BB dissatisfied with SCBs’ performance

The Bangladesh Bank on Thursday blamed the four state-owned commercial banks for low performance in the first quarter of this year and directed them to improve their key financial indicators.

The central bank issued the directive from a quarterly performance evaluation meeting on the four state-owned commercial banks held at the BB conference room.

BB governor Atiur Rahman chaired the meeting attended, among others, by BB deputy governor Nazrul Huda and chief executive officers of the four commercial banks.

The amount of classified loans, capital inadequacy, loan disbursement, and deposit collection of the banks are not agreeable, Atiur told the meeting.

The governor directed the banks to follow the guidelines on key financial indicators for improving their performance.

The BB quarterly report shows classified loans of all the four banks have increased over the quarter, with Sonali Bank accounting for Tk 563.47 crore, Janata Bank Tk 84.73 crore, Agrani Bank Tk 82.47 crore, and Rupali Bank for Tk 1.81 crore.

The amount of classified loan of Sonali Bank is 25.47 per cent of its total disbursed loans, that of Janata Bank is 5.36 per cent, Agrani Bank 12.50 per cent, and Rupali Bank 7.23 per cent.

The growth of deposit collection is also low in case of all the four banks. The Sonali Bank's deposit collection growth in the period is 2.93 per cent, Janata Bank's 1.01 per cent, Agrani Bank's 9.32 per cent, and Rupali Bank's is 3.17 per cent.

Three of the banks are facing capital inadequacy. The capital shortage of Janata Bank is Tk 191.23 crore, Agrani Bank Tk 259.48 crore, and Rupali Bank Tk 79.43 crore. Sonali Bank, on the other hand, has added a Tk 685.22 crore capital in the quarter.

The growth achieved by the banks in disbursement of loans in the quarter was also found to be unsatisfactory. The loan disbursement growth achieved in the period by Sonali Bank is 7.58 per cent, Janata Bank 4.76 per cent, Agrani Bank 9.11 per cent, and Rupali Bank 10.52 per cent.

Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali banks have been operating as public limited companies since November 15, 2007.

source:NewAge

Export earning crosses $20b mark for first time

The country's annual export earning for the first time crossed the $20 billion mark in 11 months of the current fiscal year, and the export earning in May stood at $2,295.10 million, which is 47.69 per cent higher compared to that of May last year.

Total export earning in the July-May period of the current fiscal year stood at $20,538.34 million, growing by 41.61 per cent compared to the same period of the last fiscal year when $14,503 was earned, according to the Export Promotion Bureau's data released on Thursday.

The export proceeds of this fiscal year's 11 months exceeded the target of $18,500 million because of healthy growth in the export of readymade garments, jute and jute goods and frozen foods.

The total export was worth $16,204.65 million in the last fiscal year and $15,535.94 million in FY2008-2009.

In May this year, export grew by 47.69 per cent compared to the corresponding month last year.

In 11 months of the current fiscal year, knitwear export earned $8,444.65 million, growing by 46.76 per cent over the same period of the last fiscal year, and woven garments fetched $7,514.70 million, growing by 39.44 per cent, according to EPB's data.

Export of home textiles registered a whopping 97.97 per cent growth, totalling $716.36 million in 11 months.

Export of jute and jute goods totalled $1,030.57 million, registering a 42.04 per cent rise. Raw jute export fetched $331.61 million, jute yarn and twine $463.58 million, jute sacks and bags $188.86 million and other items $46.52 million.

Footwear export earned $264.77 million, primary commodities $864.68 million, frozen foods including frozen fish, shrimps and others, $565.10 million, and agricultural products $299.58 million.

Leather export fetched $270.62 million, leather products $51.99 million, cotton and cotton products $123.47 million, plastic products $62.73 million and rubber exports $19.78 million, registering a growth of 122.50 per cent.

The country also earned over $34.27 million from ceramic export, and export of clocks, watches and spare parts fetched over $26.01 million.

Engineering products, including iron and steel, bicycles and electronic products, fetched $281.99 million.

Export of ships, boats and floating structures earned $40.44 million, handicrafts $3.86 million, paper and paper products $23.88 million, furniture $19.16 million, pharmaceuticals $39.72 million, while ores, slag and ash brought in $25.71 million.

Export of tea totalled only $2.85 million, far short of the target of $5.38 million, because of increased domestic consumption.

source:NewAge

Seminar on liberation war at RU today

The Institute of Bangladesh Studies of Rajshahi University is going to hold a two-day international seminar today, marking 40 years of the War of Independence.

The seminar is a part of a yearlong programme undertaken by the IBS to celebrate the occasion.

The programme will be formally inaugurated on the IBS premises in the morning while the discussions will be held at its seminar room and the Senate Building of the university.

RU vice-chancellor Abdus Sobhan, pro-vice-chancellor Mohammad Nurullah, textiles and jute minister Abdul Latif Siddique, University Grants Commission member Atful Hi Siddiqui and Rajshahi mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton are expected to attend the seminar, IBS director Mahbubur Rahman told the journalists on Thursday.

source:NewAge

Mango fair kicks off in Rajshahi

A seven-day mango fair began at the Green Plaza on the Rajshahi City Corporation premises Wednesday evening.

Rajshahi mayor AHM Kharizzaman Liton, as chief guest, inaugurated the Rajshahi Mango Fair 2011.

The mayor on the occasion said the present government had allocated fund in the national budget to build a mango research centre in Rajshahi.

He expressed hope that the foundation work for the centre would begin very soon and it would develop many other verities of mangos. 'This initiative would help achieve financial affluence' of farmers as well,' he said.

Among others, Rajshahi divisional police commissioner Mohammad Obaidullah, Rajshahi deputy commissioner Delwar Bakth, RCC secretary AKM Abdus Salam, also the member secretary of the fair committee, spoke at the inaugural session.

AKM Abdus Salam told New Age that the fair would continue till June 21 and seminar and cultural programme would be held in every evening.

source:NewAge

Students lay siege to VC’s residence

The Rajshahi University cultural and political activists on Thursday laid siege to the vice-chancellors residence for two hours, demanding immediate launch of the university's Teachers-Students' Cultural Centre.

About 200 activists of several organisations brought out a procession and went to the house of the vice-chancellor at about 11.00am.

Activists of cultural troupes, namely Anushilan Natya Dal, Samakal Natya Chakra, Samagit Sangskritik Prangan, Bangladesh Gana Shilpi Sangstha, Swanan, Tirthak and Udichi, joined the movement under the banner of RU Central Cultural Alliance.

The Progressive Student's Alliance, a platform of political organisations for the students, also joined the demonstration expressing its solidarity.

The agitating students held a rally at the spot and complained that the university authorities did not take any initiative to make the RU TSCC functional, though the authorities concerned repeatedly assured them of taking steps.

They demanded the rules and regulations for TSCC that was approved at the last syndicate meeting on January should be implemented soon.

Central Cultural Alliance president Rafique Muazzin, on behalf of the agitating students, threatened with tougher movement if their demands were not met within June 18.

The university proctor Chowdhury Muhammad Zakaria went to the spot at about 1:00pm and assured the agitating students of meeting their demand within a short time.

Mohammod Zakaria told media that they would add this issue to the agenda of next syndicate meeting on June 27.

RU vice-chancellor Abdus Sobhan told New Age that the authorities concerned had already sent a recommendation to the University Grants Commission seeking funds to reconstruct the TSCC building.

An executive committee for TSCC would be formed in the next syndicate meeting, he added.

Earlier on June 9, the students submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor and on June 14 formed a human chain and hold protest cultural programmes on the campus to push for their demands.

The construction of RU TSCC was started in 1991 and with great difficulty it was ended in 2006 when the roof of the under construction building collapsed few days before its scheduled date for inception.

source:NewAge

City needs waste management policy with focus on slums

Speakers at a round table on Thursday underlined the need for a sustainable pro-people waste management policy for the city slums.

Lawmakers, Dhaka City Corporation ward commissioners and officials, bureaucrats and representatives of non-governmental organisations associated with waste management who took part said the involvement of the entire community was important in managing hazardous waste.

They said it is not possible for the government and DCC to do the job properly with their limited manpower and infrastructure.

Two NGOs, Resource Integration Centre and Nagarik Adhikar Sangrakkhan Forum hosted the session at the CIRDAP auditorium.

The participants said Dhaka City Corporation Ordinance 2009, which neglects waste management in slums, is not at all citizen-friendly.

They suggested for setting up of ward-wise dump stations, increasing city corporation's manpower and support vehicles for waste management.

They said the city remains dirty as the government never bothered to provide land for setting up of waste stations for it. It causes sufferings for the city population, they said. 

Rahmat Ali, MP, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry said that manpower, resources and time, would be essential for having a planned and clean Dhaka city.

