first of five phases and we are hopping to complete excavation work of two more phases in the next fiscal,'' he said. BIWTA earlier on February 18 started excavation of Badda Khal and Gobindapur Khal, which are out of the main channel of the waterway project, said the official. However, excavation of one kilometre of the Badda Khal, which is now under the possession of Eastern Housing under its Aftab Nagar Project, could not be done as BIWTA is yet to get any reply of its letter to the Dhaka deputy commissioner?s office. The BIWTA in the last week of February issued the letter seeking explanations from the DC office on whether and under what arrangements they [DC office] had exchanged land with the Eastern Housing Limited, said the BIWTA official. The Eastern Housing has constructed a road on the filled-up Badda Canal under its Aftab Nagar Project, said the official. The stretch of the canal occupied by the developer is at the point where it connects with the
2008-04-11 HC rejects Khaleda's writ challenging validity of EC invitation to Hafiz
The High Court (HC) Thursday turned down a writ petition filed by BNP chairperson and former premier Khaleda Zia challenging the legality of the Election Commission (EC)'s invitation to BNP acting secretary general Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed as BNP representative for participating in the EC dialogue on electoral reforms and delivered the ruling that the letter of EC in this regard was legal. The HC division bench comprising of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mamnoon Rahman handed down the verdict Thursday, in favour of the invitation to the party's 'reformist' faction led by acting chairperson M Saifur Rahman and Hafizuddin Ahmed after hearing both sides. Earlier on November 18 last year, the HC stayed operation of the EC letter that had invited BNP acting Secretary General Hafiz, who is loyal to the party's reformist faction, to its electoral reform talks as the BNP representative. Later, the EC cancelled the letter it had issued on October 5. Lawyer Nasiruddin Asim had filed the petition on November 12 on behalf of detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Lawyers for the petitioner had argued that according to the BNP constitution only the chairperson can convene a meeting of the standing committee, but that was not the case on October 29 when the BNP standing committee declared M Saifur Rahman and Maj (retd) Hafiz as acting chairperson and acting secretary general of the party. They also pointed out that while the standing committee meeting needs a quorum of eight members only six were present at that meeting. Khaleda had already appointed Khandaker Delwar Hossain the secretary general of the party after expelling Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, exercising the power bestowed on her by the BNP constitution. The petitioner's counsels argued that there is no scope for appointing an acting secretary general when a secretary general is already there. The court issued the rule on Hafiz, ordering the defence to make him a party in the petition. The EC
2008-04-11 Court adjourns Hasina graft-hearing till Apr 15
A special anti-graft court Thursday deferred again the hearing on charge framing in Tk 3 crore barge-mounted power plant graft case against Awami League chief and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and seven others until April 15. Detained Sheikh Hasina was produced in the Special Judge's Court-1 on Thursday morning from the special jail to face the charges of illegally awarding contracts for setting up three barge-mounted power plants. The court resumed hearing defence lawyers' pleas for acquitting Sheikh Hasina. Judge Firoz Alam of the Special Judge's Court-1, set up on the National Parliament premises, adjourned the proceedings for the charge framing in the case after the defence lawyers submitted a discharge petition of Hasina. Among the other accused in the case, former power secretary Toufique-e-Elahi Chowdhury was present in court. The rest are on the run. Deputy Director Sabbir Hasan of the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2, complaining that Hasina and the six others used their influence to help Wartsila Power Development Ltd Consortium and its local partners, Summit Group and United Group, win a deal for setting up 100MW barge-mount power plants in Haripur, Khulna and Shikalbaha, depriving the lowest bidder. The curator of Bangabandhu Memorial Trust, Sayed Siddiqur Rahman, was indicted in the charge sheet, submitted to court on January 10. Other accused in the case are former former Power Development Board (PDB) chairman Noor Uddin Mahmud Kamal, Aziz Khan, managing director of Summit Industries and Mercantile Corporation Private Ltd, its director Farid Khan, United Group chairman Hasan Mahmud Raja and director Abul Kalam Azad. On February 26, the Appellate Division granted a government appeal against the High court judgment on trial of the extortion case under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) and adjourned the hearing till March 16. Since then the special anti-graft court had rescheduled th
2008-04-11 UK home secy Smith discusses counter-terrorism with Matin
