Jute cultivation doubles on strong global demand

Jute cultivation has nearly doubled this year from that of 2010 thanks mainly to a sustainable price and multipurpose use of the fibre across the globe.

According to the Directorate of Agricultural Extension data, around 8.33 lakh hectares of land has been brought under jute cultivation this year. The area was around 4.8 lakh hectares last year with the yield standing at 50.79 lakh bales or 10.58 bales per hectare.

The DAE estimates this year's total yield of raw jute at 88.30 lakh bales, based on an assumed average production of 10.6 bales per hectare.

The DAE at the beginning of this year had targeted jute cultivation in 7.5 lakh hectares of land with an estimated production of 79.5 lakh bales. 

The area brought under jute cultivation has nearly doubled year on year as farmers are now more eager and encouraged to cultivate the cash crop due to a rising price trend fuelled by increased demand as well as more diverse use of jute across the world, said DAE deputy director Moshleh Uddin Faruque.

DAE officials however apprehend that the assumed increased yield of the fibre following the cultivation boost may result in the farmers incurring loss as traders often take the opportunity of overproduction to lower the price.

Faruque said the government should take steps to procure jute from the farmers at a sustainable price to prevent such an eventuality.

He said the DAE had already submitted a proposal to the jute ministry for allocating a fund of Tk 500 crore to Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation for procuring jute from the farmers at a reasonable price. However, the decision on the proposal is yet to be made, he added.

In terms of cultivation area, Jessore tops the districts with 2.15 lakh hectares of land brought under jute cultivation, followed by Barisal with 2.08 hectares, Rangpur with 1.19 lakh hectares, Rajshahi with 1.37 lakh hectares, Mymensingh with 0.86 lakh hectares, and Dhaka with 0.52 lakh hectares. Jute has also been cultivated in 0.16 lakh more hectares of land in Comilla, Sylhet, and Chittagong districts.

Faruque said the state-owned Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory Limited has manufactured around 15,396 jute fibre separators (ribbon retting devices) worth Tk 3.62 crore under a government initiative. The devices that can separate fibres from jute stalks with very little water will be distributed among the targeted farmers by July 15.

DAE officials said the devices would be distributed among the targeted farmers of 171 upazilas in the districts that usually see little rainfall like Naogaon, Pabna, Thakurgaon, Kurigram, Dinajpur, and Jessore.

The Bangladesh Jute Research Institute in collaboration with the DAE has trained a number of farmers on how to operate the ribbon retting devices.

The local jute industry, which employs around 1.50 lakh workers, has now become the second largest export earner after the readymade garment industry.

The jute sector in fiscal 2009-10 logged 76 per cent higher export earnings year on year at $736 million, equivalent to Tk 5,225 crore approximately, and the demand for Bangladeshi jute on the global market continues to be buoyant in the current fiscal year too.

In the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, the country has earned $1030.57 million from export of jute and jute goods, posting a 42.04 per cent year-on-year rise. Of the sum, raw jute exports accounted for $331.61 million, jute yarn and twine $463.58 million, jute sack and jute bag $188.86 million, and other jute products $46.52 million.

Source : New Age

Reformed science edn stressed to cut unemployment

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Monday said that science education of the country needed redesigning to address unemployment.

'Every year 30 lakh people enter the job market in search of employment. It is not possible for the government to provide jobs for so many. But they can be self-employed by generating work for themselves. In this regard a proper science education can help them create their

own occupations,' Nahid said.

He was addressing as the chief guest a two-day international workshop titled 'scientific education for sustainable development,' jointly organised by the education ministry, UNESCO and Commission for Sustainable Development in the South at the BIAM auditorium in the capital.

Education secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and head of UNESCO Dhaka office Derek Elias spoke at the workshop, among others.

The government will undertake programmes to facilitate the scientific research work in the country so that the researchers do not have to go abroad for it, he further said.

The government also intends to immediately implement the National Education Policy 2010, which stresses the importance of vocational education, he added.

A total of 34 representatives from 21 countries attended the workshop.

Source : New Age

Demand for constitutional recognition of ethnic people

Civic groups on Monday demanded specific provisions in the Constitution of the Republic enshrining civil, political and cultural rights of all ethnic minorities.

'It's necessary for building peace,' they said.

They were speaking at the launching of a book containing national and international laws on indigenous peoples hosted by Kapaeeng Foundation and Oxfam-GB at the National Planning Academy. Kapaeeng, a Khumi word of Bandarban means 'right.'

Chakma circle chief Devashish Roy, assistant attorney general Pratikar Chakma and lawyer Shirin Lira, jointly edited the book, 'Compendium on National and International Laws and Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh.'

Justice SK Sinha of the Appellate Division expressed the hope that following amendment specific provisions would be incorporated in the Constitution enshrining the rights of the country's population groups having their own culture and customs that make them distinct from the country's mainstream population.

Raja Devashish Roy, himself a barrister, said that Constitutional recognition of ethnic peoples, particularly their customary laws and contracts like CHT accord 1997, was a must for upholding rule of law and justice.

Devashish said that for the implementation of the CHT Accord it was essential for it to have constitutional recognition.

Otherwise, he said, the constitutionality of implementation of the CHT Accord and the legality of the regional council formed in according with the Accord could be questioned as it happened recently.

Devashish recalled a recent HC decision which struck down the regional council as unconstitutional.

He said it was, therefore, essential for the CHT Accord to have constitutional recognition.

He said that the HC questioned the legality of the accord as it lacked the recognition.

Raja Devashish said, 'Recognition in the constitution is a must to ensure our rights.'

A former caretaker government adviser, Devashish said that the word 'tribal' and its bangle version 'Upajati' is derogatory and unacceptable.

He said that it would be totally unacceptable to use the term  'tribal' in the amended Constitution to describe the ethnic minorities.

He expressed the hope that the government would use the correct terms to describe and identify the ethnic minorities.   

Former chief justice and caretaker government chief adviser M Habibur Rahman said it would be good for all, not to create new conflicts. 

He said that reconciliation alone could provide a solution.

Justice Rahman called for ensuring the community based right to land and the customary rights of the indigenous peoples.

Oxfam-GB programme manager MB Akhter and programme officer Saikat Biswash, Kapaeeng Foundation chairperson Rabindranath Soren, Human rights and legal education committee chairman ZI Khan Panna spoke, among others.

Source : New Age

Change in temperature unlikely

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at most places over the Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions and at many places over the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions till 6:00pm today.

Moderately heavy to heavy falls are also likely at places over the country, Met Office said.

Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital today at 6:50pm and rises tomorrow at 5:14am.

The country's highest temperature, 33.0 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Monday at Ishwardi and the lowest, 24.5 degrees, in Rangamati.

Source : New Age

Narayaganj starts its journey as city corporation

Narayanganj started its journey as a city corporation on Sunday with taking over charges by the newly-appointed administrator Mohammad Shah Kamal, also joint secretary of primary and mass education ministry.

Situated on the eastern bank of the River Sitalakhya Narayanganj was upgraded into a city corporation with merger of Kadamrasul municipality in Bandar upazila, Siddhirganj town and Narayanganj last month.

The announcement was made through a gazette notification by the LGRD ministry on May 5.

With publication of the gazette Narayanganj became the 8th city corporation of the country.

Though appointment of Shah Kamal as administrator of the city corporation was made on Thursday he attended his duty at Narayanganj City Corporation office on Sunday.

With taking over office by the administrator, Narayanganj ceased to exist as municipality and formally started its journey as city corporation, according to the local government administration rule.

The administrator will conduct policy-making and administrative activities of Narayanganj until a mayor is elected to the newly-declared city corporation.

However, most of the local representatives, including former ward councillors, elite of the city, businessmen and general public want an elected mayor and councillors run the city after holding of city corporation polls.

Source : New Age

RU students stage sit-in for TSCC

Rajshahi University students on Monday staged an hour-long sit-in in front of the university administrative building, demanding immediate construction of Teachers-Students' Cultural Centre.

About two hundred students, including activists of different political and cultural organisations of the university, brought out a procession that marched along the campus thoroughfares.

Later, the students gathered in front of the university administrative building at 12:00pm and staged sit-in, sources added.

They performed street drama, music and other cultural progrmmes during their sit-in to drum up support for their demands, sources also added.

When contacted, RU vice chancellor Abdus Sobhan told the New Age that a decision on TSCC would be taken in Monday's (yesterday) syndicate meeting. 

Source : New Age

Ctg developers urged to abide by bldg code

Chittagong Development Authority chairman Abdus Salam on Monday called on the property developers to go by the building construction rules properly in the Chittagong city.

Abdus Salam made the call at a meeting of the Chittagong city development committee at the CDA office.

He said that the real estate companies must follow the Bangladesh National Building Code and Chittagong Metropolitan City Building Construction Rules 1995 particularly because the city fell in a highly earthquake prone region. 

'The CDA in its resolve to ensure the quality of building construction will identify the violators of the construction rules and take action against them,' he said.

The apartment buyers suffer the worst for the activities of the dishonest property developers, he observed, adding that the CDA would train its engineers who had joined the office just finishing their graduation.

The CDA will soon begin enlisting the real estate establishments and soil testing companies that are mushrooming in the city, he said.

At the meeting Mohammad Jahangir, chair of the Chittagong city development committee, presented the investigation report on 22 construction projects for which their companies were accused of violating the related rules.

Mohammad Jahangir also informed that there were around one lakh and eighty-two thousand buildings in the port city of which around 90 per cent were built defying the BNBC.

'According to the extent of violation of the rules, we have classified these buildings under major, medium and minor categories,' he said, adding that the offender companies would be fined.

He also said that the Chittagong city development committee would continue its investigation.

With the CDA chairman in the chair the meeting was also addressed, among others, by Ali Ashraf and Mohammad Harun, former presidents of Institute of Engineers, Chittagong, Kazi Aynul Haque, managing director of Equity Property Management, and Shahinul Islam Khan, CDA deputy chief city planner.