He said it was obviously impossible for Dhaka City Corporation to manage wastes of an overpopulated Dhaka city.

Rahmat Ali called for paying special attention to the city's slums, where 40 per cent low income people live.

LGRD ministry secretary Abu Alam Md Shahid Khan said, 'we need to turn waste into wealth by waste separation for reuse.'

But it calls for public awareness, he said.

He also said that the DCC needs to increase holding tax and utilise the money for waste management.

DCC chief executive officer Abul Kalam Azad said that the city corporations earns Tk two crore, when it has to spend more than Tk 150 crore on waste management.

He said that the developers create serious problems for waste management by keeping construction materials on the roadside which also blocks the drains.

Rowshan Jahan Sathi, MP, DCC chief waste management officer Bipanan Kumar Saha, chief slum development officer Anawar Hossain Patwari, Manusher Jonno Foundation executive director Shahin Anam, NASF president Hafizur Rahman, Coalition for the Urban Poor's president  Sabbir Ahmed Chowdhury, Resource Integration Centre director Abul Haseeb Khan attended the session.

source:NewAge

Rights activists want women’s commission established

Women rights' activists called for establishing a national women's commission to protect women's rights in Bangladesh.

They were addressing a discussion on 'the necessity of women's commission in the present context of Bangladesh' organised by the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association at the Chittagong Club Thursday afternoon.

With BNWLA executive director Salma Ali, in the chair, the discussion was addressed among others by Chittagong Bar Association president Salehuddin Haider Siddique and general secretary Mahbubul Alam Chowdhury.

BNWLA Chittagong divisional head Wahida Idris Iqbal moderated the discussion where BNWLA programme manager ATM Morshed Alam presented a keynote paper.

The discussants said the violence against women and violation of women's rights had become an everyday phenomenon in Bangladesh.

Though considerable number of laws, policies and acts had been enacted, the incidents of repression on women were not reduced.

The speakers said the task of the proposed women commission would be to protect and women's rights, ensure women's empowerment, justice and monitor the implementation of laws enacted.

The discussants further mentioned that the objective of the proposed commission would be to ensure gender equality and to stop all types of sexual harassments of women at workplaces and at educational institutions.

source:NewAge

Experts for concerted efforts to manage solid wastes

Government officials and non-governmental organisations' workers on Thursday called for concerted efforts by people from all walks of life for creating awareness of the need for solid waste management.

They also urged the government to take effective measures for proper waste management.

They were speaking at a workshop at BIAM auditorium in the capital held under the Urban Public and Environment Health Sector Development project initiated by the local government ministry and the Asian Development Bank.  

Presenting a keynote paper at the workshop, ATM Nurul Amin, dean of environmental science and management department of North South University, said the government should formulate a policy to manage wastes.

Abu Alam Mohammad Shahid Khan, secretary of the LGRD ministry, observed that anarchy prevailed in waste management situation across the country for a long time, saying that urban people were mostly responsible for creating the problem.

He said people from all walks of life should be careful and help each other to manage wastes. 

The secretary also said the government was trying to involve municipal police to assist the city corporations and municipalities to monitor waste management.

Department of environment director general Monowar Islam said a study of the department showed that in 2005 every day about 3,500 metric tonnes of wastes generated in Dhaka city and figure went up to 6,000 metric tonnes in 2010.

He said laws should be framed with provision for penalty if any person throws wastes at unauthorised places.

The UPEHSD project was launched in January 2010 in six municipalities—Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barishal, and Sylhet.The project would continue till December 2014.

Through this project landfills, composting factories and testing laboratories would be set up.

Officials said public private partnership was an important tool for effective solid waste management.

Representative from Dhaka City Corporation, Rajshahi City Corporation and Khulna City Corporation, and different NGOs attended the workshop.

source:NewAge

138 wild animals released to Lawachhara Reserve Forest

A total of 138 wild animals, which were preserved by a man at his mini zoo, were released at Lawachhara Reserve Forest on Wednesday. Chief whip of the parliament and local lawmaker MA Shahid released the animals to the forest.

The preserver of the animals, Sitesh Ranjan Dev, a resident of Srimongal,

took the initiative of releasing these to the forest marking World Environment Day.

Sitesh Ranjan Dev said that 30 scorpion, 100 swamp eel, one tortoise, one slow loris, one python, one wild cat, one eagle bird, two

monitor lizards and one

fishing cat had been released.

He informed that these wild animals had entered into the locality from the forest at different times to search food. He had rescued the animals from local people after catching these by them. In most of the cases, these animals had received injury. He had managed for treatment and proper nursing at his mini zoo. Late he

had taken initiative to release the animals to the nature.

Md Mostafizur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Moulvibazar, Harunur Rashid, superintendent of police, Fayez Ahmed, upazila nirbahi officer of Srimongal, AKM Azharul Islam, range officer of forest department were present among others in the occasion.

source:NewAge

Young man’s decomposed body recovered in Khulna

The decomposed body of an unidentified young man was recovered from the bank of River Bhairab at Notun Bazar Custom Ghat area under Khulna Sadar police station on Thursday morning.

The police said that being informed by locals, they recovered the decomposed body of the unidentified man, aged about 28, wearing black pant and T-shirt from the bank of the river at about 9:30am.

The body had been sent to Khulna Medical College Hospital morgue for post-mortem examination.

A case had been lodged with thana in this connection, said the Khulna thana police.

source:NewAge

Use of banned polythene bag rampant in Moulvibazar

The use of banned polythene shopping bag has been rampant in Moulvibazar town and different upazila headquarters in the district.

Lax monitoring by the concerned authorities and absence of cheaper and durable alternative items of polythene bags has made the sellers and buyers interested to use the banned polythene shopping bags in the district, according to locals.

The rampant use of polythene shopping bags at almost all kitchen markets, grocery shops, and confectionaries across the district was creating a serious threat to environment, the sewerage system and public health, the locals said.

A group of unscrupulous greedy wholesale businessman in Moulvibazar town and Srimongal upazila town were allegedly supplying the polythene shopping bags to the retailers of the district, they informed.

Several retailers at different kitchen markets in the district told this correspondent that they had to supply the polythene shopping bags on the customer's request.

A fishmonger at Moulvibazar town said that they had not any cheaper durable alternative shopping bag to replace the banned

polythene shopping bags.

Selim Ahmed, president of Moulvibazar Biodiversity Conservation Group, a voluntary environmental organisation, stressed the need for producing environment friendly and cheaper alternative shopping bags alongside strong and continuous monitoring by the concerned government authorities to check the sale and buy and use of polythene bags.

Shahriar Mustafa Taneem, who voluntarily works on environment, emphasised the need for taking more steps by the concerned government departments as well as initiative of non-government organisations to develop awareness among the mass people about the bad effects of polythene shopping bags.

Dr Zillur Rahman, deputy director of Sylhet Divisional Environment Office, told this correspondent that they were aware of the use of polythene bags at different parts of the district. But due to shortage of manpower they were not able to monitor the matter continuously, he said. 

Md Mostafizur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Moulvibazar, said that they were keeping watch over the matter and also conducted drives in this connection in the past.

'If we get specific allegation of selling or using of polythene shopping bag by anybody, we take action immediately,' the deputy commissioner said.

source:NewAge

Housewife allegedly burnt to death by husband in Barisal

A housewife was allegedly burnt to death by her husband in Barisal on early Thursday.

Both the husband's and victim's family members claimed that her death was caused by fire caused by leaks from an LPG cylinder, but physicians suspected that the fire may have been caused by kerosene or some other flammable fuel.

The victim, a resident of Rahmatpur under Airport thana of the Barisal Metropolitan Police, was identified as Rokaiya Begum, 26, wife of Mamun Biswas and mother of eight-year-old son Alamin.

Mamun Biswas, owner of a mechanical workshop, was detained for interrogation and a case of unnatural death was lodged

with the thana, said Shakhawat Hossain, the thana's OC.

Police and family sources said that Rokaiya was admitted to Surgery Unit-1 of Barisal Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital at about 1:00am with severe burns, and she succumbed to her injuries at about 4:15am.

source:NewAge

BNP stages countrywide demo against police ‘attacks’

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Thursday staged demonstrations in divisional, district and upazila headquarters, except in Dhaka, against the 'attacks' of the police and Awami Legaue activists on its processions and arrest of and filing of cases against its leaders and activists across the country during the last 36-hour general strike.

BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, also the party's office secretary, told New Age that local units of the party brought out processions and held rallies in their respective areas as part of the party's protest programme.

BNP assistant office secretary Asadul Karim Shaheen alleged the police and AL activists attacked the opposition activists in different places, including Barisal and Khagrachari, during Thursday's protest programme.

New Age correspondents in different districts including Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet, Panchagarh, Manikganj, Feni, Munshiganj, and Bogra reported that local BNP units staged demonstrations against the police 'torture' on and 'harassment' of the opposition activists.