The visiting British home secretary, Jacqui Smith Wednesday morning expressed her satisfaction over the progress on counter-terrorism measures in Bangladesh following a meeting with home adviser MA Matin. Smith, who arrived in Dhaka Tuesday night on a three-day visit to discuss cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism, extremism, managed migration and sustainable democracy, also stressed the need for restoration of the democratic process for curbing terrorism. Smith told the reporters, ''I am very pleased to hear the adviser telling me about the progress that has been made in Bangladesh on anti-terrorism legislation, which I consider to be very important.'' She also said that there would be a joint working group in June on countering terrorism comprising officials of the two countries. ''The best way you do tackle terrorism in the long run is by building strong and stable democracy,'' Smith said. ''The Bangladeshi people and the British people suffered in the recent past from indiscriminate terrorists' violence. Its something which as the home secretary has priority for me back in the UK,'' said Smith, who is the first woman to hold the portfolio of home affairs in the UK. ''She prioritised the issue of countering terrorism. I said that we have not been able to curb terrorism totally, but have controlled it to a great extent,'' Matin told reporters after the meeting with the visiting home secretary. ''I told the UK home secretary that we have already convicted and hanged a number of terrorists, and the trial of other terrorists is on. And we have also requested her to give sectoral exemption in point-based immigration policy for Bangladeshi chefs to work in curry restaurants in the United Kingdom'', said Matin. Smith, the third British minister to visit Bangladesh after the present caretaker government assumed office, is scheduled to have talks during her visit with chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and
2008-04-11 Guideline for SOE bosses given to expedite share offloading
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) in a meeting Wednesday provided a guideline to the secretaries and managing directors of some state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to expedite the process of offloading their individual shares. The meeting was presided over by DSE President Abdullah Bokhari. SEC member Mansur Alam, DSE senior vice president Ahmad Rashid and CEO Salahuddin Ahmed Khan, and CEO of ICB Capital Management Limited Iftikhar-Uz-Zaman adressed the meeting, says a DSE press release. Mansur Alam underscored the need for concerted effort to make the process speedy in offloading shares of SOEs. "The role of the capital market is indispensable for the country's industrialisation," he said assuring all assistance to offload shares of SOEs as quickly as possible. Ahmed Rashid said that there was no alternative of raising capital from the stock market for industrialising the country as mobilising capital from the banking sector was costlier than the stock market. The listing requirements, procedures of offloading of shares, and stock market rules and regulations were briefed at the meeting to impart a clear idea to the government officials. The CEO of DSE replied various questions related to methodology of share off-loading through direct listing of securities. Secretaries and managing directors of energy, telecommunication, industries, communication, and shipping ministries, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co Ltd, Bakhrabad Gas Transmission and Distribution Co Ltd, Gas Transmission Co Ltd, Jalalabad Gas T&D System Ltd, Pashchimanchol Gas Co Ltd, Sylhet Gas Fields Ltd, Bangladesh Gas Fields Co Ltd, Rupantorita Prakritik Gas Co Ltd, Rural Power Co Ltd, Ashuganj Power Station Co Ltd, Electricity Generation Co of Bangladesh Ltd, Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd, and Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority attended the meeting.
2008-04-11 Five int'l cos to lease new aircraft to Biman
Five international companies are ready to provide aircraft to the Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited on ACMI lease as the national flag carrier is planning to increase flights to its Middle East destinations. ''Five (international) companies have submitted their tender papers to Biman. Our evolution committee is evaluating the papers,'' Biman managing director and CEO MA Momen said Wednesday. He said the evaluation committee, headed by Biman director (planning) Nafiz Imtiaz, will submit its evaluation report after holding a meeting today(Thursday). ''We're very much hopeful of reaching a deal with one of the companies by April 15,'' said the Biman MD. The Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited, now spreading its wings in a turnaround, is likely to have another Boeing in its fleet in May to increase flights to its Middle East and gulf destinations. The latest procurement is part of its ongoing renovation process to make the national flag carrier a world-class airliner. Then Boeing 747 will be incorporated under the Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) lease process for one year.
2008-05-03 Tornado kills 1, damages 2,000 houses in Sherpur
A violent tornado Friday swept over eight villages of Sreebardi upazila in Sherpur district, killing a minor boy and damaging over 2,000 houses and standing Boro paddy on vast areas. Witnesses said the storm hit Madarpur, Halgara, Ruparpara, Bhangarpara, Baishnabirchar, Garpara, Kharia and Kazirchar villages at about 1:00am and lasted for three minutes. A 7-year-old boy, Moznu, son of Samor Ali of Madarpur village, was killed when their house collapsed on him.
2008-05-03 CA asks employers to ensure fair wages, healthy work enviro
Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed Thursday urged the owners to ensure fair wages of workers, timely payment, well-defined work-hours and safe and healthy working environment. He made the call while addressing a state function marking the Great May Day 2008 and inaugurating May Day Fair organized at Osmani memorial auditorium by Labour and Employment Ministry. The head of the caretaker government hoped that the employers would be active in upholding the workers' dignity, enquire about welfare of the workers and maintain direct communication with them as much as possible for maintaining cordial industrial relations. In a set of guidelines for both sides, Dr Fakhruddin also suggested that the workers should certainly remain conscious about their just rights but never play into the hands of interested quarters on hearsay, without justifying anything. The slogan of this year's May Day is Sramik-Malik Ekpaksha, Utpadon Briddhi Mul Lakhya (Workers-Owners One Party, Main Objective Production Increase). The Chief Adviser observed that in a labour-intensive populous country like Bangladesh improvement of the nation's fate is largely interlinked with change of fortune of the working-class people. So the government is giving highest priority to ensuring basic rights of the working people in all spheres. He said in fact it is impracticable to keep the wheels of development moving without ensuring the just interests and welfare of those who are putting direct contribution in production and development. The CA expressed his firm expectation that the country would be able to attain an accountable, just, sustainable state system with the unqualified support and active cooperation of civil-military administration and the countrymen. He made a clarion call for all irrespective of party and opinion to work together to establish a progressive, welfare, meaningful democratic state to materialize the expectation of the mass people and dream of the great Liberation War.
2008-05-03 ACC approves charges in Niko cases against Khaleda, Hasina
The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) Wednesday approved charge sheets in the two separate Niko graft cases filed against detained former premiers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, and 18 others on charge of causing a huge loss to the state through awarding gas exploration deals to Canadian company Niko by abusing power. In a press briefing at the commission's Segunbagicha office, ACC Director General (Admin) Col Hanif Iqbal said Khaleda and 10 others were accused of incurring the state exchequer Tk 13,777 crore loss and Hasina with eight others was charged for the loss of Tk 13,630 crore. The investigation report in the Niko graft case against Khaleda and four others was submitted to the ACC on March 13, with a proposal for indicting nine more persons, while the investigation report of the case against Hasina and others submitted on March 20. The ACC filed the two cases with Tejgaon police station against Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina and 10 others on December 9 last year for entering into deals with Niko causing huge losses to the state. THE NIKO DEAL On June 28, 1998, Niko made a proposal to Bangladesh government for developing the "marginalised" gas field at Tengratila of Chhatak and "abandoned" gas fields in Kamta and Feni. The then energy secretary prepared a proposal for the deal, marking the gas fields as "marginalised and abandoned" and saying an agreement may be signed with Niko through Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Co Ltd (Bapex). Hasina approved the proposal and her government prepared a draft agreement for Niko in 2001. In 2003, the then BNP-led four-party alliance government finalised the agreement. The investigation report also mentioned that a meeting presided over by Dr SA Samad, principal secretary to the then PM Hasina, decided to formulate a policy to award the job to Niko. The then energy secretary Dr Taufiq Elahi was also present at the meeting. Although it was decided to give the job to Niko through the Swiss tend
2008-04-19 Food prices to hit Bangladesh anti-poverty drive: ADB chief
Soaring food prices have hampered Asia's fight against poverty and some countries may need foreign aid to feed their hungry millions, the Asian Development Bank president said Friday. ''The current food price inflation has already affected the pace of poverty reduction in some countries, ''Haruhiko Kuroda said. ''Poverty reduction has been very rapid in many Asian economies but the current high food price inflation has really affected poor people in the region, particularly in low income countries like Bangladesh'' Bangladesh could potentially require outside help and the Manila-based ADB was ready to assist it and other low-income Asian countries that may have to spend more to help their poorest citizens, Kuroda said. Kuroda said inflation was the most immediate threat to developing Asia's economic growth and that it was impacting heavily on the more than 600 million Asians still living on a dollar a day or less. Vietnam, Cambodia and the former Soviet republics in central Asia now have double-digit inflation. Some economies would do well to allow their currencies to rise to cool prices, he said. A stronger currency helps to make food imports cheaper. ''All of them are relatively small countries and that means controlling inflation is very difficult, '' he told a news conference in Manila. ''Governments are well advised to refrain from using trade measures or price control measures to address this food price inflation issue, '' he said. ''The best way is to provide targetted income support for the needy poor, particularly in South Asia and in some parts of Southeast Asia'' where the poorest spend more than half their income on food, he added. Kuroda said some countries in the region suffered from large fiscal deficits ''and may need some help from ADB. '' He said the lender was ready to provide loans as budgetary support for ''targetted assistance to the poor,'' although he said no ADB member country had yet sought aid from the bank. Many Asian nati
