BB to redefine CDR to add Tk 5,000cr liquidity

Bangladesh Bank on Wednesday said it would redefine the credit-deposit ratio of commercial banks to tackle the liquidity crisis in the banking sector and that the new initiative would increase the banks' investment capacity by Tk 5,000 crore.

The central bank at a news briefing presided over by deputy governor Murshid Kuli Khan denied the existence of any liquidity crisis and claimed the main problem was the banks' inefficient asset management.

Musrhid Kuli Khan explained the liquidity situation of the banks and the central bank's strategy to tackle the crisis.

He said, 'The BB provided Tk 9,303 crore to different banks as liquidity support.'

'The CDR does not get highlighted due to weak fund management system of the banks,' he claimed.

He said the central bank would issue a circular in a day or two stating the new guidelines

that would show the liquidity in the banking system was much more than what was being reported but the real amount was not calculated due to the banks' inefficiency.

'The banks will be more relaxed and it

will not increase the inflation rate in any way,' he added.

According to the new move, the BB will allow the banks to include the amount of their capital, other provisions, inter-bank deposits, and the excess money kept to meet the cash reserve requirement, except the borrowings from call money market, in the amount that can be invested.

BB executive director Shitangshu Kumar Sur Chowdhury said, 'The BB estimates the new clarification of liquidity will add around Tk 5,000 crore to the amount which can be used by the banks for investment.'

He said, 'According to the new calculation, the existing assets of the banks will be added to their deposits, whereby the banks will get more money to hand out loans.'

He explained that there was a CDR shortfall not liquidity crisis and said the government borrowing from the banking system and the BB would not affect the money market in any way.

'The banks in line with the BB directive reduced the CDR to 81.54 per cent by May from 85.64 per cent in February,' he mentioned.

Earlier in February, the BB directed the commercial banks to reduce the CDR to 85 per cent and the Islamic banks to 90 per cent.

The banks, financial institutions, and business leaders have recently been reporting that they were facing a liquidity crisis but the central bank has been claiming that there was an excess liquidity of Tk 28,000 crore in the banking system.

The Bangladesh Association of Banks on Monday urged the Bangladesh Bank to increase the ceiling of CDR of commercial banks from 85 per cent to 90 per cent and of Islamic banks from 90 per cent to 95 per cent. 

BB executive director Jahangir Alam also spoke at the briefing.

Source : New Age

Change in temperature unlikely

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at a few places over all the seven divisions till 6:00pm today.

Moderately heavy falls are also likely at places, the Meteorology Office said in a forecast on Wednesday.

Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in Dhaka today at 6:49pm and rises tomorrow at 5:13am.

The country's highest temperature, 35.5 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Wednesday in Rajshahi and Ishwardi and the lowest, 24.0 degrees Celsius, in Rangamati.

Source : New Age

Speakers for pro-people citizens’ charter

Speakers at a daylong workshop in Rajshahi on Wednesday underlined the need for formulating pro-people citizens' charter for smooth public services.

They also stressed public access to all civic services.

The Rajshahi district administration and public administration ministry under Civil Service Change Management Programme hosted the workshop on 'citizens' charter for improving civic services' at the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner's Office.

With Rajshahi deputy commissioner Delwar Bakth in the chair, public administration additional secretary Abu Bakar Siddique, also the national project director, addressed the inaugural session as the chief guests while Rajshahi divisional commissioner Abdul Mannan, additional deputy commissioner (education and development) Subol Bose Mini and additional deputy commissioner (general) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman spoke on the occasion as the special guests.

The speakers said the present government had taken initiatives for formulating the citizens' charter aimed at building competent, dynamic and time-fitting public services.

Public administration deputy secretary Abu Taz Muhammad Zakir Hossain gave an outline of the programme.

About 50 government officials, public representatives, professionals and non-governmental organisation's activists also attended the workshop.

Source : New Age

Rajshahi silk, mango show begins

A three-day silk and mango exhibition was lunched in the Rajshahi city on Wednesday with a view to popularising the products.

We are Rajshahi Dwellers, a welfare organisation, arranged the programme, sponsored by mobile operator Banglalink at the Green Plaza on the Rajshahi City Corpo-ration building premises.

The organisers brought out a procession from the exhibition ground and huge number of city dwellers joined the procession with banners and placards.

With drumbeats, the procession marched the city streets and ended at the Green Plaza.  

Rajshahi panel mayor Sariful Islam Babu, as the chief guest, inaugurated the programme.

We are Rajshahi dwellers president Abu Bakkar Ali, also former president of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, general secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed, among others, addressed the inaugural ceremony.

Source : New Age

Use of surface water stressed to cut pressure on groundwater

Government and foreign missions officials on Wednesday gave importance on using surface water to reduce pressure on groundwater.

They made the observation while visiting the Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Phase II project in the capital.

Dhaka WASA managing director Taqsem A Khan said Saidabad project phase II started in April 15, 2010 which would be finished in December 2012.

'This phase will have a pre-treatment plant which will be producing water during the dry season to remove bad smell in the water as surface water goes down during the season,' he said.

Taqsem A Khan said through this project WASA would go to use the surface water which would be a great achievement.

Danish ambassador Svend Olling said the people of the Dhaka city must go for the surface water which should be properly treated.

Citing Saidabad plant as 'one of the biggest water treatment plant', he also said engineers from France and Denmark came here because of strong political support.

French ambassador Charley Causeret said the second phase was very impressive and much better than the first phase and added that Denmark and France were happy to participate in the project.

The project manager, Jon W Moellebro, said at present the construction work of the project was completed between five to ten per cent and expressed confidence that the work would be completed in time.

Martial Dautrey, another project manager, said the same treatment process, which was used in the first phase, would be followed in the second phase. 

DWASA managing director said the Denmark government gave about Tk 800 crore out of about Tk 1,140 crore for the project's expenditure.

'We are only a little behind meeting the daily demand of 225 crore litres and if the project is implemented that would also produce more 22.5 crore litres of water daily,' he added.

Taqsem A Khan said water of the River Sitalakhya would be used in the second phase.

Land requisition for the third phase of the project had already been done and a project of $1.6 billion was under consideration while planning of two other water treatment plants at Pagla and Khilkhet was also in progress, he added.

Among others, project director of Saidabad plant's phase II and III Mohammad Serajuddin and Danish embassy's deputy head of mission Jan Moller Hansen were present at the plant.

Source : New Age

SCC announces Tk 275.95cr budget

The Sylhet City Corporation on Wednesday announced a Tk 275.95 crore budget for 2011-12 fiscal year.

The new budget did not impose any new tax on the city dwellers with a view to keeping balance between income and expenditure.

Sylhet mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran announced these at a briefing at the city corporation conference room.

He said the last year's budget was of Tk 268.91 crore, he said.

The mayor said the RCC tried its best to prepare a suitable budget for the next financial year to keep balance between the city corporation's ability and expectation for ensuring an overall development in the city.

He also sought cooperation of the city dwellers in achieving the development goals and providing better services.

'The city corporation would be able to earn about Tk 50.21 crore from its own resources in the next fiscal year,' he added.

Focusing water logging in the city and drinking water crisis as major problems, the mayor said ECNEC had approved an estimated project of Tk 236 crore.

'Works of several development projects had already been started and the projects, which included installation of two surface water purifying plants and 15 deep tube-wells to meet water crisis, were expected to be completed by the next financial year, if the government allocation under the projects remained uninterrupted,' he added.

He also informed the media that Tk 5.60 crore would come from the government's annual development project and Tk 13 crore from the special grants of the government.

Sylhet deputy commissioner Abu Syed Md Hashim and ward councillors were present at the programme.

Source : New Age

UGC allocates Tk 253 crore for DU budget

The University Grants Commission has allocated Tk 253 crore for Dhaka University's 2011-12 fiscal year's budget.

The university authorities had submitted a proposal for allocating Tk 281 crore for this year's budget to the UGC, but it granted Tk 253 crore after analysing present conditions of the university, said a DU official on Wednesday.

The UGC also asked the DU authorities to manage rest of the amount from internal sources, he added.

He also said the university authorities had no choice, but to increase academic fees to meet the deficiency.

He said the allocation would certainly not adequate for the mounting educational expenditures.

The official said the main share of the budget, about Tk 224 crore, was kept for salary, allowance and pension of teachers, officials and employees.

Only about Tk 24 crore was allotted to meet expenses for education, research and other sectors in the budget and the amount was very tiny in global contest, he said further.

DU treasurer Mizanur Rahman said the university would announce its budget for 2011-12 fiscal year at its syndicate meeting on June 28-29, 2011.

Source : New Age

Water stagnation persists in Ctg city

Water stagnation in Chittagong city takes a severe turn every year with the advent of the rainy season despite its wonderful natural drainage system.

A little rainfall is enough to inundate the low-lying Chaktai, Bakalia, Khatunganj, Asadganj, Agrabad, Badurtala, Rahmatganj, Halishahar, Chandgao, Chawkbazar, Muradpur and Kapashgola.

The incumbent mayor, Manjur Alam, in his election manifesto had pledged to address water-logging in the city. But even after one year of his tenure, the city people's complaint about the nagging water stagnation remained unaddressed.

'We live on the ground floor of a student mess. Every year the floor goes under water during the rainy season,' complained Mustafijur residing at Nasirabad.

'The canals are not excavated regularly while there is hardly any drive to free the city canals and riverbanks from the grabbers,' said Mohammad Mamun, a resident of Agrabad. 

'After excavation, the garbage is piled up on the both sides of the drains and canals. As a result, the rainwater washes away the garbage again into the canals and drains', said Minu Barua, a dweller of Tigerpass.

