E-Bangladesh

[Dhaka Correspondent] High Court Wednesday declared illegal the ACC notice asking the wealth statement of detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The High Court bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury delivered the verdict after hearing a writ petition filed by Hasina, Awami League president, challenging the commission’s notification issued on her July 17. ACC may appeal against the High Court verdict.

Read the rest of this entry »

[Dhaka Correspondent] Journalist and human rights advocate Jahangir Alam Akash secured bail from a Rajshahi court and was later released from Rajshahi central jail Monday. Akash’s lawyer submitted a bail petition with the Rajshahi district and sessions judge’s court and the judge, AR Masud, granted Akash bail and posted the next hearing for Sunday. RAB picked up Akash, bureau chief of the CSB News and staff reporter of Sangbad, on October 24 as a case was filed against him by one Abdul Jalil of Kandra at Puthia on October 23.

[Photo: Cyclone, a baby born during the onslaught of Sidr.]

[Mashuqur Rahman, USA.]

Cyclone Sidr battered Bangladesh last Thursday taking an yet unknown number of lives in its path. The latest official reports put the death toll over 2000. No one really knows how high the death toll will climb since rescuers have not yet reached all of the devastated areas. The Bangladesh Red Crescent is warning that the death toll could top 10,000.

Read the rest of this entry »

[Dhaka Correspondent] High Court Sunday stayed Election Commission’s dialog on electoral reforms with the government-backed faction of BNP, scheduled to be held on November 22. High Court bench of Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana and Justice MA Tarique stayed, for four weeks, the operation of EC’s invitation letter to M Hafizuddin Ahmed, who was appointed the acting secretary-general of the party at a controversial meeting attended by some members of the party standing committee.

Read the rest of this entry »

[Press statement] It gives us a great pleasure to make this statement that after 4 months of tireless effort by a good number of the company’s agents and the former directors of First Solution Money Transfer Ltd. with the support from the Official Receiver’s office in London, a deal has been struck to ensure that the creditors of the company receives as much of their hard earned cash as possible which they have lost due to the unfortunate collapse of First Solution in June 2007.

Read the rest of this entry »

[Dhaka Correspondent] Two BNP factions Sunday demanded immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency to enable political parties to carry out relief activities in the cyclone-hit areas without hindrances. The factions also called on the government to release the party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, immediately and let her visit the affected areas and engage in relief operations.

Read the rest of this entry »

[Dhaka Correspondent] ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission) Sunday asked 11, out of the 35 corruption suspects on the latest list, including retired justice Fazlul Haque and the Dhaka mayor, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, to submit wealth statements in seven working days, a senior commission official told newsmen. ACC also approved proposals for filing a charge sheet against the detained Chittagong mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, CCC chief engineer Moktadir Alam and former secretary Imtiaz Hossain, in a corruption case filed against them by the local commission officials.

Read the rest of this entry »

[Urgent donation links.]

[International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.]

With Cyclone Sidr’s reported death toll now climbing above 500 [read 1700+], the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is appealing for 4 million Swiss francs ($3.6 million US/

–

[Rezwan, Germany.]

According to latest reports by bdnews24.com tropical super cyclone Sidr strikes Bangladesh at category 4 hurricane velocity.

Latest updates from different news sources so far:

Read the rest of this entry »

[Dhaka Correspondent] Met Office Wednesday evening flagged great danger signal 10 as cyclonic storm Sidr in the Bay of Bengal strengthened. It is likely to cross the Khulna-Barisal coast this noon. Minimum sustained wind speed within 74 km of the storm center is about 190 kmph, rising to 210 kmph in gusts and squalls, a special bulletin of the Storm Warning Center said. Army, navy, police, RAB and other forces in the coastal areas have been asked by the authorities to stand by in case of any emergency.

Read the rest of this entry »