Awami League set to form majority government in Bangladesh

Dhaka: The Awami League (AL) has secured majority in the 10th parliamentary election of Bangladesh, winning 105 seats out of the 147 seats up for election Sunday, media reported.

The Election Commission has received final results of 139 seats out of the 147 in 159 districts where vote was held, as 153 others had returned uncontested winners. Jatiya Party won 13 seats, Workers Party got four seats and JaSaD seats, Twarikat Federation and BNF won one seat each, bdnews24.com reported citing results announced by the poll panel.

A total of 13 independent candidates have been elected. Almost all of them are Awami League leaders. Of the 153 uncontested candidates, 125 belong to Awami League, 20 to Jatiyta Party (Ershad), three to JaSaD, 2 to Workers' Party and 1 to Jatiya Party (Manju). In all, Awami League’s 232 candidates have been elected uncontested. The number for Jatiya Party is 33, Workers Party’s 6 and JaSaD’s 5.

Re-election will be held in the remaining constituencies where voting was suspended due to violence. This means the Awami League is going to form the next government with absolute majority. The party's allies Workers Party and JaSaD also won 11 seats. The Opposition-boycotted vote was held amid its strike and blockade Sunday, when at least 21 people died.  

IANS

Awami League set to form majority government in Bangladesh

Dhaka: The Awami League (AL) has secured majority in the 10th parliamentary election of Bangladesh, winning 105 seats out of the 147 seats up for election Sunday, media reported.

The Election Commission has received final results of 139 seats out of the 147 in 159 districts where vote was held, as 153 others had returned uncontested winners. Jatiya Party won 13 seats, Workers Party got four seats and JaSaD seats, Twarikat Federation and BNF won one seat each, bdnews24.com reported citing results announced by the poll panel.

A total of 13 independent candidates have been elected. Almost all of them are Awami League leaders. Of the 153 uncontested candidates, 125 belong to Awami League, 20 to Jatiyta Party (Ershad), three to JaSaD, 2 to Workers' Party and 1 to Jatiya Party (Manju). In all, Awami League’s 232 candidates have been elected uncontested. The number for Jatiya Party is 33, Workers Party’s 6 and JaSaD’s 5.

Re-election will be held in the remaining constituencies where voting was suspended due to violence. This means the Awami League is going to form the next government with absolute majority. The party's allies Workers Party and JaSaD also won 11 seats. The Opposition-boycotted vote was held amid its strike and blockade Sunday, when at least 21 people died.  

IANS

China probes nearly 37,000 officials for corruption

Beijing: China has investigated as many as 36,907 officials suspected of corruption from January to November in 2013, a report said Sunday. The officials were allegedly involved in 27,236 cases, 21,848 of these being major and important, reported Xinhua citing a statement from the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Major and important cases accounted for 80.2 percent of the total.

Procuratorial organs investigated and dealt with 16,510 cases that directly resulted in losses for the people, which involved 23,017 officials, the statement said. Of these cases, 12,824 were major and important, with more than 5.51 billion yuan (around $910 million) involved, it added. The Supreme People's Procuratorate issued more than 30 documents during the period to standardise law enforcement and improve the quality of handling corruption cases. The Supreme People's Procuratorate is the highest procuratorial organ in China and represents the state in independently implementing the right of prosecution.

IAN

China probes nearly 37,000 officials for corruption

Beijing: China has investigated as many as 36,907 officials suspected of corruption from January to November in 2013, a report said Sunday. The officials were allegedly involved in 27,236 cases, 21,848 of these being major and important, reported Xinhua citing a statement from the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Major and important cases accounted for 80.2 percent of the total.

Procuratorial organs investigated and dealt with 16,510 cases that directly resulted in losses for the people, which involved 23,017 officials, the statement said. Of these cases, 12,824 were major and important, with more than 5.51 billion yuan (around $910 million) involved, it added. The Supreme People's Procuratorate issued more than 30 documents during the period to standardise law enforcement and improve the quality of handling corruption cases. The Supreme People's Procuratorate is the highest procuratorial organ in China and represents the state in independently implementing the right of prosecution.