The Chaktai canal, the major carrier of city household water and wastes into the River Karnaphuli, and other canals and drains have narrowed down and industrial and household wastes have made the canals shallow.

The grabbers in many places have built shops and other establishments along the canals and riverbank. As a consequence, the whole area around Chaktai- Khatunganj goes under water with a little rainfall.

To make the matter further worse, Ab-e-Jam Jam, a ship stuck at the confluence of Chaktai-Karnaphuli for eight months, is obstructing the free flow of water.

When contacted, city corporation magistrate Kazi Mohammad Abdur Rahman told New Age that they had already launch drives on a regular basis against the grabbers of canal and river embankments in order to ensure their free flow of water.

Bijoy Kumar Chowdhury, president of the permanent committee for addressing water stagnation, an initiative of the city corporation, told New Age that the city corporation had taken a Tk 17.50 crore project to address water stagnation in the city.

To restore the free flow of canal and drain water, they have been removing the silt and garbage in 41 wards of the city.  

'Compared with previous year, the extent of water stagnation in the city has reduced by up to 25 per cent. About 60 per cent work of the project to address water stagnation has been completed. If implemented fully, the project would reduce water-logging to a great extent', said Bijoy.

Meanwhile, experts and city planners have stressed concerted efforts of all to address the water stagnation in the port city.

'There should be well coordination between the city corporation and the Chittagong Development Authority. Besides, all government bodies should work together to address the problem; the city corporation cannot alone address it,' said AKM Rezaul Karim, chief CCC city planner.  

'The canals of the city, particularly the Chaktai canal, have to be freed from the grabbers. Road or footpath could be built on the both sides of the canals to reclaim the encroached canals,' added Rezaul. 

Terming the natural drainage system of the Chittagong city as wonderful, Rashedul Hasan, lecturer in urban and regional planning of the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, said lack of adequate maintenance of canals and drains was responsible for water stagnation in the city.

The authorities concerned should take precautionary measures before the advent of rainy season, he said, adding the city dwellers should not throw their household wastes into the drains.

Source : New Age

NUST observes 5th founding anniversary

Noakhali University of Science and Technology observed its fifth founding anniversary on the university premises on Wednesday.

The teacher and students of the university brought out a colourful procession marking the day while the local lawmaker Ekramul Karim Chowdhury participated. The procession paraded university campus and the main roads of the district headquarters.

Chaired by the NUST vice-chancellor, Professor AKM Sayedul Haque Chowdhury, a discussion meeting was held at the campus where Alauddin Ahmed, advisor to the Prime Minister for Education, Social Develop-ment and Political Affairs, attended as a chief guest.

SM Nazmul Islam, vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and Professor Sharif Enamul Kabir, VC of Jahangirnagar University attended as special guest while Professor Mominul Haque, registrar of the NUST, Md Abdullah Al-Mamun, president of the NUST Teachers Association, and student representatives addressed the meeting.

A cultural programme was held after the discussion meeting.

Noakhali University of Science and Technology observed its fifth founding anniversary on the university premises on Wednesday.

The teacher and students of the university brought out a colourful procession marking the day while the local lawmaker Ekramul Karim Chowdhury participated. The procession paraded university campus and the main roads of the district headquarters.

Chaired by the NUST vice-chancellor, Professor AKM Sayedul Haque Chowdhury, a discussion meeting was held at the campus where Alauddin Ahmed, advisor to the Prime Minister for Education, Social Develop-ment and Political Affairs, attended as a chief guest.

SM Nazmul Islam, vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and Professor Sharif Enamul Kabir, VC of Jahangirnagar University attended as special guest while Professor Mominul Haque, registrar of the NUST, Md Abdullah Al-Mamun, president of the NUST Teachers Association, and student representatives addressed the meeting.

Source : New Age

Day-labourer killed

A day-labourer was killed falling from a under construction building in Cox's Bazar Sadar upazila on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Abul Kalam, 18, son of Mohammad Jahangir in Light House area in Cox's Bazar.

The Cox's Bazar police and witness said that Abul Kalam and other labourers were working at 8th floor of a under construction building of Bengal Holding Limited Company in Kolatoli area of Cox's Bazar town. At one stage Abul Kalam fell on ground from the 8th floor at about 12:00pm.

The workers rescued him and took to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital where duty doctors declared him dead.

The Cox's Bazar police visited the spot and recovered the body and sent it to the hospital morgue for autopsy.  A case was filed.

Source : New Age

Increased salinity in farm land decreases crop output

Salinity particularly in the thousands of acres of croplands in the country's vast southern region is increasing almost alarmingly causing possibilities of turning a large number of croplands into barren lands in future, according to agriculture experts.

Rapidly spreading salinity was not only decreasing fertility of the croplands or increasing cost of crop production, but it was also severely affecting aqua life, biodiversity and threatening food security in Barisal region, the expert said.

Admitting the fact, the acting additional director of Barisal regional Department of Agriculture Extension, Debangshu Kumar, said that situation was deteriorating day by day.

The DAE experts said that the tolerable degree of salt in land for the production of crops was the maximum four to five unit deci Siemens per meter.

Water with electrical conductivity of only 1.15 dS/m contains approximately 2,000 pounds of salt for every acre foot of water.

Sources of regional offices of Department of Agriculture Extension, Department of Hydrograph of Water Development Board and Soil Resource Development Institute said that rapidly expanding aggression of salinity on croplands reached to 4.28 lakh hectares in 2009, from 3.77 lakh hectares in 2000 and 2.78 lakh hectares in 1973.

It means aggression salinity spread more than 27 per cent in 2000 than 1973 and more than 47 per cent in 2009 from 1973.

In 1973 the salinity affected lands were 2.18 lakh hectares in Barguna and Patuakhali districts and 0.60 lakh hectares in Bhola and Pirojpur districts.

This affects spread in more than to 3.77 lakh hectares in 2000 within 27 years.

However the aggression of salinity became speedier within next 9 years and expanded to 4.34 lakhs hectares, more 20 per cent areas, in 2009 in all of the six districts of Barisal division.

'Even salinity is now affecting at least 15 thousand hectares lands of Barisal and Jhalakathi districts, which are more than 110 kilometres far away from the coast and rapidly spreading to upper stream of north,' acknowledged Ifterkharuzzaman, scientific officer of Barisal office of SRDI.

'About one-third of the cultivated land and one-fifth of the arable land in the region are now under threats of rapidly expanding salinity,' he said.

The salinity has reached 6 to 7 dS/m per meter inside embankment and 9-12 dS/m outside embankment in different areas of the region including Kalapara, Galachipa of Patuakhali, Sadar, Amtali and Patharghata of Barguna, Zia Nagor, Nazirpur of Pirojpur, Lalmohon, Manpura of Bhola districts, according to the related sources.

During the dry season, salinity stands there at 9-11 inside to 12-16 dS/m, outside embankment, the experts noticed.

Besides over flowing of river-tide, destroy and damages of embankments during disasters like Sidr and Aila and changing climate decreasing amounts of raining in the region and also helping aggression of salinity with effect of loss of fertility.

Affected fishermen and farmers are now searching for alternative livelihood and urging for research to find out salinity resistant varieties of crops to save them from incurring losses and burden of loans.

The agriculture research department already invented IRRI-47 variety of up to 12 ds/m saline resistant paddy   and expanding its cultivation in salinity affected areas and continuing research for more powerful saline resistant variety, the DAE acting AD said.

Source : New Age

Change in admin

Education ministry's additional secretary Md Sirajul Islam has been transferred to the Election Commission Secretariat as additional secretary.

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

Besides, deputy secretary to the information ministry Tandra Sikder has been transferred to the public works ministry as deputy secretary, officer on special duty (deputy secretary) Md Khairul Islam has been posted to the finance division, deputy secretary to the science and information & communication technology ministry Shyama Prasad Bepari has been sent to the information and communication division as deputy secretary and deputy secretary to the Election Commission Secretariat  Ahmed Morshed has also been sent to the ICT division as deputy secretary, said another order issued on the day.

Deputy secretary Imran Hossain, who was deputed to the primary education directorate as director, has been withdrawn to the public administration ministry for fresh posting.

Source : New Age

Micro-credit introduced in 1904: Ashraful

The LGRD and cooperatives minister, Syed Ashraful Islam, also the ruling Awami League's general secretary, on Wednesday said that micro-credit had been introduced 1904 long ago before the Grameen Bank introduced it in the early 1980s although it had differences in application.

In reply to a question of AKM Maidul Islam, Ashraful said that the Cooperative Credit Society Act was introduced in 1904 and small credits on easy conditions were given to farmers to save them from lenders.

'Philosophically, although there are similarities between cooperatives and the Grameen Bank, there are also differences between them,' he added.

Ashraful said that there was no legal entity of the beneficiaries of the Grameen Bank but cooperatives beneficiaries had such legal entity.

There are also differences in terms of the identification of beneficiaries, amount of credit, process of realization process, timeframe and interest rates fixation, he said.

Ashraful said that beneficiaries of the Grameen Bank were mostly among the landless women but the cooperatives act clearly says: 'The local government, by general or special order, prohibits or restricts the lending of money on mortgage of immoveable property of any kind thereof by any society or class of societies.'

Source : New Age

Blockade halts traffic in 5 dists

Traffic on Syedpur, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh remained suspended for five hours due to road blockade imposed by transport workers on Wednesday.

Local sources said a driver of a Nilphamari bound bus from Syedpur scolded a driver of an easy-bike for lifting two passengers in front of Uttara EPZ here around 7:00am.

Other easy bike drivers protested the incident, which triggered a scuffle between them.

As the news reached Syedpur, bus workers at 8am blockaded road at Syedpur WAPDA crossing point, that disrupted road communication in the five districts.

