Khaleda renews call for fair polls

DHAKA: BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has appealed to the government to conduct fair polls under a non-partisan administration to usher in peace in Bangladesh.
 “There is no alternative to holding fair polls immediately under a non-partisan government for the sake of peace,” she said.
 Khaleda Zia aired the demand while addressing a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city on Monday afternoon.
 Claiming that the government has no mandate to run the country, she urged the Sheikh Hasina government to start negotiations for holding a free and fair election.
 Khaleda Zia declared: “The so-called new government has no moral right to rule as it has grabbed power with the help of the police without the participation of voters empowered to elect the government in a democracy.”

Khaleda belongs to Pakistan: PM

DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday alleged that BNP now wants to kill people by burning as it failed to assume power by losing people’s support.
The premier, also ruling Awami League president, was addressing a mass rally at Satkhira High School ground in the afternoon.
Hasina said BNP and its allies failed to topple government by nonstop hartal and blockade.
She said, “BNP chief tried to stop war criminals trial and till now doing this as she belongs to Pakistani ideology. She is always dreaming for Pakistan and even her mind goes to Pakistan.”

Construction work starts by June

MUNSHIGANG: Communications Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday categorically said that the construction work of Padma Bridge and the river management would start by this June.

He came up with the assertion while visiting the project area of Padma Bridge in Mawa area of Lohajang Upazila around 9:30am.

Obaidul Quader said that the construction of main bridge would start by June with the estimated cost of Tk 10,000 crores.

Inqilab journo on 2-day remand

DHAKA: A Dhaka Court on Monday placed Daily Inqilab’s diplomatic correspondent Atiqur Rahman on a two-day remand for police interrogation on the charge of publishing concocted news item.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate SM Ashiqur Rahman Monday passed the remand order after police had produced him before the court with a ten-day remand plea.

3 Pak militants on 13-day remand

A Dhaka court today placed three Pakistani militants on a 13-day remand in connection with two cases – one filed over illegal trespass and another under anti-terrorism act.
Detectives in Dhaka arrested the trio last night who, the law enforcers say, flew in to reinvigorate Islamist militant movement here in Bangladesh.
Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan passed the order after detectives produced them before it with a 20-day remand prayer in the cases file with Ramna Police Station.
The three -- aged between 25 and 50 -- had a laptop containing manuals on bomb making and operating firearms with them when they were detained in front of Shilpakala Academy at Segunbagicha around 11:30pm.

Jamaat leader killed in gunfight

MEHERPUR: A Jamaat leader was killed in a gunfight with police in Bondor area under sadar Upazila of the district early Monday.

The deceased was identified as Tarik Mohammad Saiful Islam, 35, district Jamaat assistant secretary, son of district Jamaat Ameer Samir Uddin.

Sources said that police in a night drive with Saiful Islam went to the area to detain Khulna Divisional leader Abdul Matin at around 3:45pm where they were ambushed by Jamaat-Shibir activists who opened fire and hurled cocktails to the police.

HC orders Tarique to surrender

The High Court has ordered BNP chief Khaleda Zia's elder son Tarique Rahman to surrender after it accepted an appeal challenging a court verdict that cleared him in a money laundering case.

 

 

 

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The HC bench of Justice Md Nizamul Huq and Justice Jahangir Hossain gave the order on Sunday after a hearing on the merit of the appeal filed by the Anti Corruption Commission.

Earlier, on Nov 17, Judge Md Motahar Hossain of the Special Judges' Court-3 had acquitted Rahman of money laundering charges.

18-party to hold rally in capital after 2 months

The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance got permission for holding a rally in the capital for the first time in the last two months. 
The alliance held its last public meeting on November 25 in the capital.
Khaleda Zia, head of the combine, is due to address the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan Monday afternoon.
The public meeting will be organised to thank the people of the country for boycotting the January 5 parliamentary election.

Upazila polls on 19 February

DHAKA: The elections to some 102 upazilas of the country will be held on February 19.

Chief Elections Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rabibuddin Ahmed announced the schedule of the polls in a press conference on Sunday afternoon.

