Pirate held in Noakhali

Police arrested a member of a notorious pirate gang from Banglabazar in Naler Char under Hatiya upazila on Friday night. The pirate was identified as Khokon, 40, of Ramgati upazila in Lxmipur district. Subhash Chandra Pal, acting officer-in-charge (OC) of Hatiya police station, said Khokon faces 15 cases on murder, rape, looting and robbery charges.

Source : The Daily Star

Jamaat leader arrested

Police arrested Fakhruddin Khan Razi, Jamaat district unit Ameer, from his house at Kalikapur in the district town Friday night. Tapan Chandra Shaha, officer-in-charge of Sadar police station said, acting on a tip-off that Razi and some other activists of the party were holding a secret meeting ahead of 30-hour countrywide hartal called by 12 Islamic parties, they conducted a drive and arrested him at around midnight. Other activists, however, managed to flee the spot, he said.

Source : The Daily Star

Wife torture for dowry protested

Locals formed a human chain at Baniajuri bus stand on Dhaka-Aricha highway yesterday demanding punishment to a person for allegedly torturing wife for dowry.

The protesters said that accused H M Hasibul Hasan also tortured his first wife Taslima Akter to death.

Victim Kamrunnahar, 28, daughter of Anwar Hossain of Noya-Char village of Ghior was married to HM Hasibul Hasan, 32, son of Hafez Uddin of Baniajuri-Kundarabari village of the upazila in 2009, family sources said.

After a few days of their marriage, Hasibul and his family members started torturing Kamrunnahar demanding dowry.

Kamrunnahar's family gave a motor cycle, 3 tolas of gold ornaments and furniture worth about Tk50, 000 to Hasibul at that time.

But they again demanded Tk one lakh from Kamrunnahar's family for purchasing computer for Hasibul's shop on June 19 this year.

As she refused to comply, Hasibul, his brother Abu Bakkar and mother Hazera Begum beat up Kamrunnahar mercilessly forcing her to take shelter at the house of neighbour Ishak Mia.

Later, some locals and Ishak Mia sat to resolve the matter. But Hasibul said he will divorce Kamrunnar if her family failed to meet their demand.

Kamrunnahar lodged a case with Ghior police station on June 24 under Women Repression Prevention Act 2000 against dowry greedy Hasibul, his brother Abu Bakkar and mother Hazera Begum.

Source : The Daily Star

Injured ex-UP member dies

A former UP member, who was injured in post UP poll violence in Shailakupa upazila on June 30, died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Friday. The deceased was identified Islam Uddin, 52, ex-member of Kacher Kole union parishad and resident of Kachua village. Local sources said Islam, supporter of defeated chairman candidate Babul Joarder, was injured in an attack by the supporters of winning chairman candidate Alauddin Joarder at the village on June 30. Election to the union was held on June 28.

Source : The Daily Star

Power Plants Near Sundarbans: Police foil protest programmes

Police yesterday foiled protest programmes by locals and environment activists against the government decision to set up coal based thermal power plants in Rampal uapzila.

Terming it a threat to the Sundarbans and its biodiversity, hundreds of people tried to form a human chain and hold a rally at Foyla on Mongla-Khulna highway in Rampal in the morning. They also tried to stage a similar programme at Bhottey Bridge in Sadar upazila.

Police foiled both the attempts and arrested two activists- Paevez Hossain and Hemayetul Islam.

Save the Sundarbans, Centre for Human Rights Movement (CHRM) and Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) jointly organised the programme.

Sources said, two coal based thermal power plants, each 1300 MW under Bangladesh-India joint venture are being built in Rampal upazila. It is jointly financed by Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) and National Thermal Power Company of India.

The land ministry has already approved the acquisition of 1,834 acres of land in Sapmaree, Katakhalee and Koygardaskati Beel of the upazila.

The place is very close to the Sundarbans threatening bio-diversity of the mangrove forest, said Bapa joint secretary Shajahan Mridha.

About police action he said that the government took away people's democratic right to stage protest.

Sheikh Faridul Islam, chief co-ordinator of Save the Sundarbans, Abdul Malek Gazi, secretary general of CHRB and Shahjahan Mridha later returned to the capital as police foiled the programme.

Shahidul Islam Shahin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Rampal police station said two people were arrested as they locked in altercation with police.

Source : The Daily Star

SC reopens today

Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain yesterday reconstituted powers of 22 High Court benches, as the Supreme Court will reopen today after a two-week summer vacation, SC sources said.

The Appellate and High Court Divisions of SC went on vacation on June 26.

During the vacation, a bench of Appellate Division and some benches of the High Court Division heard some urgent matters.

Source : The Daily Star

Articulated bus to reduce traffic jam in city soon

The government has decided to introduce articulated buses with higher passenger capacity in a bid to reduce the traffic jam in the city.

Some 50 articulated buses will be imported from India to join the BRTC fleet under the one billion dollar Indian line of credit.

According to sources in BRTC, the government is introducing the articulated bus services under a pilot project to ease the nagging traffic congestion in the city. In fact, introduction of articulated buses was decided by the government a year ago.

The new buses will be pressed into service on Gabtali-Asadgate-Farmgate-Shahbagh-Gulistan route.

The prime minister has recently said government would not take into consideration the loss and profit of the state-owned BRTC as it is for providing services to the people.

At present, the BRTC has 1,031 buses in its fleet. The government has procured 275 buses from China and 255 from Korea.

Another 295 double-decker buses, 100 air-conditioned buses and 50 articulated buses will be procured from India to add to the BRTC fleet. These buses will be purchased under the one billion dollar Indian line of credit.

According to the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB), there is no alternative to introduction of articulated bus service in Dhaka city, as traffic congestion is getting worse day by day.

Some 4,000 minibuses are now plying in the city and those need to be phased out to ease the traffic jam.

The DTCB also viewed for making the city roads free from rickshaws before introducing the articulated bus services.

Articulated buses (either motorbuses or trolleybuses), also known as tandem buses, bendy buses, banana buses, slinky buses, caterpillar buses or accordion buses (and not to be confused with flexible buses), are the type with an high passenger capacity.

Source : The Daily Star

'Cancel 15th amendment to constitution'

A group of pro-BNP young lawyers yesterday demanded cancellation of the 15th amendment to the constitution, saying that the amendment could not fulfil the desire and expectations of people.

The parliament on June 30 passed the 15th amendment to the constitution abolishing the caretaker government system for holding general elections under an interim government.

The lawyers made the demand at a press conference organised under the banner of Bangladesher Tarun Ainjibi Brindo (Young lawyers of Bangladesh) at south hall of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Barrister Parvez Ahmed read out a written statement at the press conference.

Parvez in his statement said the Supreme Court is directly responsible for the national crisis for the first time in the history.

Barrister M Sarwar Hossain, Advocate Mirza Al Mahmud and Advocate Shahiduzzaman also spoke at the press conference.

Source : The Daily Star

15th Amendment to Constitution: 'Spirit of liberation reflected'

Eminent jurist Dr Shahdeen Malik yesterday said the 15th amendment to the constitution has corrected our history and reflected the true spirit of the nation's liberation war.

The amendment, however, has failed to strengthen good governance and the rule of law, he said, also criticising repeal of caretaker government system from the constitution.

Dr Shahdeen was presenting the keynote paper at a seminar titled "The 15th amendment to constitution and its impact" organised by the department of law of State University of Bangladesh (SUB) at its conference room.

