| Dhaka-Kolkata train service in three months : Kader |
Md. Shafiqul Alam Khan, Director of Public Relations Department and Shafiullah Al Monir, CEO of Index signing the deal on beautification of Kamalapur Railway Station and establishing facilities there for passengers on behalf of BR and Dia Consortium respectively yesterday.
P View desk
Communications Advisor Maj Gen (Retd) Ghulam Quader today (Thursday) hoped Dhaka-Kolkata train service would start in three months. "I hope that the train service will start in three months as all preparations have been completed," he told reporters soon after Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty met him in his Office, UNB reports from Dhaka. The train service was scheduled to start late last year but hit snag for Indian demand of barbed wire fencing on the no-man's land at entry point on Chuadanga border.
"India is our neighbouring country and the train service would strengthen our relationship. We all be benefited if the train service started," he said.
Gen Quader who took over the communications ministry couple of days ago said a fresh proposal was sent to New Delhi with the hope that they will agree to it.
"Fencing on the no-man's land was Indian's condition but the new proposal sent to New Delhi excluding this pre-condition," he told a correspondent.
The matter will be discussed further between the two sides to reach a fruitful solution, he added. |
|
Ensure accomodation of
middle, low-income group
CDA Chairman inaugurates 2nd REHAB Fair |
Chairman of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Shah Mohammed Akhteruddin and President of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladedesh (REHAB), Mokarram Hossain Khan jointly inaugurating the second REHAB Fair at the Institute of Engineers, Chittagong by cutting ribbon on Thursday. Other executives and guests are also seen.
Staff Correspondent
Chairman of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) Shah Mohammad Akhteruddin said here on Thursday that the real estate developers should take up housing projects for ensuring accommodation for the people of low and middle-income group.
Appreciating the role of real estate developers he said that REHAB had been shouldering a job of solving housing crisis for the countrymen and it should take up such projects to be affordable for people of all levels.
He pledged that the CDA would all necessary cooperation in this regard. He was
addressing the inaugural ceremony of the three-day second REHAB fair as the chief guest at the premises of Engineers Institute Bangladesh (IEB), Chittagong unit in the city yesterday.
Chittagong chapter of Real Estate Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) hosted the fair considering financial capacity of people of Chittagong.
Chairman of the IEB, Chittagong chapter Engineer M Ali Ashraf addressed the inaugural ceremony as special guest while President of the REHAB (Real Estate Housing Association Bangladesh) Mokaram Hossain Khan presided over it.
Convener of the fair Kazi Aynul Haq, Chairman of
the fair standing committee architect Sayed Sirajul Haq and General Secretary of the REHAB Engineer Tanvirul Haq Probal also addressed it.
Visitors throng the stall of SANMAR Properties Limited at the REHAB Fair '08 held at the Institute of Engineers, Chittagong yesterday. Shah Mohammed Akhteruddin, Chairman of CDA and Mokarram Hossain Khan, President of REHAB jointly opens the stall of MISMAK Properties Limited by cutting a cake Thursday. Three visionary persons of real estate sector - Chief Executive Officer of sanmar Properties M I Khasru, Convener of the fair Dr. Kazi Aynul Haq and Chairman & managing Director of Mishmak Development Limited Mizanur rahman Shahin pose at the fair venue yesterday after visiting different stalls.
Photo : People's View
Speaking at the inaugural session, the CDA Chairman said that the CDA would always be sincere in approving plan quickly for the smooth implementation of any project.
"We're proceeding through a changed situation and you know I had approved a plan within a day which was found okayed but some officials kept it pending," he said.
He informed that an amended building code, which is totally different from Dhaka had already sent to Dhaka for final approval and it will help much for ensuring a planned city in Chittagong.
|
|
| HC stays proceedings
of Bijoy TV case |
P View Desk
The High Court yesterday (Thursday) stayed further proceedings of the Bijoy TV scam case against detained Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and its chief executive officer.
The case is now pending
with the Chittagong Divisional Special Judge's Court.
Bijoy TV went on air on December 16, 2006. Later the government stopped its operation after smelling rat in it, UNB reports from Dhaka. |
|
| Garment
manufacturing
industry in CEPZ |
P View Desk
A Denmark-Bangladesh joint venture company will set up a garment manufacturing industry in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone.
The foreign company, M/s A & B Outerwear Limited, will invest US$ 6 million and produce 2,500,000 pcs of garments items, UNB reports from Dhaka. The company
will create employment opportunity for 1,002 Bangladeshis and two foreign nationals.
An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and the Outerwear Limited in BEPZA Complex here Thursday
|
|
National News |
| Emergency to be relaxed
gradually : Gen Moeen |
P View Desk
Army Chief of Staff General Moeen U Ahmed Thursday asserted that the state of emergency would gradually be relaxed, saying it is quite obvious that emergency will not be in place ahead of election.