Source : New Age

JS passes land acquisition bill

The Dhaka Elevated Expressway Project (Land Acquisition) Bill-2011 was passed in parliament on Monday with provision of compensation for those whose land would be acquired for implementing the project.

Earlier, land minister Rezaul Karim Hira placed the bill for the 26-kilometre elevated expressway in parliament on June 21.

According to the new law, none can claim compensation if any installations are established or types of land changed hampering public interest.

In such cases, if any person or organisation claims compensation, it would be rejected by the deputy commissioner, the act said.

The bill also kept provision of filing appeal with the deputy commissioner by the aggrieved person within seven days after denial of the claim. Provision has also been made in the bill to give a reviewed order within five working days after filing of any appeal.

It said if the appeal was rejected, the petitioner will have to shift his or her establishments at his or her own cost and responsibility.

If the petitioner does not shift the installations, the deputy commissioner can hold an open auction and deposit to the government exchequer the money from the sale of the installations, said the act.

The bill also kept the provision for giving flats or land plots or money as compensation as per the earlier ordinance to the effect.

The government owns 80 per cent of the land needed for the 26-kilometre expressway while it has to acquire 20 per cent more belonging to the citizens.

The expressway is designed to link Shahjalal International Airport with Kutubkhali on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, says the bill.

The bill proposes payment of due compensation to the landowners so that no untoward incidents could occur at the time of land acquisition.

It states that the government had taken the project to cut down the capital city's traffic congestion.

The expressway would be built under public-private partnership at a cost of Tk 8,703 crore.

Source : New Age

UP chairman candidate dies, 8 go missing in boat capsize

A UP chairman candidate drowned and eight of his supporters went missing as a boat capsized in Jadukata river in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj on Sunday night.

When chairman candidate of Uttar Badaghat union parishad Abdus Samad along with his 20 to 30 supporters were crossing Jadukata river to go to Laurer Gar village for election campaigning the boat carrying them sank in the river at 8:00pm.

Some 10 passengers managed to swim ashore while the rest went missing.

Local people recovered the body of Abdus Samad from the river after a hectic search at night.

Four of the missing people were Siddique Miah, Ramjan Ali, Al Amin and Ibrahim, residents of various villages of Badaghat union of Tahirpur upazila.

Source : New Age

Govt plans new river port at Teknaf

The Shipping minister, Shajahan Khan, on Monday told the Jatiya Sangsad that the government plans to set up a river port in Teknaf area in Cox's Bazar district.

'The government has a plan to set up a river port on Shapuri island in Teknaf,' said the minister replying to a question during the question-answer session.

He said that the ministry has already formed a committee in this regard headed by a joint secretary.

'We will make the announcement about the river port after getting the report of the committee,' he said.

Replying to another question, the minister said that Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation incurred a loss of Tk 9042.82 lakh in last four years from its steamer service.

A total of six steamers have been plying on the country's six river routes, said that minister.

In reply to another question, Shajahan Khan said that the government has taken a project to buy two rescue ships and the project would be implemented by the year 2013.

The minister, replying to another question,

said that Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority completed dredging of 14 rivers in fiscal year 2009-2010 to improve navigation.

Source : New Age

Jamaat countrywide demo June 29

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will stage demonstration across the country June 29 demanding withdrawal of the name of its chief Matiur Rahman Nizami from the charge sheet of 10 truck arms haul case.

The Jamaat acting secretary general, ATM Azharul Islam, announced the programme at a press conference at the party's central office in the city Monday afternoon.

Speaking at the press conference, Azharul also demanded immediate release of its detained leaders.

Jamaat leaders Shafiqur Rahman, Rafiqul Islam Khan, Hamidur Rahman Azad MP, ATM Masud, Nurul Islam Bulbul, Matiur Rahman Akand and Abdul Halim, were, among others, present at the press conference.

Source : New Age

Boy held with arms, ammunition in Tangail

The police arrested a teenage boy along with 100  bullets, a foreign made pistol and a magazine at Deohata in Mirzapur upazila on Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu Highway on Monday morning.
Source : New Age

4 cops hurt in patrol boat-trawler collision

Four policemen were injured when a police patrol boat carrying them sank after being hit by a sand-laden trawler in Par Genderia area of the River Buriganga  here Sunday night.

The injured constables are Layek Ali, Rafiqul Islam, Shafiq and Jahangir. Of them, Layek and Rafiqul were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Midford Hospital in critical condition while two others were released after first aid.

Source : New Age

Extortionists kill youth

A gang of extortionists chopped a youth to death after he refused to pay Tk 50,000 as toll they demanded in village Parbotipur under Sadar upazila in Rangpur Monday, police sources said.

Quoting the local people and members of the victim's family, the police said extortionists of the same area demanded the toll from Abdur Razzaque, 20, son of Nazrul Islam of the village Monday morning.

Being refused, the miscreants took Razzaque out of his home and injured him critically by chopping repeatedly with sharp weapons in presence of the villagers, who did not dare to save the victim in fear.

Razzaque died on his way to Rangpur Medical College Hospital and the police handed over the body to his father after conducting autopsy at the RMCH morgue Monday afternoon.

Source : New Age

Animal Slaughter, Meat Quality Control Bill introduced

The Animal Slaughter and Meat Quality Control Bill 2011 was introduced in parliament on Monday seeking to ensure slaughtering of animals and processing of meat in hygienic atmosphere.

The bill provides for building healthy slaughterhouse and meat processing factory by putting an end to slaughtering animals and birds in unhygienic, dirty and putrid places.

Besides, poultry birds and other animals and birds have also been brought under the jurisdiction of the bill.

While introducing the bill in the house, fisheries and livestock minister Abdul Latif Biswas said although there was law for inspection of meat in all countries of the world, but there is no such law in the country. The bill also provides for inspection of meat.

The bill provides that if a person violates the law, he will be sentenced to one year imprisonment or minimum fine of Tk 5,000 or maximum fine of Tk 25,000 or with both.

If the same person violates the law second time, he will be sentenced to maximum two years imprisonment or minimum fine of Tk 10,000 and maximum fine of Tk 50,000 or with both.

The bill has been sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the fisheries and livestock ministry for further scrutiny and report back to the house within the next 15 days.

Source : New Age

Balu’s 7th death anniversary observed in Khulna

Journalists in Khulna on Monday demanded reinvestigation of all the four journalist murder cases in the city that occurred between 2002 and 2005.

They Raised the demand at a discussion meeting arranged by Khulna Press Club at the club auditorium to mark the seventh death anniversary of Khulna Press Club president Humayun Kabir Balu.

Balu, who was also the editor of local daily Janmobhumi, was bombed to death in front of his office-cum-residence on Islampur Road in the city on June 27, 2004.

Speakers at the discussion meeting said that all the accused people in Balu murder case were acquitted of the charges and police failed to submit the investigation report on the case of bomb explosion that killed him.

They alleged that the real killers and masterminds of journalists murder always remained behind the scene and demanded arrest and punishment of the real culprits.

The meeting chaired by the club president Sheikh Abu Hasan was also addressed by The Daily Tribune editor Ferdausi Ali, former president of press club Wadudur Rahman Panna, general secretary Saheb Ali, Khulna Union of Journalists president Mokbul Hossain Mintu and general secretary Subir Roy.

Earlier, Khulna Press Club members placed wreaths at the Shaheed Sangbadik Smritistambha at the Club premises to pay respect to Balu.

Later, they brought out a silent procession from the Janmabhumi Bhaban which dispersed at Basupara graveyard where they placed wreaths and offered prayers for the eternal peace of the departed soul of Balu.

In Khulna, journalist Harun-Or-Rasid of the Daily Purbanchal was shot dead in 2002, New Age senior staff correspondent Manik Chandra Saha and The Daily Janmabhumi editor Humayun Kabir Balu were bombed to death in 2006 and The Daily Sangram Khulna bureau chief Sheikh Belal Uddin was bombed to death in 2005.

Source : New Age

Boy killed by shell fired by army during training

A boy was hit and instantly killed by a splinter of cannon shell fired during training by the Bangladesh Army at Charia village in Mirzapore union in Hathazari upazila Monday afternoon.

The deceased was Mohammad Rocky, 13, son of Mohammad Belal of West Sandwip Para area of the village.

Hathazari thana police said Rocky along with his father was tending cow in the foot of a hill situated in the west of the village. All on a sudden a cannon shell, fired by the army, exploded near the hill with a splinter piercing his abdomen, leaving him killed on the spot at about 2:30pm.

Being informed the police rushed in and recovered the body.

Source : New Age

No more delay in providing transit to India: Gowher

Prime minister's foreign affairs adviser Gowher Rizvi has said there should be no further delay in providing transit to India.

'We've waited for 40 years to offer transit to India. We can't wait anymore,' he told a seminar organised by Economic Reporters Forum at the National Press Club in the city on Monday.

The seminar titled 'Connectivity: Economy and Other Aspects' was also addressed by Tariff Commission chairman Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies research director KAS Murshid and ERF president Monwar Hossain.

Referring to the global edge of connectivity, Gowher Rizvi said the whole world was moving towards establishing greater connectivity, and Bangladesh could not be beyond that reality.

He alleged that some misleading campaigns were being launched against providing transit to India. Many people raise questions as to what benefits the others will get from the transit.

'But, the discussion should be more on what benefits Bangladesh would derive from the transit,' the PM's adviser said, adding that Bangladesh will get huge benefits from the transit.

He said it's not true that India would not pay any fees for the transit. 'We'll get every legal and legitimate fee from India for using transit facilities.'

Rizvi said Bangladesh expected transit facilities through India from Nepal and Bhutan in near future.