New Age Barisal correspondent reports: Two factions of the BNP held separate rallies and processions in the district town in protest against the operation of mobile courts against and 'police repression' on the party's leaders and activists during its 36-hour country-wide shutdown.

The police resorted to baton charge and snatched away the banners carried by BNP leaders and activists when they tried to gather in a rally in front of their party office.

New Age correspondent in Chittagong wrote: As part of the countrywide agitation programme, the Chittagong BNP held a rally in front of its Nasiman Bhaban office.

New Age staff correspondent in Sylhet said the district and city units of BNP held a joint demonstration at Court Point in the city.

New Age Rajshahi correspondent reported that the police barred a group of BNP leaders and activists from bringing out a procession as part of the party's protest programme. Later, the Rajshahi BNP held a rally in front of the party office in the city. 

source:NewAge

Licence renewal fee for 4 mobile operators to be finalised this month: Muhith

The finance minister, AMA Muhith, has expressed hope that the 2G mobile licence renewal fee for four mobile phone operators - Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and CDMA operator Citycell - would be finalised within a month.


'We'll have the chance to finalise it in about a month,' he said after a delegation of Association of Mobile Telecom Operators Bangladesh called on him at his ministry. AMTOB president and Citycell CEO Mehboob Chowdhury led the delegation.
Talking to the reporters after the meeting, Muhith said he told the delegation that they would have a further chance to talk to the ministry concerned before it is finalised.
Muhith informed that the finance ministry would also be able to forward their views on the issue within 15 days.
Asked whether the fee might be reduced, Muhith denied divulging the figure adding that he had told the delegation that the figure had been reduced but did not reveal how much it was reduced.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission earlier published a draft guideline concerning the renewal of the 2G mobile licences of four mobile operators as their current licences are due to expire at the end of November 2011.
Muhith said during the meeting, the mobile operators termed the proposed rate too high, as they have been asked to pay all the money upfront which is too much given the license is for 15 years. The experience in other countries is that it is staggered, although not over 15 years.
He said it was a very important matter because there was no other sector in the country which had around 70 million clients.
When asked whether the proposed licence fee is high, the finance minister declined making any comment.
He said the post and telecommunications ministry was earlier asked to look into the practices of other countries, and they had done that and modified the recommendations put forward by the BTRC.
He said some international practices were considered and some were overlooked while reviewing the proposals on renewal of licence fees.
The finance minister said the AMTOB delegation expressed their concern about leakage of some audit reports conducted by the BTRC which is tarnishing their reputation.
The delegation also thanked the finance minister for lowering the tax on SIM cards in the proposed budget for next fiscal, and requested treating SIM tax as their expenditure.
Grameenphone CEO Tore Johnsen, Banglalink CEO Ahmed Abou Doma and Robi's CEO Michael Kuehner were present.
source:NewAge

Ethnic minority teenager raped in Rangamati, accused held

A 13-year-old ethnic minority girl was raped on Wednesday at north Yangchari under Longadu upazila in Rangamati.

The police arrested a man named Ibrahim, 27, on the basis of the victim's statement.

According to local sources, the victim is a student of Class VII at the Senamoitry High School in Yangchari. On Wednesday, when she was returning home from the school, Ibrahim attacked and dragged her to a place beside a bamboo garden. He raped the teenager and then fled the scene. The inhabitants of the area came to the spot hearing her weeping. Her parents were not home at that time. After that the people of the area caught Ibrahim and handed him over to the police.

The father of the victim has filed a case with Longudu police station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000.

The investigating officer of the case, Shafaet Hosen, said Ibrahim was sent to Rangamati district jail. He also said the girl was sent to Rangamati Sadar Hospital for treatment and necessary tests accompanied by her guardians.

source:NewAge

Miscreants cut off both wrists of a young man in Jhenaidah town

Unknown miscreants on Thursday noon have cut of both the wrists of a young man in Jhenaidah town, police said.

The miscreants also damaged one of the eyes of the victim who was identified as Tarun, 21, son of Ramjan Ali of Beparipara in the town.

Police said Tarun had gone to Jhenaidah municipal park at about 12.30pm and had a soft drink with a lady.

Suddenly, some young men on a microbus arrived at the spot and took him away to an abandoned house near the government women's college in the town.

The miscreants then severed both the wrists of Tarun. Police later recovered the severed wrists from the spot.

He was rushed to Jhenaidah General Hospital and taken to the operation theatre. But the surgeons failed to fix his wrists.

Officer in charge of Jhenaidah police station Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury said the motive behind the crime could not be known immediately.

But police said Tarun was accused in a murder case and two snatching cases.

source:NewAge

Rain Forum launched in Dhaka

The Rain Forum was launched in the capital on Pahela Asharh, 15th June, to create awareness about the invaluable contribution of the rain water in preserving the nature and human life.

PWD Superintending Engineer Azizul Haque, also president of the Rain Forum, said that the platform intended to promote the preservation of rainwater and technologies to utilise the resource. 

A cultural event was held on the occasion at the Chhayanaut Auditorium in the evening, in cooperation with the WaterAid Bangladesh.

Tapan Mahmud, Aditi Mohsin, Lina Tapasi, Lili Islam, Mahidul Islam, Saberi Alam and Chhayanaut Children performed songs and recited poems, highlighting the rejuvenating effects of monsoon.

source:NewAge

50 fall sick after taking puja prasad

At least 50 people fell sick after taking 'prasad' of Narayan puja at Koiyatta village in Saturia upazila of Manikganj on Wednesday.

Like previous year, Narayan puja was held at the house of Sukumar Bhoumik on Wednesday when food items made of raw milk, atta, banana and molasses were served among over 100 villagers at about 7:00pm.

Over 50 people were admitted to General Hospital after they started vomiting and felt abdominal pain at about 8:30pm.

Nani Bhushan Tafardar, Resident Medical Officer of the hospital, said the food poisoning might have sickened them.

source:NewAge

Akikunnessa Ahmad death anniv today

The 29th anniversary of death Akikunnessa Ahmad, a writer and pioneer in progressive women movement in late '40s, will be observed today, said a press release.

She was the widow of writer and politician Abul Mansur Ahmad and daughter of writer Maulana Ahmad Ali Akaluvi.

Her significant literary works include Adhunik Stree (Modern wife) and Adhunik Swami (Modern husband).

Special prayers will be held at her children's houses in Dhaka on Saturday on the occasion.

source:NewAge

Ummehani Khanam’s qul khwani today

The qul khwani of former adviser to Mahila Parishad Ummehani Khanam, also mother of the Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Muzahidul Islam Selim, will be held at her Naya Paltan residence in Dhaka today.

Her family requests all her friends and well-wishers to take part the prayer session after asr prayers.

Ummehani Khanam died in Dhaka on June 13 at the age of eighty-six

source:NewAge. 

BSF abducts 2 Bangladeshis

The Border Security Force of India abducted two Bangla-deshi farmers from Darshan-Joynagar border of the district Thursday morning.

The victims were Dilu, 45 and Champa, 37 of Joynagar village.

The Border Guard Bangladesh said BSF troops of Gede camp picked up both of them forcefully from inside Bangladesh territory as they were cutting grass from the field near the border at around 11:00am.

BGB has sent a letter to BSF protesting at the incident and demanding their release.

Later, a flag meeting was held between the BGB and the BSF at 1:00pm which was concluded without any result.

source:NewAge

JU teachers protest at attack on Rehnuma

Teachers of Jahangirnagar University on Thursday protested at police assault of Rehnuma Ahmed, a former teacher of the university, and harassment of Rumana Manzur, a teacher of Dhaka University.

Seventy-seven teachers of the university expressed their concerns about the assault of the teachers.

They demanded immediate trial of the law enforcers who attacked Rehnuma who is involved with the national committee to protect oil, gas, mineral resources, power and ports.

They also demanded immediate arrest and punishment of the husband of Rumana Manzur.

source:NewAge

2 unnatural deaths in city

A 55-year old man was killed Thursday morning hit by a bus from behind when he was crossing the Staff Road in Banani, Cantonment police station officers said.

On Wednesday, Joynal Mridha and his wife had come to the city from his village home in Bakerganj in Barisal to see his ailing daughter.

The police seized the bus belonging to Balaka Paribahan, but the driver had fled.

The police recorded a case and sent his body to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

A domestic help allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at a house she worked at Mahakhali.

Quoting her employer's family members, the police said, 25-year Rubina Akter hanged herself from a bathroom pipe sometime between 2 AM and 6 AM.

Daughter of Noab Ali, she had been working in the house at New DOHS at Mahakhali for a year.

Quoting the employer's family members the police said that Rubina had been suffering from mental illness since her husband married another woman two years back.

