Bijoy TV graft case Mohiuddin produced before court
Staff Correspondent
Chittagong City Corporation Mayor Alhaj ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury was produced before the Divisional Special Judges' Court for Chittagong Wednesday on charges of embezzlement of government funds in the name of launching private television Channel 'Bijoy TV'.
Chief Executive Officer of Chittagong City Corporation Imtiaz Hossain Chowdhury was also produced before the court as co-accused in the case.
Judge SM Solaiman set January 1 next year as the date for the next appearance of the accused before the court. The date of hearing has been deferred as there had been no gazette notification published to date naming CCC chief engineer Mokhter Alam as another co-accused in the case.
Tourists' entry to CHT restricted for security reasons
P View desk
Security forces are restricting tourists' entry into the remote hills of the Chittagong Hill Tracts lately on security grounds, according to bdnews24.com correspondent Biplob Rahman.
After a weeklong sojourn into the remote hills and forests of the CHT, Rahman reported Wednesday that a huge number of local and foreign tourists were found crowding Bandarban town in the peak of the winter season, bdnews24.com reports from Bandarban.
Taking advantage of the long Eid, Christmas and New Year's holidays, they were looking to trek deeper into the hills, but were being denied entry into many parts of the CHT by security personnel.
Voter registration starts in Cox's Bazar
P View desk
Voter registration and preparation of national identity cards took off in Cox's Bazar Wednesday.
Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila election officer Shahadat Hossain said photographs were being taken in some 13 centres of Cox's Bazar municipality and the work will end on Jan 1.
District commissioner Sajjadul Hassan and army officer Lt Col Anisur Rahman launched the programme at Cox's Bazar Government Girls' High School in the morning, bdnews24.com reports from Cox’s Bazar.
2 fire incidents in city valuables gutted
Staff Correspondent
Valuables worth approximately TK 100 thousand were gutted in two separate infernos that broke out at two residential buildings at Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) and Nandankanon area in the city yesterday.
Both the infernos had originated from electric short circuit, firemen said. The first inferno broke out at the ground floor of a three-storied residential building at Kolshi Dighir Par in CEPZ area at about 3:56 p.m.
Daring robbery in Anwara
Anwara Correspondent
A daring robbery was committed at Paraikora under Anwara upazila last evening.
Local and police sources said, the robbers numbering seven to eight equipped with firearms and lethal weapons stormed into the house of one Samiron Chakraborty and held the inmates hostage at gunpoint.
They beat them mercilessly, looted cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth about Tk one lakh.
National News
No decision on bringing relics back from France
P View desk
The interim cabinet made no decision Wednesday on bringing the artefacts back from France, an adviser said.
"No decision has so far been made on bringing back the relics already sent to France for display at the Guimet Museum before the exhibition begins," law and information adviser Mainul Hosein told reporters after the meeting, bdnews24.com reports from Dhaka.
"Please try and contact the cultural affairs secretary for details on the issue."
Another official who attended the meeting said the secretary briefed the Council of Advisers on the latest developments.
EC to seek HC ruling on BNP invitation: Sohul
P View desk
The Election Commission will seek advice from the High Court on inviting either of the two BNP factions to dialogue on electoral reforms, election commissioner Mohammad Sohul Hossain said Wednesday.
"We will invite the faction the court asks us to," the commissioner told reporters in his office, bdnews24.com reports from Dhaka.
Sohul said the main election office would petition to the High Court for permission after the court reopens.
The EC had earlier invited the Saifur Rahman-led faction to talks on electoral reforms.
The High Court on Nov 18 put a freeze on the invitation for two weeks after a writ petition filed by the pro-Khaleda faction. The court also wanted to know why the invitation letter would not be declared illegal.
Dr Kamal urges people to boycott criminal politicians
P View desk
Gano Forum president Dr Kamal Hossain on Wednesday urged the people to boycott the criminal politicians and thus help restore healthy politics in the country.
“The move should start from every house. Let every home be a stronghold of healthy politics,” Dr Kamal said in a clarion call to the nation. He was speaking at a ‘Citizens meeting’ at the Institute of Engineers marking the Victory Day, UNB reports from Dhaka.
He said veteran politicians and prospective youths in all upazilas could play a vital role in the ongoing political reforms. This is the paramount need of the time as the country is passing through a critical juncture.
Global News
Israeli, Palestinian leaders meet today
AP, Jerusalem
Israeli and Palestinian leaders will meet in Jerusalem on Thursday to try to resolve a crisis over disputed land that has paralyzed recently renewed peace negotiations, officials
said Wednesday.
The meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be their first since talks resumed earlier this month after seven years of violence. It comes just two weeks before U.S. President George W. Bush visits the region for the first time in his tenure, in an effort to build on momentum from a recent Mideast peace summit.
The return to the negotiating table was officially announced at that summit in the United States last month, hosted by Bush as part of his efforts to get the sides to sign a deal before he leaves office in January 2009.
UN, EU unable to overturn diplomats' expulsion
AP, Kabul
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan on Wednesday protested the Afghan government's decision to expel two senior European diplomats accused of holding unauthorized meetings with Taliban militants.
The diplomats - one works for the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the other is the acting head of the European Union mission - will leave the country on Thursday, as demanded by the Afghan government, officials said.
"We see no basis for such a decision but we respect the sovereignty of the government of Afghanistan and have every intention to abide by that decision," said Aleem Siddique, a
spokesman for the U.N. mission.