"It is the affair of the government to lift the state of emergency. Of course the government will relax it gradually," he told reporters at DOHS community center where he registered as voter, UNB reports from Dhaka .
His wife Begum Nazneen Moeen also registered as voter, as a countrywide programme is underway for preparing a new voting roll head of next elections.
Asked about completion of the voters' list, General Moeen said the preparation of the list would complete by July, or, maybe, in August. "I am sure it will complete."
After scrutiny, the voters' list will be finalized, said the army chief, whose force is aiding the gigantic task of making photo voter list plus national identity card.
And after completion of the voters' list, the elections will be held as per announced roadmap of the election commission, General Moeen told the journalists, giving an outline of the transitional process. |
|
| HC halts Hasina trial |
The High Court Thursday halted all proceedings of the extortion case filed against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina by Azam Jahangir Chowdhury.
The High Court bench of justices Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Shahidul Islam issued the stay order after hearing an appeal filed by Hasina. Meanwhile, a special court Thursday deferred to Jan 21 the hearing of deposition in the extortion case against Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim.
Judge Azizul Haque Thursday set the new date after defence lawyers appealed for extra time.
The lawyers stated in their appeal that they were not able to discuss the case details with the accused and
sought the court's permission to see them.
The judge asked them to submit a list of persons who wanted to meet the accused for him to instruct authorities to facilitate such meetings.
The lawyers for Hasina and Selim submitted two separate lists of 10 persons each to the court and said five from each list would like to meet the two accused over two days.
The judge ordered authorities to allow the meetings on Jan 19 and 20.
Hasina was produced in court at 9:28am and Selim at 9:10am.
The court started the case proceedings around 9:30am.
|
|
| Website on voter
registration
opened |
P View desk
A website on voter registration was inaugurated at the Election Commission office yesterday (Thursday) so people could check online their particulars as voters.
Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda inaugurated the website jointly set up by
the army and the Election Commission under the ongoing task of voter listing across the country, UNB reports from Dhaka.
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda formally inaugurates the voter registration web page at a ceremony after a press briefing at the commission office Thursday in a bid to ensure better accuracy of voter listing. Photo: Focus Bangla
"We're very happy for the website and we're very much committed to making a fair, correct and acceptable voter list," the CEC said at the inaugural function
|
|
| CA unfolds book
Bangladesher Muktijudhha |
P View desk
Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed Thursday unwrapped cover page of a book titled 'Bangladesher Muktijudhha' published by Bangladesh Army, chronicling the events of the country's liberation war. Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, Chief of General Staff Maj Gen Md Sina Ibne Jamali and Adjutant General Maj Gen Matiur Rahman were present on the occasion at the CA's office, UNB reports from Dhaka.
Published in seven volumes, the war-history book has been written on the basis of fundamental aspects where efforts were made to present before the people the innu
merable known and unknown battles and related incidents that occurred in various remote areas of the country.
|
|
Global News |
| Islamic militants attack bases in Pakistan |
Suspected Islamic militants attacked a Pakistani military base in the restive Afghan border region with rockets and small-arms fire, while four villagers were killed Thursday when mortars slammed into their homes, officials said. The violence followed the seizure by militants of a fort in the region that that left seven dead and 15 missing, eroding public confidence in the U.S.-allied government's ability to control the frontier area, where Taliban and al-Qaida fighters flourish. The mortars slammed into several homes in the rugged region, killing at least four civilians, two of them women, and wounding 13 others, residents and an intelligence official said. He requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The intelligence offical said it appeared the army fired the rounds, but a military spokesman denied it. "We don't care if Taliban and the security forces fight each other, but they should look out for the local population and avoid indiscriminate shelling which is hitting homes and killing innocent women and children," said Noor Muhammad, a resident in Kotakai village.
|
|
| India'Bangladesh try to
contain bird flu outbreak |
AP/UNB, Calcutta
India and Bangladesh searched for new cases of bird flu Thursday as authorities pressed ahead with plans to slaughter hundreds of thousands of birds in a bid to keep the outbreak from spreading, officials said. No human cases have been reported since the latest outbreak of bird flu was first discovered earlier this week. But nearly 56,000 birds have died from the disease in eastern India, where authorities have began slaughtering another 400,000 animals, most of them chickens. In Bangladesh, officials say about 20 birds have died and another 1,700 have been slaughtered.
Bangladeshi authorities say the outbreak in that country, which has so far been limited to a single poultry farm, is the H5N1 strain of the disease. In India, where the outbreak is more widespread, authorities say they are still conducting tests to determine what strain of bird flu killed the animals.
|
|
|
|
|