Tariff commission chairman Mujibur Rahman said transit issue was not a new issue. India has been enjoying transit facilities from Bangladesh for many years in the river routes. 'But the transit through roads and railways are now being re-established through the new agreements.'

He claimed that both the governments of Ershad and Khaleda Zia had recognised the necessity of transit. So, it has a popular support.

BIDS research director KAS Murshid said transit should not be offered to India before carrying out a thorough study on the loss and benefits for Bangladesh.

He said if there was any proven necessity, at best the railway transit could be offered to India on a mid-term basis.

Source : New Age

Experts for effort to ensure food security in South Asia

Experts and environmentalists at a workshop in the city have suggested regional combined effort to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change for ensuring food security in the South Asia region.

They said the regional food production would face a great threat in the coming days due to global warming and only the combined efforts involving governments, NGOs and forums like SAARC might address the emerging food crisis in the region.

Practical Action, Bangladesh, and the Consumer Unity and Trust Society International, India jointly organised the regional workshop on 'Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia' at BRAC Inn auditorium in the city Monday morning.

Chaired by eminent environmentalist Atiq Rahman, the workshop was addressed, among others, by BIDS research director Assaduzzaman, project director of World Wide Fund for Nature in India Sumit Roy, executive director of Centre for Environment and Development, Sri Lanka Uchita de Zoysa and senior program officer of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment in Nepal Parash Kharel.

Atiq Rahman in his presidential address put emphasis on taking adaptation and mitigation programmes to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change in the South Asia region.

Defining adaptation, he said there are four levels of adaptation — people, ecosystem, institution and private entrepreneurs based. Adaptation must be taken at all levels to address the problems of climate change.

He suggested taking different adaptation programmes considering the vulnerability of different locations. 'The vulnerabilities of Rajasthan desert in India, the Himalayans belt, and flood prone area and coastal region of Bangladesh will not be the same. So, different adaptation programs would have to be taken,' he said.

Atiq Rahman, executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies, said the climate change posed threat to food production and the less food production poses threat to the food security.

Source : New Age

Call to ensure edn for children with disabilities

The physically challenged children with various types of disabilities need special and adequate social attention and facilities for flourishing their enormous talents by ensuring their education.

The disabled children, their parents and executives of different organisations working with the disabled people put special emphasis for proper implementation of special steps already taken by the government towards that direction.

They suggested for taking more steps to ensure education for turning the physically challenged children into worthy citizens to enable them contributing their maximum to the nation building activities.

Talking to the news agency, leaders of various organisations working with the disabled children also stressed further change in the social mindset to flourishing talents of the children with disabilities to ensure their welfare.

President of Rangdhanu District Protibandhi Adhikar Sangstha of Rangpur Nur Alam said the disabled children had been passing the SSC and HSC examinations brilliantly with adequate GPA points for admission in the universities.

President of Kanthalbari PAS in Kurigram Bimal Chandra Sarker said due to lack of adequate quotas, the brilliant students with disabilities were failing to get admissions in the medical colleges, engineering, agriculture and general universities.

'Many brilliant students with disabilities could become officers, doctors, engineers, agriculturists and university graduates if special admission quotas were provided,' said Azizar Rahman, president of Progati PAS in Lalmonirhat.

Physically challenged students Rafiul Islam, Ibrahim Khalil and Rezaul Karim said they got GPA points in their SSC and HSC examinations in 2008 and 2010 for admissions in the public, medical, engineering and agriculture universities.

'Struggling with all-out adverse situations, only a negligible number of the physically challenged children are becoming able to pass the SSC and HSC examinations with adequate GPA points and failing to get admission in the universities ultimately.'

'We, the physically challenged children, are becoming bound to compete in the admission tests for higher education with thousands of the normal brilliant students coming out of the country's best and reputed schools and colleges', they said.

They urged the authorities concerned for taking steps to fulfil their hopes by arranging special admissions quotas for their higher education at the earliest to enabling them in taking part in building a digital Bangladesh.

Source : New Age

DB begins market monitoring

Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police began its vigilance on wholesale markets in a bid to keeping stable the prices of essential commodities during the holy month of Ramadan.

In the past it was found that a section of traders were involved in raising the price-hike during Ramdan every year by crating artificial crisis.

The commerce minister already sought cooperation from business apex body FBCCI in keeping the market prices within the reach of the common people.

Sources said the home ministry has already asked intelligence agencies to strengthen their vigilance so that corrupt businessmen cannot get chance of increasing the prices of essentials creating any artificial crisis.

The sources said Detective Branch had prepared a list of so-called syndicates, who were allegedly engaged in hoarding to create artificial crisis in the past.

Besides, the DB also prepared a fresh list of extortionists who may engage in collecting tolls from commodity-laden trucks on the eve of Ramadan.

Deputy commissioner of DB (South) Monirul Islam said there was a common tendency of a section of corrupt traders to create artificial crises during Ramdan to earn quick money as the demand of essential commodities increases in this month.

'We've already started market monitoring prior to Ramadan so that nobody dares to hoard essential items', Monirul said.

He said the ground work for monitoring has been completed. 'We will intensify our vigilance in a more organised and planned way to keep the prices of essential commodities stable alongside the initiatives taken by other government machineries,' he said.

Monirul said the DB had prepared a list of black marketers. 'We are collecting information secretly. We are also updating last year's list of extortionists who were engaged in collecting tolls from goods-laden trucks.'

Deputy commissioner of DB (North) Mahbubur Rahman said the DB had been making a list of business syndicate which might try to increase prices of essentials during Ramadan.

He expressed hope that the corrupt traders did not dare to go for hoarding goods amid tight vigilance.

Source : New Age

Ministry to cut sulphur content in diesel to 500ppm by 2013

The power and energy ministry has decided to reduce the sulphur content level to 500ppm (parts per million) in diesel by 2013 from its present level of 2500ppm.

The decision was made at a meeting with the state minister for power and energy, Mohammad Enamul Haque, in the chair, following a request from the environment and forests ministry.

At present, the highest sulphur content is 2500ppm in both imported diesel and the diesel produced at the state-owned Eastern Refinery.

Recently, the environment and forests ministry laid out a plan to reduce the sulphur level to 50 ppm in line with the United Nations Environment Programme.

With the financial support of the UNEP, the environment and forests ministry is now implementing a project — 'Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles  for Bangladesh' — as part of its plan.

Following a decision at an inter-ministerial meeting, the environment and forests ministry requested the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute to set the sulphur content level at 500 ppm.

The request was later forwarded to the power and energy ministry which imports a total of 4 million tonnes of diesel.

According to the power and energy ministry, it would need to spend an additional amount of about Tk 250 crore to implement the decision to reduce the sulphur content level in diesel.

'Because, the lower level 500 ppm sulphur containing diesel will cost $1.10 more per barrel compared to the present cost of diesel containing 2500 ppm sulphur,' said an official at the power and energy ministry.

'But, we can't go for importing 500 ppm sulphur containing diesel before December 2012 as the present import agreements allows 2500 ppm,' he said, adding that after the new decision, a move will start to discuss the new level of sulphur content with the diesel supplying countries.

Source : New Age

Suranjit assures BNP of changes again, if needed

Senior Awami League lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta on Monday asked the opposition to return to the Parliament and place their arguments, and assured them that the Constitution would be amended again, if required, even if a single person comes up with rational arguments.

Suranjit, a senior member on the AL's advisory council, said the provision of 'interim government' in the Constitution was enough for holding fair elections as the Election Commission has the final say in polls-related matters. 'Moreover, there are Articles 120, 123 and 124 to provide guidelines for formulation of further rules in this regard.'

'I urge you to come to the House and place your arguments. We have three-fourths majority, but if a single person comes up with rational points we will accept them and formulate further rules, and even amend the Constitution again if required,' said Suranjit while discussing the proposed budget for the next fiscal year.

He said that the issue of Constitution amendment was still under process and was being scrutinised by the concerned committee. He told the opposition leader, 'You can send any of your representatives. If you feel it's necessary you can send four representatives instead of one. All of your arguments will be recorded.'

'This government will turn into an interim government in the last 90 days of its tenure. The Election Commission will take all the polls-related decisions and the government will just carry out routine work,' said Suranjit.

'Let us empower the Election Commission with all authority in the last three months. Let us give them power over the home affairs ministry. We can even give them the defence ministry,' he said.

'Please join the Parliament instead of issuing statements. Please depend on the Election Commission,' Suranjit urged Khaleda Zia.

'Let us consult with each other before constituting the Election Commission. Sheikh Hasina did not say she would do it alone,' he told Khaleda Zia.

Suranjit said that the provision of interim government was the only solution. 'It is the only constitutional remedy. If you want to stay out on the streets, you can do so, but it will yield nothing.'

Suranjit said the court's ruling on 13th Amendment left no scope to reconsider the caretaker government issue. 'An issue declared unconstitutional cannot be made constitutional,' he said.

He accused Khaleda Zia of indulging in conspiracies. 'We do not hatch conspiracies but we can tackle conspiracies.'

Suranjit said the budget was 'large in volume but not in content'. He criticised the trend of implementing 30 per of the budget in the first nine months and hurriedly implementing the remaining 70 per cent in three months, which provides scope for looting.

Referring to the plunge in the stock market, Suranjit said he is hopeful that the affected people will get some remedy as the ministers had taken up the matter.

Suranjit asked the bank owners and giant investors in the share market to bring back the amount of money they had withdrawn from the market. 'We will not ask you to return the money. We just say please bring back the amount to market. It will benefit the people.'

Earlier, the deputy leader of the house, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, asked the opposition to join the discussion in the Parliament.

'Discussions can take place in Suhrawarday Udyan or in the Parliament. If you love democracy, come to the Parliament and join the discussion. We will do what is good for the state and the people.'

'Ascertain whether or not your activities will go against the country and people. The responsibility of ensuring the continuation of democracy is both yours and ours,' she warned.

