Dhaka, Nov 14 (UNB) – A fierce clash broke out between police and BNP leaders and activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan Central office here on Wednesday, disrupting traffic in the areas.

Witness said BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas along with his several hundred supporters  marched towards their party office around 12:30pm and started staging a showdown there, halting traffic on the road.

Police tried to remove the BNP men from a portion of the road so that vehicles can pass through, but failed to do so.

At one stage, they locked into an altercation with the BNP leaders and activists and started charging batons to maintain the law and order.

BNP leaders and activists also started hurling brickbats at the cops, triggering a fierce clash between the two sides.

A chase-and-counter-chase was going on there till filing of the report around 1:25pm. Police also lobbed teargas to disperse the BNP activists.

The unruly BNP men then torched a police van and vandalised some others in the Nayapaltan area.

BNP assistant office secretary Taipul Islam Tipu told UNB that the clash broke out around 12:55 pm as the police were trying to obstruct their leaders and activists from gathering in front of their office.

Traffic in the areas came to a complete halt following the clash.

Gopalganj, Nov 14 (UNB) – German Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Fahrenholtz on Tuesday said free, fair, peaceful and credible elections is needed in Bangladesh.

The ambassador came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj on Tuesday night.

“My country wants to see the practice of democracy in Bangladesh and for this reason a free, fair, credible and peaceful election is needed here as well as participations of all parties. I hope all the political parties will take part in the next election,” he said.

Bangladesh set an example in the economic development and the country has achieved much in the last ten years, the ambassador further said. 

“It will turn into a middle-income country soon,” he added.

Dhaka, Nov 14 (UNB) - Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted distant warning signal No 2 as the cyclonic storm ‘Gaja’ over Southwest bay and adjoining Southeast bay and central bay moved slightly West-Northwestwrads over the same area.

It was centred at 06 am on Wednesday about 1260 km Southwest of Chattogram port, 1205 km Southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 1165 km Southwest of Mongla port and 1150 km Southwest of Payra port, said a special bulletin of Met office. 

It is likely to intensify further and move in a west-southwesterly direction.

Maximum sustained wind speed within 54 km of the cyclone centre is about 62 kph rising to 88 kph in gusts/squalls. Sea will remain very rough near the cyclone centre.

All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice. They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea.
 

Dhaka, Nov 13 (UNB) – The interview of those who have collected nomination papers to contest the forthcoming general election with Awami League tickets will be held on Wednesday.  

Awami League Parliamentary Board (ALPB) will interview the aspirants from 11am at party President Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office.

ALPB President Sheikh Hasina will preside over the interview session.

Staff members at the AL chief’s political office were passing a busy time in sorting out the nomination papers submitted by the party aspirants.

A total of 4,023 party leaders collected nominations forms to contest the election with AL tickets.

“We’re busy scrutinising the nominations papers based on different criteria of the party to interview the nomination aspirants tomorrow (Wednesday),” said AL Office Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap on Tuesday.

The party fund has been credited with more than Tk 12 crore from the sale of nomination forms, he added.

Many aspirants were also seen submitting their nomination forms on Tuesday as the deadline was extended till 6pm.

A huge number of party leaders and activists gathered in front of the President Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office since morning while nomination seekers were staging showdowns by gathering huge supporters, displaying colourful banners, placards, festoons and decorated vehicles.   

On Friday, the ruling Awami League started selling nomination forms after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 11th national election on Thursday.

However, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Monday announced a fresh reschedule for the 11th parliamentary elections saying the polls will be held on December 30 instead of December 23.

The last date for submission of nomination papers is November 28 instead of November 19, he added.
 

Dhaka, Nov 13 (UNB) – The government has merged two cadres of the civil administration – admin and economic -- aiming to ensure a more dynamic, coordinated and people-friendly administrative system.

The Public Administration Ministry issued a gazette notification on Tuesday in this regard.

As per the notification, all the posts and manpower of the Bangladesh Civil Service (Admin) and BCS (Economic) cadres will be considered as BCS (admin) cadre.