2008-04-19 Islamic outfits withdraw protest against women's dev policy
The Islamist outfits, griping on women's development policy, have withdrawn the announced rally and procession on Friday amid the government vow to go tough on any activity that would violate emergency powers rules. Earlier,Home affairs adviser MA Matin said Thursday the government will no longer tolerate violence centering the proposed women development policy. 'I hope everyone will maintain peace. Otherwise, actions will be taken against the troublemakers,' warned Matin. 'We will face if anyone tries to repeat the last Friday's violent incidents,' he told reporters after an emergency meeting with senior police and intelligence officials. An announcement was made on Friday morning before the Juma prayers asking all to refrain from any activity that would violate emergency powers rules. Meanwhile, security in and around the national mosque has been intensified to avert violent incidents after the Juma prayers. Bricks and other construction materials that had been used during last Friday's violence were removed from around the national mosque in the morning. Ulema-Mashayek had announced to hold a rally in front of the Baitul Mukarram national mosque at 3:00 pm Friday. Suspension of the public rally by religious hardliners has eased fears of violence at the national mosque. Maulana Abdur Rob Yusufi, chief of Khelafat Majlish said, ''We don't want violence. We called off the rally after the government assured us of meeting our demand. We believe the women's development policy would be made in line with the principles of Quran.'' The government took all-out preparation to resist any move to repeat last Friday's incident, said the adviser, adding: ''Any move to breach emergency rules will be dealt with strictly.'' On April 10 and 11, some Islamic groups took to the streets and staged violent protests against the policy prompting the government to further look into the matter as the Islamist outfits warned the interim government of 'dire consequences' if
2008-04-19 AL for tougher movement for Hasina release
The Awami League (AL) central leaders Friday asked party workers to turn the movement for the release of detained party chief and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina into a mass upsurge if the government delayed her release. Speaking at a signature campaign programme on Bangabandhu Avenue, organized by Jubo League, a front organisation of the AL, the senior AL leaders alleged that the government is government is pressing false charges against Sheikh Hasina in stead of taking action against the leaders of the four-party coalition who are actually responsible for the 1/11 changeover. Speaking on the rising food costs in Bangladesh, AL presidium member Abdur Razzak said, ''The country is affected by open famine and people are starving, but the government is sitting idle.'' Razzak said the people would no longer tolerate the government's dithering over the release of the former prime minister, who was arrested on corruption charges last year. Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta and Motia Chowdhury also spoke at the signature campaign. Amu called for turning demand for Hasina's freedom into an international issue. ''The sooner Sheikh Hasina is released from prison, the more the nation will benefit from it,'' he said. Tofail Ahmed, another presidium member, said there was no alternative to the freedom of Hasina. ''We are keeping our programmes indoors for now. But they will broaden outdoors if the government doesn't release her soon.''
2008-04-19 Saifur-led BNP faction for a code of conduct before polls
Stressing institutional reforms for a 'meaningful democracy', leaders of pro-Saifur faction of BNP on Wednesday said all political parties should become pledge bound through formulating a 'code of conduct for political activities' before the poll, so the people's verdict is reflected on the post election system of governance. Demanding implementation of the announced electoral roadmap they also asked the military backed interim government to stop 'harassing' political leaders, demanded lifting of the emergency, and urged it to allow political activities so the parties may prepare for the election. Alluding to pro-Khaleda faction leaders, some pro-Saifur former lawmakers said those who want to bring back politics of criminals and black money using the name of Khaleda Zia, will not succeed. They however demanded immediate release of detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Many former lawmakers and leaders of the faction joined a post dialogue meeting of the faction on Wednesday at a Gulshan community centre in the capital with their Acting Secretary General Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed in the chair. About 70 former lawmakers of the faction attended the meeting. ''We want institutional reforms and reforms in the system of governance, ' ' said Saifur Rahman, acting chairman of the faction, who attended the meeting despite being ill. In an unusual public appearance in a lungi, former finance minister Saifur arrived at the meeting venue resting on the shoulders of his party colleagues, looking visibly sick. When he spoke, an associate had to hold the microphone for him. "We want a kind of politics where nobody will boycott the parliament and we also want to see the culture of partisanship coming to an end," he said. Demanding an election as soon as possible, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, a key leader of the faction who had been expelled by the detained party chairperson, said there is no alternative to an election as the country cannot move forward without an el