The road blockade was withdrawn at 1:00pm following discussion between workers and easy bike drivers mediated by local administration.

Source : New Age

Cancer screening for women launched

AK Khan Healthcare Trust launched a screening, treatment and awareness raising programme for caner and non-communicable diseases for the women at Korail Slum at Gulshan in the capital Wednesday.

The trust officials disclosed this at a briefing held in the city on Wednesday, said a release.

The programme will broadly offer detection and treatment of diseases such as cervical cancer, breast cancer and oral cancer, officials said.

Under the same programme non-communicable diseases, namely hypertension, heart diseases, stroke symptoms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be detected.

The programme will run initially for two years.

The briefing, presided over by AK Khan Group chairman AK Shamsuddin Khan, was addressed by Valerie Taylor, founding coordinator of the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, as the chief guest.

The speakers stressed the need to raise public awareness about cancer and other non-communicable diseases, especially among the underprivileged women.

Many diseases can be prevented by making people aware about them that will help them go through regular health checkups and follow the rules to keep diseases at bay, they said.

Source : New Age

60 trafficked Bangladeshi dumped in Naf by Nasaka

Sixty Bangladeshis, who had sailed in a fishing boat from Cox's Bazar for Malaysia without any document three months ago, were dumped on Tuesday in the Naf by the Myanmar border security force, Nasaka.

The Bangladeshis had been imprisoned in Myanmar during the interim three months, officials concerned said.

After they were dropped by Nasaka, 35 of them were arrested by Border Guard Bangladesh and the remaining 25 fled the area to avoid arrest, 42 BG Battalion commanding officer lieutenant colonel Jahid Hasan told New Age on Wednesday evening.

'Although they were scheduled to hand over the illegal migrants to us officially soon, the Myanmar border guards just dropped them in the middle of the river Naf yesterday [Tuesday],' he said.

Teknaf police station officer-in-charge Mahbubul Haque told New Age that the arrested, aged between 17 and 52 years, were produced before a court on Wednesday on charge of trespassing.

One of them, Jasim Uddin, alleged in police custody that a group of people persuaded some 186 people, 60 of them Bangladeshi and the rest Rohingyas, from different areas of the country and on March 21 sent them in a trawler from Kustoraghat of Cox's Bazar apparently  for Malaysia.

'The traffickers dumped us in a coastal area in Myanmar on April 3, claiming it was Malaysia, and then left. Myanmar security forces arrested us in the area and produced before a court,' he said. 'The court sentenced us to three months in jail.'

Jasim said Myanmar citizen Abdur Rahim, who lives in Cox's Bazar, Mohammad Hossain of Sabrong union, Ruhul Amin of Baraitali area, Nur Mohammad Majhi and Abdus Shukkar Majhi of Teknaf, Khaleda Begum of Chakoria, Kabir Ahmed of Kutupalong Refugee camp of Ukhiya, and Rasid Ahmed Majhi exacted Tk 10,000 to Tk 50,000 from each of them for sending them to Malaysia.

Source : New Age

2nd Agro Bangladesh 2011 begins on Sunday

The 2nd Agro Bangladesh 2011, an agricultural expo participated by 11 countries, will be held in June 26-28 in the capital, said its organisers at a briefing held at a city hotel Wednesday.


The exhibition will be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre jointly organised by the Extreme Exhibition and Event Solution Limited and I Station Limited.
Anwar Faruque, director general, seed wing of the agriculture ministry, said that this year the private entrepreneurs were holding the show while last year the government organised it.
FR Malik, president of Bangladesh Seed Grower, Dealer and Merchants Association, said that the main objective of the show was to bring the agro-communities of different countries closer to each other.
'At this largest gathering of agro-community of the country the participants will explore opportunities, exchange ideas and set the future trends for the sector,' he said.
The expo will have 240 stalls of 120 companies from Bangladesh, India, Korea, Taiwan, China, Germany, Singapore, Japan, Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
The ministry of agriculture, ministry of fisheries and livestock and Agriculture Information Service will support the show, said the organisers.
Different food products made from the plant sources, fish, poultry and cattle, solar energy technologies, agro-machinery and food technologies will be displayed at the three-day fair.
Fisheries and livestock minister Abdul Latif Biswas is expected to be the chief guest at the opening of the expo, they said.
Eastern Bank Limited deputy managing director Fakhrul Alam and Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association secretary-general MM Khan were present at the briefing, among others
Source : New Age

EU to give 54m euro for primary edn

European Union on Wednesday announced that it would provide over 54 million euros for the phase three of the primary education development programme in Bangladesh.

In addition, the EU will give 52 million euros to non-formal primary schools to help 5,00,000 more children to get education. 

Visiting EU commissioner Andris Piebalgs gave the announcement during his visit to EU-funded projects in Jessore, said a press release.

Visiting German federal minister Dirk Niebel was also present during the visit.

The two dignitaries visited the EU-funded social safety net programme and Rural Employment Opportunities for Public Assets.

They talked to the women beneficiaries of the projects, who successfully managed to graduate out of extreme poverty and are now able to sustain economically by using skills and assets obtained through the projects, the release said.

They visited a primary school in Lohacura near Jessore that is supported under the framework of the Second Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-II), co-financed by EU and other development partners.

Commissioner Piebalgs said, 'Bangladesh's most important resource is its people where education is absolutely essential so that children can secure their future and make a contribution to the development of the country.'

He said the EU would continue to support the government's efforts in achieving the millennium development goal in education sector.

In the afternoon, the delegation visited a German-Bangladesh pilot project which promotes photovoltaic systems for rural households and provides improved cooking stoves.

Addressing a function on the occasion, Dirk Niebel said the project illustrates ways of sustainable energy resource and it would help Bangladesh to cope with the energy crisis.

Later on the day, the delegation exchanged views with the German- Bangladesh business community.

Leading German companies have taken strong interest in the idea of investing in 'social business' as promoted by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, said Niebel.

He invited Dr Yunus to the upcoming forum on the Future of Global Development to be organised by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Source : New Age

Increased farm subsidies, urea price cut demanded

Bangladesh Krishok Samity on Wednesday demanded that farm subsidies should be increased in the proposed budget for fiscal 20011-12 and the price of urea fertiliser should be reduced immediately.


The demand came from rallies held by the BKS in a number of district headquarters across the country and one in front of the National Press Club.
Speakers at the rally held in the capital also demanded that the government should buy unhusked rice directly from the farmers by establishing rice procurement centres at union level, besides bringing the poor and the marginalised under the rationing system.
They protested the decreased agricultural subsidies in the proposed budget and said, while the government should increase farm subsidies for better food production, it had pushed the country's agricultural sector into a vulnerable situation by cutting the subsidies.
The speakers said the government increased the price of urea fertiliser on the excuse of its global price hike but in many countries farmers get fertilisers and other agricultural inputs free of cost.
They expressed the worry that the country's food production might decrease and it might face a severe food crisis, if the agricultural subsidies were not increased and the urea fertiliser price was not reduced.
Although the farmers are not getting a fair price for the newly harvested boro, the government has decided to buy rice from the millers to benefit the middlemen and mill owners, they alleged.
BKS vice president Lina Chakrabarty and general secretary Sajjad Zahir Chandan, Bangladesh Khetmojur Samity leader Anwar Hossain Reza, and Juba Union leader Tridib Saha, among others, addressed the meeting chaired by BKS vice president Nurur Rahman Selim.
Reports received from Bogra, Narsingdi, Modhukhali upazila in Faridpur, and Patuakhali said the BKS local units held rallies there to press home the same demands.
The Khulna and Sirajganj district units of the organisations also submitted charters of demands to the deputy commissioners concerned.
Source : New Age

Nat’l committee stages rally and march against deal

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/national/23521.htmlThe national committee's leaders on Wednesday called on the Awami League-led government to cancel the Production and Sharing Contract with US oil company Conoco Phillips for extraction of gas from two offshore blocks for the sake of the country's energy security.

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports staged a rally at Jatrabari crossing to drum up support for the half-day hartal called by it in the capital on July 3 to press home its seven demands, including cancellation of the deal.

Ragib Ahsan Munna termed the deal contrary to the national interest as most of the extracted gas will be exported and we will not be able to use the gas for our domestic purposes.

The rally, chaired by committee leader Mohin Uddin Chowdhury Liton, was addressed by Abdus Sattar and Nazrul Islam, along with others.

The leaders condemned the personal attack on the committee's member-secretary Anu Muhammad by Hasan Mahmud, state minister for forest and environment, and pointed out that Anu is an eminent economist and has the capacity to analyse and criticise the deal.

The state minister on Tuesday in the secretariat told Anu Muhammad not to speak about the deal since he knows nothing about geology.

Energy adviser to the prime minister Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, who has been closely involved in the one-sided deal with the US company, is also a student of economics, said the committee's leaders.

The rally was followed by a march towards Saidabad by the leaders and activists of the committee.

The committee will stage a march on Thursday from Mirpur-10 to Pallabi at 4:30pm.

The committee's leaders distributed leaflets to people in front of the Press Club and High Court.

Anu Muhammad, Ruhin Hossain Prince, Bazlur Rashid Firoz, Ahsan Habib Lablu, Zonayed Saki, Mozammel Haque Tara, Mehdi Hasan and Khan Asaduzzaman Masum also took part in the protest programme.

Source : New Age

RAJUK to go tougher on unauthorised projects

The regulatory Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha on Wednesday said that they planned to toughen their actions against dishonest real estate businesses amid reports of sale of illegal plots and apartments by land developers in a recent housing fare.