The jurist in his speech described restoration of "historic struggle for national liberation" in place of "a historic war for national independence" and inclusion of the proclamation of independence as important visions revived in the 15th amendment, a SUB press release said.

Dhaka University law professor Dr Asif Nazrul said a good constitutional amendment means protecting human rights more strongly, enhancing good governance, ensuring people's participation, and enforcing certain economic rights, which the 15th amendment has largely failed to accomplish.

He said the 1972 constitution was the best constitution for the nation from which we have regressed successively.

The seminar was also addressed by SUB Acting Vice-chancellor Maj Gen (retd) Dr M Shahjahan and Registrar AYM Ekram-ud-Daulah.

Meanwhile, the National Committee for Restoration of 1972 Constitution yesterday organised a mass rally and hoisted black flags at Central Shaheed Minar protesting retention of the word Bismillah and Islam as the state religion and religion-based politics in the constitution.

Source : The Daily Star

Rajshahi upazila chairmen assoc executives

A 23-member committee of the Rajshahi divisional unit of Bangladesh Upazila Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen Association was formed in the city yesterday.

Ataur Rahman Khan, Godagari upazila chairman, and Abu Sayeed Chand, Charghat upazila chairman, were made president and secretary of the committee.

Other office-bearers are Vice Presidents: Serajul Islam, Parvin Akhter, Lutfar Rahman; Assistant General Secretaries: Ruhul Amin, ASM Muktadir, Sajjad Hossain, Israt Ali, Dr Ekramul Bari and Mohammad Ali; Organising Secretaries: DM Ziaur Rahman, Shamimul Islam Moon and ASM Alhaj Amjad Hossain; Law Secretary: Laijan Ara Lina; and Treasurer: Tajul Islam.

Source : The Daily Star

Robi Debate Contest 2011: BAWA school, CU become champs

Bangladesh Women Association (BAWA) Girls' High School and Chittagong University have become champions at school and university level contests in Robi Debate Championship 2011.

The concluding ceremony of the debate contest was held at Chittagong Shilpakala Academy Auditorium yesterday. Drishty Chittagong, an educational and cultural organisation, arranged the debate which began July 1.

Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr Afsarul Ameen was present as the chief guest in the programme presided over by Drishty president Masud Bakul.

BAWA Girls' High School defeated Chittagong Government High School in the final round, becoming the champion in the 19th inter-school debate. Sabrina Aiyni Sristi of BAWA Girls' School was adjudged the best debater.

At the university level, CU defeated Stamford University while Kawsar Mahmud of the winning team was announced the best debater.

A total of 66 debaters from 21 schools of Chittagong including Chittagong Government High School, Chittagong Government Girls' High School, Ispahani Public School, Collegiate School, BAWA Girls' High school, Bangladesh Elementary School, State Quest School and College, Kapashgola City Corporation Girls' High School, Agrabad Girls' School, Cantonment Public School and College, and Chittagong Ideal School and College contested in the debate championship.

Taking part at the university level were 54 debaters from 18 universities including Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Rajshahi University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Stamford University, Premier University, University of Science and Technology, Chittagong, and International Islamic University of Chittagong.

Source : The Daily Star

Teacher's Sexual Assault: Anger over slow action

Former and current students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College and their guardians yesterday formed a human chain in front of the institution on Bailey Road, demanding exemplary punishment to sacked teacher Porimol Joydhor for allegedly molesting a student.

They also chanted slogans calling for the authorities to withdraw the principal of the institution's Bashundhara branch for "helping the culprits and destroying the evidence".

Meanwhile, Porimol, who is now on a five-day remand, has not yet confessed to the molestation charges.

Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Badda Police Station, told The Daily Star, "Since Porimol did not admit the crime, we are trying to gather evidence. But we could not yet collect the video footages he shot through his cellphone.

"We have yet to verify Porimol's statements, as the victim has left the country for treatment."

The victim, a class X student at Viqarunnisa's Bashundhara branch, went to Singapore for treatment on Thursday night.

According to her written complaint to the school authorities, Porimol, a Bangla teacher, sexually assaulted her for the first time on May 28 and again on June 17 when she went to the coaching centre at his house in Badda.

Meanwhile, guardians of students at different schools and colleges in the capital yesterday urged the government to take immediate measures against sexual harassment of female students at the educational institutions.

At a press conference at the National Press Club, Ziaul Kabir Dulu, president of "Obhibhabok Oikya Forum", a platform of guardians, alleged that some corrupt teachers force the students to go to their coaching centres for ill purposes.

"They are not only pocketing money illegally but also harassing the girls sexually," he added.

Source : The Daily Star 

Old or young?: BCL goes to council today for picking leadership

After a break of five years, the national council of Bangladesh Chhatra League will be held in the capital today to elect new leaders of the pro-Awami League student organisation.

Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the two-day 27th national council as the chief guest at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre at 10:00am.

President and general secretary hopefuls are lobbying with the top AL leaders while the issue of age limit for the BCL leadership in new committee is yet to be finalised.

Before the last council in April 2006, Hasina fixed a maximum age limit of 29 to ensure only students stay in student politics.

But the council, supposed to be convened in every two years, was kept deferring to cause a leadership jam. In the meantime, many leaders grew older.

Sources in BCL and AL said the age limit would be finalised today or tomorrow after a discussion with the prime minister.

"The maximum age limit is still 29. The new leadership of the student organisation will be elected through casting votes in transparent ballot boxes," AL Presidium Member Obaidul Quader told The Daily Star.

The age limit could be changed at the will of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, noted Abul Kalam Azad, an election commissioner for the council.

Some aspirants for the key posts, however, demanded extension of the age limit by at least two years.

Meanwhile, a section of former and current BCL as well as AL leaders have taken stance against election fearing illegal exchange of money by incumbents to woo voters.

They alleged a group of former BCL leaders have already started distributing money to the councillors to win their votes.

"The incumbent president and the general secretary have selected almost all the councillors [voters] from among the persons of their choice. Their favourites will easily emerge winners," said a candidate preferring not to be named.

"We want the prime minister to select the president and the general secretary this time to save the organisation from the grip of the syndicate which are buying votes for handsome amounts of money," mentioned another candidate.

The BCL men who have the possibility of getting top posts include Nasim Al Momen Rupok, Sazzad Saqib Badsha, Badiuzzaman Sohag, Siddique Nazmul Alam, Jafrul Shahriar Jewel, MIK Rashidul Islam, Joy Deb Nandi, and Amit Kumar Chakravorty.

Source : The Daily Star 

Egypt says no Gulf pressure to halt Mubarak trial

Egypt's foreign minister dismissed talk of any pressure on Cairo from Gulf Arab states to prevent the trial of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, according to an interview published yesterday. Mubarak, overthrown in February by a popular uprising, is due to stand trial on August 3 for the killing of protesters on charges that could carry the death penalty.

Many Egyptians, including those who took to the streets on Friday, have accused the military rulers of reluctance in trying former air force commander Mubarak and some have suggested Gulf Arabs have urged Cairo not to humiliate their former ally.

Source : The Daily Star

Biman banks on Boeing: Two new aircraft to join its ageing fleet by November

Biman Bangladesh Airlines may get two new Boeing aircraft by November this year as part of plans to ease pressure on its ageing fleet.

The two wide-body aircraft will improve Biman's chaotic flight schedule, said Biman officials.

