Dhaka, Delhi on a hope ride

Dhaka, Delhi on a hope ride

 

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will come to Bangladesh on a two-day official visit on September 6, longstanding issues like Teesta water sharing, border demarcation, exchange of enclaves, transit and trade deficit.

He will visit Bangladesh at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Dhaka and New Delhi simultaneously announced the schedule of his visit yesterday afternoon.

The visit several memorandums of understanding on a 15-year interim arrangement for Teesta water sharing, border management, transit, cooperation in trade and railway, and projects under India's $1 billion credit to Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Krishna at a press conference at his South Block office, said he would meet President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia.

NATIONAL BUDGET OF BANGLADESH.2011-2012, Economy in grave situation

BNP'S BUDGET view,Economy in grave situation

 

BNP chairperson and leader of the opposition Begum Khaleda Zia has outlined her party's alternative budget in a televised presentation to the nation in an apparent move to drive home the opposition views on the national budget.

          It was a jam packed house with BNP and other opposition political leaders, journalists, lawyers, academics, diplomats, other professionals and functionaries of different civil society organizations.

          Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina however, immediately rejected the BNP's budgetary proposals and policy outlines saying the house will not take into cognizance any such proposals since they were made out side the house.

          She said Begum Zia does not love Parliament, she loves hotel, winter garden of Rupashi Bangla hotel as she made the presentation there and so her government is not bothered about it. Her comments appeared to have camouflaged indecent hints.

          Nonetheless, Begum Zia's presentation of the alternative budget, as political analysts say may give the government the opportunity to review some of its fiscal measures and make them more acceptable to people, as she said.

          They hoped, despite the Prime Minister's outright rejection of the BNP's proposals on the next budget, the government may take some of its good suggestion in greater national interest.

          Begum Zia in her presentation said the country's economy is at a mess, all macroeconomic indicators are on the decline and yet the government is showing a higher GDP growth rate based on tailored and distorted statistics. It is thus misleading the nation.

INDIAN PM must come under Lokpal ambit.

PM must come under Lokpal ambit, says Digvijay Singh

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Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Sunday created a flutter by endorsing civil society's demand to bring the prime minister and the higher judiciary under the ambit of Lokpal, taking the government and his party colleagues by surprise.

          "My view is that the prime minister, judiciary, NGOs and industrial houses should also be brought under the ambit of Lokpal. But there should be a system to ensure that the Lokpal does not misuse its power," Singh said at his hometown Raghogarh on Sunday evening, according to agency reports.

          Although Singh appeared to be critical of the efforts of a few people to "exert pressure on the government" — seen by many as a reference to the campaign by Anna Hazare -- his statement that PM and higher judiciary should be within Lokpal's jurisdiction may embarrass the government.

          The government has ruled out including PM and higher judiciary within the ambit of the anti-graft ombudsman and appears to be headed for a confrontation with civil society on the issue.

             Singh said."If he had to continue his agitation then he should not have broken his fast. And if he had kept a fast for some demands then he should not have broken it without its fulfillment. It was all a nautanki," 

             Singh also commented on social activist Anna Hazare on the occasion. "Anna Hazare should also not go on fast and participate constructively in the drafting committee of the Lokpal bill."

          "Ramdev had done his work, now government agencies will do their work," he added. The former chief minister did not forget to
target the BJP for supporting the yoga guru. "The BJP which had supported Ramdev also did not get anything from it.