'We are already in action against the dishonest real estate businesses and now planned to intensify the campaign against illegal sales of land and apartments or flats,' a RAJUK spokesman told the news agency.
He added: 'Tough actions await the dishonest real estate businesses who reportedly sold illegal plots or flats.'
His comments came as media reports said many of these plots and flats were displayed and sold at the recently organised REHAB Summer Fair.
We have sent letters to the members of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Land Developers' Association, who were listed by RAJUK, to stop their illegal activities regarding unregistered projects, the spokesman said.
RAJUK reiterated that it was carrying out a number of activities from 2004 onwards to create awareness among people about these illegal activities by a section of unscrupulous businessman.
These included repeated cautionary notices in national dailies and audiovisual media. Besides, since 2000, it has filed a number of cases and general diary against unregistered residential projects.
At least, 19 cases were filed against such illegal private projects. He said they were governed by the Real Estate Development and Management Law, 2010, Natural Wetland Conservation Law, 2000, Private Residential Project, Land Development Rules, 2004 and a recent directives provided by the High Court bench of the Supreme Court.
Since the publication of the Detailed Area Plan gazette on June 22, 2010, RAJUK has been implementing it and approving plans accordingly, the spokesman said.
On May 23 this year, RAJUK had organised a meeting of all utility organisations of the capital and provided them with a copy of the Integrated Detailed Area Plan 2010-2015 for adopting activities in the light of the DAP, he said.
Source : New Age

President for quick disposal of cases

The president, Zillur Rahman, on Wednesday emphasised speedy disposal of cases in the Supreme Court to ease the sufferings of litigants.

The president was talking to two newly appointed judges of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Justice M Momtaj Uddin Ahmed and Justice M Shamsul Huda, who called on him at Bangabhaban in Dhaka in the afternoon.

Source : New Age

Int’l Nazrul convention June 24, 25

The two-day international Nazrul convention on the occasion of the 90th year of composing the historical and revolutionary poem 'Bidrohi' (The Rebel) by the national poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam, will be held tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday.

The information and culture minister, Abul Kalam Azad, said this at a press conference at Press Information Department conference room Wednesday, said a press release.

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, will inaugurate the convention as chief guest at Osmani Memorial Hall auditorium at 10:00am tomorrow.

Khilkhil Kazi, granddaughter of the poet will deliver the auspicious welcome address at the programme on behalf of the poet's family while acting secretary Suraiya Begum will also give the welcome address.

The main objective of the programme is to spread Nazrul's works and his philosophy in the whole world, the minister said.

The programmes that are being implemented during 2010-2011 fiscal year by the Nazrul Institute include- launching of Nazrul's album with 200 photos of international standard, opening of 11 compact discs with the lyrics by Nazrul and holding of Nazrul convention in Rajshahi, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions.

Source : New Age

Tk 40 lakhs snatched at Savar

Miscreants snatched away Tk 40 lakhs from a businessman at Mogdakandha area in Savar upazila on Tuesday.

Police said a gang of miscreants numbering 11 to 12 attacked on businessman Azizul Haque when his microbus reached at his village home Shalmashi under Vakurta union at 5:00pm.

The miscreants snatched away Tk 40 lakhs from the businessman and beat him mercilessly. The miscreants also damaged the microbus.

A case was filed against eight persons with Savar model police station.

Savar model police ASP Shahjahan Miah said the case was under investigation.

Source : New Age

2 dacoits lynched in Keraniganj

Two alleged robbers were killed in mass beating in Daripara area of Keraniganj in Dhaka early Wednesday.

The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately.

The police said a gang of robbers numbering 7 to 8 entered into the house of Khalil Mia and took the inmates hostage at gunpoint at around 1:00am.

The robbers at one stage stabbed Khalil's two sons - Badal and Salauddin - indiscriminately as they tried to resist them.

Hearing the hue and cry, neighbours announced the presence of dacoits by a loud speaker and encircled the house.

Sensing danger when the robbers tried to flee, angry mob caught two of them after a hot chase and gave them mass beating, leaving them dead on the spot.

Later, police recovered the bodies and sent those to Mitford Hospital morgue for autopsy this morning.

The injured two brothers were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition. A case was filed in this connection.

Source : New Age

Ban Ki-moon expresses gratitude to Hasina

The UN secretary general, Ban-Ki-moon, has expressed his gratitude to the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, for her support and cooperation for his re-election to the office for second term, according to a message received Wednesday night.

Ban Ki-moon made the observation when the Bangladesh's permanent representative to the United Nations, Dr AK Abdul Momen, met him at the UN Headquarters on June 21.

The UN secretary general also requested Abdul Momen to convey his gratitude to Sheikh Hasina.

Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean national, got re-elected unanimously on Wednesday and his second term will start from January 1, 2012.

Source : New Age

SSB to consider promotions today

The superior selection board meets today to consider promoting 13 administration cadre additional secretaries as secretaries, officials said.

Most of them became additional secretaries, superseding several colleagues, after the Awami League led government came to power in January 2009.

The SSB would also consider the promotion of three senior officers of the forest department.

Cabinet secretary M Abdul Aziz would chair the meeting to be held at the Cabinet Division.

A Cabinet Division official said that the board would recommend promotion of additional secretaries, serving as acting secretaries.

Several superseded officers said that that they had been serving in the same position for more than 15 years, while their colleagues got promotion in last two years briefly serving as joint secretaries.

Now they would get another promotion to become secretaries, the highest position a civil servant aspires to reach.

The glaring discrepancy, they said, would require the superseded officers to mark time for how long no one knows.

Approximately, 13 additional secretaries are now functioning as acting secretaries of various ministries and divisions including, railway, labour and employment, environment and forest, disaster management and relief, cultural affairs, women and children affairs, liberation war affairs, information and communication technology, and social welfare.

The board would consider environment and forest ministry's proposal for promoting a number of conservators of forests to the deputy chief conservator of forest, officials said.

Meanwhile, a large number of officers, from senior assistant secretaries to joint secretaries, who feel they were left out earlier, are lobbying for promotions.

Source : New Age

Housewife tortured to death in Sunamganj

A housewife was tortured to death allegedly by her husband for not casting vote to his relative in South Sunamganj upazila on Tuesday morning.

The deceased was identified as Parbul Akhter, wife of Abul Kashem of the village.

Local people said Parbul and her parents did not cast vote to Kashem' s cousin who was a member candidate in the UP election at Chanpur village.

Local people said on Tuesday morning Kashem engaged in an altercation with Parbul over the issue and at one stage beat her mercilessly leaving her dead on the spot.

But denying the allegation, in-laws of Parbul said she had committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling of the house following a family feud.

A case was filed.

Source : New Age

Minority people to go on hunger strike on July 2

Religious and national minorities have said that they will go on hunger strike across the country for a day on July 2 in protest at the government move to amend the constitution by keeping religion-based discrimination and not recognising national minorities as 'indigenous.'

The Bangladesh Adivasi Forum and the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporter's Unity on Wednesday also threatened a greater movement such as black flag procession, general strike and fast-unto-death if the constitution was amended by keeping religion-based discrimination.

They also threatened to boycott the general elections, likely to be held in 2014, if the demands were not met.

The Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council general secretary, Rana Dasgupta, read out a paper at the briefing where he said that on June 20, the government had approved the recommendation of the special parliamentary committee on constitution amendment which is a 'serious discrimination' against the minorities.

He also said that the way the amendment was being made was against the Supreme Court verdict and it would not restore the constitution as it was on adoption in 1972.

The Adivasi Forum general secretary, Sanjeeb Drong, said that the ruling Awami League had stepped away its election manifesto, which said that the party recognise national minorities as 'indigenous people' and the country would be made secular.

The Unity Council chairman, CR Dutta Bir Uttam, lawyer Subrata Chowdhury, politician Ajoy Roy and educationalist Sabitri Bhatta-charya also spoke.

Source : New Age

AL celebrates founding anniv today

The ruling Awami League and its front organisations will celebrate the party's 62nd founding anniversary across the country today

The organisations will hoist the national and the party flag, place wreaths at Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's portrait, hold discussions and cultural and other programmes marking the occasion

The Awami League was founded as the Awami Muslim League in Dhaka this day in 1949. The word 'Muslim' was later dropped from the name in 1953 to give it a secular colour.

The party actively participated in all democratic and nationalistic movements during the then East Pakistan which ended through the war for independence of the country in 1971.

The Awami League has planned daylong programmes to mark the occasion. It will hoist the national and the party flag atop all party offices at sunrise. It will place flowers at the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's first president, at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi at 7:30am.

It will hold a discussion at the Bangabandhu Internatio-nal Conference Centre at 11:00am which will be presided over by the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League's president.

The party's general secretary, Syed Ashraful Islam, also the LGRD and cooperatives minister, urged all the party leaders and activists to observe the day by holding programmes.

The Awami League was founded by some breakaway Muslim League leaders in 1949 and Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani was elected the first present and Shamsul Huq the first general secretary of the party.

Activists of the party later took part in language movement in 1952. The party became one of the members of the United Front government of East Bengal in 1954. The party also formed the central government of the then Pakistan in 1956. The Awami League president of the time, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, became the prime minister and resigned in 1957.

AL activists protested the military dictator Ayub Khan since his appearance in Pakistan politics in 1958. The party also took stern position against the Basic Democracy of Ayub Khan and his education policy in 1962.

AL leader Shiekh Mujibur Rahman launched his six-point political and economic programme in 1966, aiming at greater autonomy of the then East Pakistan.

Sheikh Mujib also faced the Agartala conspiracy case and the Awami League and Mujib reached the peak of their popularity in East Pakistani Bengali population. And the party led the mass uprising in 1969.