Nine of the national carrier's 11 aircraft have been in operation for more than two decades. It remains unclear when the two grounded aircraft -- a DC-10 30 and an Airbus 310-300 -- that are on extensive overhaul would be ready to fly, they said.

Two more identical 777-300ER (Extended Range) aircraft are to be added to the Biman fleet in 2013.

"Once the two aircraft are included in the fleet, Biman's flight schedule and service will improve. It will also boost our economic strength, as the new aircraft will consume less fuel compared to the fuel-guzzling old aircraft," Biman Managing Director Muhammad Zakiul Islam told The Daily Star.

He said they will consider phasing out the age-old aircraft once four Boeing 777 are added to the fleet.

Powered by twin engines, the two Boeings with 419 seats each will fly on long-haul routes that include Dhaka-Manchester-New York, Dhaka-London-Dhaka, Dhaka-Rome-Dhaka, and Dhaka-Sydney-Dhaka.

They are among the 10 new aircraft for which Biman signed a procurement deal with the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing involving Tk 17,250 crore ($2.5 billion). The aircraft include four 777-300ERs, four 787-8 Dreamliners and two 737-800s.

Biman authorities say they are almost certain of getting the two aircraft -- one in October and the other in November -- as they have already completed all preliminary formalities to get $309 million for purchasing the two aircraft.

US-based financial institution JP Morgan will give $277 million under the guarantee of the Export-Import Bank of the USA, while the Standard Chartered Bank will provide a loan of $80 million.

The Biman managing director said the financial institutions have made commitments to provide the loan. A deal with terms and conditions has already been inked and the other documents will be signed in September.

He said Biman engineers are now receiving training at the Boeing factory in Seattle in the USA. Sixteen pilots along with supervisors and several hundred cabin crew will be trained before the two aircraft are added to the fleet.

Biman that came into existence on January 4, 1972, now has two Boeing 737, four DC10-30, three Airbus 310-300 and two F28 regional jet aircraft. It operates flights to only 19 cities across two continents.

No airlines in the world operate DC 10-30 or F28 aircraft any longer, as they have become obsolete and financially unviable.

  Source : The Daily Star

Attack on Abdin: Khaleda to lead hunger protest

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will lead the party's six-hour hunger strike on July 13 protesting scrapping of the caretaker government system and the police attack on Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque.

The hunger strike will start at 10:00am at Engineers' Institute, Bangladesh in the capital. BNP announced the strike Friday.

Meanwhile, addressing a rally in front of the BNP central office in Naya Paltan yesterday, BNP Vice Chairman MK Anwar said the party would not sit for discussion with the government or participate in the next general election till the 15th amendment to the constitution is cancelled.

BNP Dhaka unit convener Sadek Hossain Khoka chaired the rally. Party's acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, leaders Rafiqul Islam Miah, Abdullah Al Noman, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin, among others, also addressed the rally.

Source : The Daily Star

Hartal-hit businesses sound desperate

The business community yesterday threatened to take to the streets unless the opposition refrains from calling hartal to keep businesses free from disruption.

Business leaders will launch a campaign after Ramadan to form public opinion against hartal unless the opposition opts out of shutdown, AK Azad, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), said at a discussion on "Hartal and Economy" at the FBCCI Bhaban in the capital.

He urged political leaders to find resolution to all disputes through dialogue in parliament, not through hartal that hampers business activities.

"If political leaders fail to resolve disputes in parliament and the opposition causes hindrance to business by calling hartal, businesspeople will be compelled to take to the streets to protest such activities," Azad said.

The FBCCI chief said the country now needs huge investment to alleviate poverty by creating employment. But both domestic and overseas entrepreneurs feel discouraged to come up with investment proposals for frequent hartals.

Leaders from different chambers and trade bodies also gave opinions against hartal.

Urging the opposition to resolve the disputes through discussions, Nihad Kabir, vice-president of MCCI, said the country's economy performed well even in the midst of global recession. Now the economic growth should be maintained, she added.

Asif Ibrahim, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said businesses cannot afford hartal even for a day but the opposition is calling hartal frequently.

Bangladesh will lose the opportunity to get foreign investments that are available for relocation of investments from China to other countries. Many entrepreneurs are now considering relocation of their factories to Bangladesh, he said.

"Please come out of the hartal culture," he asked the political parties.

Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, feared Bangladesh might lose orders for garment items to competitor countries for frequent hartals.

Bangladesh is now getting a comparatively small number of orders from international buyers for slow economic recovery in the EU, the single largest export bloc for Bangladesh, he added.

Mohammad Hatem, vice-president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said many factory owners will not be able to pay salaries to their workers for disruption to production during hartal. "Political stability is a must for driving the export growth in the garment sector," he said.

FBCCI Director Monowara Hakim Ali said women entrepreneurs suffer the most for hartal as the majority of them own small and medium enterprises.

Source : The Daily Star

30hr hartal from today: 12 religion-based parties threaten hartals in Ramadan

The alliance of 12 religion-based political parties enforces a countrywide 30-hour hartal from 6:00am today with support from the BNP-led opposition.

The alliance yesterday warned of enforcing hartal even in the month of Ramadan "if the government creates any obstacle to their 30-hour hartal".

And the government said stern action will be taken if anyone tries to disrupt law and order.

The 12-party combine led by Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish called the shutdown in protest against what it was said dropping of the words "absolute faith in Allah" from the constitution.

"We will launch tougher programmes during Ramadan if the government does not restore the "absolute faith in Allah" in the constitution," said Maulana Abdul Latif Nezami, secretary general of Islami Oikyo Jote, a component of the 12-party combine, at a press conference at a city hotel.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police in a press release yesterday urged people to refrain from destructive activities like vandalism and setting fire to vehicles in the name of hartal, and warned of tough action against those involved in such activities.

Our Barisal correspondent reports: Metropolitan Police yesterday charged baton and fired tear gas shells on pro-hartal processions in the city, leaving at least 20 people including a police constable injured.

And police arrested around 10 pro-hartal activists.

Our Noakhali correspondent reports: Police foiled a procession in support of hartal here, and at least 25 people were injured in the police baton charge. About 10 activists were arrested.

A report from our Munshiganj correspondent says: Six activists of Islami Andolon Bangladesh were arrested from a pro-hartal procession in Mawa ferry ghat area yesterday evening.

Source : The Daily Star

Traffic, life go haywire: Country caught in two hartal spells

Chaos descended on Dhaka streets yesterday as the city struggled to cope with the rush of traffic after the two-day hartal last week followed by the weekend.

With another two days of hartal beginning today, many office-goers, students and businessmen had to run important errands yesterday as to some it was the only working day amid four days of hartal and a weekend.

As a result, traffic movement virtually came to a standstill in all major city intersections. Tailbacks lingered for hours and reached far into the highways going in and out of the city.

Sonia Islam, a housewife, who was returning to Dhaka from Magura with her 14-month-old son, spent over 12 hours on the way.

She reached Gabtoli around 12:30am on Friday night instead of schedule time of arrival at 7:00pm. Huge rush of passengers was on the roads due to the past and present weeks' hartal.

Things were not any better for the city dwellers moving within the capital.

Shahriar Hossain, a private jobholder, left his Khilgaon home at 9:00am to attend an important business meeting at 10:00am at his Shahbagh office.

Seeing heavy traffic he decided to take a detour.

"I reached my office at noon," he said. "It took the CNG auto-rickshaw around two hours to reach Farmgate, which usually takes 30 to 50 minutes."