The police recovered and sent her body to the DMCH morgue for autopsy.

The police recorded a case of unnatural.

source:NewAge

AL doesn’t believe in press freedom: NAP faction

The Bangladesh National Awami Party on Thursday called upon all democratic forces to forge unity to protect press freedom.

Speakers at a roundtable organised by the party in the city said that that the Awami League never believed in press freedom.

The discussion titled 'Democracy, basic rights and press freedom' was held at Shafiqul Ghani Swapan auditorium at Nayapaltan to mark the 'black day for newspapers'. On June 16, 1975, the then government of Awami League had banned all but four newspapers.

The party chairman Jebel Rahman Ghani said that the AL-led government could not change their character and continued to harass journalists.

Chaired by Jebel Rahman Ghani, the discussion was also addressed by its secretary general M Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan, vice-president Subrata Baruri, joint secretary general Swapan Kumar Saha and Jatiya Shramik Andolan secretary general Sheikh Nasir, among others.

source:NewAge

7 killed in Comilla road mishaps

Seven people, including three of a family, were killed and seven others injured in four separate road crashes in Daudkandi and Chandina upazilas Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

The police and locals said a Dhaka-bound passenger bus of Asia Paribahan from Comilla collided with a CNG-run auto-rickshaw leaving one auto-rickshaw passenger dead and another five injured at Shahidnagar on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Daudkandi upazila at about 9:00am on Thursday.

In another incident, a Comilla-bound fish-laden truck fom Bogra skidded off the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway leaving fish trader Monjur Rahman, 35, dead on the spot and unnamed truck driver and helper injured at Harikhola in Chandina upazila at about 4:00am.

Earlier at about 2:00am an unidentified man was killed as a  vehicle ran over him when he was crossing road at Eliotganj on the same road in Daudkandi upazila.

In yet another incident four people, including three of a family, died in a road accident at Jinglatali in Daudkandi upazila Wednesday night.

Witnesses said a Feni-bound private car from Dhaka collided with a truck in the area on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at about 10:00pm leaving car driver Abbas Uddin, 35, car passenger businessman Saidul Haque, 42, dead on the spot and Saidul's wife Khaleda Akter Ruhi, 32, and their son Protik, 7, critically injured.

Later, the injured were taken to the nearby Gouripur hospital where they died after admission. Saidur hailed from Fazilupur village in Feni.

source:NewAge

Tidal surge floods parts of coastal dists

Tidal surge prompted by the low over the Bay of Bengal inundated parts of coastal districts and nearby islands Thursday.

The rough weather also disrupted launch and ferry services inland.

The Met Office in Dhaka said at 10 PM Thursday night that the monsoon depression over the northwest bay moved slightly northwards and was likely to cross the coastal belt after midnight.

It advised the sea ports of Chittagong and Mongla to keep hoisted signal number 3 and the riverine ports — signal number 2.

All vessels on the river routes of coastal areas suspended plying from the afternoon. 

A 10-year-old girl died of drowning at Kutubdia in Cox's Bazaar during the high tide that flowed above the danger mark flooding a vast area, district administration sources said.

Ferry movement across the River Padma was disrupted between Mawa and Keorakandi and between Paturia and Daulatdia resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the river for hours, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority officials said.

Bangladesh Water Development Board officials at Cox's Bazaar said tidal surge damaged at several points the protection dams at Kutubdia, Dholaghata and Teknaf in the district.

Approximately 20,000 people in 20 villages in Teknaf were dislodged by the high tides, local people said.

Reports reaching from the southern coastal district of Patuakhali said a large area of the district town and low lying areas in outlying upazilas were inundated due to rains and high tide accompanied by gusty wind.

In Patuakhali, the old town, Chakbazaar, Kathpotti, Foujdaripul, Sadar Road, Launch Jetty and New Market area went under two to three feet of water Thursday evening, local people said.

They said that that several chars including Char Wadel, Patar Char, Char Kukri Mukri, Under Chanr, Moudubir Char and Jahaj Marar Char went under water.

Hundreds of fishing trawlers have taken shelter at Alipur-Mahipur, Dhosh, Char Montaj and Moudubi, locals said.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation official Sirajul Haque said rough weather forced the authorities to stop ferry service on Mawa-Keorakandi route from 6:00am.

Movement of all kinds of vessels on the river also remained suspended in the afternoon, he added.

Our correspondent in Manikganj reported that hundreds of vehicles, including passenger buses and trucks, remained stranded on both sides of Paturia-Daulatdia ferry route suspended due to inclement weather.

As a result, thousands of passengers from and to Kushtia, Jessore, Jhniadah, Meherpur, Rajbari, Satkhira, Madaripur, Khulna and Faridpur districts had to wait for hours at the ferry terminals.

source:NewAge

Reconstitution of EC big challenge ahead, says Inu

The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad) on Thursday said that reconstitution of the Election Commission, under which the next general elections would be conducted, would be a big political challenge.

'Reorganisation of the EC to make it acceptable to all will be a big political challenge amid continuing political conflict,' Hasanul Haque Inu, president of a faction of JSD, said during a dialogue with the EC.

The present Election Commission headed by ATM Shamsul Huda will complete its five-year tenure in February next year.

Inu proposed a five-member strong EC, including a female election commissioner, and said that formation of an acceptable EC was very important to shape it as an impartial and strong body.

The Jasad leader also suggested for holding one or two general elections under the caretaker government system until a strong Election Commission is formed.

The Jasad, a component of the ruling Awami League-led alliance, favoured introduction of electronic voting machine on condition of ensuring security of the data. 'We welcome EVM, but it should be introduced in phases by ensuring that data will be secure,' Inu told the dialogue.

Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, election commissioners Muhammed Sohul Hussain and M Sakhawat Hussain, representatives from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory attended the dialogue.

Bangladesh Jammat-e-Islami, a component of the opposition BNP-led alliance, meanwhile, declined to attend the dialogue scheduled for Thursday evening.

Jamaat informed the Election Commission that it would not take part in the dialogue.

'The decision to boycott Thursday's dialogue was taken as many of our leaders and activists were arrested during the hartal. We have conveyed our decision to EC,' the party's law secretary Jasimuddin Sarkar told reporters on Thursday.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has already said through a press conference that the party would not attend the dialogue.

source:NewAge

HC asks Bogra district judge not to perform duties for a month

The High Court on Monday directed the district and sessions judge of Bogra to refrain from performing judicial functions for a month over an allegation that he dismissed a murder case as parties had agreed to 'compromise.'

The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore also asked the law secretary to suspend three public prosecutors who were engaged to act for the state in the case.

The secretary has also been asked to investigate whether the district judge, M Mofizul Islam, and the public prosecutor Abdul Matin, the additional public prosecutor Khoda Box and the assistant public prosecutor Khairul Bashar acted in accordance with their duties.

The deputy attorney general told the court that the district and sessions judge of Bogra had dismissed the case on June 1 on the grounds that it had been settled through a compromise outside the court, which could not be done in accordance with law.

The court also directed the law secretary to submit a report, along with recommendations, to the chief justice after completion of the investigation in 30 days.

The secretary has been asked to submit an investigation report regarding the prosecutors to the court within 30 days.

The court passed the order after hearing statements of the judge and the prosecutor who were asked to appear before it on Thursday to explain their conducts in the case.

The court summoned the judge and the public prosecutor in a rule it issued suo moto as deputy attorney general ABM Altaf Hossain had called the attention to a report on the case being dismissed published in a Bangla daily newspaper on Wednesday.

The report said that MM Yeatimul Haque alias Shuvro was killed at Isabpur Tupipara of Kahalu in Bogra on December 29, 20007.

Shuvro's second wife Angura Begum filed a murder case against his first wife Zulekha Khatun and some others. Zulekha also filed a case against the witnesses of the case filed by Anguara, it said.

source:NewAge

Two modern maritime copters join BN fleet

Two modern AW 109E Maritime Helicopters join Bangladesh Navy fleet on Tuesday aiming at turning the Bangladesh Navy into modern, more effective, stronger and ultimately three dimensional Navy.

These helicopters are capable of surveillance, search and rescue and law enforcement duties at sea, says an ISPR release on Thursday.

As the country has a vast sea area and the importance of sea in our economy is unquestionable, inclusion of maritime helicopters will raise our capability for safeguarding maritime sovereignty at sea.

The frigate BNS Bangabandhu with modern helo-hanger and helo-deck facilities was commissioned in 2001. But no helicopter was included in BN for facilitating flying from BNS Bangabandhu so far.

In 2009, the present government took initiative for inclusion of two maritime helicopters and two ships BNS Bijoy and BNS Dhaleshwari with helo-deck facilities. Inclusion of these 2 helicopters will open a new dimension for the Navy. It may be mentioned that, Naval Aviation is an integral part of any developed Navy.