In the elections of 1970, the Awami League won 167 of the 169 East Pakistan seats in the national assembly and it also won 288 of the 300 provincial assembly seats in East Pakistan.

This was not acceptable to the political leaders of West Pakistan and led directly to the events of the war for national independence. The AL leaders successfully led the country's war against the Pakistani army throughout 1971.

The party formed the first government of independent Bangladesh and was in power till 1975. Mujib declared a state of emergency and later assumed presidency after the parliament had decided to switch from the parliamentary to the presidential form of government. Mujib also renamed the Awami League as the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BKSAL) and banned all other parties.

After 21 years, the Awami League formed government in 1996 with support from few small parties and the party won only 62 out of the 300 parliamentary seats in 2001 elections.

The Awami League won the national elections on December 29, 2008 with support from alliance partners.

Source : New Age

Women MPs want exemplary punishment of Hasan Syeed

Women lawmakers of the ruling Awami League formed a human chain in front of LabAid Specialised Hospital in Dhanmondi on Wednesday and demanded exemplary punishment of Hasan Syeed, who tortured and damaged the eyes of his estranged wife, Dhaka University teacher Rumana Monzur.

They stood beside Mirpur Road holding banners, on which were inscribed 'Rumana Monzur, We are beside you', at about at about 2:10pm and continued their protest programme for half an hour.

Rumana, assistant professor of the International Relations Department of Dhaka University, is again undergoing treatment at the hospital after her eyes were examined by eye specialists both at Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai and Aravind Eye Hospital in Puducherry.

Dozens of women parliamentarians, including agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury, Tarana Halim, Shagufta Yasmin Emily and Farida Rahman, joined the human chain in protest against the brutal attack on Rumana by Hasan on June 5.

Tarana told the participants of the human chain that they would work for the oppressed women, irrespective of their political allegiance.

The lawmakers claimed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had directed the authorities concerned to ensure exemplary punishment of the accused so that such incidents may not occur in the future.

Rumana's parents also joined the human chain and demanded exemplary punishment of Hasan, who was arrested on June 15 on charge of torturing Rumana and is now under police remand for two days in connection with a case of attempted murder.

Her parents broke into tears while describing the brutal attack which has made Rumana blind for the rest of her life.

Dhaka University's teachers and students lit candles at TSC in the evening in protest against the savage attack, said DU sources.

Investigators of the Detective Branch of police recorded Rumana's statement at the hospital from 11:00am to 12:45pm on the day.

They also took the statements of three witnesses who had been in the Dhanmondi residence of Rumana's father, where she lived.

The investigating officer visited the place of occurrence nearly three weeks after the incident.

Rumana, 35, was doing post-graduate at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Source : New Age

Poor forced to eat less but work harder: study

The food price hike in 2011 has forced the poor to work harder, eat less, live more frugally than ever before, and draw on any resources or assets that they have to cope with the situation.

It was revealed in a research report released on Wednesday by the Institute of Development Studies and Oxfam GB at the latter's office at Banani in the capital. The study was conducted in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, and Zambia.

The researchers, who used focus group discussion and other participatory tools, covered two communities at Natun Bazar in Dhaka and Dhamuirhat in Naogaon district that they had visited earlier in 2009 and 2010.

Researcher Naomi Hossain of the IDS relayed to the report launching ceremony the perception of the people that commodity price hike had affected their overall life and development.

She said the situation affected the poor but benefited the rich and the middlemen.

Although the general perception is that if the food grain price goes up the farmers get benefited but the picture is opposite in Bangladesh, she said, adding that the middle and small farmers had to take loan in the beginning of cultivation and to sell their harvest at a lower rate to repay that loan.

Naomi said the food price spiral forced the poor to spend less on personal items like clothes and cosmetics and scale down their social life. Some people are eating less and going hungry and more often they shift for lower-quality and more unpalatable food and less diversified diet.

The situation also compelled a good number of people to migrate to big cities, leaving behind their ancestral homes, said the research report.

According to it, the government's social safety net programmes, like the open market sales and fair price card programmes, aimed at providing the poor with rice and flour at low rates could not play any significant role to improve the overall situation.

A weak food management system is now prevailing in the country, the report observed. The global food price hike, the government's weak monitoring system to control food prices, and the practice of millers, middlemen, and affluent farmers to stock up food items are the main reasons of the weakness, it added.

The report suggested taking an effective, accountable, and far-sighted food management policy by the government for the domestic market and getting attached with more developed and integrated systems at the international level.

The government should strengthen its food price monitoring system and bring the real poor and marginalised people under the social safety net to cope with the situation changed due to the food price hike, the report recommended, adding that the government also should take mid- and long-term plans to increase the income of the vulnerable communities.

Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood member secretary Ziaul Haque Mukta said, if the situation was not tackled properly, it would become worse in the future. She reminded the session that the poor and marginal farmers met 82 per cent of the country's demand for food and said, therefore, they should get specific assistance from the government.

Oxfam GB policy officer AKM Nazrul Islam and media and communications coordinator Mubashar Hasan also spoke on the occasion.

Source : New Age

31st BCS test result published

The preliminary test result of 31st Bangladesh Civil Service examination was published on Wednesday.

A total of 10,212 candidates have been selected for written test.

The result is available on the Bangladesh Public Service Commission's website www.bpsc.gov.bd

The examination was held on May 27.

Source : New Age

WASA people at Sayedabad plant don’t use Shanti

People working at the Sayedabad water treatment plant of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority drink mineral water processed and marketed by another company instead of its own brand, Shanti, although the WASA product adheres to the required standards.

During a programme at the plant on Wednesday, where Denmark's ambassador Svend Olling and France's ambassador Charley Causeret were present, a lorry supplied Alpine Fresh water for drinking.

An official of the plant said that they received water bottle supplies from Alpine Fresh for drinking at the plant all the time.

The DWASA managing director, Taqsem A Khan, said, 'Perhaps the people who we have the contract with supply us with water processed and marketed by another company. I will look into the matter.'

About 700 people, including about 150 officers working at the Saidabad plant drink Alpine Fresh water while WASA's own brand Shanti, which adheres to all the required standards, is facing an acute marketing crisis.

A senior official said that although Shanti is of the best quality, it is not used by other government offices.

Dhaka WASA's Bottle Water Production Plant was set up at Mirpur in 2006 at a cost of Tk 17 crore with technical support from US company Severn Trent Services. The plant has the capacity to produce 30,000 litres of bottled water, brand-named Shanti, a day.

Source : New Age

Nepal court rejects call to suspend accused minister

Nepal's top court has rejected a petition by rights activists urging the suspension of a Maoist minister accused of ordering a man's death during the civil war, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The information and communication minister, Agni Sapkota, has denied any involvement in the death of Arjun Bahadur Lama, who witnesses say was abducted from his village in 2005 by Maoist insurgents and later killed.

Sapkota's appointment last month was criticised by the United Nations as an 'insult to those victims of human rights violations who have been waiting for justice for years.'

On May 27, a group of Nepalese rights activists filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to order his suspension.

'The government attorney so far has not brought any charge sheet against him,' Supreme Court spokesman Hemant Rawal said.

'So the court has ruled that there is no basis for disqualifying him from his portfolio as a minister. He, however, will be suspended once the charge sheet is filed,' Rawal said.

Source : New Age

BNP’s street movement on CG issue set to fail: Abul Kalam

Information minister Abul Kalam Azad on Wednesday told the Jatiya Sangsad that the stance of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party of waging a street movement would fail to press home its demand for keeping the provision for caretaker government in the constitution.

'You [BNP] go and wage your street movement. It won't be a problem for us. We will go on working in the parliament as usual to strengthen the Election Commission to ensure free, fair and credible elections,' the minister said while speaking on the proposed budget for fiscal 2011-2012.

He also accused the BNP of conspiring to grab state power using the armed forces and said the party was still hatching such a plot. 'They [BNP] always came to power through conspiracy, using the military forces, and now they are hatching such a conspiracy again,' said the minister.

He said from the country's history it was evident that an elected government was far more effective than martial law or caretaker government for ensuring people's welfare.

He urged the BNP to discuss the issue in the parliament to find out ways for ensuring free, fair and credible elections.

He also said Awami League was a party that had experience of waging many a successful movement in the past including the Independence War and warned the BNP that its movement would not be effective against the government led by such a party.

Abul Kalam Azad said 14 journalists were killed and 347 others physically tortured during the regime of the last BNP-led alliance government.

He claimed the massive corruption of Hawa Bhaban during the last BNP-led alliance government tarnished the country's image abroad and now its 'conspiracy' was hindering the government's development activities.

Source : New Age

Kuwaiti ruling family member wants PM replaced

Sheikh Fahad Salem al-Ali al-Sabah, a nephew of Kuwait's ruler, said political reform must be accelerated in the Gulf Arab country, beginning with the removal of the current prime minister.

A senior member of the ruling family and son of the head of Kuwait's national guards, Sheikh Fahad made the rare move of joining protesters earlier this month in a demonstration against the prime minister, Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah.

Although currently without a government portfolio, Sheikh Fahad owns Al Mustaqbal newspaper and the Mubasher television channel, which often cover anti-government protests. He was a prisoner of war during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

'Unfortunately we are heading into a dark tunnel... I went out with the protesters because I share and believe in their calls for change and reforms,' Sheikh Fahad said in an interview in Kuwait City's Qurtuba Palace.

The prime minister, Sheikh Nasser, who is currently heading his seventh government since his appointment by Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah in 2006, has undergone fierce criticism from Kuwaiti opposition for what they say is his failure to fulfil the demands of the people.

'If the emir does not find a person from the family who is capable of being the prime minister and meets the demands of Kuwaiti citizens, I suggest that he chooses from outside the family,' Sheikh Fahad said, as he sat in one of the palace's dewaniyas, or reception rooms.