2008-04-15 খালেদা জিয়ার রিট পিটিশন খারিজ করে দিয়েছে হাইকোর্ট
সংলাপের ‌আমন্ত্রণ জানিয়ে বিএনপির একাংশের মহাসচিব মেজর (অব.) হাফিজকে দেয়া চিঠির বৈধতা চ্যালেঞ্জ করে দায়ের করা খালেদা জিয়ার রিট পিটিশন খারিজ করে দিয়েছে হাইকোর্ট। রায়ে বলা হয়েছে সংবিধানের ১০২ ধারা অনুযায়ী হাইকোর্টের রিট বেঞ্চে এই ধরনের কোন ফ্যাক্ট পর্যালোচনা করতে পারেনা। বিষয়টি রাজনৈতিক অভ্যন্তরীন বিষয়। এসব বিষয়ে সুরাহা করার এখতিয়ার রিট বেঞ্চের নেই। বিচারপতি মির্জা হোসেন হায়দার ও বিচারপতি মামনুন রহমান সমন্বয়ে গঠিত হাইকোর্ট ডিভিশন বেঞ্চ বৃহস্পতিবার এই রায় ঘোষণা করেন। এ রায়ের পরপরই বার অ্যাসোসিয়েশন ভবনের দোতলায় বিএনপি নেত্রী হেলেন জেরিন খান ও শিরিন সুলতানার নেতৃত্বে এ রায়ের বিরুদ্ধে মিছিল হয়। মিছিলে এ রায় মানিনা মানবনা এবং মান্নান হাফিজের দুই গালে জুতা মার তালে তালে এই শ্লোগান দেওয়া হয়। এ রায় সম্পর্কে নির্বাচন কমিশনের পক্ষে আইনজীবী ড. কামাল হো
2009-01-06 Hasina takes oath as PM, new cabinet sworn in
President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed administered oath to Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the prime minister of Bangladesh, and the members of her new cabinet Tuesday evening at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban. In a cremeson, silk saree, Sheikh Hasina Wajed took oath as prime minister at 6:45 pm, followed by the oath of the members of the new cabinet. As many as 23 ministers and eight state ministers were sworn in by the President at Bangabhaban in the evening. The oath-taking ceremony began at 6:44pm. The ministers are Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, Motia Chowdhury, Air Vice-marshal (Retired) AK Khandker, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Barrister Shafique Ahmed, Advocate Shahara Khatun, Syed Ashraful Islam, Rezaul Karim Heera, Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abul Kalam Azad, Dr Dipu Moni, Dr Afsarul Ameen, Dr Abdur Razzak, Syed Abul Hossain, Colonel (Retired) Farooq Khan, GM Quader, Romesh Chandra Sen, Dilip Barua, Raziuddin Ahmed Raju, Enamul Haque Mostafa Shahid, Nurul Islam Nahid, Abdul Latif Biswas and AFM Ruhul Haque. The state ministers who took oath Tuesday evening are Advocate Mostafizur Rahman, Captain (Retired) ABM Tajul Islam, Tanjib Ahmed Sohel Taj, Dr Hasan Mahmood, Begum Munnujan Sufian, Dipankar Talukder, Ahad Ali Sarkar and Architect Yafes Osman. Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, members of the council of advisers to the caretaker government (CG), Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda, Chief of Bangladesh Navy Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman, Election Commissioner Sohul Hossain, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Gano Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, Barrister Rafiqul Haque, FBCCI President Annisul Huq, foreign envoys and Dhaka University Vice Chancellor SMA Faiz were, among the guests, attended the function. BZ/ Jan 6/ 18:55 BST
2009-02-25 At least 3 die after fire exchange in BDR HQ
At least 3 people killed and several others were wounded critically in front of the Bangladesh Rifles Headquarters (BDR) in Dhaka on Wednesday morning. Gunfights were reported at about 9:30 am inside the BDR Headquarters at Pilkhana area. Witnesses said there was intermittent exchange of fire — heavy at times — for nearly one and half hours, inside the BDR Headquarters. Fire smoke billowed out of the BDR compound. BDR personnel have cordoned off the road from city college to BDR gate in Jhigatala area . Several injured were sent to Dhaka Medical College hospital Reasons for the gunfights could not be known till filing this report at 11:30 am. The BDR reportedly deployed additional troops after the gunfight
2010-07-06 New Website Testing News
Bangla-Post is upgrading the new website and full online sytem. SO we are testing the site untill full fixed. About The Bangla Post The Bangla Post is a community newspaper for Bangladeshi people around the world. According to population in this world Bangladeshis are the world’s 7th largest nation. The Bangla Post has started it’s journey to reach all the Bangladeshis all over the world. This is the era of modern technology and The Bangla Post has adopted all the technology to publish their news, views, articles & etc to their readers round the clock, our emphasis is on accurate news to publish without influence of any person, political party or any organization. Our Objective: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword. We strongly believe Edward Lytton’s this valuable talk. Our journalist’s holy pen is more powerful than sword. The Bangla Post and its dedicated journalists around the world are fighting with their pen to establish a happy, peaceful & prosper Bangladesh. Our Social Duties & Achievements: The Bangla Post is aware of its social duties and responsibilities. Besides delivering news, The Bangla Post also participate a great role in local and international community around the world. We are conscious about human rights, emergency aid, press freedom etc. so we contribute our time, money and information with our associate’s organizations. Currently we are member of: International e Publisher’s Association, Transparency International, Australia Red Cross, Amnesty International.
2010-01-01 title