While the day was supposed to be a holiday, many offices were open and many educational institutes held classes to make up the time lost in the hartals.

"With another two-day hartal starting from tomorrow [today], my teachers have crammed in two exams today," said Nurul Islam, a private university student, of Malibagh.

It took him two hours to reach Natun Bazar from Malibagh in a city bus and he was another few hours away from his university in Baridhara.

"I've already missed an exam. Now I'm starting to wonder if I'd make it to the next one," he said.

Traffic officials said more vehicles took to the street, which created severe tailbacks in many streets. Their impacts spread to surrounding areas, and slowly the whole city.

All roads in and out of the city also suffered from severe traffic congestion, which slowly crept to all the major highways surrounding Dhaka.

City dwellers experienced huge tailbacks at almost all intersections and busy areas in the capital throughout the day.

Police sources said there were severe traffic congestion at Farmgate, Bangla Motor, Bijoy Sarani, Jatrabari, Malibagh, Mouchak, Shahbagh, Mohakhali, Gulshan, Banani and Uttara areas.

At many level crossings, gate guard kept the bars down to keep the rail lines free from traffic as the apparently unending tailbacks tended to stretch onto the rail lines.

On duty rail guard at Tongi Diversion Road level crossing in Moghbazar kept the bar down, stopping vehicular movement over the tracks as traffic came to a standstill at Moghbazar intersection for over half an hour around 1:00pm.

The guard told The Daily Star if he had not kept the bar down the queue of vehicles would be stuck on the rail lines. With no room to go forward or backward, the vehicles would be caught on the path of oncoming trains, resulting in accidents.

Source : The Daily Star

Debt-ridden Greece gambles on privatisation

A debt crisis, recession, plunging stock markets and a soccer scandal are not the best conditions in which to sell a stake in Europe's biggest betting company.

But that is what cash-strapped Greece faces as it prepares to sell OPAP, the most valuable asset on the government's privatisation list this year.

Greece must sell 50 billion euros ($73 billion) worth of assets by 2015, starting with 5 billion in 2011. This is a condition for a second European Union/International Monetary Fund bailout for the debt-laden country, after a 110 billion euro rescue last year.

Many bankers say the plan is far too ambitious and fear it will fail while a few say pressure from Greece's lenders and E.U. lawmakers w ill force the government to achieve its goal.

'I only wish the 50 billion euros was a legitimate target, but in this timeline, no way,' said an investment banker involved in the plan, who declined to be named. 'It is a pipe dream ... you can't make M&A happen just like that,' he said.

OPAP will be the first big test of Greece's forced asset sales and the government is hoping investors will be tempted, despite the country's problems.

Unlike most of the assets earmarked for sale, OPAP is debt-free, profitable and has no strong labour unions.

The state's 34 per cent stake in the company has a market value of about 1.17 billion euros.

Unlike most other Greek public firms, OPAP has a lean workforce and generates annual profit of about 600 million euros. 'This makes it easier to sell than any other state company,' said a local investment banker who advises Greece on asset sales.

But even OPAP poses problems that make many

observers doubt the privatisation plan is feasible, particularly as more complex sales are due to follow, like loss-making railway operator OSE and heavily unionised electricity utility PPC.

Greece may find it hard to sell assets at prices that the Socialist government and its privatisation-wary MPs can swallow.

The market value of companies, such as PPC or refiner Hellenic Petroleum, are already way below their pre-crisis levels.

Some fear that the tight timetable imposed on Greece by its lenders may lead to a fire-sale at knock-down prices. The nation would have to sell an asset every 10 days to meet its targets.

Greek lawmakers from both government and the opposition have warned they will oppose any

fire sale. Despite passage of a framework austerity law last month which establishes an independent privatisation agency, the sale of big-ticket state companies will still require parliamentary approval.

'Given the haste element, I believe the OPAP stake will be most likely sold at a discount to the stock market value,' another banker involved in the privatisations said .

Source : New Age

Dhaka stocks surge for third week on govt stimulus

Dhaka stocks continued with the gaining streak for the third straight week with an increased turnover as the investors went on a buying spree following the government move to allow investment of undisclosed money in stocks.

The benchmark general index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, or DGEN, had gained 194.57 points, or 3.18 per cent, over the past week to finish at 6,311.80 points, against 269.97 points gained in the previous week.

The average daily turnover in the week rose by 35.00 per cent to Tk 1,080.76 crore from that of Tk 800.55 crore in the previous week.

The National Board of Revenue on Tuesday announced that the investors of undisclosed money in stocks must keep it in the capital market till June 2013 to avail the opportunity of legalising it by paying a 10 per cent tax.

Market insiders said an active participation of institutional investors, with individual investors following suit, surged the turnover of the bourse in the past week.

They said the recent extension of the deadline for the commercial banks to bring their exposure in the capital market within the limit and reassess their credit-deposit ratio on source fund offered by the Bangladesh Bank also brought the institutional investors to the trading floor.

Individual investors have also been gradually regaining their confidence in the market after the government decision to allow investment of undisclosed money in stock investments, they added.  

'Increased institutional participation, with individual investors following suit, boosted the turnover in the past week,' said a stockbroker.

He said, 'Institutional investors came out of their cocoons as the BB's measures prevented the situation from becoming worse for them.'

He also said, 'After the government accommodated the long-standing demand of the equities market stakeholders to allow investment of undisclosed money in stocks, it sent the message to the investors that the government was really concerned about and willing to stabilise the market.'

Of the five trading days of the week, the DGEN slid a little on one and rose on the remaining four days. 

The turnover of the bourse on Sunday crossed the Tk 1,100-crore mark again after two and a half months, with the DGEN adding 40.28 points, or 0.65 per cent, following the government decision to allow investment of undisclosed money in the equities market.

On Monday, the index fell by 33.06 points, or 0.53 per cent, on a profit-taking selling pressure after a five-day bull run. The turnover on the day also dropped to Tk 881.77 crore.

Dhaka stocks rebounded on Tuesday amid volatile trading, with the DGEN gaining 40.81 points, or 0.66 per cent. But, the turnover of the bourse dropped to Tk 875.60 crore on the day.

On Wednesday, the index posted a sharp rise of 78.07 points, or 1.26 per cent, with the turnover crossing the Tk 1,000-crore mark again in the week amounting to Tk 1,158.63 crore.

The index on Thursday made another jump of 68.47 points, or 1.09 per cent, with the turnover hitting a three-and-a-half-month high of Tk 1,348.33 crore, as the investors continued with the post-budget buying binge.

Of the 263 issues traded in the week, 225 advanced, 35 declined, and five remained unchanged. 

Beximco topped the turnover leaders, with shares worth Tk 169.16 crore changing hands. The other top-10 turnover leaders of the week were One Bank, MI Cement Factory, United Commercial Bank, Aftab Automobiles, Social Islamic Bank, United Airways, City Bank, National Bank, Peoples Leasing & Financial Services.

Source : New Age

Millers asked to finish appt of dealers before Ramadan

The government on Saturday ordered mill owners to complete recruitment of sugar and edible oil dealers before the Ramadan, and refrain from hiking the prices of the essential commodities during the Muslims' month of fasting.

Commerce minister Faruk Khan, at a meeting with business leaders including sugar and edible oil refiners, said that there was sufficient stock of sugar and edible oil in the country, moreover letters of credit have been opened for import of a large quantity of these items.

