The poll-time government’s finance minister, AMA Muhith, yesterday dropped hints that the new government would not stay in power for five years. “I don’t think the new government will stay in power for five years. Another general election could be held any day after the formation of the new
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10th nat’l polls tomorrow amid oppn boycott
The 10th parliamentary election is set to be held tomorrow in 59 districts across the country, amid boycott by the main opposition BNP and its allies. A total of 390 candidates will contest the polls in 147 parliament constituencies as candidates in the remaining 153 seats have been elected unopposed. As such, no voting will ... Read more
41pc work completed in 8yrs
Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway Only 41 per cent of the upgrading work of the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway to four lanes has been completed till November 30, says a recent Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) report. The deadline for the project is December 2014. According to the monthly IMED report, the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project has progressed only ... Read more
Failure to hold credible polls not good sign: US
The failure of the major political parties in Bangladesh to take steps to hold free, fair and credible elections is not a good sign, the United States State Department said on Thursday. “As I’ve been clear, they haven’t taken steps to hold free, fair, and credible elections, so clearly that’s not a good sign,” Marie ... Read more
Curtain falls on poll campaign
The curtain on election campaign fell at 8am today, 48 hours ahead of the start of voting for the January 5 election, reports UNB. As per the election rules, now all types of rally, procession and showdown are prohibited in the election areas till 4pm on January 7. No one can call or join any ... Read more
28 more bones retrieved from Rana Plaza site
Police on Friday retrieved 28 human bones, including a broken skull, from the debris of Rana Plaza at Savar, reports UNB. Locals, former workers of the garment factories housed in Rana Plaza recovered the human remains and informed the police. However, after receiving the human bones, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station, Mostafa Kamal, told ... Read more
Blockade hits RMG sector hard
Bangladesh will lose a big share of its readymade garments market to its competitors if the current political unrest and violence continue after the January 5 parliamentary elections, sources said. International buyers are shifting to India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Pakistan cancelling new orders in Bangladesh, said Mohammmed Hatem, acting President of Bangladesh
Bone, skull recoveries raise question over rescue operation
Rana Plaza COLLAPSE Eight months after the Rana Plaza collapse in the city’s suburb Savar, numerous human skulls and bones have surfaced at the disaster site in the past few days, hanging question marks against the Bangladesh Army-led rescue operation earlier. The body remains are being found by the locals, especially by urchins, who crossed the ... Read more
BSF kill 1 on Lalmonirhat border
A Bangladeshi national was beaten to death by the members of Indian Border Security (BSF) along Dabalguri border in Patgram upazila early Friday, reports UNB. The deceased was identified as Abdul Hoque, son of late Kasar Uddin of Dabalguri village. Witnesses said the BSF members and some Indian nationals caught cattle trader Abdul near the ... Read more
KSA gives 2 months for legalisation
Undocumented Expatriates KSA gives 2 months for legalisation In a major relief to undocumented expatriates, Saudi authorities have granted a two-month grace period for thousands of expatriates who could not correct their legal status during the seven-month amnesty period to complete the rectification procedures at their Passport Department. Jeddah-based English daily Arabnews reported on Friday that ... Read more
Schoolboy kills himself as parents deny love affair
Denied by the parents in love affair, a schoolboy killed himself by jumping into the Hatirjheel Lake from a bridge at Badda in the capital on Friday morning. His lover, Mim, 15, who also jumped into the lake alongside Tonmoy, 16, however, survived. Quoting the girl Mim, 15, police said Tonmoy and Mim both were ... Read more
US to monitor Bangladesh events
The United States keeps reserved its observation about Sunday’s general elections in Bangladesh saying that it will be monitoring the situation and engaging as necessary. Marie Harf, deputy spokesperson of the US state department, said in Washington on Thursday that they would not also comment on the election results
Plot on to thwart election: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon people to resist those who would try to thwart the January 5 general elections and teach them an appropriate lesson. “Many plots and strategies are being hatched to foil the elections…You have to build resistance against those who would obstruct the polls. You will have to teach
One killed on first day of non-stop blockade
A Juba Dal activist was killed and 20 others were injured in clashes with BGB troops in Chandpur on the first day of the countrywide indefinite blockade enforced by the 18-party alliance to force the government cancel January 5 polls and hold the election under a neutral administration. The deceased was identified as Faruk Hossain ... Read more
‘Politicised’ civil admin sees no reforms
After five years (2009-2013) of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance government, the civil administration has become unstable, due to political influence on administration and in the absence of promised reforms, according to public administration ministry sources. At present, the civil administration is divided in two parts—pro-government and
Govt schools lag behind pvt, non-govt schools in Dhaka
Government primary and secondary schools have largely failed to compete with with non-government and private institutions, according to results of the Junior School Certificate and Primary Education Completion exams which were published on Sunday and Monday. Only one government school of the capital could earn a position in the top
Police foil JP’s 28th founding anniversary programme
The country’s political parties are facing serious obstacles in holding rallies, meetings and in carrying out their political activities, from the present poll-time government, which was formed to oversee a credible parliamentary elections, Jatiya Party (Ershad) leaders complained angrily, after police foiled its 28th founding anniversary programme in the city on Wednesday
Mozena meets Shamsher Mobin
US Ambassador Dan W Mozena on Wednesday met BNP vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury at his residence in the city, reports UNB. They had nearly an hour-long meeting from 10am at Shamsher Mobin’s Banani DOHS residence but the content of the meeting could not be known. Contacted, Shamsher Mobin told UNB that
Sudden ban kicks up an uproar
Only One to Ride a Motorbike Sudden ban kicks up an uproar The government out of the blue has slapped an indefinite ban on pillion passengers on motorbikes upsetting law-abiding motorcyclists. “I always take my wife to her office at Motijheel, around 10km from my home at Taltala,” said Nazmul Ahsan. With no direct buses ... Read more
No decision to stop holding rally on SC premises: SCBA
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president, AJ Mohammad Ali, on Wednesday described as baseless media reports, suggesting that there was consensus on not holding political rallies on the Supreme Court premises by lawyers with political affiliation. He also said that lawyers would continue their movement until the