According to the schedule, the nomination submission deadline is January 25 while the scrutiny of the nomination papers will take place on January 27 and the last date for withdrawals of the nomination paper on February 3.

Ershad’s ‘odd’ absence

HM Ershad was conspicuously absent when Jatiya Party MPs went to pay their tribute to martyrs at the National Memorial.

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Jatiya Party leaders offered various explanations for the party chief’s absence.

Raushan, the Leader of the Opposition, led a 27-strong group that included Jatiya Party Presidium members Anisul Islam Mahmud, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, Kazi Firoz as part of a prescheduled programme of the parliamentary party to pay respects to the nation’s martyrs on Sunday noon.

EU GSP to continue

The European Union will continue to work with Bangladesh and does not have any plan to review its GSP facility in the wake of Jan 5 polls it described as ‘not credible’.

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But the Head of the EU delegation in Dhaka, Ambassador William Hanna on Sunday said they would continue to call for dialogue between the major parties.
Hanna thus scuttled all speculations that the EU might revoke its duty-free facilities for Bangladesh products as it did not find the elections “transparent, inclusive and credible”.
The EU is the biggest trading partner of Bangladesh. Over 50 percent of Bangladesh's annual export of $ 27 billion last year went to the EU.
The opposition alliance led by BNP boycotted the Jan 5 polls and more than half the seats returned winners without a contest.
The EU like the US did not send poll observers.

Khaleda for political consensus

DHAKA: BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday urged the ruling Awami League government to reach a consensus through talks to resolve the prevailing political stalemate.
“The dialogue is the only way to resolve the prevailing political stalemate. We were never against talks. We are still interested to arrange acceptable elections under non-partisan government through dialogue,” she said. 
The BNP chief came up with the plea in press conference at a city hotel in the afternoon.
Criticizing the Awami League government, she said corruptions and misdeeds and repression on opposition men were increased during the government.
She alleged that ruling party men attacked minorities across the country. “But the government is blaming the BNP and it allies for the attack. It is just a technique to divert the people eyes from the farcical elections,” the newsmen were told.

‘Election best way to end crisis’

DHAKA: Thailand’s prime minister urged anti-government protesters on Wednesday to vent their anger against her at the ballot box, insisting that elections were the best way to solve the country’s deepening political crisis.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has faced weeks of mass street demonstrations seeking to force her elected government from office and install an appointed ‘people’s council’ in its place.

Tofail joins in SAARC SBLC Thursday

DHAKA: Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed is set to join as a panelist in the 5th SAARC Business Leaders Conclave (SBLC) which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi of India from January 17 to 18.

Ministry sources said being invited by Anand Sharma, Commerce and Industry minister of India, Tofail Ahmed will leave the country on Thursday.

Sources said importance will be given on ways to increase economic relations among the SAARC countries through increasing jobs by taking new enterprises and to ensure optimum use of modern technology in production.

Hartal observed in Noakhali

NOAKHALI: Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, observed the daylong hartal on Wednesday amid road blockade, procession and cocktails explosion.

The organization called the hartal in the district protesting of killing Mamun, a leader of Chittagong University unit Chhatra Shibir.

Witnesses said the movement of all long-route buses remained stopped due to dense fog and hartal.

4 of a family slaughtered in Kurigram

KURIGRAM:  Miscreants slaughtered four members of a family at Diadanga village under Bhurungamari upazila of the district early Wednesday.

The deceased were identified as Sultan Mia, 55, his wife hazera Begum, 45, their granddaughters Romana Begum, 14 and Anika, 7.

Another granddaughter Mousumi, 10, also sustained severe injuries and she was sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

10-truck arm cases verdict Jan 30

CHITTAGONG: A Chittagong Court Monday fixed January 30 for the verdict delivery in sensational 10-truck arms haul cases.
Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1 Judge SM Mojibur Rahman fixed the date after hearing the closing arguments in the afternoon.
Earlier, Special Tribunal-1 ordered the defense lawyers to complete their argument by Monday, while Kamal Uddin Ahmed concluded his argument on Sunday.