'So there is no reason for instability in the prices of these two commodities during the Ramadan. There will be no gap between the demand and the supply of these products if the appointment of dealers is done properly,' he said.

Although business leaders agreed that there was sufficient stock, they cautioned the government that they could not be held responsible if the prices of sugar and edible oil rose because of agitation programmes like hartal.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry's president AK Azad, commerce secretary Ghulam Hossain and leader of sugar and edible oil refiners Fazlur Rahman were present at the meeting, along with others.

Faruk told reporters after the meeting that the refiners had so far appointed 7,061 dealers after the delivery order system was scrapped last month. 'Many of the refiners are yet to appoint dealers, and will have to do so as soon as possible,' he said.

Urging opposition parties not to enforce hartal, Faruk said that some quarters increase the prices of commodities on the excuse of hartal or bad weather.

Ghulam said that the total stock of sugar would reach around 3.75 lakh tonnes during Ramadan against the demand for 2.75 lakh tonnes, while the amount of edible oil would be 4.68 lakh tonnes against the demand for 2.5 lakh tones.

AK Azad said that a huge amount of commodities were stuck at the seaports because of the hartal.

He said that businessmen should not be held responsible if the prices shot up due to political movements.

Source : New Age

Business leaders express mixed reaction

Business leaders of the country on Saturday expressed mixed reaction to a study report that put Chittagong port at the top of 69 ports of 17 Asian countries in terms of efficiency, with the majority of them terming the report lopsided.

Most of them think the port is still suffering from a range of serious flaws including inadequate number of equipment and manpower, corruption in management, inefficient transportation, and high cost of using its facilities. They also said the facilities offered by the port were inadequate for the local businesses, although there was enough scope for making it a port of international standard.

The report titled Benchmarking the Efficiency of Asian container Ports, run by the African Journal of Business Management on February 14 and followed up by a number of Bangladesh news media in the past two days, focused only on the container handling in Chittagong port, ignoring the service standard, said most of the business leaders.

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry former president Mir Nasir Hossin said ranking the Chittagong port first among 12 'super efficient ports' in the 17 countries by the report was totally 'one-sided'.

He said, 'The cost of using the port facilities, the turnaround time of shipment, and other factors have not been considered in the report. The report is mainly focused on the existing capacity of container handling of the port and the total number of containers handled by it, where the quality of service and the cost of using the port facilities are not mentioned.'

According to Mir Nasir, in terms of capacity, area, service, cost, and efficiency, most of the other Asian ports are better than Chittagong.

He said, 'If we see the existing scenario of Chittagong port, it is clear that the quality of service has not increased much in recent years, the cost of using port facilities is still very high, and the turnaround time is approximately five to six days,'

Inefficient management of the port is forcing the businesses to pay extra charges, he alleged. 'To make the Chittagong port more efficient, the government should ensure a corruption-free management of the port and efficient transportation of containers,' he added.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers' and Exporters' Association former president Fazlul Haque said the actual situation of the port was not identified in the study.

The port is operating with limited resources which are not enough to handle the volume of trade, which is rising by the day, he said.

'The government should increase the logistics of the port as well as its efficiency of delivering the services,' he added.

FBCCI president AK Azad, however, said, 'The recognition is a sign of the improvements made by the port and it needs more attention to make it even more efficient.'

He said the government was very much active to develop the port and increase the volume of regional trade through it.

The chief of the country's apex trade body said, 'At present, the situation of Chittagong port is satisfactory and we urge the government to ensure effective operations of the port for reducing the cost of using its facilities.'

'If the government improves the service-delivery capacity and management of Chittagong port, it can become a regional hub of connectivity, which will benefit the local businesses too,' he added.

Exporters' Association of Bangladesh president Abdus Salam Murshedy said the situation of Chittagong port was really alarming in 2009 and 2010, when the export-oriented garment factory owners had suffered a lot. It was a time when they had to go for air shipment, spending a huge amount of extra money, to ensure delivery of goods in time, due to mismanagement at Chittagong port, he mentioned.

Murshedy said, 'The main problem of the port is "process loss" due to mismanagement and limited logistics. Businesses frequently face trouble in making shipment due to malfunctioning machines and other equipments.'

'But,' in his opinion, 'the port is now relatively better managed with defence personnel in charge.'

Source : New Age

Many return empty-handed from OMS rice outlets

Hundreds of people who queued up to buy rice from open market sales outlets at different places in the capital on Saturday had to go back empty-handed as the stocks were finished long before the scheduled time.


Stocks at the OMS outlets in most areas, including Tejgaon, Karwan Bazaar and Mirpur, reportedly ran out before noon although the dealers were supposed to sell rice till 5:00pm.
One can buy a maximum amount 5 kgs of rice a day at Tk 24 per kg from the OMS outlets. Coarse rice is still selling at Tk 34-36 a kg in the retail markets despite a bumper Boro production this year.
'I could not buy OMS rice even after standing for more than two hours in the queue,' said Abdul Karim, who was one of the about 100 people who were returning from the outlet in Karwan Bazaar with disappointment written large on their faces.
The director general of the Directorate of Food, Ahmad Hossain Khan, said that OMS rice could not be sold on Wednesday and Thursday due to the countrywide hartal.
'Demand for OMS rice has increased suddenly due to last week's hartal and announcement of another hartal from Sunday. We have now decided to continue the OMS during hartal,' he told New Age on Saturday.
Khan, however, said that the number of outlets, which earlier was over 300 in Dhaka city, would be limited to 150 as rice prices had started falling.
The dealers and buyers attributed the higher prices of rice in the retail shops, even in the Boro season when there is no shortage of rice, to the 48-hour hartal called by the opposition parties and also the 30-hour hartal beginning today (Sunday). This was the reason for the sudden rush to the OMS outlets.
Each outlet is scheduled to sell three tonnes of rice a day from 9:00am to 5:00pm everyday excepting on Friday and Tuesday, said an official at the OMS control room.
He said that a total of 100 trucks sold rice at different points across the city.
'We have received reports that stocks in most of the trucks were exhausted by 1:00pm,' the official added.
Mariam, who had been waiting for nearly three hours in a long queue at the Karwan Bazaar outlet, said the OMS rice was selling for Tk 24 a kg whereas the price was Tk 34 to Tk 35 in retail markets.
'One can easily save at least Tk 50 a day if they buy five kgs of rice from the OMS outlets,' she said.
Nizam Uddin of Begunbari, who came to the outlet near Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology in Tejgaon, said he arrived at around 11:15am and found a long queue there. He complained that the stock was finished within half an hour so he could not buy any rice.
'Around 100 people, mostly women, returned disappointed from the outlet,' Nizam mentioned.
The government started open market sale of rice in the city on 26 December, 2010 in the face of soaring rice prices.
Source : New Age

Freedom fighters to get spl medical facility

The country's freedom fighters will enjoy special medical facility from Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital of the capital's Dhanmondi area.

The hospital on Saturday opened a geriatric (related to old age) medicine centre — a one stop medical service for them. The centre is equipped with special indoor and outdoor facility.

'Freedom fighters are the greatest sons of the soil. Those who are established in society today are indebted to our freedom fighters,' planning minister and chairman of the Sector Commanders Forum AK Khandker said while he addressed after inauguration of the medical centre on JBFH premises.

Praising the role of JBFH, the minister urged the affluent quarters of the society to come forward for the welfare of Freedom Fighters.