The Emir, who has final say in Kuwaiti politics, appoints the prime minister, who has always been from the al-Sabah family.

Sheikh Fahad said Arab leaders should learn from the overthrow of the leaders of Egypt and Tunisia in popular uprisings that modest attempts at reform were not enough.

'Now I think that any Arab leader who wants to remain in his position and preserve his country's future should start changing according to the demands of his people, and not according to what he thinks...the era of guardianship is over now.'

Kuwait, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, is home to the region's most outspoken parliament, which has triggered several government reshuffles and resignations, the latest of which was the resignation of a deputy prime minister, also another senior member of the al-Sabah family.

A rift between several senior members of the ruling family, including the prime minister, is causing political paralysis, according to accounts in several local newspapers.

Source : New Age

Indian army chief praises Bangladesh military’s role

The visiting Indian army chief, General Vijay Kumar Singh, on Wednesday appreciated Bangladesh army's role in the national arena and international peacekeeping operations.

'Updated and well trained Bangladesh army emerged through an armed liberation war and for last four decades Bangladesh army adopted a sundry policies and management procedures,' he told the President's Parade marking the passing out of the 64th long course and 35th special course of Bangladesh Military Academy at suburban Bhatiari in Chittagong.

He said Bangladesh army has become the largest contributor of troops to the world in 21 years and earned respect from world community in performing peace keeping tasks in an apple pie order.

A 1971 veteran and the last serving Indian general who fought the war also recounted his memories of Bangladesh's Liberation War and said it was a not fought alone through military arsenal or by military arsenal.

'It (the Liberation War) had to be organised and fielded by the concerted support of many other elements. War is always a huge and complicated affair,' he said.

Singh recalled that people of all walks of life fought the 1971 war valiantly against the occupation forces and ensured ultimate victory.

'As a junior member of Indian Army, I had a rare experience of taking part in 1971 war which gave me a tremendous feeling - a feeling of becoming a part of country's independence,' Singh said.

Singh called upon the newly commissioned officers to remain prepared even for supreme sacrifice for safeguarding independence and sovereignty of the beloved motherland.

Speaking about Bangladesh India relationships, Vijay said India is always ready to attach utmost importance to the development of brotherly and friendly relations of the two neighbours.

Singh earlier reviewed the smartly turned-out parade and took salute at the impressive march past as the chief guest and distributed trophies and awards among the outstanding cadets.

Battalion Senior Under Officer Mohammad Ruhul Quddus was adjudged the best all round cadet and awarded the coveted 'Sword Of Honour'. He also received 'Chief of Army Staff's Gold Medal' for his outstanding performance in the military subjects.

A total of 97 cadets passed out of Bangladesh Military Academy at a glittering ceremony.

Among them 92 cadets including 14 female cadets from 64 BMA long course and four cadets from 35 BMA special course have been commissioned to Bangladesh Army and five cadets from 64 BMA long course commissioned to Palestine Army.

Source : New Age

Rowling to reveal secret of Pottermore

Harry Potter fans are holding their collective breath as author JK Rowling gets set to reveal her latest project involving the boy wizard.

Rowling has called a news conference Thursday in London to reveal details of 'Pottermore,' a mysterious web site that has been taunting fans with the words 'coming soon.'

Theories include a Harry Potter encyclopedia, e-book versions of the novels or an Internet-based game.

Several British newspapers received what appeared to be a leaked marketing memo indicating the site is a web-based game including a hunt for real magic wands. It is not clear whether the memo was genuine. Rowling's representatives did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Rowling's seventh and final Harry Potter novel, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,' was published in 2007. The final film the series, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,' has its world premiere in London on July 7.

Rowling has not ruled out writing more books set in the Potter universe, but her publicist says 'Pottermore' is not a new book.

'Pottermore' was trademarked in 2009 by Warner Bros, which distributes the Potter movies, but Rowling spokeswoman Rebecca Salt said the site was not directly linked to the latest film.

The trademark description suggests an interactive site 'providing online chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards' and 'online facilities for real-time interaction with other computer users concerning topics of general interest.'

A leading Potter fan site, http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org, said it had seen a preview of Pottermore and called it 'breathtaking.'

Source : New Age

Beijing, Dhaka have significant opportunity to boost ties: Xi

Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Wednesday the visiting Bangladesh foreign minister Dipu Moni, saying that the bilateral relationship between the countries faces an important opportunity for development.

'Since China and Bangladesh are both developing countries, both of us are committed to stepping up development and improving living standards,' said Xi, adding that it is

important for China to reinforce and develop its cooperation with Bangladesh.

China is ready to work with Bangladesh to boost their ties to a new high, he said.

China highly appreciates Bangladesh's support on issues related to Taiwan, Tibet and other issues concerning China's core interests, Xi said.

The two countries forged diplomatic ties 36 years ago. In March 2010, Bangladesh's prime minister Sheikh Hasina visited China.

The two countries issued a joint statement at that time, which stated that they would build a 'closer comprehensive partnership of cooperation.'

'China will continue to support Bangladesh in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as assist in its efforts to ensure national stability and social development,' Xi said.

Dipu Moni expressed gratitude for China's long-standing support and assistance in Bangladesh's development, saying Bangladesh will continue to support China in return.

Bangladesh highly values its relationship with China and will endeavor to enhance bilateral cooperation in all areas, she said.

Statistics show that two-way trade volume between the countries exceeded $7 billion in 2010. Dipu Moni also met her counterpart Yang Jiechi on Wednesday.

The China-Bangladesh relationship has boasted comprehensive development, highlighted by frequent high-level exchanges, as well as progress in major cooperative projects and economic and trade contacts, Yang said.

Dipu Moni began her eight-day visit on June 15 and is scheduled to conclude her trip Wednesday evening.

Source : New Age

No policy support for river protection

RIVER protection and water management have not had the requisite policy support from successive governments, even when the party in power was elected with a huge majority in parliament, says Professor Zahurul Islam of the Institute of Water and Flood Management at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

In an interview with New Age on Tuesday, he also questioned the role of the Water Development Board in river protection and water management.

People hardly get the benefit of flood and erosion forecasts as the board does not make these forecasts in time and appropriate ways, Professor Islam said.

Source : New Age

Verdict of Arafat’s money laundering case today

A Dhaka court is scheduled to pronounce its judgement today in the money laundering case against Arafat Rahman, youngest son of Bangladesh Nationalist Party's chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Arafat's lawyers, at a media briefing on Tuesday, said that Arafat might be deprived of justice as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had told the Cabinet meeting on April 11 to expedite the trial against him and his older brother Tarique Rahman, and her party's joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif on Tuesday had said that Arafat could not elude punishment.

On June 19 the judge of the Special Judge's Court 3, Mozammel Haque, set the date after completion of arguments by the Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyers. As Arafat's trial was held in absentia he was not entitled to engage any lawyer to defend himself in the case. Arafat's co-accused Ismail Hossain, son of late shipping minister Akbar Hossain, was also tried in absentia.

The court on 31 October, 2010 issued a warrant for Arafat's arrest after attorney general Mahbubey Alam appealed for the arrest of Arafat, who has apparently been undergoing medical treatment in Bangkok since 19 July, 2008 after his release on parole.

Mahbubey Alam, while moving the petition, told the court that the home affairs ministry had cancelled the parole on 19 August, 2010.

Arafat challenged the cancellation of the parole and the High Court bench of Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah and Justice Quazi Reza-ul Haque, in its verdict delivered on 11 October, 2010 extended Arafat's parole by 20 days.

However, the Appellate Division on 13 October, 2010 stayed for six weeks the High Court verdict and asked the government to file a regular petition seeking permission to appeal against the verdict.

At Wednesday's briefing, Arafat's lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokon, who is also a BNP lawmaker, accused the prime minister, the attorney general and Hanif of influencing the judiciary through their comments on pending matters.

'The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the money laundering case against Arafat on 17 March, 2009 on the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also Awami League's president, and after that her party members also made undue comments on the case,' said Khokon.

Referring to Hanif, who told reporters on Tuesday that Arafat could not avoid being sentenced, Khokon asked, 'How can Hanif know about the verdict before its pronouncement?'

'How can we say that the verdict was not dictated by the Prime Minister's Office?' he added.

Mahbub also alleged that attorney general Mahbubey Alam had broken all the rules and norms by going to the lower court where the ACC had engaged its own lawyers to deal with the graft case.

SCBA's president Khandker Mahbub Hossain said that he could not believe that justice could be obtained from any court during the tenure of the present government.

Thousand of cases against Awami League's members were being withdrawn for the dubious reason that they were 'politically motivated cases' while Arafat's case was being disposed of expeditiously, Mahbub added.

'The government will have to answer to the people in the future for fostering injustice by influencing the judiciary,' he said.

Arafat and Ismail were charged on 12 November, 2009 for siphoning off $28,84,000 and $9,32,000 to Singapore in 2005.

The court has cross-examined 21 out of 23 witnesses in the case.

Source : New Age

Bangladesh would do better without its vicious politics: Duncan

Politicians in Bangladesh need to get rid of vicious politics to be able to explore huge growth potential of the country, British state minister for international development Alan Duncan said in Dhaka Wednesday.

'Politics is quite vicious here,' he told a news conference at the end of a three-day visit. Politicians have to be about the future, not about the past, through lifting up the way politics is conducted here, he said. 

He said the British government wants to encourage (major) political parties, politicians and their supporters to look at politics in a different way so that they could work together for democracy and higher growth.

'The issue of caretaker government is up to you (Bangladesh people),' he said in an obvious reference to the ongoing row between the government and the main opposition party.

