BBC Bengali service has covered the crackdown on internet users in Bangladesh with 3 interviews. BBC has confirmed that Bangladeshi authorities are compiling a database of internet users in the country and all the ISPs [Internet Service Provider] have been instructed to submit their client details: name, address, usage details. We attach audio clips of […]

 

 BBC Bengali Service, Parikrama, October 4 - Russell T Ahmed [2:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 BBC Bengali Service, Provati, October 5 - Ahmed Ziauddin [4:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 BBC Bengali Service, Prattusha, October 5 - Sultana Kamal [4:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Dhaka Correspondent] Election Commission has asked the political parties to produce a list of war criminals who were convicted by court before raising demand for disqualifying them from contesting polls.
“You are demanding that war criminals should be barred from contesting polls. That they should not be allowed to register as voters. But we have so […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] BNP secretary-general, Khandakar Delwar Hossain, Thursday rejected Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan’s call for the party’s unity, and asked him to apologize if he wants to return.
“BNP is united under the leadership of Khaleda Zia, and Mannan Bhuiyan will have to apologize to the party and appeal to her for permission to return to the […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] United Kingdom urged the caretaker government, army and law-enforcement agencies of Bangladesh to act impartially with respect for public safety, human rights, media freedom and due process while carrying out reforms during the emergency rule.
“We will continue to urge the government, army and law enforcement agencies to act impartially, with respect for public […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] Malaysia Wednesday decided to suspend recruitment of Bangladeshis in the wake of recent problems taking place over sending the workers to Kuala Lumpur. Bangladesh high commission officials in Kuala Lumpur confirmed that the decision was made at a Malaysian cabinet meeting on recruiting foreign workers.
The meeting decided that Malaysian employers will not issue […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] Decisions on investment proposals from Tata and Asia Energy are set to take some more time due to confusion over gas reserves and absence of a national coal policy, finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam said Wednesday.
“We are sending out signals to foreign investors as we cannot decide on investment proposals from Tata and […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] BNP Wednesday said the prime task of the interim government is to hold national elections and hand over power to an elected government, other elections should not be in its agenda.
“The prime task of the caretaker government is to hold the national elections…The constitution says so,” BNP secretary general, Khandakar Delwar Hossain, […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] The Election Commission expects the government to promulgate an ordinance making national ID cards mandatory for citizens to get 22 services and to set up a national registration and database authority before initiating voters’ registration job in Dhaka slated for December.
Once the ordinance is promulgated, no one will be allowed access to the […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] The chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Tuesday refused to pass an instant order staying the bail granted by the High Court to detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia and posted an Anti-Corruption Commission petition. for a full-bench hearing Thursday.
Justice M Hasan Ameen, chamber judge of the Appellate […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] A group of Myanmar refugees, including monks, staged a peaceful demonstration near the Myanmar embassy in Dhaka Tuesday, protesting against the killing of many demonstrators by the military junta and demanding restoration of democracy in the country which has been under army rule for a long time.
Protesters, during their hour-long demonstration that began […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] Protests, crackdown in Myanmar have prompted Bangladesh to alert its border security forces, sources in the Bangladesh Rifles confirmed. Bangladesh has a 271-km-long porous border with Myanmar. Security has been tightened and special surveillance has been initiated in Teknaf border areas, a senior official of the Bangladesh Rifles said, “We are keeping a […]

[Shahnawaz Alam, Sports Desk.] The first ODI of Sri Lanka against England was held in Dambulla where the home side outperformed England at every aspect of the game. Jayawardene scored 66 runs to help Sri Lanka score 269 runs for 7 wickets and Maharoof’s impressive bowling contained the English, taking 4 wickets for 31 runs […]

Banner: Sourov.
[Zafa Noor, USA.]
It has been two weeks since Arifur Rahman’s cartoon “Naam” was published which prompted the Bangladesh police to take him to jail and lock him up without pressing any formal charges or allowing him any legal representation in his defense. Arif was picked up from his Uttara residence under Section 54 of […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] Security forces in Bangladesh killed at least 157 people in the last 9 months, according to a survey conducted by human rights watchdog Odhikar.
Of the victims, 83 were killed by the Rapid Action Battalion, 52 by police, 7 by army, 7 by joint forces, 3 by navy and 1 by officers of narcotics […]

[Dhaka Correspondent] Awami League and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) Monday decided to place identical proposals during their dialogs with the Election Commission calling for a bar on party registration and poll participation by any religion-based political party.
Leaders of both the organizations at an inter-party meeting also denounced the Chief Election Commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, for […]