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2010-06-24 Gillard takes Australian helm

Australia's new prime minister, Julia Gillard, said Thursday that she had respect for the leadership of her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, but moved to replace him because "I came to the view that the government was losing its way."

The 48-year-old lawyer made her remarks after the Labor Party caucus declared vacant the positions of leader and deputy leader and then chose Gillard to take the helm, ending Rudd's two and a half years as prime minister.

The party also chose Wayne Swan, who served as treasurer of Rudd's government, to serve as deputy.

Gillard offered praise for Rudd, but said she had chosen to oppose him "to make sure this government got back on track."

Rudd's fall: It's not always the economy, stupid

Gillard said she would call for a general election "in coming months," but did not specify when.

Gillard said she was aware that the move makes her the nation's first woman in that position, "and maybe the first redhead," but added, "I didn't set out to crash my head on any glass ceilings; I set out to keep my feet on the floor."

Gillard said she would work to harness wind and solar energy and to pursue putting a price on carbon emissions, but said she would not address the latter goal -- which her predecessor had been unable to achieve -- until after a general election. "First, we will need to establish a common consensus for action," she said.

Gillard said she would also pursue increasing taxes on mining companies, another issue that had stirred controversy and fierce oppo

2010-06-26 BNP starts mass contact to enforce Jun 27 hartal

 

BNP starts mass contact to enforce Jun 27 hartal
 

Despite police obstructions at different places, top leaders of BNP and its front and associate outfits kicked off a mass contact campaign in the capital on Wednesday to make its June 27 countrywide dawn to dusk hartal a success.

President of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, the youth front of the BNP, Syed Moazzem Hossan Alal told UNB today that while he along with local leaders were carrying out mass contact in Mohamadpur and its adjacent areas to drum up support for the hartal, police obstructed their uninterrupted campaign.

He said they visited shops, departmental stores, kitchen markets, leaders of business communities, transport associations and rickshaw garages, and distributed leaflets.

Alal said they told them that BNP called the hartal not to oust the Awami League government or BNP goes to power but to resolve existing problems of people.

Police also obstructed a mass contact led by Barrister Shajahan Omar at New Market area, Alal said.

BNP Secretary Genral Khandaker Delwar condemned and protested police obstruction during the mass contact campaign.

BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and organizing secretary Fazlul Milon led the reaching out campaign in Shantinagar area, while BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas led it in Kamlapur and Khilgaon, and BNP chairperson’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo in Farmgate and a

2010-06-27 Law on tourist spots protection passed

The parliament Sunday passed a law for the protection of potential tourists spot in Bangladesh.

The tourism bill, proposed by tourism minister G M Quader, was passed by voice vote in absence of the main opposition BNP.

The parliament rejected amendment proposals from the opposition MPs due to their absence.

The government on June 22 tabled the Special and Reserved Tourism Zone Bill 2010, which was later okayed by the parliamentary standing committee on civil aviation and tourism ministry.

The law will authorise the government to identify potential tourist attractions and protect them, if necessary.

Quader on last Sunday tabled the tourism board for management and protection of tourist spots.

According to the law, the government will be able to publish a gazette on the potential tourist attractions in the country and protect those, if necessary.

It will also empower the government to restrict activities in the earmarked areas as tourism spots in the gazette.