'What we want to see is holding of free, fair and quality elections in Bangladesh,' he said.

The British government would, he said, provide to Bangladesh one billion pound sterling in aid over the next four years (2011-15).

Asked whether or not conditions would be attached, he said the British government did not make development aid conditional.

'However, we believe that strong democracy, better governance and rule of law at all levels are essential for the reputation of a country,' he said. 

A British High commission press release quoted him as saying, 'My second visit to Bangladesh reinforces my belief in the huge potential of this country and its people. We share Bangladesh's desire to see sustainable democracy and a stable environment in which Bangladesh can really grow. But Bangladesh needs, too, evolve in political maturity to enable it to fulfill its aspirations.' 

He said, 'The British government wants to see an effective, efficient and non-corrupt Bangladesh.'

 'There is corruption,' he said.

Asked about the role of NGOs, he said delivery of effective services cannot be done without them.

Asked whether or not he discussed with prime minister Sheikh Hasina the issue of removal of Grameen Bank founder Mohammad Yunus as its managing director, Duncan said he wanted to know whether the bank was working well without problems after his departure.

' It's not a conspiracy,' he said when asked whether or not it was a mere coincidence that he as well  German minister Dirk Niebel and European Union commissioner Andris Piebalgs were visiting Dhaka at the same time.

They jointly hosted a reception on Tuesday to meet a wider section of stakeholders to reiterate the importance of 'joined up partnership' in international development.

 British High Commissioner in Dhaka Stephen Evans and Chris Austin, head of the Department for International Development in Dhaka, were present at the news conference. 

 Austin said that over the British aid in question would come in four areas of social service, economic growth, improved governance and climate change.

During his three-day visit to Dhaka ending Wednesday, Duncan met prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia, finace minister AMA Muhith, food minister Abdur Razzak and state minister for environment and forest Hasan Mahmud.

He visited Gaibandha to speak with communities facing poverty, lack of services and the risk of flooding.

He also met representatives of civil society organisations to discuss how to ensure transparency, accountability and value for British aid, according to the BHC press release.

Source : New Age

Hasina expects a solution by 2012

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Wednesday that she expects the maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar to be resolved by next year through the legal process.

She told parliament in the question hour that attaching top priority to the issue her government took the maritime dispute with Myanmar to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in 2009 with the consent of Myanmar.

She hoped that on completion of hearing within this year, the issue would be resolved by 2012.

Hasina also said that there had been significant progress in resolving the maritime dispute between Bangladesh and India.

She said the two countries initiated a legal process through the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea under Annex-7.

She hoped the two countries would be able find an acceptable solution soon to the dispute through diplomatic efforts.

She said that her government was 'very keen' on resolving the outstanding problem of enclaves in adverse possession with India.

She hoped that the issue would be resolved soon.

Hasina said that discussions were at the final stage for securing the facility for uninterrupted movement between Bangladesh mainland and its enclaves of Angarpota and Dahagram.

She said that she was optimistic about the issue getting resolved immediately.

The prime minister said that census of the Bangladeshis in the two enclaves of the country was going on.

Hasina said that the efforts were on to resolve the refugee problem with Myanamar.

She described the issue of refugees from Myanmar as 'very sensitive and important' for Bangladesh from the socio-economic perspective.

She said that the process for Nepal and Bhutan to export goods to third countries through Bangladesh, using Chittagong and Mongla ports as transit points was at a final stage.

Hasina said, replying to a separate question, that Bangladesh signed memorandums of understanding with financial intelligence units of 10 countries for the exchange of information about money laundering.

She also said that to make anti money laundering drive more effective her government had taken the initiative to amend the Money Laundering Act 2009 and Anti-Terrorism Act 2009.

Replying to another question she said that her government would provide readymade garment making training to those serving jail terms so that they could rehabilitate themselves on completion of their sentence.

Hasina said that the female prisoners would be given training so that they could work as beauticians.

Source : New Age

Preliminary report misses deadline

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics missed the date of publication of the preliminary report of the fifth national population and household census although it was supposed to be published three months after the census.

Planning Minister AK Khandker, while presiding over the 15th extraordinary meeting of the National Statistics Council on 26 August, 2010, said, 'Necessary steps will be taken to publish the preliminary report of the census within three months and the final report within 12 months.'

The census, which has been widely criticised for being hurried and not sufficiently thorough, began on March 15 and ended on March 19.

BBS's secretary Riti Ibrahim told New Age on Wednesday that within this month the preliminary report would be submitted 'informally' to the concerned ministry. A press release, which will contain the population, number of males and females and households only, will be sent to both the print and electronic media.

'We are committed to complete the report within this month. The final report will take a bit more time as it will include all the details,' Riti added.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics engaged 3.10 lakh enumerators to collect data about the citizens and the households. The five-day population census began with the counting of floating people a minute after midnight after March 14.

A digital enumeration map and computerised geo-coding system have been used for the first time in the census.

The first population census in the subcontinent was conducted in 1872. Since then censuses have been conducted almost regularly every 10 years. This year's census is the fifth since the country's independence.

After independence, population and household censuses were conducted in 1974, 1981, 1991 and 2001. According to the fourth census, the number of households was about 2.54 crore and the population was 12.43 crore.

Source : New Age

Italy urges halt to Libya conflict

Italy called Wednesday for a halt to Libyan hostilities to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid, as the civilian death toll mounted and state media said NATO was bombing highway traffic checkpoints.

On the diplomatic front, China said it recognises Libya's opposition National Transitional Council (NTC) as an 'important dialogue partner.'

'We have seen the effects of the crisis and therefore also of NATO action not only in eastern and southwestern regions but also in Tripoli,' the Italian foreign minister, Franco Frattini, told a parliamentary committee meeting in Rome.

'I believe an immediate humanitarian suspension of hostilities is required in order to create effective humanitarian corridors,' while negotiations should also continue on a more formal ceasefire and peace talks, he said.

'I think this is the most urgent and dramatic point,' Frattini continued.

'I think it is legitimate to request ever more detailed information on the results' of the NATO mission, he added, condemning 'the dramatic errors that hit civilians, which is clearly not an objective of the NATO mission.'

France, which has taken the lead in military operations against Muammar Gaddafi, immediately ruled out any pause in the Libya campaign.

'The coalition and the countries that met as the Abu Dhabi contact group two weeks ago were unanimous on the strategy: we must intensify the pressure on Gaddafi,' French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told reporters.

'Any pause in operations would risk allowing him to play for time and to reorganise. In the end, it would be the civilian population that would suffer from the smallest sign of weakness on our behalf,' he said.

NATO has been forced to defend the credibility of its air war after the alliance admitted firing a rogue missile that the Libyan regime says killed nine civilians, including children, in Tripoli.

'I would suggest that our reputation and credibility is unquestionable,' said Wing Commander Mike Bracken, the mission's military spokesman.

'What is questionable is the Gaddafi regime's use of human shields, (and) firing missiles from mosques,' Bracken told reporters from operation headquarters in Naples, Italy.

The blunder — an embarrassment for a mission that prides itself on protecting Libya's people from the regime — came on the heels of a friendly fire incident last week in which a column of rebel vehicles was hit by NATO warplanes.

The outgoing head of the Arab League Amr Mussa too voiced concerns about NATO's bombing campaign, in an interview with a British newspaper on Wednesday.

The veteran Egyptian diplomat, who played a key role in securing Arab support for the UN Security Council Resolution that authorised NATO air strikes, told the Guardian the bombing mission may not be working.

'When I see children being killed, I must have misgivings. That's why I warned about the risk of civilian casualties,' he said.

Libyan state television and official news agency JANA meanwhile reported that NATO warplanes had carried out raids on the towns of Khoms and Nalut in western Libya.

NATO targeted two checkpoints in the Khoms region 120 kilometres east of Tripoli, the television report said. It added that the control points were 'civilian' intended to 'organise traffic movements.'

If the strikes were confirmed, it would mean the Western alliance had moved into a new stage of operations in the west of Libya, aiming at checkpoints on the highways leading into the capital Tripoli.

Until now, NATO had limited itself to attacks on military installations and armour.

China meanwhile said it recognised Libya's rebel opposition as an 'important dialogue partner', in a further sign of Beijing's willingness to get more deeply engaged in the Libyan conflict.

The praise for Libya's National Transitional Council came in a statement by the Chinese foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, after talks in Beijing earlier in the day with senior rebel leader Mahmud Jibril.

'China views it as an important dialogue partner,' Yang said of the NTC, which is based in the eastern Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

The Chinese foreign minister added that since the council was established, its 'representative nature has increased daily and it has gradually become an important domestic political force'.

Beijing consistently opposes moves deemed to interfere in the affairs of other countries.

But energy-hungry China has held a number of meetings with Libyan rebels in recent weeks in an apparent sign that it wants a speedy end the conflict in the oil-rich north African state, where it has sizeable economic interests.

Source : New Age

BBS halves per capita income

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in its Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2010 has said that per capita income in 2010 increased to Tk 30,636 or $418.

The Bangladesh Economic Survey 2011 given with the budget proposal for the 2011–2012 financial year, however, has showed that per capita income in 2010–11 increased to $818 or more than Tk 57,000.

The statistics bureau launched the HIES 2010 survey report at a workshop at the Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Asked about the incongruity between the findings of the statistics bureau and the economic survey, the statistics division secretary, Riti Ibrahim, told news agency Bdnews24.com that she did not know where the Bangladesh Economic Survey had got its data from.

'Only the BBS conducts the household income and expenditure survey and it has found out that monthly per capita income is Tk 2,553 and if it is multiplied by 12, one can get the yearly figure,' the news agency quoted Riti as saying.

