Corrupted Khaleda, Corrupted BNP

According to the BBC: “The charges relate to the awarding in 2004 of a contract to operate "BORO-POKORIA" coal mine in northern Bangladesh to a Chinese firm.” The assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Shamsul Alam, told AFP that: “irregularities over the awarding of a contract to run a coal mine in northern Bangladesh in 2004 led to state losses of $23 million dollars.” So it is clear their must be some under drawer relationship.

“This is the third graft case against the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) chief, who ruled the country from 2001 to 2006, notes the Hindustan Times. Rizvi Ahmad, spokesperson for the BNP, has declared that: “The charges which have been framed against the BNP chief are false, fabricated and are designed to taint her political image, banning her from future general elections," reports The Earth Times.

According to Reuters: “More than 170 key political figures have been detained since the interim authority took charge in January last year, following months of political violence.” Sheikh Hasina, who leads the Awami League party and was prime minister of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001, is also in custody on corruption.

Khandaker Delwar Hossain, the Begum Zia-nominated BNP secretary general, has stated: “Holding elections while Hasina and Begum Zia are both in jail would be unacceptable”, reports the Bangladesh Independent.

The BBC writes that instead of organizing elections within three months as laid down by the constitution, but the general peoples asks to the interim governent “please clean up Bangladesh's corrupt political system.

Stage set for BNP-govt dialogue

The stage is all set for the long-awaited "dialogue" between the government and the BNP at 11am Tuesday at the chief adviser's office. "Secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain will lead the BNP delegation," joint secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan told bdnews24.com Monday. "We will have discussions with the [Khaleda Zia] in the evening," he said. Heading the government team, chief adviser Fakhrudddin Ahmed will be joined by five other advisers—retired major general Ghulam Quader, AFM Hassan Ariff, Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Anwarul Iqbal and Hossain Zillur Rahman. More.....

AL ready to register Wednesday

Awami League acting president Zillur Rahman said the party was ready to submit its application, along with a draft of its amended constitution, for registration on Wednesday "in line with new electoral law". Presidium member Tofail Ahmed told a press briefing that the application would be submitted at noon Wednesday. Asked whether Awami League's decision to keep associate organisations was against the new Representation of the People Ordinance 2008, Tofail replied in the negative. He said AL's associate organisations would run according to their own constitution. More......

Banks to hire credit raters for risk assessment

Banks now will have to have their credit risks assessed by External Credit Assessment Institutes (ECAI), the Bangladesh Bank has said. More...

Anti-graft drive to go on if voted to power: AL

The Awami League has told the Dhaka-based diplomats that the party will continue to pursue the corrupt impartially if voted to power, but does not support purging of politicians. More...