The law also proposes that the government can take up joint ventures with the private sector, both foreign and domestic, for building infrastructures to promote tourism.

Anyone violating the law will face three years in jail and or a fine of Tk 1,00,000 or both.

In case of pulling down any unapproved structures in a protected tourist spot, the owners will have to bear the expenses.

Tourism ministry officials said the government initiated the bill as the ministry had no authority over the tourist attractions facing destruction.

The law will pave the way for introducing a planned and sustainable tourism in the country
2010-06-27 Mini allocation for energy raises brow

When the country has been experiencing severe gas crisis that hit hard both the industrial and power sectors, experts are found to be highly critical of the government strategy of reducing allocation to the energy sector in the proposed national budget for fiscal 2010-11, reports UNB.
In the proposed national budget, the country''s energy sector received a total Tk 1,114 crore, which is Tk 10 crore less than the revised allocation for the outgoing fiscal 2009-10.
The revised budget allocation for energy sector in the outgoing fiscal was Tk 1124 crore.
However, the power sector received almost double allocation in the new budget than the revised allocation in the outgoing fiscal.
The power sector allocation for the coming fiscal (2010-11) is Tk 5000 crore - an increase of Tk 2338 crore over the revised budget of Tk 2,662 crore in the outgoing fiscal (2009-10).
Power and energy sectors together received Tk 6,114 crore in the new budget (2010-11) while the revised allocation was Tk 3,786 in the outgoing budget.
Many experts in the Energy and Power sectors said lowering allocation for the energy sector in the new budget reflects the government''s less-concentration on the development of the energy sector and also a more emphasis on power sector development.
"But, right at this moment, both the sectors should get extra emphasis with equal treatment," said Dr. Tamim, former chief adviser'' s special assistant on power and energy.
Questioning the merit of such a government strategy, he said a lesser emphasis on energy sector may lead the country to a dangerous situation in the future when a number of gas-based and dual-fuel based power plants will be coming into operation.
Dr. Tamim, also former chairman of the BUET''s Petrochemical Engineering Department, said if the government fails to give due attention to the development of gas and coal sector, i

2010-06-27 BNP calls hartal across country today

A down-to-dusk hartal will be observed by the main opposition BNP and its allies all over the country today.
This is the first hartal (general strike) called by the opposition since the Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance voted to power in early 2009.
Tension was prevailing in Dhaka city and elsewhere in the country as police arrested thousands of leaders and activists belonging to mainly BNP from the city and different parts of the country while some associate organisations of the AL, including Chhatra League vowed to face the hartal activists on the streets. 
2010-06-27 2,500 people arrested ahead of hartal

The law enforcement agencies arrested at least 2,500 supporters and activists of BNP and Jamaat in the capital

and across the country from Friday midnight to Saturday.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police in pre-hartal drives yesterday arrested at least 1,500 activists of the opposition

BNP and its front organizations from different places in the capital.
In the capital, each police station picked up at least 50 activists of BNP and Jamaat and their student

organizations yesterday.
Police claimed that they have sent only 200 people to the court. 
2010-07-05 10 hurt as Indians fire into Bangladesh

At least 10 Bangladeshis, including a minor boy, were injured as India’s Khasia tribesmen on Sunday afternoon fired into Bangladesh at Shreepur in the Jaintapur border of Sylhet.
   Villagers also vandalised the Shreepur BDR outpost and the Minartila checkpoint as the Bangladesh Rifles soldiers tried stop the villages from building up resistance against the Indians.
   The villagers also blocked the Sylhet–Tamabil Road at Shreepur for two hours beginning 2:00pm in protest at the unresponsive role of the Bangladesh border guards after the Indians had fired into Bangladesh, local sources said.
   Indian Khasia tribesmen have been tilling cropland about 200m inside Bangladesh at Alurbagan, Minartila and Khanthalbari at Shreepur along the Jaintapur border since June 25, 17 hours after a high-level flag meeting between the border guards of the two countries held at the Dauki BSF camp at Tamabil where they agreed to keep peace in the frontier.
   On June 26, an Indian fired into Bangladeshis near Dibir Haor in which a boy, Suman, 15, a resident of the area, was injured when he went there to look for his cow near the Jaintapur border outpost.
   The local Awami League lawmaker visited the spot and calmed the villagers after assuring them of informing higher authorities and seeking resolution of the border issues.
   The people injured in firing by the Indians include Kayes Ahmed, 12, a resident of Kendigram, Delwar Hosen, 18, and Nur Mohammed, 42, residents of Asampara, Abdul Mannan, 22, Kalam, 24, and Rashendra Chandra, 36, residents of Adarsha Guchchhagram at Jaintapur.
   The injured were sent to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital, local BDR officials said.
   BDR officials said some 25 Indian Khasia tribesmen crossed the Jaintapur border into Banglad

