Headlines

Fading Ershad charm, multiple candidates may help BNP Rakib Hasnet Suman Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad’s waning popularity in the greater Rangpur area and Awami League’s (AL) continuing indifference to its leaders’ electoral rivalry with JP nominees there despite being partners in an electoral alliance, have brought new hopes for BNP-led four-party alliance nominees ... Read more

4-party lodges complain against ATN Bangla for terming Jamaat leaders war criminals Staff Correspondent Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said a favorable atmosphere is prevailing in the country and the EC is waiting for holding a successful parliamentary election slated for December 29. He also urged both print and electronic media to ... Read more

Mostafa Kamal Majumder The Awami League is setting up equipment for video conference of party chief Sheikh Hasina with voters to ensure that she can reach her messages to a maximum number of people at the shortest possible time, it is learnt. This is a technological response to BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia’s whirlwind tour ... Read more

Shariful Islam and Aminul Islam from Mymensingh Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her life is under threat since a certain quarter is afraid of the mass surge in favour of Boat, her party’s electoral symbol, ahead of the parliamentary election. “You have already read in newspapers about the apprehension of attacks on ... Read more

Star Report BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said, if voted to power, her government will construct the Padma Bridge at Mawa to connect the southern region with the capital. She also pledged to supply natural gas from the Shahbajpur gas field in Bhola to other parts of the region. The BNP chief made the pledges ... Read more

Sceptics term it routine promise Mustafizur Rahman Major political parties in their respective election manifestos have made ‘routine pledges’ that they will not meddle in the function of public administration and ensure smooth service delivery for the public. They have announced that if voted to power they will introduce a merit-based appointment and promotion system ... Read more

Staff Correspondent The Election Commission is in a quandary over allotting election symbols to the two candidates of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for the Comilla 10 constituency. The commission and the returning officer for Comilla have changed election symbols for the two candidates for Comilla 10 constituency at least three times in two days. The ... Read more

Staff Correspondent The home affairs adviser, MA Matin, on Sunday assured all that there was no chance of any attacks on the life of the Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, also a former prime minister. He said the authorities had taken all-out measures to ensure the security for Hasina following reported threat on her life. ... Read more

Agence France-Presse . Mumbai Two luxury hotels that were stormed by Islamist militants re-opened amid tight security in Mumbai Sunday, less than a month after devastating attacks that rocked India’s financial and entertainment hub. The Trident and Taj Mahal hotels received their first guests since the carnage, with staff praised for their dedication and resilience ... Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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