Source : New Age

PM’s help sought to save temple

The Hindu community people have sought intervention of the prime minister to save an over 50-year-old temple at Sutrapur in the city from grabbers.

They sought the prime minister's help for saving the Sri Sri Ram Sita Temple at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Monday.

Ganesh Chandra Ghosh, president of the temple management committee, alleged that Shamim Ahmed was trying to grab the temple land, once owned by zemindar [landlord] Ramesh Chandra Singha of Durgapur in Mymensingh, claiming that he had bought the land.

He said the land on Joy Kali Mandir road was identified as 'temple' in cadastral survey [CS] and ongoing Dhaka city survey.

He alleged that Shamim took a loan from Motijheel branch of Rupali Bank showing fake document of ownership of the temple land.

Shamim was sent to jail following a case filed by the temple committee.

'After coming out of jail on bail, he is again claiming the land and trying to sell it to others. We, the Hindu community people, cannot go to the temple to worship in fear,' Ghosh added.

General secretary of Sutrapur Puja Celebration Committee Bhaskar Chowdhury and joint general secretary of the temple management committee Arun Sarker Rana were also present at the press conference.

Source : New Age

BTCL employee held with VoIP tools

An employee of the Bangladesh Telecommuni-cations Company Limited has been arrested in possession of illegal Voice over Internet Protocol equipment worth about Tk 5 million at Malibagh in the city.

A RAB team detained Sohel Rana, 30, and seized the VoIP equipment in a raid on a flat of a building adjacent to Abujar Gifari University College on Monday, RAB-3 deputy director Mohammad Tariqul Islam told the news agency.

The raid on the fourth-floor flat of the building lasted from dawn to noon, he added.

Rana and his two friends 'Sujan' and 'Liton' would use a part of the flat to conduct the illegal business and the former along with his family would stay in the other side, said Tariqul.

'Rana pays Tk 30,000 in monthly rent for the flat whereas his salary is Tk 5,500,' he said.

Legal measures against Rana were under way, he added.

Source : New Age

BJP skips talks with EC

Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) followed suit of its allies—the  Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami—by boycotting the ongoing dialogue with the Election Commission.

BJP skipped the EC sponsored dialogue scheduled for them on Monday, conveying through a letter its unwillingness to sit for the dialogue.

The letter from the party secretary-general Shafique Al Mamun said BJP would not join the dialogue since other partners of the four-party alliance were boycotting the dialogue.

The commission, however, held dialogue with a delegation of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal on Monday afternoon.

The special dialogue on five issues including electoral law reforms and introduction of electronic voting machine started with the registered political parties and distinguished people on June 7, and will continue till July 18.

On June 21, the main opposition BNP in a letter turned down the Election Commission's invitation for dialogue, branding the EC 'controversial' and accusing it of indulging in 'biased and motivated' action.

The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, on Monday told reporters that the commission will give reply to BNP's letter.

'We think the commission should reply them (BNP) in writing about their allegation as there is no basis of the allegation bought against the EC,' the CEC said. 

Source : New Age

Police stop JCD marchers from entering DU campus

The police on Monday obstructed a protest march of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student front of opposition BNP, from entering the Dhaka University campus.

The JCD marchers were halted by the law enforcers as they tried to enter the campus at 11:30am protesting the renaming Khaleda Zia Hall, an under-construction dormitory near the Curzon Hall, as 'Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall'.

The JCD activists were supposed to submit a memorandum with seven-point demands to the vice-chancellor of the university.

JCD later held a rally outside the campus but could not submit the memorandum to the VC.

Police said that JCD leaders did not inform them about the submission of memorandum and hence they were told not to enter in the campus for the sake of maintaining peace.

JCD president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku read out their demands at the rally which include retaining the name of the hall after BNP leader Khaleda Zia, ensuring co-existence of all student organizations, allotment of seats in dormitories according to merit and increasing budget allocation for the education sector.

JCD general secretary Amirul Islam Khan Aleem, DU unit convener Abdul Matin and senior joint convener Obaidul Haque Nasir, among others, were present at the rally.

Naming of the hall after Khaleda Zia was initiated in June  2005 when BNP was in power. But the university syndicate recently decided to rename the hall after Sufia Kamal.

Source : New Age

BR starts eviction of unauthorised dwellings in Ctg

Bangladesh Railway eastern zone started eviction of unauthorised dwellings illegally set up on the hillocks and risky places in the city.

Estate Department of BR and Chittagong Metropolitan Police jointly conducted the eviction drive in CRB Railway Hospital Colony area Monday and removed nearly 50 slums and mud-houses that were illegally set up beside the colony boundary wall.

In the four-hour long drive that ended at 2:00pm, BR authority engaged 30 workers to evict the residents of the illegal houses .

Rashid Ahmed, Chittagong Divisional Estate officer of BR, while conducting the drive told journalists that BR authority had been removing the unauthorised dwellings that were set up beside walls and on hillocks as per directives of the divisional commissioner's office.

Source : New Age

Protests against torture on Rumana continue

Protests continue in Bangladesh and Canada to underline the demand for exemplary punishment of Hasan Syeed, who was arrested on charge of attempting to murder his estranged wife Rumana Monzur, a teacher at the Dhaka University.

A University of British Columbia scholar, Rumana, 33, also assistant professor of the International Relations Department at Dhaka University, has been undergoing treatment at LabAid Specialised Hospital since her return from India where her eyes were examined at Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai and Aravind Eye Hospital in Puducherry, whose doctors said that there was no hope that she would see again.

Hasan, 38, a drop-out of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, is now in jail after undergoing interrogation for six days in four phases by the Detective Branch, said the police.

Though some doctors in India and Bangladesh have said it is unlikely that she will see again, Canadian ophthalmologist Hugh Parsons has offered to treat Rumana, said CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster.

'We certainly welcome her to come here so that we can take a look and find out if we can help or not,' said Parsons. 'But time is important.'

'I sent all medical reports on Rumana's eyes to Hugh Parsons on Monday. Actually, we are trying to ascertain whether any doctor in the world can treat the eyes that do not respond to light,' Rumana's cousin Rashed Maqsood told New Age.

Rajshahi University's New Age correspondent reported that the teachers, students, cultural activists and political organisations of the university on Monday formed a human chain, demanding exemplary punishment of Hasan Syeed for torturing Rumana.

Over 200 people formed the human chain, organised by the RU Bangladesh Women Association, in front of the university's central library at about 11:00am.

Addressing the participants of the human chain, RU's vice-chancellor Abdus Sobhan called on all concerned to prevent such brutality to women across the country.

Canadian newspaper Vancouver Sun reported that the staffers and students of the University of British Columbia staged a rally on Sunday in support of Rumana.

'...I am deeply committed to the right of all persons to pursue an education...I join with you in wanting to see Rumana Monzur at the UBC congregation ceremony to receive her Master's degree in International Relations,' said UBC's president Stephen J Toope in his statement.

Source : New Age

British HC for genuine Bangladeshi students in UK

British high commissioner in Dhaka Stephen Evans on Monday said genuine students from Bangladesh were welcome to the United Kingdom for higher studies and research works.

He said this delivering a lecture titled 'UK-Bangladesh: 40 years of partnership' at a seminar at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban auditorium of Dhaka University.

History Department of the university arranged the seminar marking its 90 years of achievement.

The British high commissioner in his lecture said a huge number of students had come to the UK from different parts of the world every year to study and to conduct research.

'We also welcome genuine students from Bangladesh for their higher studies and researches in the UK,' he said.

Evans said since its inception in 1921, the Dhaka University campus has produced many international standard intellectuals and academicians, and also played an important role in the history of the sub-continent.

Addressing the seminar, DU vice-chancellor professor  AAMS Arefin Siddique said Bangladesh and the United Kingdom share a very special, long-lasting and deeply harmonious relation of friendship.

He recalled the historic visit of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to London on January 9, 1972 just after his release from jail in Pakistan, on his way to Dhaka via Delhi by a Royal Air Force chartered flight.

Earlier, the British high commissioner and the DU vice-chancellor held talks at the latter's office, and discussed various issues of mutual interest.

The DU VC presented a crest to the British envoy, said a press release.

Source : New Age

Gayyum says solution of South Asian problems needs practical approach

Former Maldives president Mamun Abdul Gayyum said on Monday the current leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation need to be 'practical' for resolving the problems facing the region.

'They must be practical,' he said at a news conference in Dhaka.

Asked about failure of SAARC in achieving its goals since its launching in Dhaka in 1985, Gayyum, himself one of its founders, said, 'We had not been able to achieve ambitions and goals due to lack of resources and many technical reasons'.

'It does not mean that the SAARC has totally failed,' he said.

He said, 'It's up to the leaders to find ways to accelerate SAARC.' 

Gayyum arrived in Dhaka on Sunday on a four-day visit at the invitation of the University of Science and Technology of Chittagong as the convocation speaker at its 4th convocation to be held at Bangabandhu Interna­tional Convention Centre on June 29, USTC authorities said. 

The region's governments and the private sector need to work together, he said, to ensure quality higher education to be able to get rid of poverty, create employment and provide health care to the people.

Asked about the Bangladeshi workers in Maldives, he said, 'We need them. But some social problems are bound to crop up due to economic downturn. Lot of Maldivians lost their jobs and the salaries are already reduced.'

Asked about his country's preparation for facing the adverse impacts of climate change, he said relocation of people to other countries and buying land abroad 'are no solution' to climate change.

He said that all the countries need to work together to tackle climate change 'as it's a global problem.'

USTC founder, National Professor Dr Nurul Islam, was present at the news conference.

Gayyum met prime minister Sheikh Hasina at her office Monday.

It is his sixth visit to Bangladesh.

Source : New Age

Gayyum calls on Hasina

Visiting former president of the Maldives Mamoun Abdul Gayyum has paid a courtesy call on the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.