IAN

India to soon look for contracts to launch heavy satellites: ISRO chief

Sriharikota: The Indian space agency will confidently look for heavy satellite carriage contracts from foreign parties after it successfully launches one more Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket, its chief said Sunday.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K. Radhakrishnan also said the space agency is working with its American counterpart for development of a satellite.  The ISRO Sunday successfully launched a GSLV rocket with indigenous cryogenic engine. The rocket placed communication satellite GSAT-14 precisely in the intended orbit. "(After) Flying one more GSLV, we will be in a position to declare the rocket as commercially operational," Radhakrishnan told reporters after the launch. He said communication satellites are of various tonnage and ISRO's GSLV rocket can carry up to two tonnes. According to Radhakrishnan, there are niche satellites weighing around two tonnes. He said in another 12 months, the next GSLV rocket will be ready for a mission. Adding to that, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director S. Ramakrishnan said the GSLV rocket has attained maturity level.

With one more mission, GSLV will be as reliable as ISRO's other rocket - the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Ramakrishnan said. For ISRO to bag commercial launch contracts, the costs are in its favour. Radhakrishnan told IANS Saturday that the country pays around $85-90 million or around Rs.500 crore as launch fee for sending up a 3.5 tonne communication satellite whereas the GSLV rocket costs around Rs.220 crore and the GSAT-14 that went up Sunday evening costs around Rs.145 crore.

The ISRO can send smaller communication satellites - weighing around two tonnes - till such time it gets ready an advanced GSLV variant that can lug satellites weighing around four tonnes. Radhakrishnan said ISRO has lined up several satellite launches for the current GSLV rocket version.He said GSLV will be used to launch satellites GSAT-6, 7A, 9, GISAT and Chandrayaan-2/moon mission.

Radhakrishnan said GSLV-Mark III - the advanced version - is being developed and an experimental mission will be in April this year. The rocket will have a passive cryogenic stage/engine. The main purpose of the mission is to study the aerodynamics and stability of the rocket. He said the cryogenic engine for the next GSLV version will take around three years for being flight ready.

According to him, the next fiscal (April 2014-March 2015) would see ISRO launching three IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System) satellites, taking the total to four and all being ready for usage. Not agreeing with a view on the slow down in ISRO's commercial launches, Radhakrishnan said the agency will be launching French satellite SPOT-7 along with four small satellites using a PSLV.

He said ISRO will also be launching a 800-kg German satellite EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Programme), three British satellites each weighing around 300 kg and also a set of Canadian satellites. According to V.S. Hegde, chairman and managing director at Antrix Corporation, the company clocked a revenue of Rs.1,300 crore in 2012-13 and expects 15 percent growth in 2013-14.

IANS

India to soon look for contracts to launch heavy satellites: ISRO chief

Sriharikota: The Indian space agency will confidently look for heavy satellite carriage contracts from foreign parties after it successfully launches one more Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket, its chief said Sunday.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K. Radhakrishnan also said the space agency is working with its American counterpart for development of a satellite.  The ISRO Sunday successfully launched a GSLV rocket with indigenous cryogenic engine. The rocket placed communication satellite GSAT-14 precisely in the intended orbit. "(After) Flying one more GSLV, we will be in a position to declare the rocket as commercially operational," Radhakrishnan told reporters after the launch. He said communication satellites are of various tonnage and ISRO's GSLV rocket can carry up to two tonnes. According to Radhakrishnan, there are niche satellites weighing around two tonnes. He said in another 12 months, the next GSLV rocket will be ready for a mission. Adding to that, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director S. Ramakrishnan said the GSLV rocket has attained maturity level.

With one more mission, GSLV will be as reliable as ISRO's other rocket - the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Ramakrishnan said. For ISRO to bag commercial launch contracts, the costs are in its favour. Radhakrishnan told IANS Saturday that the country pays around $85-90 million or around Rs.500 crore as launch fee for sending up a 3.5 tonne communication satellite whereas the GSLV rocket costs around Rs.220 crore and the GSAT-14 that went up Sunday evening costs around Rs.145 crore.

The ISRO can send smaller communication satellites - weighing around two tonnes - till such time it gets ready an advanced GSLV variant that can lug satellites weighing around four tonnes. Radhakrishnan said ISRO has lined up several satellite launches for the current GSLV rocket version.He said GSLV will be used to launch satellites GSAT-6, 7A, 9, GISAT and Chandrayaan-2/moon mission.

Radhakrishnan said GSLV-Mark III - the advanced version - is being developed and an experimental mission will be in April this year. The rocket will have a passive cryogenic stage/engine. The main purpose of the mission is to study the aerodynamics and stability of the rocket. He said the cryogenic engine for the next GSLV version will take around three years for being flight ready.

According to him, the next fiscal (April 2014-March 2015) would see ISRO launching three IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System) satellites, taking the total to four and all being ready for usage. Not agreeing with a view on the slow down in ISRO's commercial launches, Radhakrishnan said the agency will be launching French satellite SPOT-7 along with four small satellites using a PSLV.