AW109E is a twin engine, four rotor blades equipped multipurpose helicopter. These two helicopters are capable of flying for around 4 hours and more than 730 kilometres. It is one of the most modern helicopters of Bangladesh Armed Forces.

Officers and sailors have already been trained from Italy for operating and maintaining the helicopters. It is expected that prime minister Sheikh Hasina will commission Naval Aviation Wing by the end of this year. These two helicopters will ensure round the clock and multi-dimension presence of the Bangladesh Navy in the Bay of Bengal.

source:NewAge

Sweater factory burnt in Tangail

The High Born Sweater Factory at Elenga bus stand at Kalihati in Tangail was burnt in a fire on Wednesday night. Two fire engines put out the flames in two hours.

The station master at the Fire Service and Civil Defence in Tangail, Touhidur Rahman, said that the fire had broken out from an electric short-circuit in the factory about 10:00pm.

The Kalihati police officer-in-charge, Md Yunus Ali, said that a case was filed in the connection.

source:NewAge

Mother terms the police case false

Rahima Begum, mother of Shwadhin Ahmed Shuvo, who was killed on June 14 in an alleged gunfight between drug peddlers and the Rapid Action Battalion, claimed on Thursday that the case filed with Fatulla police station in connection with her son's killing was false.

'A day after the killing of my son, sub-inspector Ataur Rahman of Fatulla police station visited my house with a document and took my signature on it without reading out the text written in the paper,' Rahima said.

She said when she returned home from Khanpur hospital with her son's body on June 14, the same sub-inspector brought her to the police station, drafted a submission, and took her signature on it without hearing her version.

According to the case, Rahima's sons Shuvo and Shohag went to the local market to buy some snacks and saw a mob beating up two people. When the brothers approached the scene, a terrorist named Monir shot Shuvo and another man named Sohel shot at Shohag.

When contacted, the officer-in-charge of Fatulla Model Police Station said the murder case was filed but the time of recording the case was mentioned as 8:45am on June 15.

Rahima Begum said she saw RAB personnel in uniform an hour after the incident, when she was returning home.

source:NewAge

Hearing on state religion issue begins

The hearing on a writ petition challenging the validity of the insertion of Islam as state religion by 8th amendment of the constitution began with deliberations by the amici curiae in the High Court on Thursday.

All the three amici curiae expressed the identical view that the issue be left for the parliament as it enjoys the sovereign authority to amend the constitution.

Since the parliament, now in session, is considering the proposed

amendment placed by the special committee on constitution amendment in the light of the recent Supreme Court judgments, it would not be prudent for the court to continue hearing on the rule, they told the court.

Admitting the submissions by the three amici curiae—  M Zahir, Yusuf Hossain Humayun and Abdul Matin Khasru — an HC division bench headed by Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury adjourned the hearing to July 14.

The impugned article 2A, inserted in the constitution in 1988, says:

The state religion of the Republic is Islam, but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in the Republic.

Earlier, during the hearing, M Zahir submitted that a state could not have a religion and termed secularism temporal.

Yusuf Hossain Humayun submitted that the insertion of Islam as state religion by the 8th amendment was intentional as there was no such ground reality in the country.

On June 8, the High Court issued rule asking the government to explain why the insertion of Islam as state religion by the 8th amendment of the constitution should not be declared to have been made without lawful authority.

The bench came up with the orders in response to a supplementary petition for reviving a latent Public Interest Litigation writ petition filed by some distinguished citizens that remained pending for long 23 years.

source:NewAge

Netherlands princess, prince visit Red Crescent project

Princess Margriet Francisca of the Netherlands and her son, Prince Pieter-Christiaan Michiel of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, visited a project of the Red Crescent in Purba Rayoitara under village Saidabad union in Sirajganj on Thursday.

After their arrival at about 11.30am the project's beneficiaries as well as the villagers gave them a warm welcome. The prince and her son talked to the beneficiaries about how they survive the floods and other natural disasters, and related issues.

They also joined a discussion meeting arrange by the local people where they exchanged their views with the hosts.

'I am really happy to notice the gratitude of the people of this village. People here are very friendly and warm-hearted. I expect the project, which started last year here with funds contributed by both the Netherlands and the Bangladesh government, to be very much effective,' said the princess. 'We noticed that the lives of many of the beneficiaries have already been improved by the project.'

Red Crescent's chairman Professor Dr MS Akbar MP, Sirajganj's deputy commissioner Md Aminul Islam, police superintendent Mosharraf Hossain, BMA's president Dr Zahurul Haque Raja, local AL leader KM Hossain Ali Hassan, and Dr Habib-e-Millat Munna, the personal physician of the prime minister, were also present on the occasion.

source:NewAge

JS panel asks for freeing city’s canals, wetlands

A parliamentary standing committee asked the government on Thursday to free the city's canals, wetlands and surrounding rivers from illegal occupation.

The committee on environment and forest ministry also asked for freeing the water bodies from pollution.

At a public dialogue it held the committee made a nine-point recommendations including for zoning of land usage and setting up a new agency for the management and protection of water bodies to save the capital city's environment.

At the dialogue on 'saving the rivers and canals' at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the committee invited representatives of Dhaka WASA, Urban Development Directorate, select NGOs for giving their considered views on the issues.

The committee asked the government to protect the rivers around the capital city from encroachment.

It asked the government to declare 40 per cent land area of the city as 'drainage catchment area'.

The committee chairman Abdul Momin Talukder, MP, and Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, took the expert opinion of the officials as well as the NGO functionaries working on these issues.

Quoting a study report, Saber Hossain Chowdhury suggested the average speed of vehicles should be five kilometres an hour on 65 per cent of the city roads.

He requested the government to enact a 'clean water act.'

The committee recommended for giving importance to 'integrated solid waste management' for the capital city.

Committee chairman Abdul Momin Talukder described the current status of watershed of Dhaka city as 'dismal.'

He said that the high level of pollution in its surface water calls for immediate corrective action.

He said the city's wetlands and the rivers are dying posing a threat its flora and fauna.    

Dhaka WASA managing director Taqsem A Khan said that the city of Dhaka once crisscrossed by its canals and surrounded by rivers had an extraordinary advantage of natural drainage.

He said that the city now faces a disasters situation due to illegal occupation of the rivers and the canals and industrial pollution.

He said industrial wastes contribute 60 per cent pollution of the rivers surrounding the city.

He said that the city's sewer is illegally dumped into the rivers through WASA's rain water flushing pipes.

source:NewAge

HC orders ouster of cos with illegal projects

The High Court on Thursday directed the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh not to allow companies, having unauthorised housing projects, to participate in its fair.

The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore also issued a rule asking the REHAB to explain the legality of participation of unauthorised projects in its four-day housing fair launched at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Thursday.

 The court passed the order after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan and Paribesh Banchao Andolan seeking a directive to the government to implement the court's June 8 ruling that had declared illegal 77 housing projects in and around the capital.

The court directed the government to stop real estate companies from developing lands without approval, selling and advertising such plots on web sites, putting up hoardings or any other medium in areas covered by the Dhaka Metropolitan Develop-ment Plan.

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha and the police were asked to submit a compliance report to the court in 40 days.

The court issued the directives after the final hearing in a public interest litigation writ petition of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association and Ain o Salish Kendra, seeking directives to the government to stop all activities of unauthorised private housing companies.

Referring to the June 8 verdict, BELA lawyer Iqbal Kabir told the court that many unauthorised private housing companies were participating the REHAB fair to advertise and sell plots in violation of the judgment.

There is virtually no effective mechanism to stop an illegal housing project from taking part in the fair, the lawyer alleged.

In many cases, they have violated the town improvement act, master plan of Dhaka, environment conservation act and private housing rules.

The petitioners also urged the authorities concerned to make sure that authorised developers display approvals for their housing projects.

source:NewAge

Nabo Bikram acting secy to CHT ministry

Additional inspector general of police Nabo Bikram Kishore Tripura has been made additional secretary in the president's quota and posted as acting secretary to the Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs ministry.

The public administration ministry on Thursday issued a gazette notification to the effect.

source:NewAge

China reiterates offer to help build Sonadia deep seaport

China has reiterated its willingness to help Bangladesh build a deep seaport at Sonadia in Chittagong.

Wan Daning, president of Yangshan Deepwater Port Authority of China, expressed the intention to foreign minister Dipu Moni on Tuesday, according to a foreign ministry press release.

Dipu Moni, who is now in China on a week-long official visit, on Thursday visited the Yangshan port, a mega project of about $10 billion, built on a reclaimed island and connected with the mainland by a 35-kilometre sea bridge. Wan Daning briefed her about the facilities. 

