A police constable died after he along with eight others had became wounded as miscreants exploded several crude bombs into a police car in the Rajshahi city on Thursday when the BNP-led alliance was holding a procession. Constable Siddhartha died from his injuries in Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka on Thursday night after he had been ... Read more
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Armed forces deployed in 57 districts
In order to aid the civil power to maintain law and order ahead of the January 5 Parliamentary poll, members of the armed forces have been deployed in 57 districts of the country. The members of the armed forces have started their duties in the districts, even in the upazilas, as per the requirements of ... Read more
Khaleda to be put on trial for terrorism: Hasina
PM says as she launches polls campaign Accusing the opposition leader of unleashing terrorism and militancy and killing people in the name of a movement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the trial of Khaleda Zia would be held one day on Bangladesh soil for the offences, reports UNB. “We believe in justice. The ... Read more
BNP activists start arriving in capital
March To Dhaka BNP activists start arriving in capital Grassroots and mid-level leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its associate organisations have started coming to the capital in advance to join the ‘march to Dhaka’ programme on December 29. Some leaders of BNP and its different wings told New Age on Thursday that leaders ... Read more
All constituencies ‘vulnerable’
Election Commission to spend Tk 291cr for polls All the 146 constituencies in the country have been declared vulnerable by the intelligence agencies ahead of the January 5 polls boycotted by BNP-led 18-party alliance. While mostly Awami League and its rebel candidates are going to take part in the upcoming election, the intelligence agencies declared ... Read more
AL vows to resist Dhaka march
Opposition activists start to gather in capital Ruling Awami League yesterday formally announced to resist the opposition’s Dhaka march programme, triggering apprehension of further escalation of the ongoing political violence as BNP leaders said they would observe the programme at any cost. Ruling Awami League’s high-ups have asked the
B Chy, Siddiqui, Rob join hands
Three political parties – Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League (BKSJL) – yesterday joined forces to launch the National Democratic Front (NDF). “The immediate cause of formation of the alliance was to prevent the government’s move to hold lopsided polls with a view to establishing a one-party
None of 2008’s int’l observers confirm polls monitoring
At least half of the international organisations and countries which sent observers to monitor the 2008 general elections will not observe the national election scheduled for January 5 because of concerns about its credibility. In addition, only a handful of the local organisations which deployed about 1.6 lakh observers in the 2008 general elections have informed
2,250 soldiers set to join Africa mission
At least 2,250 members of the armed forces are all set to fly off for UN peacekeeping missions in Africa. Of them, 850 personnel will go to South Sudan and the rest will be deployed in Mali, an officer in the Overseas Director of Army Headquarters said on condition of anonymity. The UN has sought ... Read more
Deposit of Arms halted
The home ministry has postponed until further notice its earlier order asking all to deposit their licenced firearms and ammunition to the nearest police station or the legal dealers by December 27. An official announcement yesterday said there will be a ban on the movement of licenced firearm holders with their arms as well as brandishing ... Read more
Political uncertainty hits overseas job sector hard
The prevailing political uncertainty has hit country’s overseas job sector hard as fresh recruitments from some prospective countries have virtually come to a halt, said officials. They said although some more countries had shown interest earlier to recruit manpower from Bangladesh, they are now reluctant about this.
Tree felling by political activists costs country Tk 100b: Poba
The country has suffered a loss of over Tk 100 billion due to the ongoing rampant felling of trees by political activists during blockade, shutdown and other agitation programmes, according to green activists in Dhaka on Thursday, reports UNB. “Trees are being felled indiscriminately across
Public servants face land grabbing cases
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday filed two cases against six people, including a deputy secretary and a deputy commissioner, on charge of defying prescribed rules in the mutation of government land against fake documents, reports UNB. ACC assistant director Jatan Kumar Roy filed the two cases with Kotwali and Wari police stations in ... Read more
Russia won’t deploy elections observers
Russia joined the United States, the Commonwealth and the European Union in their decision not to deploy observers for the 10th parliamentary elections scheduled for January 5. ‘We invited Russia to observe the elections. But the Russian ambassador in Dhaka told me that the country was unable to observe the elections as
Mild cold wave sweeps across country
A mild cold wave has started sweeping across the north and south western regions of the country and it may continue for a few days with temperatures falling by two to three degree Celsius on Friday, the Meteorological Department said. The mild cold wave, the second this season, lingering over Madaripur, Pabna, kustia and Jessore, ... Read more
Tension mounts over Dhaka march
Political tension in the country has peaked ahead of Sunday’s ‘March for democracy’ programme announced by BNP chief Khaleda Zia as the ruling Awami League has vowed to resist the opposition move. BNP insiders told The Independent on Wednesday that their ultimate plan was to lay siege to the capital through this programme in a ... Read more
Photojournalist murdered
Veteran photo-journalist Aftab Ahmed was allegedly strangled to death on Tuesday night at his residence at West Rampura area in the capital. Police suspect that Aftab might have been killed by some miscreants. Kripa Bala Sindhu, officer-in-charge of Rampura Police Station, said, “A family member of Aftab informed the police about the matter and we rushed ... Read more
Hunt down Bangla Motor arsonists: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday directed the law-enforcing agencies to hunt down the criminals involved in Tuesday’s arson attack on a bus at city’s Bangla Motor that left a traffic police dead, reports UNB. PM’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad said that the Prime Minister also expressed deep shock at the death of constable Ferdous and
Troops set to start polls duty
Troops are set to be deployed across the country today ahead of the January 5 general elections to help police and RAB maintain law and order. Nearly 50,000 members of Army, Navy and Air Force will be on duty until January 9, a senior official of the Armed Forces Division (AFD) said.
Khaleda warns govt against obstruction
The BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Wednesday warned the government of dangerous consequences if it would stop her joining the ‘march for democracy’ towards Dhaka on December 29. “If the government has the courage, it will not obstruct the programme and stop me from joining the programme. Any such obstructions will