They discussed bilateral issues with special emphasis on education during the meeting at the prime minister's official residence 'Ganabhaban' on Monday morning, prime minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad said.

Hasina briefed Gayyum on her government's steps to expand and enrich education.

Steps taken to ensure social safety net also came up for discussion.

Professor Nazrul Islam, ambassador-at-large M Ziauddin and prime minister's principal secretary MA Karim were present at the meeting.

Source : New Age

300 tolas of gold ornaments looted in Goalando

Burglars looted 300 tolas of gold ornament, Tk over 1.5 lakh in cash and other valuables from the house of a jeweller at Das Patri in Goalando bazar area early Monday.

The police quoting local sources said a gang of armed bandits numbering 15 to 16 swooped on the house of a Gokul Chandra Pal, owner of Loknath Jewellers at about 1:30 am.

They looted the cash, gold ornaments and six mobile phone sets

from the house making the inmates hostage at gun point.

The bandits also injured eight inmates including Gokul's mother Malati Chandra Pal, wife Dipa Rani Pal, son Dipta Chandra Pal, brothers Bharat Chandra, Laxman and Laxman's wife Sagori Rani.

Critically injured house owner Gokul Pal was

taken to Goalando hospital and later shifted to

Faridpur Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.

Additional police Super Mizanur Rahman visited the spot.

Goalondo thana OC Abul Bashar said a case was filed but none was arrested in this connection till this afternoon.

Source : New Age

Schoolgirl badly burnt in acid attack

A schoolgirl sustained grievous burn injuries after unknown miscreants threw acid on her in her sleep in a remote village in Lalmonirhat district early Monday.

The victim, Sajeda Akhter,11, was first taken to Patgram upazila health complex and shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital in the morning.

She was taken to Dhaka Monday afternoon after being referred to the BRAC-run Acid Survivors' Foundation by doctors at RMCH as her condition deteriorated.

Sajeda, a student of class V at Hosnabad Barabari BRAC primary school and daughter of a poor day labourer, was sleeping in their shack at village Hosnabad in Patgram when the miscreants threw acid on her.

Her face and head were badly burnt in the attack, said Elina Parvin, a physician at Patgram upazila health complex.

The victim's mother Merina Begum said she and her husband Jamal Hossain woke up hearing the screams of their daughter who was sleeping in her room in their shanty. She said unidentified miscreants had thrown acid on their daughter.

'We are very poor…My husband is a day labourer. We have no enmity with anyone in the village. I don't understand who threw acid on my daughter,' she said.

Jamal Hossain said, Sajeda was being taken to Dhaka for treatment at BRAC-run Acid Survivors' Foundation.

'We cannot suspect anyone at the moment for the attack. I have informed Patgarm police of the incident,' he told.

Patgram police officer-in-charge Farid Uddin said no suspects had yet been detained.

Source : New Age

‘Paresh Barua faction of ULFA on recruiting spree’

After having suffered sharp reverses when most of the senior leaders were brought out to the negotiating table for peace talks, the Paresh Barua faction of the ULFA has recouped and organised its operational strength, intelligence sources said, reports Hindustan Times.

The Barua faction has been resisting all peace overtures. Senior leaders of the outfit who joined the dialogue with the Centre include ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain.

'The Barua faction has been on a recruiting spree drawing its new cadres mainly from the three Upper Assam districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasgar. From November to June, it has recruited more than 100 youths, who have been sent for arms and operational training in the Myanmar-China border. Of this, a group of 30 has re-entered Assam and has engaged in two encounters till now,' sources said.

Barua's faction, believed to comprising of 250 heavily-armed fighters, is at present based at Taga, about 70 km away from the Indo-Myanmar border. It is also home to insurgents from the National Socialist Council of Nagalim, United National Liberation Front and others.

Taga is just about a day's journey from the Chinese border. The area is under the control of the Kachin militia, which has the strength of about 1,50,000 cadres and prominent gun runners in that particular stretch.

'The Barua-led faction is also leading a renewed extortion drive targeting government agencies like the ONGC, tea estates, contractors and government servants in the Upper Assam area. ULFA's extortion racket has also spread to the Changlang and Lohit districts of Arunachal Pradesh,' the intelligence official said.

The ULFA faction has also threatened 'Indian settlers' in Assam in a recent press release which was issued after the killing of a cadre — Moon Moran — on June 12 in Tinsukia by the security forces.

'While one faction is capturing political space (the Rajkhowa faction) in the state, another one is spreading fear and panic,' said another official.

Source : New Age

Globalisation increases risk: OECD

Increasing globalisation increases the risk that a major event such as a disease outbreak of financial collapse will prove more disruptive to the world economy while also making them more likely, the OECD said on Monday.

The OECD, which groups the world's most advanced economies, warned that greater international connectivity and the speed with which people, goods and data travel will make such events much more troublesome in future.

The report, entitled 'Future Global Shocks,' identified five major risk categories — a pandemic, cyber attacks, a financial crisis, civil unrest and geomagnetic storms which would disrupt satellite communications.

The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development cited events such as the 2003 SARS outbreak and last year's wildfires in Russia to illustrate a world where disasters resonated more widely.

The SARS outbreak 'spread quickly from Hong Kong around the world as travellers caught the virus and then flew home,' the report said.

Accordingly, 'new antibiotics are desperately needed to keep pace with the rising development of bacteria that are drug-resistant,' the OECD said.

The fires in Russia led to price spikes in global food markets, which 'eventually triggered social unrest in the Middle East,' it argued.

The OECD suggested that countries increase cooperation and early-warning systems to fight the new face of global disaster and disruption.

Policy makers should 'take an internationally coordinated approach that reduces or stops threats before they proliferate worldwide,' the report suggested.

Source : New Age

AIDS drugs can cause premature ageing

A class of generic AIDS drugs often used to treat HIV in Africa and other poor regions can cause premature aging and lead to age-related illnesses such as heart disease and dementia, scientists said on Sunday.

In a study in the journal Nature Genetics, British researchers found that the drugs, known as nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitors, or NRTIs, damage DNA in the patient's mitochondria — the 'batteries' that power cells.

The scientists said it was unlikely that newer cocktails of AIDS drugs made by firms like Gilead, Merck, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline would inflict similar levels of damage, since they are thought to be less toxic to mitochondria. But more research is needed to be certain.

'It takes time for these side effects to become apparent, so there is a question mark about the future and whether or not the newer drugs will cause this problem,' Patrick Chinnery of the Institute of Genetic Medicine at Newcastle University said in a telephone interview. 'They are probably less likely to, but we don't know because we haven't had time to see.'

The findings do however help explain why HIV-infected people treated with older antiretroviral AIDS drugs sometimes show advanced signs of frailty and diseases such as heart disease and dementia at an early age, the researchers said.

'The DNA in our mitochondria gets copied throughout our lifetimes and, as we age, naturally accumulates errors,' said Chinnery, who led the study.

'We believe these HIV drugs accelerate the rate at which these errors build up. So over the space of, say, 10 years, a person's mitochondrial DNA may have accumulated the same amount of errors as a person who has naturally aged 20 or 30 years.'

NRTI drugs — the best known of which is AZT, also known as zidovudine and originally developed by GSK — were a big advance in HIV treatment when they first emerged in the late 1980s. They extended patients' lives and helped make HIV a manageable chronic disease rather than the death sentence it once was.

Concerns about toxicity of NRTIs, particularly with long-term use, mean the drugs are now less commonly used in wealthy countries where they have been replaced by newer more expensive combination AIDS drugs with fewer side-effects.

But in poorer countries, where access to cheaper generic medicines is often the only option for HIV patients to get treatment, NRTIs are still relatively widely used.

An estimated 33.3 million people worldwide had the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS in 2009, according to the latest United Nations data, and 22.5 million of those live in Africa.

For their study, Chinnery's team studied muscle cells from HIV-infected adults, some of whom had previously been given NRTIs. They found that patients who had been treated with NRTIs — even as long as 10 years previously — had damaged mitochondria similar to that of a healthy older person.

The researchers are now looking at ways to repair or stall some of the damage caused by the drugs and say they believe that focusing on exercise — which appears to have a beneficial effect on patients with mitochondrial diseases — may help.

Source : New Age

Robbery on passenger train

A Dhaka-bound passenger train from Chittagong came under attack by robbers in Brahmanbaria Monday morning.

The police fired six rounds warning shots to drive the robbers out of the Dhaka Mail train.

The Rail Police, quoting passengers said a gang of 20 to 25 armed robbers got into the train at Paghachong village in Sadar upazila and stopped the train by cutting vacuum pipes of three compartments at the outer signal of Paghachong Rail Station at 4:00am.

As the robbers attempted to snatch luggage, mobile phone sets and money from passengers at gun point some passengers raised hue and cry.

Hearing cry for help rail police went to the compartments when the robbers swooped on the police.

The bandits fired at cops and hurled stone chips at them and also beat some passengers as they tried to resist them, leaving 6 people injured.

The robbers also beat railway technician as they tried to repair the torn vacuum pipes, leaving them injured.

At one stage, the bandits engaged in fight with police who attempted to rescue passengers from the clutches of robbers.

Being attacked the police used sticks and fired 6 to 7 rounds warning shots to drive the robbers away.

The gangsters escaped the compartments at 5:00am.

Source : New Aeg

EC will reply to BNP’s remarks

The Election Commission will respond to the BNP's letter calling the commission 'controversial', the chief election commissioner has said.

Speaking to reporters at his office on Monday, ATM Shamsul Huda said, 'They (BNP) have levelled a baseless charge against an organisation (EC). I think we should convey our mind about the allegations to the party.'

He said the process of sending a letter to the BNP in this regard was under way.

