Staff Correspondent The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday filed 11 cases against 23 staff of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL) on charges of misappropriating around Tk 41 crore. ACC Deputy Director Nurul Islam and Assistant Director SM Shaidur Rahman filed the cases with Ramna Police Station against the officials of BTCL, formerly known as BTTB. Of ... Read more
Dhaka Mirror
Criminals shoot two dead in city
Staff Correspondent Indiscriminate gunfire of unknown criminals last night killed two people and injured two others in the city’s Manikdi under Cantonment Police Station. Graphics analyst of a Banani firm Ariful Alam, 30, and an unidentified 25-year-old person died on the spot. Cantonment police said they found eight bullets with the unidentified dead person. Injured ... Read more
EC to accept 17 nominations validated by court
Staff Correspondent The Election Commission on Thursday asked the returning officers to accept nominations, cancelled earlier, of the candidates who obtained High Court orders for them to contest the December 29 parliamentary polls. The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, expressing disappointment about the inclusion of fresh candidates, said, ‘We will do it even if ... Read more
If militant partronisers return to power, country to face disaster: Hasina
AL seeks adequate security measures Staff Correspondent Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, now on her election campaign at the south-western districts, addressed at least five election rallies at Chitalmari, Mollarhat, Fakirhat, Battolli and Bagerhat on Thursday seeking vote for ‘boat’. The former Prime Minister, in her public meetings, pledged to build a secular Bangladesh for ... Read more
Khaleda promises stamping out “monga” in northern region
Agro production be increased to control price hike Khaleda promises stamping out “monga” in northern region Staff Correspondent BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia during her wayside rallies and public meetings at different northern parts of the country on Thursday said if BNP is voted to power, special measures will be taken for “monga” affected people ... Read more
Dhaka’s voters yet to get familiar with candidates
Staff Correspondent Most of the voters are yet to get familiar with half of the candidates of the two major political parties, the Awami League and the BNP in their respective constituencies in the capital as the parties fielded some new faces for the constituencies. For eight constituencies of the total 15 in the capital, ... Read more
ACC probes Arafat’s alleged transactions in Singapore
Staff Correspondent The Anti-Corruption Commi-ssion on Thursday claimed that it had received a complaint against former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s youngest son Arafat Rahman of making financial transactions of about Tk 11.6 crore in Singapore between May 6, 2005 and February 22, 2007. The commission’s spokesperson colonel Hanif Iqbal, also director general (administration), said at ... Read more
Tk 540 crore diesel subsidy for farmers
Shamim Jahangir The next political government will distribute cash diesel subsidy of Tk 540 crore among small and marginal Boro cultivators next year, according to sources in the Ministry of Agriculture sources. Earlier, the incumbent caretaker government determined the size of the diesel subsidy. The amount of diesel subsidy and the number of the farmers ... Read more
Overseas employment heads for bad days
Porimol Palma Bangladesh is likely to experience a sharp fall in overseas employment from February due to slowdown in construction industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Middle Eastern countries following sharp price fall of oil, say officials and businesses. The decline in overseas jobs is likely to be acute as Bangladesh’s traditional ... Read more
14,000 villages have no schools
Staff Correspondent Although some progress has been made in increasing enrolment in primary schools, there are still 14,000 villages in the country where there are no schools at all. Adviser to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry Rasheda K Choudhury made the revelation at a round table discussion at the daily Prothom Alo auditorium yesterday. ... Read more
UN secy gen welcomes emergency withdrawal
Staff Correspondent The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the withdrawal of the state of emergency in Bangladesh terming it a positive step towards ensuring the right of all Bangladeshis to free, fair and credible parliamentary elections scheduled for December 29. Ban encourages all stakeholders, including the main political parties, to continue to address ... Read more
Remittance senders to get priority for govt plots
Bdnews24.com, Dhaka The government will give priority to expatriates in allocating government plots if they send at least US $5,000 every year through official channels, says an adviser. Those expatriates will also be given special treatment in the airports, hospitals and government schools and colleges, foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told a gathering marking International ... Read more
Police, RAB chiefs dismiss apprehension of sabotage: Enough precaution taken, say the chiefs
Staff Reporter A fear has been dismissed about any sabotage on the December 29 parliament elections, the law enforcement agencies have taken special protection measures said top most officials of the Police and RAB. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad and Director General of RAB Hasan Mahmud Khandaker made the remarks to reporters separately ... Read more
300 upazila polls candidates loan defaulters
Staff Reporter The central bank has so far identified 300 out of the total 9,961 Upazila election candidates as loan defaulters and sent their list to the Election Commission. “Correction to the list is going on and will continue until Friday,” Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Khandakar Muzharul Haque told newsmen at his office yesterday. He ... Read more
Lankan cricketers arrive
Test, ODI Series Lankan cricketers arrive Sports Reporter The Sri Lanka cricket team arrived here yesterday to play two Tests and a tri-nation one-day series. Mahela Jayawardene’s men landed at the Zia International Airport more than two hours after their scheduled arrival was delayed due to heavy fog in the city. This is the Lankans ... Read more
UN tribunal jails mastermind for war crime
Rwandan Genocide Afp, Arusha A UN-backed tribunal yesterday sentenced the man accused of having masterminded the country’s 1994 genocide to life in prison for his part in the massacres that killed some 800,000 people. Theoneste Bagosora, who prosecutors had portrayed as the mastermind of the genocide was convicted “of genocide, crimes against humanity and war ... Read more
Nobel prize committees accused of bribery
Agence France-Presse. Stockholm Several Nobel science prize committees in Sweden are being investigated for possible bribery, a special corruption prosecutor said on Thursday. The first case involves several members from the prestigious Nobel committees for medicine, physics and chemistry who visited China at the expense of the Chinese authorities. Special corruption prosecutor Nils Erik Schultz ... Read more
Victoria’s Secret Lingerie Show
It’s the sexiest event of the year, and you have front row seats! FemaleFirst brings you an exclusive look at the 2008 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, featuring Heidi Klum, courtesy of E!. See the Victoria’s Secret Angels, including Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima and Marisa Miller strut their stuff on the catwalk. Victoria’s Secret is the ... Read more
CA asks armed forces to help hold fair polls
Unb, Dhaka Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed has called upon the armed forces to discharge their election duties with hundred percent neutrality, honesty and transparency and extend all-out cooperation to the Election Commission for holding a free, fair and meaningful election. “Remember, this responsibility is important. So, the armed forces will have to remain alert ... Read more
Parties, candidates plunge into full-scale campaigns
Shahidul Islam Chowdhury Political parties and candidates contesting the December 29 general elections have plunged into full-scale campaigns with the withdrawal of the state of emergency after restrictions on civil and political rights for two years. Top leaders of political parties, including the Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda ... Read more