Dipu Moni arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday on her way to Beijing for an official meeting with her Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. The meeting is scheduled to take place on June 21.

source:NewAge

Wagons of intercity train Silk City derail

Rail link was snapped for hours as three wagons of an intercity train derailed at Airport rail station at Uttara in the capital on Thursday noon.

Railway sources said three wagons of Silk City Express, coming from Rajshahi to Dhaka, slipped out of its track while it reached at the Airport rail station at around 2:00pm, disrupting rail links between Dhaka and the northern zone.

However, no casualty was reported, Dhaka Railway Police and Airport train station officials confirmed.

DRP sub-inspector Nazrul Islam said that a rescue team was working to lift up the derailed wagons.

Samiul Islam Rony, a passenger of the train, told New Age that the wagons of the train slipped out from line when it started to leave the station in a slow pace.

'I felt a shake and suddenly saw people jumping down from the train and without understanding anything, I too followed them. Later I saw the derailed wagons. We were lucky as the train was in a slow pace', said Rony while talking at the station premises. 

A number of scheduled trains, waiting at the Kamlapur rail station, were delayed and some other trains remained stranded at different stations following the accident, the DRP officials said.

source:NewAge

3-year-old girl violated in city

An alleged drug addict on Thursday afternoon sexually violated a three-year-old girl at Dholpur under Jatrabari police station in the capital.

The police arrested the accused, Swapan Ahmed, from the spot.

The police said Swapan, an alleged drug addict, violated the child at around 2:30pm, when her parents were out of their dwelling at Smriti Palli in Dholpur area.

Neighbours rushed to the house hearing her screams and caught Swapan red-handed.

The child was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a critical condition.

The victim's father is a rickshaw-puller and mother is a domestic help.

The process of filing a case in this connection was underway when this report was filed at 9:15pm.

source:NewAge

Indian Army chief to review BMA parade

Indian army chief General Vijay Kumar Singh has been invited to review and take salute at the passing out parade of the Bangladesh Military Academy on June 22, an ISPR press release said on Thursday.


It said that reports published in a section of newspapers involved the question of pride, morality and confidence of Bangladesh Army and independence and sovereignty of the country.
Inter Service Public Relations department provided a statement of Bangladesh Army Headquarters in the regard.
The AHQ statement recalled that former Bangladesh Army chief the late General Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman was invited to review and take the salute at the passing out parade of the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun in 1998.
Similarly, Nepalese Army chief Chhatra Man Singh reviewed and took the salute at Indian Military Academy passing out parade in 2009 and the Indian Navy chief reviewed the passing out parade of Sri Lankan Naval and Maritime Academy in 2010, it said.
It mentioned that in Bangladesh's liberation war in 1971, General Vijay Kumar Singh had participated as a young officer of the allied force. Of the Indian Army officers who had fought for Bangladesh's independence, General Singh is the only serving officer, the statement said.
The AHQ hopes that the participation of the Indian Army chief in the parade would help infuse the spirit of the liberation war in the young Bangladeshi officers.
The statement termed the invitation to the Indian Army chief as reciprocal to the Indian gesture of inviting General Mustafiz.
This is not a weakness but would rather strengthen the diplomatic relations between the two neighbouring countries, the statement said.
General Vijay Kumar Singh is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on June 19 on a five-day tour.
source:NewAge

Muggers kill one, injure another in city

A man, injured critically by a group of muggers at Pallabi in the capital, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital Thursday evening.

The deceased could not be identified immediately.

Mohammad Jakaria, 32, the other victim of the same incident, is undergoing treatment at the DMCH, informed the police.

Mohammad Jakaria, a vegetable seller at Turag, told reporters that a gang of muggers halted the microbus carrying him and his co-passenger on the Pallabi-Tongi embankment at about 5:30am.

Holding them at gunpoint, they stabbed them, beat them up severely and took away two cell-phones and money from them, he said.

The police and local people came as they heard them screaming while the gang fled the scene.

The Pallabi police seized the microbus and a case

source:NewAge

Gaddafi ‘not ready’ to go

Muammar Gaddafi's regime told visiting Russian envoy Mikhail Margelov on Thursday that the embattled Libyan leader is 'not ready' to go, despite growing calls for him to quit and a months-long uprising.

Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam said elections were the only way to break the stalemate.

Russian news agencies carried the statement made by Margelov, the Africa envoy of president Dmitry Medvedev, after talks in Tripoli with the Libyan foreign minister, Abdelati al-Obeidi.

'I spoke to the foreign minister of Libya, and the minister said that according to him, Gaddafi is not ready to leave,' Margelov was quoted as saying.

'In response to a direct question about whether Gaddafi is ready to give up political power after the announcement of a ceasefire or just after its entry into force, the foreign minister told me that (Gaddafi) was not ready' to do so, he added.

Margelov's spokeswoman Varvara Paal said in Moscow the envoy during his one-day visit would meet prime minister Baghdadi al-Mahmudi and the foreign minister, but was not scheduled to meet Gaddafi himself.

He reiterated Moscow's call for Gaddafi to go and stressed 'nobody wants him dead... he can remain living in Libya in private and security can be ensured by the tribes from which he came.'

Margelov, who last week travelled to the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi, has said Russia would be prepared to offer a preliminary 'roadmap' for settling the conflict.

source:NewAge

Rumana’s husband remanded in custody

The High Court on Thursday directed the police to submit by 30 days a progress report of the investigation into the torture of Dhaka University teacher Rumana Monzur, reportedly by her husband.

The chief metropolitan magistrate's court remanded Rumana's husband Hasan Sayeed Sumon in the custody of the Detective Branch for two days for interrogation.

The High Court bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore directed the police to submit the progress report before it after Dhanmondi thana's circle assistant commissioner Sharifur Rahman, its officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman and investigation officer Mokbul Hossain informed them of Sumon's arrest.

The police also told the court that Rumana's case document had already been handed over to the Detective Branch.

The victim's father, Major (Retd) Monzur Hossain, filed a case with Dhanmondi thana on June 6 against Hasan on charge of attempting to kill his daughter.

A team of the Detective Branch on Wednesday arrested Hasan from his relative's house in Uttar Mugda hours after the same bench, in its suo moto rule, directed the three police officers to appear before the court to explain why they had not been able to apprehend him.

The police officials told the court that they had tried hard to arrest Hasan but were delayed as he was untraced and his mobile was switched off.

The court censured the police officers for delaying Hasan's arrest until they were served a ruling.

After the hearing, the court exempted the police officers from being personally present during the next procedure of the case.

The court also said that it would monitor the case for a month.

It also asked Alina Khan, the lawyer appointed by Rumana's family, to go ahead with the case carefully.

In the afternoon metropolitan magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan passed the remand order after the Detective Branch produced Hasan with a prayer for a 10-day remand.

The court also rejected the petitions filed by Hasan's lawyer Haji Monwarul Islam Chowdury, seeking bail and the cancellation of the remand.

'Hasan and Rumana engaged in a tussle on June 5 when a vulgar text message was sent in the Facebook to Rumana by an Iranian, Taher Bin Nadir, with whom she had studied in Canada and had an extra-marital affair,' argued the defence lawyer.

Hasan did not beat up his wife willingly but she might have been hurt in the tussle, the defence lawyer argued, and opposed to the argument made by Rumana's lawyer Zakaria Haider.

'Hasan became furious and tortured Rumana in an attempt to kill her as she wanted to go Canada again to complete her PhD, and he has now concocted a false story to clear himself of the charge,' Zakaria argued.

Rumana had earlier told the media that her husband tried to gouge her eyes out with his fingers.

She also claimed that he bit and gnawed her nose, face and throat on June 5 at her parents' flat in Dhanmondi where the

two had been living for

six years since Rumana conceived her only daughter.

After undergoing treatment in LabAid Specialised Hospital for more than a week, Rumana was

sent to Chennai on Tuesday for better treatment of

her eyes.

source:NewAge

Zawahri new al-Qaeda chief

Ayman al-Zawahri has taken command of al-Qaeda after the May killing of Osama bin Laden, an Islamist web site said on Thursday.

Long known as bin Laden's lieutenant and the brains behind many of al-Qaeda's operations, Egyptian-born Zawahri vowed earlier this month to press ahead with al-Qaeda's campaign against the United States and its allies.

'The general leadership of al-Qaeda group, after the completion of consultation, announces that Sheikh Dr. Ayman Zawahri, may God give him success, has assumed responsibility for command of the group,' the Islamist web site Ansar al-Mujahideen (Followers of the Holy Warriors) said in a statement.

The bespectacled Zawahri had been seen as bin Laden's most likely successor after the man held responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington was shot dead by US commandos in Pakistan 45 days ago.

His whereabouts are unknown, although he has long been thought to be hiding along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The United States is offering a $25 million reward for any information leading to his capture or conviction.