2010-07-07 HRC asks lawmen to stop extrajudicial killing

The Human Rights Commission, reconstituted on June 22, has asked the law enforcement agencies to stop extrajudicial killings in ‘crossfire’ or ‘encounter’ and custodial killings warning them that it would show ‘zero tolerance’ towards such incidents.
   The commission has also asked the police and the Rapid Action Battalion to conduct impartial and acceptable inquiries into such incidents and has given some directives for the law enforcement agencies in preventing further recurrence of extrajudicial or custodial killing.
   The commission gave the directives to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, AKM Shahidul Haque, and the Rapid Action Battalion director general, Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, who were called in by the commission on Monday and Tuesday respectively.
   The Human Rights Commission is considering recommending amendment to the laws making provisions for independent inquiries into each of the incidents of alleged extrajudicial or custodial killings or disappearance of any person after being picked up by the law enforcers, the commission chairman, Mizanur Rahman, told New Age on Tuesday.
   The chiefs of the battalion and the metropolitan police assured the commission of conducting impartial inquiries into each of such incidents and taking appropriate steps to stop the recurrence of such incidents, he said.
   Asked whether the commission would conduct any inquiry into the recent three incidents of killings allegedly in custody in the city, Mizanur said the High Court on Monday ordered an independent inquiry into the incidents.
   The High Court on Monday ordered forming an independent investigation committee composed of people other than the policemen to investigate the alleged killing of transport worker Mujibur Rahman, auto-rickshaw driver Babul Gazi and bu

2010-07-09 HC declares arbitration caning

The High Court on Thursday declared a criminal offence issuance or execution of any extrajudicial penalty such as beating and caning in the name of arbitration, mediation or conciliation.
   The bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore ordered the government and the law enforcement agencies to take punitive measures against the people involved in the issuance or execution of any such extrajudicial penalty considering it a criminal offence.
   Any person who issues or executes such an extrajudicial penalty must be punished for committing a criminal offence, ordered the court.
   Any person involved in the process of the issuance or execution of the extrajudicial penalty will be punished as an abettor to the offence with similar punishment conferred on the offender for the issuance or execution of the extra-legal penalty.
   The court passed the orders in its verdict in a public interest litigation writ petition filed by rights groups Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Ain o Salish Kendra, BRAC and Nijera Kori on August 25, 2009.
   In the verdict, the court ordered the government, law enforcers and local government bodies, especially the municipalities and union councils, to take immediate measures against issuance or execution of extrajudicial penalties.
   It also ordered them to provide the victims of such extralegal penalties with security and protection.
   The court asked the government and the inspector general of police to comply with their legal and constitutional duties in taking effective measures to prevent the imposition and execution of extralegal penalties.
   It also asked the government to frame and adopt guidelines and orders for all the authorities con

2010-07-12 Spain on top

Andres Iniesta secured the World Cup for Spain for the first time in their history by scoring the only goal of an enthralling final against the Netherlands four minutes from the end of extra-time on Sunday.
   Just as it seemed a third World Cup final was destined to be settled by a penalty shoot-out, the Barcelona midfielder found himself in space in the Dutch box and hammered an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
   It was a cruel blow for a Dutch side that had hoped to eradicate memories of the country’s defeats in the 1974 and 1978 finals.
   But the ultimate outcome of a contest both sides might easily have won inside 90 minutes will trigger few complaints from neutrals.
   Over the two hours, the European champions enjoyed the better of the chances while the Dutch had defender John Heitinga sent off and seven other players booked, most of them for challenges that appeared cynically designed to disturb the rhythm of Spain’s passing game.
   ‘It’s incredible,’ said Iniesta. ‘What a joy especially when you see how we won it.
   ‘There aren’t the words to describe what I am feeling. After my goal, I thought about my family and all the people who I love. But the victory is the fruit of a lot of work.’
   Nelson Mandela’s beaming pre-match appearance ensured the only glum face at Soccer City before kick-off belonged to Fernando Torres, consigned to the bench until the second period of extra-time as Spain opted to keep David Villa in the central striking role.
   Torres’ evening was to finish on a much happier note however with his cross causing the disruption in the Dutch defence that granted Iniesta his chance.
   Villa had contributed five o

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