The main opposition party, in a letter to the EC last week, slammed the commission and rejected its invitation to a dialogue with registered political parties on several issues, including amendment of the Representation of the People Order and introducing electronic voting system.

In the letter, the party said, 'We think that it would be proper for the controversial commission in its last hours to leave the work of amending election laws for the next commission.'

'Discussion with the current EC, which has lost people's faith due to its nepotism and fragile behaviour, will not be successful,' it added.

Source : New Age

One more killed in UP polls

One more person was killed and at least 100 others injured in violence during and ahead of Monday's polling in 25 unions for electing as many new local councils at the tier. 

The violence took place during polling and the preceding Sunday night.

Earlier, 29 people were killed in violence in the second phase of the staggered union parishad elections, which began on May 31, amid stray clashes, intimidation and snatching of ballot boxes. The elections are set to end on July 5.

Elections in 196 unions are scheduled to be held today.

New Age correspondent in Rangamati reported that 28-year old Kalonkor Chakma, was killed in post-poll violence at Baghaichari in Rangamati Sunday night.

According to neighbours miscreants killed Kalonkor, near his residence in the village Uttar Publakhali in Khedamara union.

He was election agent of Kantimoy Chakma a chairman candidate of Khedamara union in Baghaichari upazila.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Boshirul Alam said that police and military personnel recovered his body on Sunday midnight and sent it to Khagrachari Hospital Monday morning for autopsy.

Our Correspondent in Pabna reported that three assistant presiding officers and two police constables were injured on Sunday night in attacks by supporters of the defeated member candidate at Bohorpur Primary School polling centre of Muladuli union in Ishwardi upazila during announcement of election result.

Ishwardi police station officer-in-charge Kazi Hanful Islam said that the on duty officers came under attack from the unruly supporters.

The on duty officers and the police deployed at the centre tried in vain to tackle the situation.

According to United News of Bangladesh in Nilphamari at least 25 people were injured as local people clashed with police over the announcement of election results at a polling centre in Jaldhaka upazila on Sunday.

Witnesses said supporters of Hafijul demanded recounting of votes rejecting the result alleging that presiding officer Abdul Mannan declared Rubel as elected a member.

Later, Hafijul's supporters encircled the presiding officer and the other polling officials.

The police and BGB personnel rushed to the spot and their bid to rescue the polling officers triggered a clash that left 25 people injured.

The police said that fired 41 rubber bullets and lobbed 12 tear-gas canisters to quell the situation and rescue the officers.

In Natore, at least 20 people were injured in a clash between the supporters of two defeated chairman candidates at Bildohar Bazaar in Chamari union under Singra upazila Sunday morning.

Police and witnesses said the clash between the supporters of the two defeated candidates, Shahadat Hossain and Lutfar Rahman, followed altercation over a trifling matter.

At one stage the two groups carrying sticks and other weapons attacked each other, leaving people injured on both the sides.

Source : New Age

Ershad questions jurisdiction of court

The Jatiya Party chairman, HM Ershad, has questioned the jurisdiction of the court in annulling constitutional provision adopted by parliament.

'I wonder whether this parliament has the sovereignty,' he said referring to the Supreme Court holding illegal the caretaker government provision of the Constitution incorporated in the 13th amendment by parliament.

It is the jurisdiction of the parliament to decide whether the system of caretaker government will exist or not, said the former president while taking part in

general discussion on the budget on Monday.

Ershad who ruled the country for nearly nine years said parliament has so far passed 14 amendments to the Constitution and the Supreme Court had cancelled three amendments.

'We know the hand of the Supreme Court is too long but does it so long to reach out the parliament?' he questioned.

Ershad said cancellation of law passed by parliament tantamount to making parliament needless and 'we the members of parliament are fools.'

However, he said, laws passed by parliament are not sacrosanct. Any law can be changed when it is deemed necessary. Parliament should have the exclusive power to cancel any law.

'They way parliament members were humiliated cannot  be accepted, he added.

Ershad urged the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to take stern action against the share market plunderers.

'Let it be proved that mass people are important to the prime minister than few individuals,' he said.

Ershad said nearly 33 lakh people have been pushed on to the street empty-handed by some culprits who manipulated the share market.

He said the government had lost one crore voters following the recent scam committed in the share market. 'We have to bring those voters to our side and woo back them to cast their votes in our favour,' he said.

The former president asked the government to take immediate and effective steps to bring the culprits to justice. 'Those who are guilty will have to be punished.'

Expressing concern over the price hike of essentials and rising inflation, he said food price would have to be controlled to bring back smile on the face of the commoners.

He urged the prime minister to take appropriate steps to keep the prices of essentials within the reach of the poor consumers during the holy month of Ramadan. 'If we fail to control the prices of essentials, it will dampen our achievements.'

Ershad sought exemplary punishment, if possible capital punishment, for those who are mixing poison with fruits and foodstuff.

He opposed the government step to send female workers abroad. 'It won't be a wise decision. We don't need the money earned in exchange of prestige of our women.'

He termed the issue of Limon shot and injured by RAB unfortunate but extended full support to RAB for controlling law and order. He said because of RAB, people have been able to live in peace. He suggested strengthening of the RAB.

Ershad criticised the finance minister for cutting subsidy on agricultural inputs and increasing fertiliser price. 'Review the proposals. Don't hurt the farmers.'

He also suggested re-fixing tax at source at 0.40 per cent instead of 1.5 to help grow the export sector.

Ershad proposed five beds for the poor in each private hospital so that the poor patients get access to healthcare services.

Source : New Age

Hasina terms critics a band of opportunists

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has ridiculed critics who she said find faults with the government and shower good advices in their writings and TV talk-shows, seminars and discussions.

In a signed article titled 'Bhalor Pasra' (good advices on display) and carried by a number of Bengali dailies on Monday, she said that such intellectuals were trading in poverty and miseries of the poor.

She said that such intellectuals were blind to the good things done by her government which she said had already done a lot for the betterment of the country and the people.

She said, 'The reason is that they are on demand when there is an undemocratic or unconstitutional government. Such type of people are unable to go to the people or get themselves elected, but cannot give up their greed for power. That's why they are untiring in talking about democracy though they are simply a band of sycophants readily available to flatter undemocratic or unconstitutional governments.'

'The people are benefited if the pro-liberation force is in power. But if there is no poverty, this class will lose business because poor people are their main commodity. They make fortune on the sufferings of the poor.'

'I will not allow any more game with the fate of my countrymen till I am alive,' Hasina vowed.

She, however, conceded that the critical comments of intellectuals were influencing the general people.

She also censured the intellectual for not being critical of past governments.

'The intellectuals who seem as if they are about to jump out of the television screen and pounce on my government, fall silent during military rule,' she said.

She said that no dialogues, talks and advices were heard after the carnage of August 15, 1975, killing of four Awami League leaders in jail on November 3, 1975 and killing of freedom fighters in early 80s.

This section of people turned active when military dictators began trading in politicians, she said adding that those who fell behind, cried out: 'use me'.

Those who were finally left out, changed their faces with the changes in the situation and turned revolutionists, said the prime minister in her signed article.

The people, who were critical of her 1996-2001government, remained silent during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance government, she said.

Hasina said that 13 secretaries of the government were sacked immediately after Justice Latifur Rahman was sworn in as the caretaker government chief in 2001 even before the appointment of the 10 other advisers, frightening the administration, but none of this band of people protested against the action.

She asked the then president Shahabuddin Ahmed and chief adviser Latifur Rahman how the telephone lines and power supply to Ganabhaban were snapped when the law enacted by parliament to provided security to the living two daughters of the country's founding president Sheikh Mujubur Rahman was in force.

'Who among this section of people protested against such injustice,' she said.

During the BNP-led alliance rule in 2001-2006, people were killed by the army in the name of 'operation clean heart', Awami League's research centre was closed down, Rapid Action Battalion was formed and killing of people in the name of 'crossfire' began, but there were no protests at that time, she said.

The prime minister said that at that time she had criticised the formation of RAB and 'crossfire' but faced criticism from this section of people.

Hasina also said that a military coup was attempted in May 19-20, 1996. During the tenure of the caretaker government led by Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman, a military coup was plotted to strangle democracy.

The then president Abdur Rahman Biswas also tried to hinder handover of power to the elected government led by her, Hasina said.

Source : New Age

Budget not executable for uncertain funding: BNP

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Monday termed the proposed budget for fiscal 2011-2012 'a document of statistical jugglery' and said it was 'not feasible to implement because of uncertain funding'.

'This budget is not feasible to implement because of uncertain funding. The budget is not pro-poor and not pro-investment as well,' BNP standing committee member MK Anwar told a news conference at the party chairperson's Gulshan office in the capital. 

This formal reaction of the BNP to the proposed budget for the next fiscal year came about 20 days after it had been tabled in the parliament.

Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on June 9 proposed the next national budget of Tk 1,63,589 crore with a huge deficit and whacking revenue collection and GDP growth goals.

MK Anwar while reading out a written statement said, 'This is a document of statistical jugglery with wrong information, which does not have any guideline.'

He gave some examples of how the planning and finance ministries had tampered with the statistics of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in the current fiscal year.

The party, however, agreed that the budget was not too big in view of the country's demands.

The BNP leader said the proposed process of whitening of black money should be stopped.

'The budget encourages

taking loans from foreign sources to offset its huge deficit, which will put a pressure on the country's overall economy,' the party observed in the statement.

MK Anwar termed the revenue earning plan of the proposed budget unrealistic. 'The revenue earning target has been set at Tk 1,18,385 crore, posting a 24 per cent rise from the current one. Besides, non-tax revenue earning target has also been increased by 40 per cent from the current one to Tk 22,600 crore.'

'This excess money will be collected from the people either by imposing taxes or in exchange of different government services. The low-income group of the population will be the hardest hit by the process of collecting this excess fund,' Anwar remarked.