He said the present government is doing everything possible for the welfare of the Freedom Fighters and requested all to esteem the country's valiant Freedom Fighters.

The freedom fighters and their family members will have special waiver from the indoor and outdoor medical charges of the JBFH geriatric medicine centre which is the first of its kind in the country.

In some cases the waiver reaches up to 60 per cent. The mere insolvent ones with the recommendations from Bangladesh Muktijoddha Command Council will enjoy medical treatment almost free of cost.

Source : New Age

JCD leader Nasir held

JCD leader Obaidul Huq Nasir was arrested from Uttara  Saturday night.

JCD sources said plaincloth police picked up him at 9:30pm .

Nasir is senior joint convenor of JCD unit of Dhaka University.

The reason of his arrest was not immediately known.

Source : New Age

Indo-Bangla magistrate-level meet held at Dalia

A district magistrate-level meeting between Bangladesh and India was held at 'Abasor' rest house of the Water Development Board at Dalia under Dimla upazila of Nilphamari Saturday, officials said.

The meeting discussed in a cordial atmosphere various bilateral issues like border and enclave issues, 24-hour movement of Bangladeshis through the Tin Bigha Corridor, sharing of the Teesta water, transit through Chilahati-Haldibari route etc, they said.

The meeting is being considered as very important on the eve of Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh in September and a similar return meeting will be held at Koochbihar in West Bengal by July 20.

Beginning at 11:00am, the meeting continued for five and a half hours till 4:30pm Saturday afternoon and the 5-member Indian delegation left at 5:30pm through the Burimari Land Port under Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat, the officials said.

Earlier, deputy commissioner and district magistrate of Lalmonirhat Mokhlesur Rahman accorded a warm reception to the Indian delegation at the BLP at 10:15am.

Led by Lalmonirhat magistrate, the 4-member Bangladesh included Abdul Mazid of Nilphamari, Tofazzal Hossain Mian of Panchagarh and Habibur Rahman of Kurigram.

Magistrate of Koochbihar Marakshi Mohapatra led the 5-member Indian delegation that included officials of Koochbehar district administration Mikha Ghosh, Sunil Kumar Chakroborty, Dipankar Roy Chakroborty and Pijush Kanti Goswami.

Source : New Age

Train stuck on track

The locomotive of a train got locked with rail-line near the Moghbazar level-crossing in capital Saturday afternoon, causing serious traffic congestion in the adjacent area.

The train, Turag, headed for Joydebpur, became inoperative just ten minutes after starting its journey from Kamalapur rail station in the capital at about 5:30pm, said one of the employee at the train, preferring anonymity.

The passenger-train remained stranded for one hour and a quarter, blocking the busy Moghbazar-Mohakhali road, the witnesses said.

Most of passengers of the train got down from it and took other transportations for their respective destinations.

At about 7:00pm, another locomotive from Kamalapur station took the train back to the station, leaving only the locomotive.

No casualty, however, was reported.

Source : New Age

Major rivers rising

Major rivers and tributaries continued rising at most places following onrush of waters amid sporadic rains at places in the Brahmaputra basin during the past 24 hours till Saturday morning, Water Development Board said Saturday.

The stronger river currents have been continuing sporadic erosions along the unstable riversides at places in Rangpur, Kurigram and Gaibandha where some 300 riverside houses with lands and property have been devoured so far, local sources said.

'The erosion situation is still under full control and all rivers were still flowing well below their respective danger marks at all points at 6:00am Saturday,' executive engineer Anwar Hossain of the Water Development Board said.

Unofficial reports said people living in the very low- lying char areas of 16 riverside upazilas in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Bogra and Sirajganj  were facing a pre-flood-like situation amid sporadic incidents of river erosions.

The WDB, district and upazila administrations are monitoring the situation and preparing to face the same in the event of deterioration anywhere in the river basin.

The WDB sources said the Brahmaputra rose by 4cm at Noonkhawa, 5cm at Chilmari and 3cm at Fulchhari during the past 24 hours and was flowing 216cm, 147cm and 92cm below its respective DMs at these points at 6:00am Saturday morning.

The Dharla marked a fall by 3cm at Kurigram and the Ghaghot rose by 3cm at Gaibandha during the period to flow 159cm and 102cm below their respective DMs at these points at 6:00am.

The Teesta marked rises by 3cm at Kawnia, 10cm at Dalia and fall by 4cm at Sundarganj during the period to flow 135cm, 30cm and 120cm below its respective DMs at these points.

The Jamuna marked a rise by 5cm at Bahadurabad and 11cm at Sirajganj during the period to flow 55cm and 78cm below its respective DMs at these points.

The Punorbhaba, Karotoa, Chhoto Jamuna, Atrai and Tangon marked both rises and falls during the period to flow well below their respective DMs in Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Jaipurhat and Naogaon Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Padma marked further rises by 6cm at Rajshahi and 8cm at the Hardinge Bridge point during the period and was flowing 207cm and 140cm below its respective DMs at these points in the Ganges at 6:00am Saturday, the WDB sources said.

Source : New Age

Political stability must for dev: seminar

Political stability is a must for the country's rapid economic development, speakers told a seminar on Saturday.

'It's important to ensure political stability in the country for the country's quick economic progress and receiving foreign assistance,' said Khondaker Golam Moazzem on Saturday.

Moazzem, a senior research fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, presented the keynote paper at the seminar, held at Zahir Raihan Auditorium of Jahangirnagar University.

International Relations department of the university organised the seminar titled 'National budget 2011-'12: Impact on Bangladesh external economic reliance'.

Chaired by professopr Abul Kalam Azad, the seminar was addressed, among others, by JU vice-chancellor Prof Sharif Enamul Kabir and assistant editor of Bangla national daily 'Samakal' Ajoy Das Gupta.

Source : New Age

UZ chairs, vice-chairs want legitimate rights

Upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen have unequivocally called for ensuring their legitimate rights for strengthening the local government institutions to institutionalise democracy side by side with establishing good governance.

Terming themselves the nearest people's representatives, they viewed that the hopes and aspirations of the grassroots people couldn't be reflected until their institutional power and responsibilities were ensured.

They made these observations while addressing the Rajshahi Divisional Conference of the

upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen at Uttara Community Centre in the city Saturday.

USAID under its Strengthening Democratic Local Governance programme supported the conference.

In his address of welcome, chairman of Charghat upazila Abu Sayeed Chand outlined the objectives of the conference while SDLG team leader Kajal Chatterjee gave an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the upazila chairmen and vice chairmen and the importance of the local government institutions.

With Godagari upazila chairman Ataur Rahman Khan in the chair, SDLG's chief of party Jerome and its deputy party chief Zarina Rahman Khan, secretary general of Municipal Association of Bangladesh Shamim Al Razi and president of Khulna Divisional Upazila Chairmen and Vice-Chairman Association Golam Mourtoza spoke on the occasion as resource persons.

The speakers said the upazila-level service delivery activities especially the infrastructure development, healthcare, education, livestock, fisheries, family planning and agriculture should be made accountable to the upazila chairmen for ensuring transparency in the activities.

'We have no way but to ensure participation of the people's representatives in the civic services for betterment of the people in general,' said upazila chairman Ataur Rahman Khan.

For successful implementation of the government's uplift programmes he said the upazila

chairmen and vice-chairmen should be given responsibilities for overseeing the implementation process.

