Eight years into the Ramna Batamul blast, a Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against 14 operatives of outlawed Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) including its chief Mufti Abdul Hannan in two cases filed in connection with the incident. Metropolitan Sessions Judge ANM Bashir Ullah rejected the discharge petitions submitted by the counsels for ... Read more
Dhaka Mirror
MPs have powers to dissolve local bodies
Ashraful warns upazila chairs LGRD and cooperatives minister Syed Ashraful Islam on Thursday warned the upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen, who were protesting against the new upazila parishad law, that the parliament members had the authority to revoke the law anytime and dissolve the local bodies. He urged the aggrieved chairmen and vice-chairmen to have patience ... Read more
Khaleda to receive notice next week to vacate Cantt house
State Minister for Law Adv Qamrul Islam yesterday said opposition leader Khaleda Zia would receive notice within next week to vacate her cantonment house at 6 Mainul Road inside Dhaka cantonment. “Process of serving notice by the cantonment board began and she would receive it within next week,” he told reporters at the Law Ministry. ... Read more
Cabinet okays draft ICT law, ratifies OIC charter
The cabinet on Thursday approved a draft bill which proposed amendments to the Information and Communications Technology Act making provisions to curb cyber crimes and to reach ICT services to people of all walks of life. ‘It is an update on the Information and Communica-tion Technology Act 2006 which incorporated provisions to fight cyber crimes,’ ... Read more
EC plans dialogue with parties
Wants more changes in RPO The Election Commission (EC) will initiate steps for further amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), and will hold dialogue with the political parties in this regard, an election commissioner said yesterday. “We will invite registered political parties to the talks at appropriate time,” Election Commissioner Brig Gen ... Read more
Notice served against 4 top bureaucrats
Wrong info in Diary 2009 draw flaks Notice served against 4 top bureaucrats Does Bangladesh has any Chief Justice? Perhaps no-at least the official Dairy 2009 suggests so. Is there any Constitutional post like Chief Justice Bangladesh Supreme Court? Perhaps there is, as the dairy says. Who is Janab AMM Ruhul Amin holding the so-called ... Read more
Pahela Baishakh celebrated
The nation in its most colourful festival welcomed Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla year 1416, on Tuesday amid lively pageants leaving behind the gloom of past and pledging to uphold the nation’s cultural heritage. Thousands of people from all walks of the society dressed in traditional costumes poured into the streets, parks ... Read more
Bailout package for recession-hit next week
Export-oriented industries to get Tk 2,500-3,000cr in cash subsidy, says minister The government may allocate Tk 2,500-3,000 crore cash subsidy to affected export-oriented industries in the recession package it is going to announce next week to tackle the fallout of global meltdown. “Only the affected exporters will be given bailout assistance from the package, and ... Read more
Upazila reps threaten to declare MPs unwanted
Upazila parishad chairmen, vice-chairmen on Wednesday threatened a tough movement, including declaring personae non gratae lawmakers on upazila parishad premises if the sweeping authority of the lawmakers over upazila parishads in constituencies are not scrapped. They demanded amendment to the Upazila Parishad (Reintroduction of the Repealed Act and Amendment) Act, passed by the parliament on ... Read more
Hasina warns BCL men of stern action
Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina has warned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men of stern actions for creating unrest in educational institutions. She has also warned top BCL leaders of a possible ‘five-year jail’ if the warning goes unheeded. The PM made the warning as a team of top BCL leaders led by its President Mahmud ... Read more
Hazari sent to jail
Former Awami League lawmaker Joynal Hazari was sent to jail after his surrender in a Feni court on Wednesday. Hazari reached at the court at about 11:00am to seek bail in six cases. A number of his supporters assembled on the court premises before his arrival and shouted slogans. He obtained bail in five cases, ... Read more
HSC exams begin today
Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam and its equivalent Alim and Business Management (BM) examinations begin today amid strict security. A total of 6,18,308 candidates are appearing for the exams under 10 education boards. The exams will be held in 1,919 centres this year, including five abroad and under Dhaka, Rajshahi, Comilla, Jessore, Chittagong, Barisal, Sylhet, ... Read more
High security in India ahead of national elections: New Gandhi touted as future prime minister
Indians begin voting in epic elections Millions of Indians are due to vote in the first round of the country’s 15th general elections on Thursday. Voters in 124 constituencies will be taking part in Thursday’s vote. There are four other phases between then and the last phase on 13 May. More than 700 million Indians ... Read more
Celebrating Pahela Baishakh
Shubha Nababarsha – today is Pahela Baishakha, the first day of Bangla New year 1416. People, across the world who speak Bengali, will celebrate Pahela Baishakh in a festive mood. Besides the Bengalis, people of other ethnic identities also celebrate the day as their New Year in their own ways. Thousands of people from different ... Read more
Baishakhi programmes on television channels
Cultural Correspondent As in the previous years, the satellite television channels will celebrate Pahela Baishakh, the Bangla New Year by telecasting special dramas, films, tele-films, magazine, dance and music programmes upholding the spirit of the New Year. Channel-i Channel-I, as in the previous years, will telecast Baishakhi celebration programme live, to be presented by Chhayanaut ... Read more
Preparations to celebrate Pahela Baishakh on
Preparations for celebrating Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year, on April 14 with fanfare and festivity are going on in full swing. Various cultural organizations and institutions, including Chhayanat, Dhaka University’s Fine Arts Faculty, Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, National Press Club and Dhaka Reporters’ Unity have chalked out special programmes to ... Read more
Call to enforce ban on polybags
Speakers at a human chain programme yesterday demanded strict application of the law banning the use of polythene bags, and urged the government to arrange alternative bags for the consumers. Though the use of polythene bags has been banned, the businessmen and customers are using them without any fear as there has been no application ... Read more
CMP launches criminal database
Chittagong Metropolitan Police launched a criminal database system with fingerprint identification in its Double-Mooring zone on Friday for detecting criminals instantly. The shipping minister, Absarul Amin, inaugurated the system in a function at Hotel Agrabad. Deputy inspector general of police M Asaduzzaman Mia and Chittagong Port Authority chairman RU Ahmed were present as special guests. ... Read more
Shahara warns against bid to create anarchy
Cancellation of Khaleda house lease Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday warned the opposition against any attempt to create anarchy over the cancellation of base of Khaleda Zia’s cantonment house. Addressing a discussion, organised by the ‘Independent Homeopathy Doctors Parishad’ at the National Press Club, the minister further said the government would take tough action against ... Read more
Dhaka’s move for JWG on counter-terrorism
Meeting tomorrow to finalise strategy Bangladesh is looking forward to set up joint working groups (JWG) with a number of countries including the UK and US for tackling terrorism, money laundering, and human trafficking through sharing of information and counter-terrorism training. As a part of the move, the government will hold a meeting tomorrow at ... Read more