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EU calls for credible city elections

The European Union has insisted that Bangladesh’s all actors “must refrain from any actions that could spark further violence” in the run up to city polls on 28 April. “We look to political leaders to create favourable conditions for peaceful, inclusive, eutransparent and credible elections to take place,” the EU spokesperson said in a statement issued in Brussels on Friday. A number of international actors including the United Nations and the United States issued similar statements underlining the importance of peaceful voting in Dhaka and Chittagong. Withou...

Bangladesh happier than India: UN report

Indians are less happy than their counterparts in Bangladesh, according to a report published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), which is a global initiative for the United Nations (UN). street-childrenIndia comes in at the 117th spot out of 158 countries in the 2015 World Happiness Report. The report takes into account GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support and freedom to make life choices as indicators of happiness. India’s rank dropped six notches from the 2013 report, when it was on t...

Bangladesh to simplify visa process of Nepalese

Bangladesh has agreed to simplify the process of granting visa on arrival to overland Nepali travellers at two border points, Banglabandha and Burimari. Although the facility is already in force, there is a lengthy documentation procedure. bd-nepalBangladesh expressed its willingness to cut the paperwork during the bilateral trade talks that concluded in Kathmandu on Thursday. An eight-member Bangladeshi delegation led by Monoj Kumar Roy, additional secretary of the Commerce Ministry of Bangladesh, and the Nepali team led by Jib Raj Koirala, joint secr...

Bangladesh’s invisible garment factories on a map

It has been two years since the Rana Plaza Complex outside Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,130 people inside, most of whom were female garment workers. The tragedy launched an imperative to protect workers’ safety in Bangladesh, which is one of the world’s top three producers of clothing (pdf, p.7). A deadly lack of fire safety equipment and marked exits, forced labor, child labor, and the freedom for workers to organize are among the many issues that still need to be addressed. rana-plaza-1jpgThe mapping project...

Tower Hamlet mayor guilty of corruption

The election of controversial Tower Hamlets mayor has been declared void after he was found guilty of corruption and illegal practices by an Election Court judge. rahmanLutfur Rahman played “race” and “religious” cards and was guilty of “corrupt practice”, Election Commissioner Richard Mawrey, who sat as a judge in the High Court, said. He described an “alarming state of affairs in Tower Hamlets” driven by the “ruthless ambition of one man”. Mr Mawrey said Rahman had “driven a coach and horses” through local authority law and had been an “e...

UN chief for credible city polls

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said transparent, inclusive, and credible city elections are possible in a secure and safe environment for campaigning in Bangladesh. Ban ki Moon“The secretary general reiterates his appeal for transparent, inclusive, and credible elections, which are only possible in a secure and safe environment for campaigning,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Ban Ki-moon, said yesterday. Asked about the reported attacks on the motorcade of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, the spokesman said “UN is aware that th...
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