Most of the upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen from eight districts under Rajshahi division attended the conference putting forward a set of recommendations on how to strengthen the local government institutions as a whole.

Later, they formed a 21-member executive committee styled 'Rajshahi Divisional Upazila Chairmen and Vice-chairmen Association' headed by Ataur Rahman Khan.

Source : New Age

PCJSS declares 3 CHT lawmakers persona non grata

The Partbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti on Saturday declared three lawmakers, elected from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, persona non grata in the hills as they voted for the 15th Amendment Bill that has 'denied the existence of the indigenous population by making them Bengalis'.

Party chief Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, also the chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, at a rally in Rangamati said that the real faces of the three lawmakers — Jatindralal Tripura, Dipankar Talukdar and Bir Bahadur — have been exposed during the passage of the 'controversial' bill.

The Rangamati unit of the party organised the rally at the gymnasium ground in protest against the 15th Amendment, especially against the provision that identifies all the ethnic groups in the country as Bengalis.

All the speakers at the rally came down heavily on three lawmakers for their silence during the passage of the Bill, their voice vote in favour of the Bill and the act of signing during division vote in favour of the bill. The speakers reminded Sheikh Hasina of her father's command to the hill people to become Bengalis and its historical consequences.

Many of the speakers warned the government that it would have to bear the blame if the hill people were forced to take up arms again.

Jyotirindra, popularly known as Santu Larma, called on the hill people, who were involved with Awami League or BNP, to quit those parties and join the movement of the hill people. 'Leave those who do not recognise your existence, those who want to make you Bengalis,' he said.

Santu Larma said that despite the signing of a deal with the hill people, military rule was continuing in the name of Operation Uttaran, Bengalis were continuing to settle in the CHT illegally, land-grabbing was continuing unabated and the Land Commission was intentionally being kept dysfunctional.

He also branded the United People's Democratic Front a 'terrorist outfit' which had made the lives of hill people miserable by killing 1,300 persons and extorting mote one crore takas a day.

Santu called on all the hill people to get united and wage a movement against those who do not recognize the existence of 'indigenous peoples', who intend to rob them of their racial identity by making them Bengalis and turn them into second-class citizens by retaining the provision of state religion.

The party's vice-president, Ushatan Talukdar, said, 'We trusted you (government) and surrendered all our weapons and each and every bullet. But you have betrayed us by not implementing the treaty in 13 years.'

Pahari Chhatra Parishad's president Nitol Chakma, Adivasi Forum's leader Prakriti Ranjan Chakma and Udayan Tripura also spoke at the rally, which was presided over by JSS's Rangamati unit president Gyanendu Bikash Chakma.

A large procession was brought out after the rally that paraded through the major streets in the town.

Source : New Age

Robbers loot two houses in Lakshmipur

Robbers looted cash, gold ornaments and other valuables from two houses at Dalal Bazar in sadar upazila injuring 10 people early Saturday.

The police and local people said breaking open the door, a gang of armed robbers numbering 25 entered the house of Ranjit Chandra Mojumder late at night and took the inmates hostage at gunpoint.

At one stage, the bandits indiscriminately stabbed Ranjit, his wife Sheuli Mojumder and another inmate Utpal Kanti Mojumder as they tried to resist them.

Later, they looted 10 tolas of gold ornaments and other valuables from the house and decamped with the booties safely.

Later, the same gang entered the neighbouring house of Tajul Islam and looted two tolas of gold ornaments and Tk 20,000 in cash. The muggers also beat seven members of the house leaving them seriously injured.

All the injured were admitted to general hospital from where Ranjit and Sheuli were shifted to Dhaka as their condition deteriorated.

Two separate cases were filed with the police.

Source : New Age

22 HC benches reconstituted

Twenty-two benches of the High Court division of the Supreme Court have been reconstituted.

Secretary to the chief justice Kabir Ahmed told reporters on Saturday that after the end of the summer vacation, the reformed benches would start functioning from Sunday.

As per the custom, the chief justice forms and reforms the High Court benches as per his administrative power.

The Supreme Court went in summer vacation on June 24.

Source : New Age

Teenage girl abducted, gang raped

Three miscreants allegedly abducted a 16-year-old ethnic minority girl from Rangamati hill district headquarters on Thursday, repeatedly raped her for 14 hours, before returning her home on Friday morning.

The victim filed a case of abduction and gang rape with the Kotowali police station of Rangamati at 9pm on Friday. She named Md Manik, son of Md Khalilur Rahman of Parzatan Sarak, and Md Selim, son of Md Abul Khaer of Mashjid Colony, of Tabalchari and an engine boat driver as the abductors and rapists.

The teenage victim said Manik, a CNG-run three-wheeler driver, and Selim, a master roll employee at Rangamati Hill District Council, abducted her from Tabalchari bazar on Thursday noon. They took her to Bondhu Jishu Tila Sirir Ghat and from there took her in the middle of the Kaptai Lake by an engine boat. There they raped her by turn for at least 14 hours.

The girl said the rapists brought her to Shaheed Minar Ghat at 4am on Friday and from there sent her home by the help of a friend named Md Ali, another driver of CNG-run three-wheeler.

The victim's mother is a cleaner at Rangamati Pourosabha and the girl works as a tailor.

The duty officer-in-charge of Kotowali police station, assistant sub-inspector Zakir Hosain confirmed the filing of the abduction and gang rape cases. He said they already had sent forces to arrest the accused.

The crime created a sharp and wide wave of agitation and anger across the town. Bangladesh Mohila Parishad Rangamati unit president Konica Borua demanded that the offenders must be arrested as early as possible and brought to justice.

Source : New Age

Khaleda to lead mass hunger strike Wednesday

BNP chairperson and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia will lead a mass hunger strike on Wednesday in protest against police assault on opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, other law makers and activists during last week's 48-hour hartal.

The main opposition party announced it would hold the mass hunger strike

at the Institution of Engineers in the capital from 10 AM to 4 PM also in protest against the Awami League led government's unilateral abolition of the election time non-party caretaker government system through the controversial 15th amendment of the Constitution.

BNP held nationwide demonstrations on Saturday in protest against repression of the opposition leaders and workers during the hartal the opposition had called opposing abolition of the election time non-party caretaker government system.

BNP took the decision to hold the mass hunger strike at a joint meeting it with its front orgnaisations, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul told reporters after the meeting at BNP central committee office at Naya Paltan. 

The party held the joint meeting with the leaders of its front organisations for the success of the six-hour hunger strike without any break.

Mirza Fakhrul said that the police was obstructing BNP leaders and workers from pasting posters depicting the police assaults on opposition leaders and workers during the hartal.

He said that the police arrested BNP leader, Nazrul Islam, from Ramna area while he was pasting the posters.

 He condemned placing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Juba Dal leader Rafiqul Islam and Dhaka City Corporation commissioner Bazlur Basit on fresh police remand.

He demanded immediate release of all the leaders and workers of the party and withdrawal of all 'false' cases against them.

When his attention was drawn to a media report that the UK government was 'likely' to extradite BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman to Bangladesh under a deal with the government, Fakhrul said he had no knowledge of any such move.

Source : New Age

BNP lawmaker wants transit deal to be made public

A lawmaker of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who is member of the parliamentary standing committee on the foreign affairs ministry, on Saturday demanded that the government should submit the transit agreement with India to the committee before finalizing the deal.