Believed to be in his late 50s, Zawahri met bin Laden in the mid-1980s when both were in Pakistan to support guerrillas fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. Born to an upper-class Cairo family, Zawahri trained as a doctor and surgeon.

'A worthy successor to a great predecessor. We ask God to grant you and your soldiers success for the victory of Islam and Muslims and to raise the banner of religion,' a contributor to another Islamist militant website, As-Ansar, said in a posting.

In a video message posted on the internet on June 8, Zawahri said al-Qaeda would continue to fight.

'The Sheikh (bin Laden) has departed, may God have mercy on him, to his God as a martyr, and we must continue on his path of jihad to expel the invaders from the land of Muslims and to purify it from injustice,' Zawahri said.

'Today, and thanks be to God, America is not facing an individual or a group ... but a rebelling nation which has awoken from its sleep in a jihadist renaissance challenging it wherever it is.'

Believed to be in his late 50s, Zawahri met bin Laden in the mid-1980s when both were in Pakistan to support guerrillas fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. Born to an upper-class Cairo family, Zawahri trained as a doctor and surgeon.

In a video message posted on the internet on June 8, Zawahri said al-Qaeda would continue to fight. He called this year's Arab uprisings a disaster for Washington because, he said, they would remove Arab leaders who were the 'agents of America.'

He also pledged allegiance to the leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Omar, calling him 'Emir of the Believers.'

Among some Egyptians there was disdain at the news.

Karim Sabet, 34, a director of an oil and gas start-up firm, said he was not surprised by the announcement.

'He's been the loyal No. 2 forever. Zawahri seems even more of a madman than Osama was, and he'll want to prove himself by going on the attack soon. Another devil killing in the name of Islam. Disgusting.'

source:NewAge

Landmark ILO treaty gives protection to domestic workers

The International Labour Organisation on Thursday passed a landmark treaty giving protection to an estimated 52.6 million domestic workers across the world.

The new convention would ensure domestic workers enjoyed conditions 'not less favourable' than other workers, and require governments to ensure they understood their rights, preferably through written contracts.

The document also offers domestic workers a full rest day every week, and prevents them being compelled to remain with an employer's household during their annual leave or rest days.

The convention, which was adopted with 396 votes for, 16 against and 63 abstentions, will come into effect upon the ratification of two countries. The Philippines and Uruguay have already said they would ratify the accord.

'We are moving the standards system of the ILO into the informal economy for the first time, and this is a breakthrough of great significance,' said Juan Somavia, ILO director-general.

'History is being made,' he added.

ILO data, which is a compilation of national statistics, indicate that there were at least 52.6 million domestic workers worldwide in 2010.

But there are reasons to believe that the true number, concealed by undercounting among some states, could lie close to 100 million, the UN agency added.

Despite the large numbers, domestic workers are still among the most exploited and abused.

Many are required to work irregular and long hours for low pay and are given insufficient rest. Live-in domestic workers in particular, can be on call at all times of the day.

They are also largely excluded from social protection such as maternity benefits and social security.

Nevertheless, joining the convention is only the first step. Countries would not have to implement the treaty until ratification, while others may opt not to sign up, which could reduce its bite.

While it has secured the support of countries ranging from Gulf states to the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil, other governments, such as Britain, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, abstained.

Swaziland was the only government that voted no. Other no votes were lodged by employer groups.

Britain said it could not vote for the convention as it was 'unable to ratify in the foreseeable future.'

It noted for instance that it was not practical to apply the same health and safety standards, including inspections, to private households employing domestic workers.

It added that it would be 'inappropriate to hold elderly individuals... to the same standards as large companies.'

But supporters of the convention and activists believe that the strength of the treaty is that it sets a standard and adds pressure.

'There's an understanding that major sending countries... are in support. They will want the protection that will be provided when dealing with other countries,' South Africa's chief negotiator Virgil Seafield said ahead of the vote.

The 'convention, even when not ratified can exercise a very strong pressure on governments toward bringing changes into their laws,' said Manuela Tomei, director of the ILO's conditions of work programme.

Non-governmental groups were already calling Thursday for swift ratification.

'All governments should bring their national laws in line with this landmark treaty and ratify it as soon as possible,' said Human Rights Watch's Jo Becker.

The Delhi Workers' Confederation likewise urged the Indian government to 'implement this treaty in letter and spirit and provide equal opportunities and protection to our domestic workers,' while Bangladesh's Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit called on Dhaka to do the same.

source:NewAge

Nat’l committee rejects deal

The national committee to protect oil, gas, mineral resources, power and ports on Thursday rejected the signing of the deals with ConocoPhillips for oil and gas exploration and extraction in the Bay of Bengal in keeping with the model PSC 2008.

The government signed the contracts with the US oil company on the day on gas block 10 and 11, keeping the provision for export of the gas extracted.

Leaders of the organisation at a rally in front of the National Press Club with activists holding black flags termed the deal contrary to national interest. They said that Bangladesh would get only 20 per cent of the total gas extracted by way of the deals.

They called on the government to cancel the unequal deals and threatened agitation programmes, including general strike, if the government does not do so.

The organisation staged countrywide demonstrations on Thursday after the deals had been signed.

The organisation's member secretary Anu Muhammad said that the Awami League-led government had betrayed the people by signing such unequal deals.

Bangladesh will now lose the ownership of its natural resources, Anu said.

Bangladesh will get only 20 per cent of the gas extracted and it will be impossible for Bangladesh to bring the gas from the deep sea to the mainland and the US company, as a result, will export all the gas, Anu said.

The government has signed the deal hurriedly to satisfy the imperialist design, he said.

The organisation has plans to wage united movements and enforce a general strike this month in protest at the deal, Anu said.

It will announce the programmes at a press conference on Saturday, he said at the rally.

The organisation's leader Haider Akbar Khan Rano, also the acting president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, at the rally said that the people had rejected the deal as it is contrary to national interest.

He called on the government to scrap the deal immediately and said it would otherwise be a betrayal by the government with the people.

Syed Abul Maksud,

also a leader of the organisation, said that the government had signed the deal to satisfy the imperialist America.

Tipu Biwas, the convener of the Gana Front, said that the government ignored national interest by signing the deals with ConocoPhillips.

The general  secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, Saiful Huq, said that the people will would lose their rights to natural resources by way of the deal.

Bazlur Rashid Firoz, a central leader of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, said that the day of the singing would be remembered as a 'black day' in history.

CPB central leader Ruhin Hossain Prince, Ganatantri Party general secretary Nurur Rahman Selim, Workers Party (Reconstituted) general secretary Abdus Satter, Gana Sanghati chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, Democratic Revolutionary Party general secretary Mushrefa Mishu and Workers Party leader Ragib Ahsan Munna, among others, spoke.

The effigy of Tawfiq-e-Elahi, the energy adviser to the prime minister, was burnt at the rally.

A procession followed the rally. Several hundred people joined the programmes.

source:NewAge

Shafique terms Rafique’s claims ‘misleading’

Law minister Shafique Ahmed said on Thursday that senior lawyer Rafique-ul Haque's remarks on the constitution reprinted after repeal of the Fifth Amendment was 'misleading and baseless'.

He said that the constitution was reprinted in accordance with the Supreme Court's verdict that had declared the Fifth Amendment void and nothing relating to the provisions of the caretaker government system was changed.

'The constitution has been reprinted in line with the court's verdict on the Fifth Amendment and the caretaker government system has been kept intact,' Shafique Ahmed told a press briefing at the secretariat.

Rafique-ul Haque was quoted by a private television on June 12 as saying that changes had been made in Article 99 of the constitution although the verdict did not say anything about that Article.

Rafique wondered how the constitution reprinted in February should reflect the Supreme Court judgment that declared the caretaker government system illegal in May.

The court also suggested dropping of the provision for appointment of retired chief justice or Appellate Division judges as chief adviser or advisers to the caretaker government, which was introduced through the 13th Amendment in 1996.

 'In line with the Article 99 of the reprinted constitution, former Supreme Court judges cannot be the chief adviser or advisers to the caretaker government. But the Supreme Court didn't say anything about this in its verdict on the Fifth Amendment, he reportedly said.

Shafique, a lawyer by profession, told reporters that only the amendments which had come through martial law proclamations had been repealed.

'So, the word 'Betito' (except) which was incorporated through the Fifth Amendment was dropped from the Article 99. We have not done anything beyond the verdict on the Fifth Amendment,' he added.

The minister said Rafique's remarks were misleading, illogical and baseless as the provisions relating to non-party caretaker government remained unchanged in the reprinted constitution.

He said it was the court and not the government that had annulled the caretaker government system. 'It is now obligatory for all to abide by the court's verdict.'

