Day: January 17, 2014

Foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka on Thursday stressed the need for holding an immediate dialogue between the government and opposing parties to take Bangladesh towards the next level of democracy and development trajectory.“We believe a peaceful, democratically stable, and socially, economically and environmentally sound Bangladesh would prove to be an asset for South Asia, the Asia Pacific, and the world in general. We seek your support in making that happen,” said Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs.He made the...

The reason for the activities of the foreign diplomats is understandable. They do not see peace is possible on the basis of an election won forcefully by the government without caring for the need of the opposition or people’s vote. It is not important that the BNP, the main opposition party has been antagonistic, what is important is that the people have been denied their right to choose their government. The diplomats know that such a situation cannot be helpful...

The central office of the BNP was opened on Thursday after 47 days. The party Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and some other leaders of the party visited the office at Nayapaltan in the city. But they stayed there only for a few minutes. The Nayapaltan office remained shut from November 8, as police did not allow leaders and workers of the party to enter there. On that day, the BNP-led 18-party alliance announced a 72-hour general strike...

The World Bank (WB) on Thursday approved $410 million loan to improve municipal governance and basic urban services in district towns in Bangladesh.This financial support of WB will be used to implement the ‘Municipal Governance and Service Project,’ which will cover 26 urban government bodies under the districts of Dhaka, Chittagong, Rangpur, Sylhet and Mymensingh. It will also cover three district towns in the southern part of the country, a WB official in Dhaka adding that it will benefit 3.4...

The groundwater level in the city is falling at a rate of 9.21 feet per year, revealed a recently conducted study. During the last seven years, the groundwater level of Dhaka city has recorded a fall of 65.61 feet.The reason of such alarming fall can be attributed to indiscriminate use of groundwater. The water table in the city will fall by more than 393 feet within 2050 if the underground water continues to maintain the present rate of depletion, showed...

DB police have arrested four journalists of Daily Inqilab including its news editor Robiullah Robi as the daily ran a report that Indian forces participated in joint forces’ operation in Satkhira. Other arrested are senior reporter Rafiq Muhammad, crime reporter Atiqul Islam and special assistant of the editor Shaidul IslamPolice sealed the press of Daily Inqilab and confiscated different materials including three computers used in the server room. Police also forced on duty newsmen to stop their work. None was...

UNB, ChandpurLess than two months into losing the job as the Home Minister, Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, MP suffered an unexpected humiliation in Kachua upazila on Thursday as shoes were thrown at him at a religious function.Witnesses said MK Alamgir went to attend the akheri munajat (last prayers) of a two-day annual waj mahfil at Ujani Jamia Islamia Ibrahima Madrasah ground around 4:30pm.Musallis (devotees) present at the waj mahfil hurled abuses at him while he was embarking on the podium through...

Members of European Parliament [MEPs] have condemned the widespread violence which erupted in the run-up to the January elections and express concern at the paralysis of every-day life in Bangladesh.The EP passed three separate resolutions on Thursday, voicing concern at the situation of rights defenders and opposition activists in Cambodia, and demanding clarifications on the investigation into the Sombath Somphone case in Laos; calling for an immediate halt to the repression in Bangladesh; and condemning the threats, discrimination and restrictions...

Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran is meeting with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for first time after the general election.He entered Khaleda’s Gulshan office at 8pm Thursday.BNP’s Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, a Vice-Chairman, Osman Farruk, adviser to the BNP chief, were present among others.The Indian envoy did not have a meeting with the BNP chief after the Jan 5 balloting her party and allies boycotted.Their last meeting was in the beginning of December last year when India’s Foreign Secretary Sujatha...

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against five officials of Amway Corporation, a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Company, on charge of plundering Tk 33 crore, said ACC Public Relation Officer (PRO). Mozahar Ali Sardar, Deputy Director of ACC and Chief Investigation Officer, lodged the case with Paltan Thana on Thursday noon. ACC approved the case on last week under the Money Laundering Protection Act-2009, Section No-4 (2), and Money Laundering Protection Act-2012 Section No-4 (2) (3). Those, who have...