He claimed many of the projects proposed in the budget were aimed at making political gains and called on the government to scrap the 'political projects' to reduce the financial pressure on the poor.

The BNP leader slammed the government for including formation of the prime minister's higher education fund and construction of a museum on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the budget as corporate social responsibility projects.

About the projected gross domestic product growth rate, he said it would in no way be 6.7 per cent. He quoted the GDP growth projections made by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to substantiate his prediction. 'The World Bank projected the GDP growth rate at 6.2 per cent while the ADB said it would be 6.3 per cent.'      

On the country's poverty scenario, he said, 'About 35 lakh more people have gone below the poverty line in the past two and a half years.'

He also said the rate of inflation would be much higher than that projected in the proposed budget.

The BNP said the proposed budget did not contain any measure for implementing the pledged made by the Awami League in its election manifesto.

'Nothing will be implemented if the government fails to maintain law and order, check the decline of economic indicators, and does not ensure good governance, curbing unabated corruption,' he pronounced.

Anwar came down heavily on the finance minister for his statement on allowing India transit facility. 'Bangladesh will never turn into a Switzerland; it will rather turn into Sikim, if transit is allowed,' he maintained. 

'The finance minister could have offered cash incentive or reduce the interest rate [on bank loans given to industries), but the minister was totally silent on measures to save the country's huge industrial sector,' The BNP stalwart said. 

Finance minister AMA Muhith has proposed to increase the duty at source on export earnings from 0.4 and 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent and it would have severe adverse impacts on the export-oriented industries, said Anwar.

He termed the reduction of value-added tax on turnovers of small and medium enterprises from 4 per cent to 3 per cent keeping the taxable turnover threshold at Tk 60 lakh 'meaningless'. 'The minimum turnover amount should be increased to Tk 1 crore.'

The government plans to cut the tax at source on income earned from saving certificates from 10 per cent to 5 per cent but has not increased the interest rate on the certificates, Anwar pointed out.

He said the provision that every company would have to pay 0.5 per cent turnover tax, regardless of profit or loss, should be dropped from the budget.

Anwar criticised the government move for collecting tax from the civil servants and said it would make the administration devoid of talented officials.

BNP chairperson's advisers Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Enam Ahmed Chowdhury, Osman Faruk, Sabihuddin Ahmed, and Abdul Awal Mintoo were also present at the conference.

Source : New Age

ICC issues arrest warrants for Gaddafi

Judges at the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for war crimes and crimes against humanity on Monday, the 100th day of a NATO bombing campaign.

Britain, which has led the UN-mandated international effort to protect civilians from Gaddafi's forces, hailed the court's decision and said members of the Libyan regime should now abandon him.

Italy said the decision of the three-judge court, set up in 2002 to try war crimes, confirmed that Gaddafi had lost all 'moral legitimacy' and could have 'no role in the future of his country.'

And French foreign minister Alain Juppe said the warrant 'confirms that the question is not whether Gaddafi should leave power, but when he will leave power.'

ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo had

sought the warrants for Gaddafi, 69, his son Seif al-Islam, 39, and the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, 62, for murder and persecution since mid-February, when the bloody uprising started.

All three are charged over their roles in suppressing the revolt, in which civilians were murdered and persecuted by Libyan forces, particularly in Tripoli, Benghazi and Misrata, the prosecutor said.

Thousands have so far died in the fighting, while around 650,000 others fled the country. Another 243,000 Libyans have been displaced internally, according to UN figures.

Moreno-Ocampo said on Sunday that the war crimes in Libya will not stop until Gaddafi is arrested.

'Crimes continue today in Libya. To stop the crimes and protect civilians in Libya, Gaddafi must be arrested.'

The prosecutor will give his response to the decision on Tuesday.

The only other warrant issued by the ICC for a sitting head of state, for Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir in March 2009, has yet to be served. Bashir was due to begin a state visit to China later Monday.

Britain's foreign secretary William Hague said: 'These individuals are accused of crimes against humanity and should be held to account before judges in a criminal court,' he said, calling on the Libyan government to cooperate with the investigation.

'Individuals throughout the regime should abandon Gaddafi.'

And NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said arrest warrant shows that time is running out for the increasingly isolated Libyan leader.

'This decision once again highlights the increasing isolation of the Gaddafi regime,' he said in a statement.

'It reinforces the reason for NATO's mission to protect the Libyan people from Gaddafi's forces. Gaddafi and his henchmen need to realise that time is rapidly running out for them,' he added.

The head of Libya's rebel National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, meanwhile told a news conference in the rebel capital of Benghazi that 'justice had been done,' while rebel justice minister Mohammed Al-Allagy told reporters outside the ICC: 'We are going to arrest them.'

Al-Allagy said: 'First arrest them, we will decide afterwards where to prosecute them.'

In his submission, Moreno-Ocampo said Gaddafi had a personal hand in planning and implementing 'a policy of widespread and systematic attacks against civilians and demonstrators and dissidents in particular.'

'Gaddafi's plan expressly included the use of lethal force against demonstrators and dissidents,' the submission said.

The Libyan strongman also ordered sniping at civilians leaving mosques after evening prayers. His forces carried out a systematic campaign of arrest and detention of alleged dissidents, it said.

'Gaddafi's plans were carried out through his inner circle, which included Seif al-Islam, Gaddafi's de-facto prime minister and his brother-in-law Al-Senussi, considered to be his right-hand man,' the submission said.

Moreno-Ocampo's investigation follows a referral by the United Nations Security Council on the Libyan conflict on February 26. The prosecutor's office launched its investigation five days later. On May 16, Moreno-Ocampo asked the court for the warrants.

The ICC is the world's only permanent, treaty-based court set up to try those accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide if the accussed's own country cannot or will not do so.

NATO meanwhile said it was hitting around 50 targets a day and that its 'Operation Unified Protector' was approaching its 5,000th strike sortie.

The air strikes appear to have helped the rebels launch an offensive of their own against Gaddafi's forces. However, only in Nafusa does the rebel army of ill-equipped irregulars and defectors appear to be making any sustained progress.

Source : New Age

Stuart Law named as new cricket coach

Former Australia batsman Stuart Law has been appointed the new head coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team for two years, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said at a press conference on Monday.

The 42-year-old Queenslander, who is currently working as the interim-coach of Sri Lanka, will begin his stint with the Tigers with the tour of Zimbabwe in July-August.

Law replaced compatriot Jamie Siddons, who was shown the door by the BCB in April after a disappointing World Cup performance.

'He has agreed terms for a two-year contract

with the BCB and is expected to join the squad ahead of the series against Zimbabwe,' chairman, media committee of the BCB Jalal Younus told the press conference.

Law said he was relishing the challenge of working with the youthful and talented Tigers squad.

'I'm really excited by this opportunity the BCB

has presented me with.  It's a great honour,' a BCB statement quoted him as saying.

'To leave Sri Lanka Cricket is not a decision that was taken lightly.

My time with them has been a most enjoyable journey and I'd really like to thank everyone involved there for their support,' he said. 

'A new challenge awaits me now in Dhaka, which I believe I'm ready for.  To coach a national side I think is any coach's goal, so to get the opportunity to work with what I think is a very talented bunch of cricketers is particularly exciting.'

'I look forward to the times ahead and taking Bangladesh to the next level,' he said.

Source : New Age

657 BGB men jailed on mutiny charge

A special court on Monday sentenced 657 soldiers of a unit of the Border Guard Bangladesh and its attached battalions to imprisonment, ranging from four months to seven years, on charge of mutiny in 25-26 February, 2009 in Dhaka.

The Special Court-7, chaired by BGB's director general Major General Rafiqul Islam, also fined each of the convicts, including eight freedom-fighters, Tk 100 each. It acquitted nine accused of the charge.

Of the soldiers, who were

in the dock in shackles without BGB uniform, 108 were given the highest punishment — rigorous imprisonment for seven years under the Bangladesh Rifles Order 1972.

Nine border guards were jailed for 6 years, eight for 5 years, three for 4 years and 6 months, twenty-six for four years, fifty-seven for 3 years and 6 months, fifty-two for 3 years, eighteen for 2 years and 6 months, eighty-two for 2 years, fifty-five for 1 year and 6 months, two for 1 year and 3 months, and sixty-seven for 1 year.

Besides, 34 were jailed for nine months, 47 for six months and 89 for four months.

The court started delivering the judgment at about 10:15am and finished at 1:19pm.

This was the fourth verdict in a case filed on mutiny charges in Dhaka after the bloody February 2009 rebellion in the headquarters of the then Bangladesh Rifles.

The trials of seven

more cases against 3,119 soldiers of seven units of the Dhaka sector and the BGB headquarters are going on.

The special court-7 acquitted nine out of 666 accused of mutiny: Havildar Abdul Khalek, Nayek Tapan Kumar Devnath, Lance Nayek Abul Kalam Azad, Sepoys Sheikh Md Shamim Reza, Mohammad Reazul Islam, Shaheen Farazi, Rabiul Islam, Emran Miah and Habibur Rahman.

The court asked the police to unlock their handcuffs soon after they were acquitted.

Of the acquitted, only three pleaded guilty and four were not present at Pilkhana during the mutiny, the case's prosecutor, Major Khan Mohammad Alauddin, told reporters at a press conference.

Some of the family members of the convicted waiting outside the BGB gate told New Age that they had not got justice from the court.

'Now my father is a criminal! We are ruined by the verdict,' said the daughter of a convict.

The court's chair said that all the accused,

except 31 who had pleaded guilty, had claimed to be innocent but were convicted on being found guilty after examining the depositions of witnesses and documents and carrying out cross-examinations.

He said that the court had taken into consideration four major matters, including Articles 45 and 52 of the Constitution, during the trial.

He said that they

had also considered the behaviour of the accused during the trial and also their previous service records.