The HIES 2010 survey says that the monthly per capita income increased to Tk 2,553 in 2010 which was Tk 1,486 in 2005.

The survey also says that as the per capital income has increased, poverty also decreased.

The survey also says that poverty lines decreased in the Dhaka region to 30.5 per cent in 2010 from 32.1 per cent in 2005 which is 'the lowest reduction.'

The Rajshahi region reduced poverty compared with Dhaka by a huge percentage as Rajshahi's poverty line fell down to 35.7 per cent in 2010 which was 51.2 per cent in 2005.

The survey was conducted on 12,240 households — 7,840 households in rural areas and 4,400 in urban areas.

The planning minister, AK Khandkar, said that the survey would be help to work the plan for the sixth Five Year Plan.

The experts who attended the workshop, however, said that the HIES 2010 survey did not present the total scenario of the country.

Academics and population scientists at the programme said that the BBS should have conducted a more in-depth survey.

They also said that the survey did not include any statistics on slum people, no data by gender and no statistics on district and thana levels and this could be considered a flaw of the survey.

AKM Nurun Nabi, a teacher of population science in Dhaka University, said, 'Poverty is multi-dimensional. Poverty cannot be defined only by food and expenditure. It also includes health and other things.'

'We must also take note that per capita savings has decreased although the per capita income has increased. And poverty prevails as a result.' he added.

World Bank consultant Faizuddin Ahmed presented the key findings of the survey at the workshop.

BBS director general M Shahjahan Ali Mollah, acting head of the World Bank Bangladesh Sanjay Kathuria, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies director general MK Mujeri and Planning Commission member Shamsul Alam, among others, also spoke.  

Source : New Age

NEC approves Tk 13.47tln 6th Five Year Plan

The National Economic Council has approved the country's Sixth Five-Year Plan (2011-15) giving priority to education, employment generation and industrialisation and projecting an 8 per cent GDP growth at the terminal year of 2015.

The planning commission has prepared the plan with an outlay of Tk 13.47 trillion setting the objective of reducing the poverty level to 22 per cent from existing 31.5 per cent.

The plan was approved at an NEC meeting with its chairperson and the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in the chair at the planning commission.

Of the total outlay, Tk 12215.3 billion (90.7 per cent) will be arranged from domestic resources and the rest Tk 1254.1 billion (9.3 per cent) will be tapped from development partners.

Much of the investment will be undertaken by the private sector, accounting for Tk 10393.6 billion or 77.2 per cent of the total investment under the plan, much of that harnessed from domestic sources.

The external financing for private investment, primarily in the form of foreign direct investment is expected to grow, but it will still remain very small in relative term at about 4 per cent, said the planners.

Briefing reporters after the meeting the planning minister, AK Khandker, said that the adopted SFYP is an indicative plan and it will be implemented under the Perspective Plan. On completion of the SFYP, the 7th Five Year Plan would be undertaken.

General Economics Division member of the Planning Commission Professor Shamsul Alam, Planning Division secretary M Monzur Hossain and GED division chief Fakhrul Ahsan were present at the briefing.

Khandker hoped that they would be able to achieve the targets of the Perspective Plan by 2021 through entering into a middle income country by 2021 as also reducing the poverty rate to 15 per cent.

Answering to a question, the planning minister expressed hope that once the foreign aid dependency of the country would come to a zero level.  'The foreign aid dependency will gradually decline and we'll be self reliant.'

Shamsul Alam said 8 per cent GDP growth by 2015 is achievable as the current base year is 1995-96 which will be upgraded to 2005-06 incorporating many new sectors.

He also said that the previous Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) was imposed on the government by the development partners.

According to the SFYP, the public sector investment, much of it through the Annual Development Programme, will amount to Tk 3.1 trillion at constant 2010-11 prices, accounting for about 22.8 per cent of the total investment in the economy.

The plan projects an increase in the revenue to 14.6 per cent of GDP by FY 2015 from the existing 10.9 per cent. Much of the revenue gain will come from the NBR taxes.

To achieve 8 per cent growth by 2015, the government will emphasise manufacturing and organised services as the investment ratio to GDP will be increased by 8 per cent by the end of the plan period to 32.5 per cent from existing around 24.7 per cent.

Under the plan a total of 16 core targets have been set for economic growth, employment, poverty reduction, human resources development, gender balance and environmental protection.

If the targets are achieved, the socio- economic environment of the country will transform it from a low-income economy to the first stages of the middle- income country.

The SFYP will increase the manufacturing sector's GDP share to 25 per cent from 17 per cent and employment share to 15 per cent by 2015 by emphasising labour-intensive export and high demand domestic production.

The plan would focus on removing the infrastructure constraints through investment in power and transport, ensuring better efficiency and demand management, and through energy trade with neighbours.

Cabinet members, PM's advisers and senior officials attended the NEC meeting.

Source : New Age

Four ‘pirates’ killed in ‘gunfight’

Four persons, said to be pirates, were killed in a 'gunfight' with the Rapid Action Battalion on Wednesday morning at Sharonkhola under the east wing of the Sundarbans Forest Division in Bagerhat.

Local fishermen identified the deceased as Zulfikar Ali Zulfu, leader of a pirate gang called 'Zulfikar Bahini', Hafizur Rahman, second-in-command of the gang, Sanwar Hossain Sanu and Zakir Hossain.

The latest incident took to 36 the number of such people killed extrajudicially in so-called 'crossfire,' 'gunfight' or 'encounter' after January 1.

Two hundred and sixty-six people have so far fallen victim to extrajudicial killing by law enforcers since 6 January, 2009 when this government assumed office with the commitment to put an end to extrajudicial killing.

The commanding officer of RAB-8, Lieutenant Colonel Monirul Haque, told New Age that four 'pirates' were killed in the 'gunfight' that had taken place from 9:25am to 10:50am in Boro Shawlar Khalpar area under Supati Range of Pashchim Sundarbans.

RAB members later recovered four dead bodies, and seized eight firearms including two 9.0mm pistols, three light guns, one single-barrel gun, 1 one-shooter gun, one rifle, 141 rounds of bullets and 60 rounds of used cartridges, four sharp weapons, one binocular, 48 'Tiger' brand drinks, 10 packets of cigarettes, fruits and cooking materials and a trawler from the spot. The dead bodies and guns and other items will be handed over to Sharonkhola police after completing legal formalities, said RAB officials.

Sub-inspector Mustafizur Rahman, acting officer-in-charge of Sharonkhola thana, said that the dead bodies would be sent to Bagherhat General Hospital's morgue for autopsy.

He could not tell reporters whether any cases had been filed against the deceased, but said that they were 'notorious' in the region for piracy and collecting ransom for kidnapped fishermen.

Source : New Age

Little done to stop polythene bag use despite ban

Continuing manufacture of polythene bags along with lax law enforcement is blamed by environmentalists for the increased use of non-biodegradable polythene bags.

Save the Environment Movement president Abu Naser Khan blamed the government authorities for failing to implement the ban on the bags saying that their enforcement operations were very irregular.

The environment department's director (Dhaka division) Sukumar Biswas, however, told New Age that his department regularly organised enforcement action against the use of polythene bags but said that it has little effect as people were not sufficiently aware of the bad effect of polythene on the environment.

Sukumar referring to an official document said that between January 2010 and May 10, 2011, his department had seized 63,740 kilograms of polythene bags from 492 factories and sellers, filed 475 cases under the Environment Conservation Act 1995 and realised Tk 3,658,900 in fines.

Referring to that document, he also said that in the year up to May 10, the mobile court had imprisoned about 17 people for terms not exceeding six months.

Sukumar blamed the associations related to the manufacturing of polythene bags for their support of the polythene bag factory owners.

'When we lead enforcement actions against banned polythene bags in the markets of the capital city, some people belonging to the associations try to hinder our operations,' he said.

Abu Motaleb, president of the Bangladesh Plastic Packaging Roll Manufacturers and Owners' Association, admitted to New Age that some factories of his association still produce polythene bags and sell them as they do not agree with the present law.

He termed the Environment Conservation Act 1995 'a black law' saying that it destroyed a very profitable business.

He said that the government did not think about the businessman when deciding on banning the production and selling of polythene shopping bags.

He claimed that polythene bags do not harm the environment. 'People collect the polythene bags and sell them back to the factories for Tk 30 a kilogram. Then the factories recycle them and make different plastic products from them.'

He said that before the plastic bag ban, there were about 150 factories and shops producing and selling polythene bags in the country but the number has now reduced to 30 to 40.

These factories mainly produce polythene bags with a thickness of less than 30 microns which the Environment Conservation Act 1995 had banned in 2002.

He said that the association does not agree with the law adding that 'As the DoE could not promote any other cost-effective alternatives, the businessman have been forced to produce polythene shopping bags and provide them to the consumers at an affordable price.'

Environmentalists, however, remain concerned about the environmental consequences of plastic bags saying that the use of polythene remained very visible in the environment with bags found everywhere such as on streets, dumps, drains, ditches, open fields, roof tops, hanging from trees and from overhead cables, and floating on ponds, canals and rivers.

Hossain Shahriar, secretary general of the Environment and Social Development Organisation, said that the decomposition process is very slow and that polythene bags break into tiny pieces and leech toxic chemicals into the soil, lakes and rivers.

'We do not have enough land to dump those polythene bags. We cannot recycle them more than twice. After recycling them, we have to dump them', he said. 

'Apart from polythene necessary for packing foods, all other polythene and plastic products should be banned by the law,' he added.

The Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters' Association president, Shamim Ahmed, told New Age that there remained about 400 factories in the country making polythene bags for export, not for local use.

Source : New Age