Shafique, however, said that the main opposition should come to parliament and say under which system the next general election should be conducted.

source:NewAge

325 murdered during present govt’s tenure

The home minister, Sahara Khatun, on Thursday told parliament  that 325 persons were killed and 276 others were wounded in various violent incidents in the country during the tenure of the present government till May 30, 2011.


'A total of 325 people were killed by gangsters, muggers and extortionists in the country till May, 30, 2011 after the alliance government assumed the state power,' she said during the question-answer session, adding that 276 people were also injured in the incidents.
The minister said that 171 of the killings were committed in the city.
She said that most of the gangsters and assailants involved in the killings
had been arrested and the police patrols were strengthened in the mugging-prone areas.
'A list of extortionists and snatchers has been prepared and the law enforcers are keeping watch on the suspects,' she said.
In reply to another question, she said that the committee on withdrawal of 'politically motivated' cases in its 28 meetings from 2009 to June 7, 2011had recommended withdrawal of 7,032 cases but the ministry was yet to know the number of cases withdrawn by the court so far.
'The process for withdrawal of the cases by the court is on,' she added.
The minister also said that her ministry had recommended withdrawal
of 5,888 cases and also withdrawal of the names of 3,010 accused from 945 other cases from a list of 6,833 cases sent to the ministry from different districts. The cases were filed during the rule of the BNP-Jamaat
alliance government.
Courts withdrew on executive orders 2,303 criminal cases in 2001-2008, said Sahara.
The minister, in reply to another question said that the work in a project to
install 155 closed circuit television cameras at 59 spots in the capital was going on to identify criminals and curb crimes and the project would be implemented by the outgoing fiscal.
source:NewAge

Deals signed with ConocoPhillips

*    Petrobangla to get 24.75–36pc of gas and 27–38.25pc of oil or condensate

*    Conditional provision for export of 80pc of gas as LNG

*    Contract to be terminated if exploration well drilling not committed in three years after geophysical survey

*    Surveys to be completed in three phases in nine years

*    Corporate income tax, income tax of sub-contractors, income tax of employees of contractor and sub-contractor to be paid by the contractor

Staff Correspondent

State-run oil, gas and mineral resources corporation Petrobangla on Thursday signed production sharing contracts with US oil company ConocoPhillips for oil and gas exploration in deep sea hydrocarbon block 10 and 11 amid protests from experts, civic forums and political organisations.

ConocoPhillips will conduct seismic surveys in 5,158 square kilometres of the Bay of Bengal, an area 280 kilometres off the Chittagong port covering the two hydrocarbon blocks, in three phases in nine years.

ConocoPhillips vice-president William G Lafferrandre said that they would start exploration activities in the next winter.

The contract will be terminated after three years if the US company does not commit drilling an exploration well after the geophysical survey in each of the blocks.

The company will get 55 per cent of the available petroleum (gas and condensate or oil) each year in cost recovery. It will also get its stake from condensate or oil and gas in profit share.

Petrobangla will get 24.75–36 per cent of the total recoverable natural gas and 27–38.25 per cent of the total condensate or oil.

Both Petrobangla and ConocoPhillips agreed to exclude an area of 1,605 square kilometres from block 10 and 11 temporarily as the ownership claim dispute of the area, involving India and Myanmar, is pending with the International Tribunal for the Laws of the Seas.

Energy expert Nurul Islam, who is also a professor in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, expressed his concerns that the country might be deprived of using the gas extracted by way of the deal.

He said that there were provisions in the model PSC 2008 that might encourage gas export in the form of liquefied natural gas from the two hydrocarbon blocks.

Government policymakers and Petrobangla officials in the signing ceremony, however, told reporters that the model PSC also had provisions by way of which the US company would need to obtain permission of Petrobangla to export the gas in the form of liquefied natural gas.

According to Article 15.5.4 of the model PSC 2008, Petrobangla can retain only 20 per cent of the total marketable natural gas for the first 10 years if allows the US company to export the gas in the form of liquefied natural gas.

The rest of the gas might be exported in the form of liquefied natural gas and Petrobangla will get paid for its share.

As for government statement on conditions in the PSC, experts and activists said that the energy ministry and Petrobangla had given similar permissions in the past and had given international oil companies many facilities ignoring national interest.

Petrobangla allowed Cairn Energy to sell its portion of the total recoverable gas from hydrocarbon block 16 directly to the private sector at a negotiated price.

Referring to the national export policy, Nurul also said that the policy had an article which would allow international oil companies to export their shares of the natural gas in the form of liquefied natural gas.

'And the policy does not make it mandatory for the international oil companies to seek permission of Petrobangla or the energy ministry to do so,' he added.

Asked why the government is keeping the controversial provision that allows contractors to export gas, the policymakers and the officials could not give any clear answer.

The policymakers also said that the deal with ConocoPhillips would protect Bangladesh's resources in the Bay and ensure its long-term energy security.

The finance minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, said that the deal would not only safeguard the interest of the country but also will do more than that. 'It will protect our resources in the sea,' he added.

The Petrobangla chairman, Hossain Monsur, said that two neighbours of Bangladesh had already started drilling for oil and gas exploration and extraction in the Bay.

He said that India was coming from the west and Myanmar from the east to claim the resources in the Bay of Bengal. 'So we must take serious initiatives to claim and protect our resources there,' he said.

The prime minister's energy adviser Tawfiq E Elahi Chowdhury said that the deal was part of the government's overall strategy for long-term energy security.

'We will initiate oil and gas exploration and extraction in the Bay more vigorously as the country's gas reserves are depleting,' he said.

Asked how the country will get its share of the gas extracted, Tawfiq said that it was not a big deal to set up a pipeline to feed the gas into the national grid.

The Petrobangla secretary, Imam Hossain, and the energy ministry's deputy secretary AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed signed the agreement with ConocoPhillips vice-president William G Lafferrandre for the exploration in block 10 and 11.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs on May 23 approved the proposal for the signing of the production sharing contracts with ConocoPhillips.

ConocoPhillips won exploration rights to eight deep-sea hydrocarbon blocks — 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20 and 21 — during the country's bidding round 2008.

source:NewAge

Khaleda sets conditions for dialogue

Leader of the opposition and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia said on Thursday that her party can sit for discussion only if the Awami League-led government retracts its decision to rescind the election-

time caretaker government provision.

Referring to the prime minister's call to propose a new 'formula' in place of the CG system, Khaleda said emphatically at a media briefing in her Gulshan office, 'There is no need to propose any new formula. Our stand is clear — the caretaker government provision shall be retained in the form it now exists in the Constitution.'

Khaleda convened the media briefing to reveal her party's stand on the caretaker government issue following the government's repeated calls to suggest a new formula.

'It is now their turn to take a decision. We will not take part in any elections held under a political government,' reiterated Khaleda.

'We will sit for discussion on the appointment of the chief adviser and about how the Election Commission and the administration can be reconstituted to make them neutral, but before that the government will have to make it clear that the caretaker government provision will be retained,' she said.

Accusing the government of 'conspiring to hold the next polls under its regime' by 'misinterpreting' the court's verdict, Khaleda said in a resolute voice, 'Our movement will continue to resist the government's attempt to hold the polls under a political government. We want to ensure the people's right to vote freely in a fair election.'

'The prime minister is creating a smokescreen by giving a wrong interpretation of the court's verdict of the 13th Amendment so that she can hold the next polls with her own people at the helm,' Khaleda alleged.

'The Appellate Division's verdict did not declare the caretaker government provision illegal from this moment. This provision will lose its legitimacy only after the holding of the next two polls under it,' she argued.

Khaleda quoted excerpts from the verdict to substantiate her stance. 'The Constitution (Thirteenth Amendment) Act 1996 is prospectively declared void and ultra vires of the Constitution,' she said. 'The second part of verdict reads: "The election to the Tenth and Eleventh Parliaments may be held under the provisions of the above mentioned Thirteenth Amendment on the age-old principles".'

Referring to the ruling party's call to join Parliament, Khaleda said, 'The BNP always wants the Jatiya Sangsad to be a functional one. We never said we will not join Parliament despite the fact that the government has made it dysfunctional.'

Khaleda termed the government's urging them to participate in parliamentary proceedings a 'farce' as they were not allowed to speak in the Sangsad.

In reply to a question, Khaleda reiterated that BNP would not accept introduction of the electronic voting system.

When she was asked whether or not her party would accept former chief justice Khairul Haque as the next chief adviser, Khaleda said that he was partisan. 'We will not accept him as the chief adviser.'

'There are more provisions in the system that deal with the selection and appointment of the chief adviser, which we can sit down to discuss with the government,' she told reporters.

BNP has been repeating that it would not join the next general elections if the caretaker government system was scrapped after the prime minister recently said it was not possible to retain the system as the court had annulled it.

The BNP enforced a 36-hour hartal and is planning a long movement to force the government to withdraw its decision to scrap the caretaker government system.

source:NewAge