Daylong hartal in Hatiya

NOAKHALI, May 17 (UNB): A faction of BCL, student wing of the ruling Awami League, enforced hartal in isolated Hatiya island today when two persons were wounded. Nasiruddin (35), and Ashiq (25), wounded in attack by rival group were admitted to Hatiya Health Complex. The administration had imposed Section 144 in troubled areas of the upazila town as the rival groups of BCL engaged in conflicts and clashes raising tension among the people. Upazila AL president Prof Waliullah said his party was not involved in the hartal and conflicts. Vested groups linked with the pirates were trying to destabilize the situation for their personal gains. Meanwhile, a case was filed with Hatiya thana accusing 148 AL activists including Mohammad Ali for armed attack on Oskhali home of Fazlul Azim, Independent MP, Monday. 5 Muhith to place budget June 9 Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith will place in parliament the national budget for financial year (FY) 2011-12 on June 9, reports BSS. Like last year, the finance minister would place the budget through PowerPoint presentation, official sources said. This will be the third budget of the grand alliance government, which came to power through a landslide victory in the December 2008 election under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On the same day, the minister would place the supplementary financial statement, demands for grants and appropriations (development and non-development), annual financial statement and economic review-2011. The next budget is expected to be much higher than the last two budgets of the present government to accommodate a bigger annual development programme (ADP) and to address some major challenges including soaring inflation, declining remittance inflow and rising commodity prices. The finance minister already indicated that the size of the next budget could be around Taka 1600 billion while the size of the ADP would be 30 per cent higher to Taka 460 billion from the current year's revised ADP of Taka 351.30 billion.