Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked all concerned not to construct anything that might affect the original design of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area, as it is the icon of the country. She gave the directive while speaking at the 24th Meeting of the Secretarial Commission of Parliament held at the parliament building. Designed ... Read more
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RAJUK plans to set up 8 zonal offices
The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) is planning to set up eight zonal offices for approval of plan and supervising development. Of the eight offices, four would be located in the city’s Uttara, Gulshan, Dhanmondi and Mirpur areas, while the remaining four would be established at Gazipur, Savar, Narayanganj and Keraniganj, said Sk. Abdul Mannan,
EC to review parties’ pleas on registration
The Election Commission (EC) is set to review the pleas of political parties for registration with the poll panel for taking part in the upcoming national elections. “We are set to send the proposals to the commission for reviews of the pleas of the political parties as we observed that some parties committed silly mistakes ... Read more
21 BCL men indicted in Biswajit killing
A Dhaka court, on Sunday, indicted 21 activists of the Jagannath University (JnU) unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) in connection with the murder of Biswajit Das. The court also set June 13 to start the trial. All charges against the 21 BCL men were framed at the court of Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge Mohammad ... Read more
JS budget session starts today
The 18 the session of the 9th parliament will start on Monday and with the main opposition’s announcement of returning to the parliament, the ensuing session is expected to be a vibrant one. The finance minister will place his 5th budget amounting to around TK 2.22 lakh crore on June 6 in this session. Dr ... Read more
TIB moots law to curb Parliament boycotts
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Sunday recommended enacting a law that would incorporate a provision for halting the culture of Parliament boycotts by any political party or political alliance. The aim of the proposed legislation is to make Parliament more effective. The recommendation was made in a report of the TIB titled ‘Parliament Watch’,
Two Bangladeshi sisters sold to Pune pimps rescued
Two sisters from Bangladesh, who had been forced into prostitution in the Indian city of Pune, were rescued by Pune Police in a special operation, following a specific request to the Indian government by Dhaka, The Times of India reported on Sunday. The sisters, both minors, belonging to well-off families, were abducted by pimps in ... Read more
Four garments owner of Rana Plaza placed on remand
A Dhaka court on Sunday placed four garment owners of Rana Plaza building, on a four-day remand in a case filed in connection with the collapse of the building. The accused garments factory owners are Anisur Rahman, Chairman of Ether Tex, Aminul Islam, Chairman of Phantom Apparels Limited and Phantom Tack Limited,
Hartal observed in four districts
At least 30 people including policemen were injured during the half-day hartal in four districts on Sunday. About 13 people, including seven policemen, were injured in a clash between Shibir activists and police in Noakhali district town during the eight-hour hartal. Police picked up at least 14 shibir activists from different parts of the district ... Read more
Socio-economic dev to fight human trafficking stressed
State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam on Sunday stressed the need for improving the country’s socio-economic condition to fight human trafficking. “Poverty, unemployment and helplessness are the root causes behind the human trafficking in the country, which should be removed to combat the crime.
AL, not BNP, invited evil forces into state power: Alamgir
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, on Sunday, accused the ruling Awami League of ushering in evil forces in state power repeatedly in the past, thereby destroying the country’s democracy. “History says it is the Awami League and not the BNP that always dug canals and brought crocodiles (evil forces) and patronized them.
BNP set to return to House, not to move bill on CG
After a long gap of one and a half year, the main opposition BNP is all set to return to the parliament in the ensuing budget session of the 9th parliament scheduled to start on June 3 (Monday). Its return to the parliament will also coincide with speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury’s debut as Speaker ... Read more
Lawmakers grabbing state lands: Qamrul
State minister for law Qamrul Islam said on Saturday that illegal grabbing of khas land by lawmakers, belonging to both the Awami League and the BNP, is a major hurdle to ensure the poor’s right to land. “No one who has been a lawmaker for a long time, is out of this process and this ... Read more
Hasina dismisses CG demand again
Once again rejecting the opposition’s demand for restoration of a non-party caretaker government (CG), to oversee the next general elections, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Saturday, reiterated that the next polls will be held in the same way as it is held in other democratic countries. “No one will be allowed to play with the ... Read more
Ershad for reverting to presidential system
Jatiya Party (JP) chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad came out in favour of restoring the presidential form of government, at a time when the opposition alliance’s demand for a poll-time caretaker government (CG) has put it at loggerheads with the ruling alliance. On Saturday, Ershad conceded that in the present situation, holding the next general
Tk 3,000 crore for PPP likely to remain unutilised
An amount of Tk. 3,000 crore, allocated under the fourth successive budget for promoting public-private partnership (PPP) projects in FY 2012-13, is likely to remain unutilised, sources at the PPP office said. The funds have not been utilised during the last 11 months of the current fiscal just like in the earlier three budgets of ... Read more
Encroachment on Buriganga in full swing
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has failed to prevent greedy land-grabbers, masquerading as traders of stone chips, sand and brick, from encroaching upon riverbanks around the city. These developers and traders continue to occupy the riverbanks in the name of expanding their business, citing lack of space and rising demand. The BIWTA has
CMCH intern attacked, BCL shuts hospital
Irate Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists closed all the gates of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for more than eight hours in protest against the attack on former president of the BCL’s CMC unit and an intern doctor of the CMCH, Sohel Pervez Suman, on Saturday, causing immense inconvenience for patients and their relatives. Islami ... Read more
BNP to force govt to hold next poll under CG: Alamgir
The acting secretary-general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, has called upon his party activists to organise a strong anti-government movement, so that the ruling Awami League (AL) is forced to hold the next general elections under the oversight of a non-party caretaker government (CG). “Please wake up with the political ... Read more
Country experiences above average rainfall in May
A late surge in rainfall due to a cyclonic storm, Mahasen followed by a depression in the Bay of Bengal left the country wet by 91 per cent above average rainfall in May, Met Office sources said on Saturday. Meanwhile, the south western monsoon winds bringing