So far 2,854 out of 6,052 soldiers under trial have been sentenced by special courts across the country on charge of involvement in the mutiny.

Seventy-two soldiers have so far been acquitted of the charges by the specials courts.

The proceedings against the members of the paramilitary force began on 31 March, 2010.

The charges brought against the border guards were violation of the orders of the BDR officers, dumping the bodies of slain army officers into mass graves and ditches, not preventing other soldiers from taking part in the mutiny and not informing the higher authorities of the rebellion in which 75 people, including 57 army officers, were killed.

The case's prosecutor, Major Khan Mohammad Alauddin, said that the acquitted soldiers would be reinstated in the force.

Fifty-eight prosecution witnesses — most of them BGB members and army officers — made depositions against the convicts during the trial, and 86 defence witnesses — family members and relatives — made depositions in favour of the accused.

The prosecutor filed cases against 668 members of the unit, of whom Nayek Zaynal Abedin Bhuyan died on 14 March, 2010 and Havildar Motiur Rahman on 15 May in jail.

Fifty-seven cases, including 11 in Dhaka, were filed after the mutiny that involved all but

nine BGB units across the country.

Source : New Age

No house session in election time

The parliamentary standing committee on the law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry on Monday decided to make some changes to the constitution amendment bill in order to skip holding a session of the outgoing parliament after a gap of 60 days inside the last three months before general elections.

The committee took the decision while examining the bill and hoped that the scrutiny would be completed in its meeting scheduled for today, sources in the committee said.

The committee discussed functions of the government in its last three months and decided to include a clause in the Article 141 (A).

'We have decided to include the clause to skip holding a session of the house after a gap of 60 days before general elections,' the committee chairman, Suranjit Sengupta told reporters after the meeting.

He said that the provision for holding an election-time parliament session would be dropped so that polls could be conducted in free, fair and credible manners.

According to the Article 141 A of the bill, general elections will be held (a) in case of dissolution of parliament by reason of expiration of its term, inside 90 days preceding such dissolution and (b) in the case of dissolution otherwise, polls will be held in 90 days after such dissolution.

Committee sources said that a new clause would be inserted with a provision avoiding parliament session during the election time.

Members of the committee viewed that if parliament did not function at the election time, there would be no major differences between

the power of the leader of the house and the opposition leader and it would help hold the polls in a credible manner.

Sources also said that the bill might be returned to the house for passage on June 29, if the opposition remained absent. But the time could be extended if the opposition came.

The committee members said that they would try to involve the opposition in the process even at the final stage and the prime minister also wanted to involve the opposition.

Sources said that BNP lawmaker Salauddin Qader Chowdhury could be paroled if he was willing to attend the house to discuss the issue.

'We have finalised the recommendations in the 27 meetings of the special committee on constitution amendment and the bill was prepared in the line with the recommendations. So there will be no more major changes in the bill,' committee member Rahmat Ali told New Age, adding that the standing committee would not take much time to finalise the bill.

The law minister placed the bill in parliament on June 25 and it was sent to the standing committee giving it two weeks for scrutiny.

Source : New Age

ACC appoints enquiry officer

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday appointed its assistant director, Shahidur Rahman, as 'enquiry officer' to look into the allegation against former state minister for energy, AKM Mosharraf Hossain, of taking bribe from Canadian oil company Niko Resources Ltd.

The ACC took the decision in line with the verdict of a Canadian court on June 24 that had fined the company nearly $9.5 million for bribing the state minister in order to be exempted from giving compensation for the damage caused by the explosion that took place in the Tengratila gas-field in Sylhet in 2005.

ACC's chairman Ghulam Rahman told New Age, 'The inquiry officer has been asked to submit a report in this regard within 30 working days.'

Canadian daily Globe and Mail reported that Justice Scott Brooker, of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, said that bribery 'was an embarrassment to all Canadians' and 'a dark stain on Calgary's reputation' when

he passed the sentence.

The report said that for several years a team of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had been probing Niko's activities after the arrest of some Bangladeshi politicians on corruption charges by the military-backed interim government.

According to a report published on June 24 by the Globe and Mail, the company agreed to buy a big car for AKM Mosharraf Hossain and pay the expenses of his trips to Canada and the United States.

Mosharraf resigned in June 2005 after the media in Bangladesh revealed that Niko had given him a Toyota Land Cruiser Signus 2005.

'We will proceed with the inquiry, using the Canadian court's verdict as a clue,' said Shahidur Rahman, who also investigated part of the Niko case against former premier Khaleda Zia, former law minister Moudud Ahmed and former state minister Mosharraf Hossain, the then acting energy secretary Khandakar Shahidul Islam and Quashem Sharif of Niko for causing a loss of Tk 10,000 crore to the country.

The ACC on 9 December, 2007 sued the two former prime ministers, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, who were then under detention, for alleged corruption in signing contracts with Niko by showing a productive gas-field as 'marginal', which caused the state to incur Tk 23,630.50 crore in losses.

Three former ministers, five retired bureaucrats and a Niko official were also accused.

Hasina was implicated in the case filed by ACC's deputy director MM Shabbir Hasan with the Tejgaon police for causing a loss of Tk 13,630.50 crore.

Her chief secretary SA Samad, former state minister for energy Rafiqul Islam, former energy secretaries Tawfiq Elahi Chowdhury and M Akmal Hossain, the then Petrobangla chairman Mosharraf Hossain and Niko's South Asia vice-president Quashem Sharif were also accused of the same charges.

The High Court on 11 March, 2010 quashed the charges against Hasina, and the cases against all the others were earlier stayed by the court.

Source : New Age

Police beat up oil-gas body men, detain two

The police on Monday beat up activists of the national committee to protect oil, gas, mineral resources, power and ports and detained two of them when they tried to bring out a procession in the capital.

Before trying to bring out the procession from Mohammadpur Town Hall, the committee held at rally as part of their programme to drum up support for half-day hartal on July 3.

A press release of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal claimed that during the action, the police also detained two activists of the

committee which is protesting against a deal with US company ConocoPhillips for exploring and exporting gas against the national interest.

The arrested are CPB Dhaka unit general secretary Ahsan Habib Lavlu and member Nimai Ganguly while those who were injured during the police action include Monzur Hossain, Moyenuddin and Mahfuz.

The police took away the banner and placards from the protestors and charged batons to disperse them, the release added.

The lawmen also charged batons and snatched away banners and leaflets from the committee activists during another peaceful demonstration at Khilgaon in the capital, the BSD release claimed.

The committee also accused Chhatra League activists of hindering their programme and snatching away leaflets during demonstration at Dhaka College on Monday.

Source : New Age

Govt draws fire from allies

The government is facing protest from its allies against the deal signed with US oil giant ConocoPhillips.

At least three political parties with considerable representation in the Jatiya Sangsad, all of them components of the Awami League-led alliance, have been criticising the deal as it would go against the nation's interests and endanger its energy security.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president and lawmaker Hasanul Haq Inu from a roundtable on energy security of Bangladesh on Monday urged the government to scrap the deal, which has a provision that will encourage ConocoPhillips to export 80 per cent of the gas it will extract from hydrocarbon blocks 10 and 11 in the form of liquefied natural gas.

'Otherwise, the power-starved people of the country will start a massive movement against it,' he warned.

Inu said Bangladesh is suffering from severe energy shortage and it is not acceptable to sign any deal that gives the contractor the scope to export the country's mineral resources.

Pointing at the Niko deal and other one-sided contracts made in the country's energy sector, lawmaker Amena Ahmad termed such contracts 'anti-state'.

In the same roundtable, Bangladesh Workers Party president and lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon said the government would not be allowed to export oil, gas, and other mineral resources from the country.

Menon along with other political leaders in the grand alliance urged the government to enact the Mineral Resources Export Prohibition Act 2010 that has already been placed as a bill in the parliament.

He said the bill which he placed in the parliament last year was nothing but a reflection of Sheikh Hasina's stance in 1998 in response to the suggestion of gas export from the Bibiyana field made on the premise that the country was supposedly floating on oil and gas.

Criticising the contract with the US company, Menon said in the Jatiya Sangsad on Saturday that the present prime minister once had opposed any export of gas and said no gas would be allowed to be exported without keeping an adequate reserve for the country for the next 50 years but now her own government has signed a deal which contains the provision for gas export by a foreign company.

Menon demanded that the government should make the production-sharing contract signed with ConocoPhillips public.

Menon also demanded open discussion in the parliament on the deal and said it is not acceptable that only some government officials and advisers should know the details of the deal while the people, who are the owners of the country's resources, are kept in the dark.

Reminding his fellow MPs that a minister of the BNP-Jamaat-led four-party alliance government was bribed by Canadian company Niko, he said, 'It is not unlikely that such corruption will be unearthed in the future in connection with the ConocoPhillips deal.'

The Workers Party president lambasted a state minister for terming a leader of the oil-gas protection committee a 'foreign agent' and said people know it very well who the real foreign agents are.

'Who are the foreign agents? The people who want to protect our gas or those who are giving away our gas to a foreign company,' he questioned.

State minister for environment and forest Hasan Mahmud digressing from the budget discussion in the Jatiya Sangsad railed against Anu Mohammad, an economist and member secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port, calling him 'Monu Mohammad'.

The state minister called the national committee a 'foreign agent and spy' which wants to stay in the limelight by making an issue out of the contract signed with ConocoPhillips, which, the committee points out, gives only 20 per cent of the extracted gas to Bangladesh and allows the company to export the rest. This contract, said Anu Muhammad, would benefit only the US company, not the country.

Hasan Mahmud also said in the parliament that a professor of economics has no right to speak on oil and gas as he has no knowledge about mineral resources.

The government on June 16 signed the PSC with ConocoPhillips for oil and gas exploration and extraction in deep sea hydrocarbon blocks 10 and 11 amid protests from experts, civic forums, and political organisations.

Source : New Age