The public prosecutor, however, sought two more days for submitting his elaborate argument in written form, which was granted by the court.

80 joint secy get promotion

DHAKA: A total 80 joint secretary have been promoted to additional secretary level.

Public administration affairs ministry issued a gazette notification on Monday afternoon.

According to the directive, the promoted secretaries were made as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to public administration affairs ministry.

KSA envoy meets BNP chief Khaleda

DHAKA: Saudi Ambassador in Dhaka Dr Abdullah Bin Naser Al Busairi met BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Monday night for discussing the current political situation.

The meeting started around 8:00pm at political office of the BNP chairperson at Gulshan in the city.

BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, advisers to BNP chairperson Reaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed were also present at the meeting.

10th JS goes into session Jan 29

DHAKA: The first session of the 10th parliament will go into session on January 29.

President M Abdul Hamid convened the first session of the new parliament.

Public Relations Director of the Parliament Secretariat Zainal Abedin made the disclosure while talking to journalists on Monday afternoon.

On January 9, the parliament members elected in January 5 elections took oath. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered the oath.

LK Advani congratulates PM

DHAKA: India’s chief opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) congratulated Sheikh Hasina for assuming office of Prime Minister for the third time.

Senior member of the party LK Advani made a phone call to Sheikh Hasina and congratulated her.

Information Affairs Adviser to the premier Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

Blockade postponed for 2-day

DHAKA: Opposition 18-party alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) postponed their indefinite blockade for Monday, Tuesday.

Chinese envoy meeting BNP Chairperson

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Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Li Jun is meeting the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office.

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Khaleda has gone to the Gulshan office after 14 days. The meeting started at about 7.30pm.=Earlier, Khaleda’s adviser Sabih Uddin Ahmed told bdnews24.com that the meeting with the Chinese envoy was scheduled on Saturday evening.
The meeting is the first between the two after the Jan 5 elections in which BNP did not participate and more than half of the seats returned winners uncontested.
The Awami League is set to form a government again.
Khaleda, a former Prime Minister, has lost her post as the Leader of the Opposition after her party boycotted the elections.

UK aid to continue its programmes in Bangladesh

The British High Commissioner in Dhaka Robert Gibson said the UK aid would continue its programme in Bangladesh, dismissing speculations of reviewing his country’s development initiatives in Bangladesh after the elections.
“UK aid is a partnership between the people of Britain and the people of Bangladesh,” Gibson said on Saturday.
“We continue to support the poorest and most marginalised people in Bangladesh as part of our global effort to support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals”, he said in a statement.

Cannon keeps marriage to Carey alive with lots of sex

DHAKA: Nick Cannon has confessed that he and wife Mariah Carey keep their marriage alive with lots of sex.
The couple also enjoys spending quality time together on vacation and had recently taken their twins to Aspen, US magazine reported, says The Times of India.

US, China for Hasina,Khaleda talks

DHAKA: US Senetor Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent letters to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia urging them to end the current deadlock, eschew street violence, and begin negotiations on a path toward free, fair, and inclusive elections.

The letters also called on the leaders to reaffirm their commitment to improving labor conditions in Bangladesh’s garment industry.

The letter Chairman Menendez sent to Prime Minister Hasina can be downloaded here, the letter to Madam Zia here and both letters follow:

Khaleda might consider breaking off with Jamaat

BNP might someday decide on parting ways with the Jamaat-e-Islami, its Chairperson Khaleda Zia tells New York Times.

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The American newspaper’s online version quoted her in a report published on Monday.It said the BNP Chairperson who has been ‘confined’ in her Gulshan home since Dec 29 was ready to hold discussions with the government but most of her leaders are behind bars or in hiding.“Yes, we are ready to discuss, but first, they have to create a more congenial atmosphere” she told the New York Times correspondent.About BNP’s ally in the 18-Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, she said, “With Jamaat, it’s not a permanent alliance.”When asked if there was a possibility her party could break off from the Jamaat, Khaleda said: “At this moment, I cannot, but when the time will come I will see.”