The High Court on Thursday declared illegal and unconstitutional Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration with the Election Commission as a political party. A three-member special bench of Justice M Moazzam Husain, Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque, by a majority view, declared illegal and void the registration given to
Month: August 2013
Yusuf indicted for genocide, murder
WAR CRIMES Yusuf indicted for genocide, murder Jamaat leader and the alleged founder of the infamous Razakar Bahini in 1971 AKM Yusuf was handed 13-count indictments Thursday in the International Crimes Tribunal-2 for charges involving 1971 crimes against humanity. Yusuf faces seven charges of genocide, one charge
Another suspect in hiding: lawmen
REAZUL MURDER Another suspect in hiding: lawmen The whereabouts of Shakhawat Hossain Chanchal, who on Wednesday was expelled from the Juba League for his suspected involvement in the killing of Juba League leader Reazul Haque Khan Milky early Tuesday, could not be traced till Thursday, law enforcement officials and party leaders said. They said that ... Read more
HC asks Rajuk to stop Purbachal project work
The High Court on Thursday directed Rajdhani Unnayan Kartiripakkha to stop land development or monetary work for a Purbachal housing project in Gazipur until it obtains an environmental clearance for the project. The court, in response to a petition, also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain in four weeks why the layout plan ... Read more
One killed as police, traders clash in Rajshahi
A 27-year-old businessman was killed and at least 10 people were injured with bullets as the police clashed with businessmen at Taherpur of Baghmara in Rajshahi on Thursday afternoon. The clash began as the police fired into a procession of apparel traders who brought out a rally protesting at police harassment in the name of ... Read more
AL hails HC ruling
Allies demand ban on Jamaat’s politics The Awami League welcomed the High Court’s ruling declaring illegal the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami but its allies said they thought it was ‘not enough’ though the verdict paved way for banning political outfits like Jamaat. Immediately after the ruling, a state minister said
BNP silent
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Thursday was tight-lipped on the High Court verdict that declared illegal the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key ally of BNP. When approached, none one of the party’s senior leaders wanted to make comments on the issue.
Killing of Tarek RAB’s stage-managed drama: Suranjit
Terming the killing of two people, including HM Zahid Siddique alias Tarek, an alleged killer of Juba League leader Riazul Haque Khan Milky, in Wednesday’s crossfire a ‘stage-managed’ drama of RAB, the minister without portfolio Suranjit Sengupta on Thursday said Awami League does not support any extrajudicial killing.
Minister defends RAB statement on ‘crossfire’
Environment minister and publicity secretary of ruling Awami League Hasan Mahmud on Thursday defended the Rapid Action Battalion’s statement on killing of a Juba League leader in ‘crossfire’. He said RAB’s statement on the killings of Juba League leader HM Jahidul Islam Tarek, the prime suspect in the killing of another
Defence begins closing arguments for SQC
The defence for the detained BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on Thursday began the closing arguments saying that Salauddin client was facing the war crimes trial because of he was son of the late Muslim League leader Fazlul Quader Chowdhury. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member,
Ctg-bound ship stranded in Andaman Sea
An Indonesian container ship bound for Chittagong port on Monday got stranded in Andaman Sea near Myanmar coast due to engine failure after water entered the ship through a crack, port and shipping officials said. Trouble hit MV Gladys on Monday as its engine went out of order after sea water entered the engine room ... Read more
Khaleda performs Umrah
Khaldea Zia, the leader of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party now in Saudi Arabia, performed Umrah in Makkah early on Thursday and prayed for welfare of Bangladesh and the Muslim Ummah. She, along with her entourage including her younger brother Shamim Eskendar and his wife, performed Umrah at about 3:10am Saudi local time on Thursday, sources ... Read more
ACC sues 6 Sonali Bank officials, one businessman
The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday filed a case against six Sonali Bank officials and one entrepreneur over their alleged link with swindling of around Tk 1 crore from the bank’s Gulshan branch through fake documents. The bank officials embezzled the money through some fake land deeds as mortgage against Fahim Attire Limited from 2008 to ... Read more
Agrani’s loss-incurring branch up 70pc in Q1
The number of loss-making branches of Agrani Bank increased by 70 per cent in three months to 58 as on March 31, 2013 from 34 as on December 31, 2012 as the defaulted loans in the bank soared in the period, said officials of Bangladesh Bank. The number of loss-making branches of the bank was
NBR rolls big plan to meet revenue target for FY14
The National Board of Revenue has issued a comprehensive strategic plan and around 50 directives to its field offices to achieve its revenue collection target for the current fiscal year, NBR officials said. The revenue board on Tuesday issued the plan focusing on prevention of evasion of income tax, import duties and value-added tax by ... Read more
Mushroom, honeybee growers get tax cut
The government has cut the income tax rate for farming of mushroom, honeybee, sericulture and floriculture for next two years from the existing five per cent to three per cent. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) took the decision to reduce the taxes in a bid to boost production and promote the sectors. The NBR ... Read more
Forex reserve nears $15.5b
Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserve marked a slight rise to above $15 billion mark as it totalled $15,494.76 million as of July 30, up from $15,315.23 million on June 30. The forex reserve also sees a big rise of $4,993.27 million from the $10,501.49 million registered on July 30 last year, according to data released by ... Read more
Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar rail project in limbo
Construction of the 128-kilometre rail extension between Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar under a Tk 1,852-crore project is yet to begin after receiving the government’s approval for it three years before, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division sources said. The sources said the project was approved in July 2010 to
Banglalink keeps violating BTRC order to refund money
UNAPPROVED FLAT TARIFF PROMOTION Banglalink keeps violating BTRC order to refund money Mobile phone operator Banglalink has kept delaying the refund of Tk 9 crore the operator collected by charging the subscribers of an unapproved promotional package in 2011 extra money. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission asked Banglalink to refund Tk 92.33 crore on the same ... Read more
WB ups loan release despite hitch over Padma bridge
Despite a cold rapport with the present government, the World Bank has disbursed an impressive amount of loans in Bangladesh in the last fiscal year 2012-13, a senior official of the government said. ‘Due to the hitch over the Padma Bridge project, some people thought that the World Bank may reduce its assistance in Bangladesh, ... Read more