He said ISRO will also be launching a 800-kg German satellite EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Programme), three British satellites each weighing around 300 kg and also a set of Canadian satellites. According to V.S. Hegde, chairman and managing director at Antrix Corporation, the company clocked a revenue of Rs.1,300 crore in 2012-13 and expects 15 percent growth in 2013-14.

IANS

11 killed, 200 polling stations firebombed in deadly Bangladesh elections

DHAKA: Thousands of protesters firebombed polling stations and stole ballot papers as deadly violence flared across Bangladesh on Sunday during a walkover election boycotted by the opposition. Police said at least 11 people had been killed since late Saturday and more than 200 polling stations were set on fire or trashed by mobs in a bid by the opposition to wreck the one-sided contest. Two of those killed were beaten to death while guarding polling stations in northern districts which bore the brunt of the violence and are regarded as opposition strongholds. "We've seen thousands of protesters attack polling booths and our personnel at a number of locations with Molotov cocktails and petrol bombs," Syed Abu Sayem, police chief of the northern Bogra district, told AFP. "The situation is extremely volatile," he added after describing how thousands of ballot papers had been ceremoniously set on fire. Most of the other victims were opposition activists who were shot by police, while a driver died of his injuries from a Molotov cocktail attack on his truck. "We were forced to open fire after thousands of them attacked us with guns and small bombs," said Mokbul Hossain, police chief in the northern Parbatipur town. "It was a coordinated attack. They managed to seize some ballot papers and they were also trying to steal our weapons." In the capital, police confirmed at least two petrol bomb attacks on Dhaka polling stations. Tens of thousands of troops were deployed across the country after around 150 people had been killed in the build-up, but they failed to stem the bloodshed. The ruling Awami League has accused the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of orchestrating the violence, and has kept its leader under de facto house arrest. With the opposition trying to enforce a general strike as part of a strategy to wreck the polls, officials admit turnout could be worse than the previous low of 26 percent in a rigged 1996 election. AFP correspondents said there were no queues to vote, while local television reported that only a single person voted in the first three hours at one station. The outcome of the contest is not in doubt as voting is taking place in only 147 of the 300 parliamentary constituencies. Awami League candidates or allies have a clear run in the remaining 153. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government says it had to hold the vote after parliament's five-year term expired. "Yes, the festive mood is missing but this election is essential to ensure constitutional continuity," deputy law minister Quamrul Islam told AFP. The BNP, the largest of 21 parties who are refusing to take part, has called them a "scandalous farce". Its leader Khaleda Zia has been confined to her home for the last week, with riot police and water cannon posted outside her Dhaka residence. Those who did vote showed little enthusiasm. "I don't really want to vote as I don't think it's a proper election with only the ruling party candidates participating," Anwar Hossain said outside a polling station in Dhaka's Azimpur neighbourhood. "But I am scared about what might happen if I don't as the candidates might think I am anti-Awami League." Shopkeeper Niyamat Ullah said it was a pointless exercise. "I am not going to vote," he told AFP. "What kind of election is it when there's only a handful of voters at the polling centre and the two candidates are from the same party?" With the opposition charging that the election lacks credibility, analysts warn it will likely fuel violence after the bloodiest year of unrest since Bangladesh broke free from Pakistan in 1971. The former East Pakistan is the world's eighth most populous nation but also one of the poorest in Asia, and more turmoil will undermine efforts to improve the lot of its population of 154 million -- a third of whom live below the poverty line. Zia says any polls overseen by her arch enemy Hasina will not be fair, calling instead for them to be organised by a neutral caretaker government. A local rights group says more than 500 people have been killed since January 2013, including victims of clashes that erupted after the conviction of leading Islamists for crimes dating back to the 1971 war. The main Islamist party has been banned by the courts from taking part in the election, and its leaders are either in detention or have gone into hiding. Alarmed by the violence, the United States, European Union and Commonwealth all declined to send observers. Bangladesh has been plagued by instability since independence, with nearly 20 coups since 1975.

 

Samadhani attends Balagokulam programme, new controversy in League

MALAPPURAM: A new controversy has broken out in the Muslim League after the participation of Abdul Samad Samadhani MLA in a programme organised by the Balagokulam led by RSS. The MLA inaugurated the Swami Vivekanandan Jayanthi programme organised at Kottakkal. Apart from Samadhani, RSS and BJP leaders attended the programme. Criticisms have risen that Samadhai’s act was against the party stand.

