Nation goes to polls today
December 29, 2008
Massive security measures for 9th JS elections
Staff Correspondent
EC completes preparations for election. Photo : Banglar Chokh
Displaying a landmark progress in the quest for “a government of the people, by the people and for the people”, the nation goes to polls today (Monday) to elect the 9th parliament amid massive security Read more
Khaleda feels relaxed, upbeat
December 29, 2008
Staff correspondent
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Sunday said that she was feeling relaxed after completing preparations and hectic campaigns across the country for the general polls on Monday.
‘I feel relaxed as I have done all the works, and still I am in good health,’ Khaleda Zia told while exchanging views with newsmen at the National Press Club on Sunday.
Attired with a yellow sari, Khaleda Zia came at the press club in joyous mood to share views like the Read more
AL expects ‘absolute majority’
December 29, 2008
Foreign observers hope polls will be free, fair
Staff Correspondent
The European Parliamentary Party, the European Union polls observation team and the National Democratic Institute on Sunday hoped that Bangladesh’s ninth parliamentary polls today would be free and fair through which the people would elect a new government.
‘We hope that the best election will be held this time in Bangladesh’, Charles Tannock, chairman of a 10-member delegation of the European Parliamentary Party and the EU polls observation team, told Read more
Cast your vote wisely
December 29, 2008
CA tells nation
Unb, Dhaka
Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed has urged the electorates to cast their votes wisely and appealed to the political parties to gracefully accept the results of today’s crucial general election.
“Let us get united and participate in an appropriate democratic process. I hope tomorrow’s parliament elections will be a classic example not only for our nation but also in the international domain,” he said in his address to the nation over radio and television last night.
In his apparently last national address as head of the caretaker government, Fakhruddin told the voters that the stature of their representatives and mode of development in their areas as well as overall development depend on their decision.
“You are now sitting in the chair of judge… Keep it in mind that we are going to take a decision for five years through our single day’s verdict. We’ll not make mistake in Read more
Stern action for negligence
December 29, 2008
CEC warns poll officials again
Unb, Dhaka
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda has urged the voters to cast their votes judiciously in today’s national election.
“Don’t vote at the instigation of anybody, cast vote by using your intellect and conscience to achieve your cherished dream,” he said in a televised address to the nation last night.
The CEC also directed the presiding and returning officers across the country to discharge their election duties impartially and in accordance with the election rules and regulations.
“I ask all returning and presiding officers to discharge their assigned duties neutrally. If there is any negligence in this respect, stern action will be taken against those responsible,” he cautioned.
The CEC said after completion of vote casting, the presiding officers must start ballot counting in presence of candidates or their agents and two local election observers.
“After counting, the presiding officers will take signatures of the polling agents and hang the Read more
Vote or ‘No’ vote?
December 29, 2008
bdnews24.com, Dhaka
“Can you tell me what to do? There are three candidates in my constituency, but none of them are any good. I don’t find any reason to go and vote.”
A voice comes to the help of this unhappy voter. “You can still apply your voting rights if you don’t like any of the contestants of your constituency. You can vote ‘No’.”
This is how the Election Commission has been running advertisements on television channels and other media for days to raise awareness about the ‘No’ vote, a first in Bangladesh elections.
But despite the colourful campaign, it appears that some are still not aware of the new provision, Read more
Past elections at a glance
December 29, 2008
Unb, Dhaka
The first national election in independent Bangladesh was held on March 7, 1973 where a total of 1,209 candidates, including 120 independents, contested 300 seats.
Of the total 35,205,642 registered voters, 19,329,683 (54.91%) voters exercised their franchise in the first election. Awami League secured 293 seats while the rest seven seats were shared by smaller parties and independents.
The election to the second parliament was held on February 28, 1979 with the participation of 2,547 Read more
Looking back at events of last 2 years
December 29, 2008
Rakib Hasnet Suman
The country is ready to return to normal through today’s election after a lot of dramatic turns of events during the last two years’ rule under a state of emergency that resulted from confrontational politics.
The root of the crisis lies in the BNP-led four-party alliance government’s passing the 14th constitution amendment bill on May 16, 2004 to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court judges to 67 from 65. The then opposition rejected it outright, terming it a plot to set up a partisan caretaker Read more
24 killed in Tangail road mishap
December 29, 2008
Our Correspondent . Tangail
At least 24 persons were killed and 15 others injured when a truck fell into a road-side ditch at Garinda near Tangail town on Sunday morning.
The police, quoting the witnesses, said the accident had taken place at about 9:00am when a Bogra-bound rod-laden truck from Dhaka, also carrying 45 people plunged into a road-side ditch killing 23 on the spot and injuring 16 others.
The victims were mostly day-labourers coming to their villages of different districts on board the Read more
6 lakh security personnel deployed
December 29, 2008
Staff Reporter
At least 600,000 security personnel, including nearly 50,000 army troops have been deployed across the country to ensure a smooth election today for a new parliament and government.
Home Ministry officials said yesterday the deployment of law enforcers at polling centers began from 6:00am and election materials started to be moved to remote centers under strict security.
They said ballot boxes, ballot papers and other materials will be dispatched to remote centers in the three hill districts in southeast by helicopters.
The officials said 80,567 police, Rapid Action Battalion and Armed Police Battalion and 466,000 Read more