Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda here on Sunday said, election to the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) will be held in March and the municipalities in May next year. He also said, election to the Union Parishad may be held in September-October. He, however, said no date has yet been finalized or announced but we are doing some projections in this regard.
Civil-military relationship is needed to be coordinated and integrated to strengthen democracy of the nation, said HT Imam, an adviser to the prime minister. Imam made the remark while inaugurating a four-day workshop on national security and civil-military relation in Bangladesh.
The government will not submit to any pressure from home and abroad to stop the planned trial of war crimes in the 1971 independence war, the planning minister has said. Many refer to local and foreign powers to resist the trial, said AK Khandaker, also Sector Commanders' Forum that has been campaigning for the trial.
The Election Commission (EC) is likely to go for legal steps against 14 MPs including 11 from ruling Awami League for concealing information regarding payment of income tax during nomination paper submission with the EC for the 9th parliamentary election. Some 10 lawmakers out of 14 have mentioned in the nomination paper's specific column for tax related information that the column is not applicable for them as they do not pay tax. The rest 4 MPs did not write anything in that specific column.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will go to New Delhi on December 18 for an important tour when three agreements between Bangladesh and India will be signed, including one on transfer of sentenced persons. The two other agreements going to be struck are: agreement on mutual legal assistance on criminal matters and agreement on combating international terrorism, organized crimes and illicit drug trafficking.
Bangladesh and India would sign three agreements during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in December, Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes said on Saturday. While briefing journalists on the outcome of the Indian foreign secretary’s meeting with the foreign ministry of Bangladesh, he said India has agreed to give Bangladesh railway transit to carry its products to Nepal.
Dhaka is planning to resume talks with New Delhi and Yangon on a tri-nation gas pipeline from Myanmar to India through Bangladesh but Delhi has reportedly scrapped its plan to take Myanmar gas as the Myanmar military junta has decided to sell to China most of the gas discovered near Bangladesh. Energy officials said the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has given permission to resume the negotiation with Delhi and Yangon on the pipeline to carry gas to India from Myanmar and the energy division had requested the foreign ministry to take necessary steps.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday called upon the young government cadre officials to render service to the people being imbued with the highest level of patriotism and rising above all sorts of party affiliation and opinion. "You have been given appointment as officers of the republic so you have to work with utmost patriotism and dedication for the welfare of the people," she said.
Bangladesh is holding strong amid the global economic upheaval, the government insists, but it's not all good news. The economic outlook is a mixed bag at present. Though some obvious indicators, mainly foreign exchange reserve and remittance, are booming, others— productive imports and investment, among them—are sluggish. Inflation appears under control though it has been predicted to hit double digits next year. Revenue collection is also up.
Dhaka is keen to come up with the proposal of a new railway line and other communication links ahead of the visit of Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina to India. Building Agartala-Akhaura railway line and a submarine cable linking Khulna and Chennai are among the priority projects to be placed before the Indian government during Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit, Agartala-based influential Bengali daily "The Jagaran" reported today. She is visiting India next month.