Meantime, Samadhani said that he didn’t attend the programme of Sangh Parivar but attended it as it was a cultural one. Vivekanandan is the asset of the county. I spoke about Vivekanandan’s teachings and for that I don’t need the permission of the party, he said.

 

Samadhani attends Balagokulam programme, new controversy in League

MALAPPURAM: A new controversy has broken out in the Muslim League after the participation of Abdul Samad Samadhani MLA in a programme organised by the Balagokulam led by RSS. The MLA inaugurated the Swami Vivekanandan Jayanthi programme organised at Kottakkal. Apart from Samadhani, RSS and BJP leaders attended the programme. Criticisms have risen that Samadhai’s act was against the party stand.

Meantime, Samadhani said that he didn’t attend the programme of Sangh Parivar but attended it as it was a cultural one. Vivekanandan is the asset of the county. I spoke about Vivekanandan’s teachings and for that I don’t need the permission of the party, he said.

 

11 killed, 200 polling stations firebombed in deadly Bangladesh elections

DHAKA: Thousands of protesters firebombed polling stations and stole ballot papers as deadly violence flared across Bangladesh on Sunday during a walkover election boycotted by the opposition. Police said at least 11 people had been killed since late Saturday and more than 200 polling stations were set on fire or trashed by mobs in a bid by the opposition to wreck the one-sided contest. Two of those killed were beaten to death while guarding polling stations in northern districts which bore the brunt of the violence and are regarded as opposition strongholds. "We've seen thousands of protesters attack polling booths and our personnel at a number of locations with Molotov cocktails and petrol bombs," Syed Abu Sayem, police chief of the northern Bogra district, told AFP. "The situation is extremely volatile," he added after describing how thousands of ballot papers had been ceremoniously set on fire. Most of the other victims were opposition activists who were shot by police, while a driver died of his injuries from a Molotov cocktail attack on his truck. "We were forced to open fire after thousands of them attacked us with guns and small bombs," said Mokbul Hossain, police chief in the northern Parbatipur town. "It was a coordinated attack. They managed to seize some ballot papers and they were also trying to steal our weapons." In the capital, police confirmed at least two petrol bomb attacks on Dhaka polling stations. Tens of thousands of troops were deployed across the country after around 150 people had been killed in the build-up, but they failed to stem the bloodshed. The ruling Awami League has accused the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of orchestrating the violence, and has kept its leader under de facto house arrest. With the opposition trying to enforce a general strike as part of a strategy to wreck the polls, officials admit turnout could be worse than the previous low of 26 percent in a rigged 1996 election. AFP correspondents said there were no queues to vote, while local television reported that only a single person voted in the first three hours at one station. The outcome of the contest is not in doubt as voting is taking place in only 147 of the 300 parliamentary constituencies. Awami League candidates or allies have a clear run in the remaining 153. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government says it had to hold the vote after parliament's five-year term expired. "Yes, the festive mood is missing but this election is essential to ensure constitutional continuity," deputy law minister Quamrul Islam told AFP. The BNP, the largest of 21 parties who are refusing to take part, has called them a "scandalous farce". Its leader Khaleda Zia has been confined to her home for the last week, with riot police and water cannon posted outside her Dhaka residence. Those who did vote showed little enthusiasm. "I don't really want to vote as I don't think it's a proper election with only the ruling party candidates participating," Anwar Hossain said outside a polling station in Dhaka's Azimpur neighbourhood. "But I am scared about what might happen if I don't as the candidates might think I am anti-Awami League." Shopkeeper Niyamat Ullah said it was a pointless exercise. "I am not going to vote," he told AFP. "What kind of election is it when there's only a handful of voters at the polling centre and the two candidates are from the same party?" With the opposition charging that the election lacks credibility, analysts warn it will likely fuel violence after the bloodiest year of unrest since Bangladesh broke free from Pakistan in 1971. The former East Pakistan is the world's eighth most populous nation but also one of the poorest in Asia, and more turmoil will undermine efforts to improve the lot of its population of 154 million -- a third of whom live below the poverty line. Zia says any polls overseen by her arch enemy Hasina will not be fair, calling instead for them to be organised by a neutral caretaker government. A local rights group says more than 500 people have been killed since January 2013, including victims of clashes that erupted after the conviction of leading Islamists for crimes dating back to the 1971 war. The main Islamist party has been banned by the courts from taking part in the election, and its leaders are either in detention or have gone into hiding. Alarmed by the violence, the United States, European Union and Commonwealth all declined to send observers. Bangladesh has been plagued by instability since independence, with nearly 20 coups since 1975.