Mahbub Uddin Khokon, at a meeting of the committee in the Sangsad Bhaban, also wanted to know whether the national interest was being upheld in the ongoing joint survey of the enclaves and adversely possessed lands on the borders of Bangladesh and India, said sources.

The foreign affairs secretary told the committee that both the Bangladeshi and Indian governments had in principle agreed to sign the transit deal but the details were yet to be finalised.

'Transit is a touchy issue. I demanded that the draft of the deal should be placed before the parliamentary standing committee before being finalised so that the people could be informed of its terms and conditions,' Khokon told New Age after the meeting.

He said that it should be clearly specified in the agreement that the transit should not be used for India's military activities.

'I also wanted to know about the ongoing survey of the adversely possessed lands and enclaves and the census being carried out there,' said Khokon, adding that the Bangladeshi people are waging a movement to protect their nation's interest.

The committee's chairman, Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali, told New Age that the foreign secretary had informed the meeting that the transit agreement was yet to be finalised and the number of people in the adversely possessed lands and enclaves was being counted.

'The agreement will be submitted to the committee after it is finalized,' he said, adding that the draft agreements are usually not sent to the committees concerned.

Awami League lawmaker Mostafa Faruque Mohammed told New Age that the BNP member wanted to be apprised of the present situation of the survey and census in the enclaves and the foreign secretary had informed them of the latest developments.

He also said that the foreign secretary had told them that the former Bangladesh high commissioner to Australia, Masud Uddin Ahmed, would return to the country.

'Although the foreign ministry returned him to the army on June 23, the Armed Forces Division extended his service for three more months only,' he said, quoting the foreign secretary.

Committee members Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Emaj Uddin Pramanik, Imran Ahmed, Nilufar Zafar Ullah, Hossain Makbul Shahriar, foreign affairs minister Dipu Moni and top officials of the ministry were present the meeting.

Source : New Age

BNP, Jamaat stage protests

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its major ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami staged countrywide demonstrations on Saturday in protest at the police 'torture' on the opposition leaders and activists during strike hours on Wednesday and Thursday.

BNP and its allies enforced the 48-hour nationwide shutdown demanding annulment of the 15th Amendment that scrapped the caretaker government provision. BNP claimed that over 500 leaders and activists were injured, including the opposition chief whip, Zainul Abdin Farroque, in police action.  

On the first day of the shutdown on Wednesday, law enforcers assaulted the opposition chief whip following an altercation at the city's Manik Mia Avenue. Farroque was undergoing treatment at United Hospital. 

The BNP also announced a 'mass hunger strike' for Wednesday in protest against the police torture on the opposition leaders and activists.

On Saturday, Dhaka city unit of BNP organised a protest rally in front of the party's Naya Paltan central office.

Chaired by party vice-chairman and Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khokha, also the convener of Dhaka city unit of BNP, the protest rally was addressed, among others, by BNP standing committee members MK Anwar and Rafiqul Islam Mia, vice-chairman Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and chairperson's advisers Shamsuzzaman Dudu and Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin.

Addressing the rally, acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir

said the people had observed the 48-hour general strike defying obstructions to give a message to the government that they wanted the caretaker government provision to be restored.

He accused the government of ordering the assault on the opposition chief whip.

'The government will not be able to stop the movement by unleashing repression on its political opponents,' he said.

 He called upon all democratically-oriented people to join the '0mass hunger strike' to be led by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia at the city's Engineers' Institution.     

Jamaat organised its central rally in front of its Purana Paltan city office with its city chapter president Rafiqul Islam Khan in the chair.

Jamaat leaders and activists will be fasting on Wednesday, the day the BNP will observe 'mass hunger strike' in the capital city.

New Age correspondents in different districts, including Barisal, Bogra, Sylhet, Chittagong and Feni reported that local units of BNP and Jamaat had organised rallies and processions in their respective areas on the day.

Source : New Age

Fresh bout of strike begins today

Twelve political parties, mostly Islamists, begin a nationwide hartal for 30 hours this morning in protest against the replacement of 'absolute faith and trust in Allah' with 'secularism' and 'socialism' in the Constitution.

The hartal is also in protest against incorporation of the wrong translation of 'Bismillah-Ar-Rahman-Ar-Rahim' in the Constitution, from which they have demanded the dropping of all the clauses in the National Women Development Policy and the National Education Policy that contradict the strictures of Islam.

A faction of the Khelafat Majlis, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Sammilita Ulema Mashaikh Parishad, National Democratic Party, Islami Oikya Andolan, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesh National Awami Party, National Awami Party (Bhasani), Jatiya Ganatantrik Party, Bangladesh Islamic Party and Nezame Islam Party called the strike on June 30, immediately after the passage of the Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Bill.

Later they also added their objections to the repealing of the provision of election-time caretaker government, insertion of a new Section to control the activities of religion-based parties and repealing of Article 25(2) which had emphasised the strengthening of relations with Muslim counties.

The Islami Andolan Bangladesh, however, unofficially withdrew from the alliance of 12 parties and called a six-hour hartal on July 3 to underscore the same demands.

The party's chief, Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, Pir of Charmonai, on Saturday said that his party would no longer be a component of the 12-party alliance although it fully supports the 30-hour hartal.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party's ally, Islami Oikya Jote, replaced the Islami Andolan Bangladesh in the 12-party combine.

The BNP and its principle ally, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, on Friday extended their moral support to the 30-hour hartal.

The 12 parties, at a news briefing in Ruposi Bangla Hotel on Saturday, warned the government of dire consequence if the hartal was obstructed. They threatened enforcement of more hartals even in the holy month of Ramadan if the government interfered with them.

'Our agitation will continue in Ramadan if the government does not reintroduce "absolute faith and trust in Allah" in the Constitution and drops "secularism" and "socialism" from it, and scraps the secular education policy and the Women Development Policy which are against the Qur'an,' said Shah Ahmadullah Ashraf, Khelafat Andolan's amir.

The Islami Oikya Jote's secretary general, Abdul Latif Nezami, said they have taken all necessary preparations for the hartal. 'Enforcing strike is a democratic right. If the government tries to obstruct it, it will not do any good to the government,' he said.

Law minister Shafique Ahmed on Saturday said enforcement of the hartal by Islamist parties was illogical as nothing was retained in the Constitution after 15th Amendment which hurts the religious sentiment of the people.

Supporters of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, while drumming up support for the hartal, clashed with the police in Barisal, and at least 20 persons, including a police constable, were injured.

The police lobbed teargas shells and lathi-charged their processions in the launch and steamer terminals, in front of the City Corporation Office, Falpattu, Girza Mahalla and Sadar Road.

Police arrested ten youths — Md Ismail, Masum Billah, Md Al'amin, Ferdous Hossain, Nazimuddin, Sirajul Islam, Abdul Halim, Nazmul Huq, Habibur Rahman and Humayun Kabir —from various spots.

In Patuakhali, police arrested the Jamaat-e-Islami's district unit amir, Moulana Fakhruddin Khan Razi, from his house in Kalikapur while he was in a meeting with his party's activists.

In Noakhali the police foiled a procession of Islami Andolan Bangladesh by lathi-charging it. At least six people were injured, and 10 agitators — imams Mominullah and Abul Kalam, madrassah students Farhad, Sarwar, Abbas uddin, Kamal Uddin, Mohammed Ullah, Hafiz Ullah, Afsar Uddin and Zaheer Ahmed — were detained.

Reports from Khulna said that the police lathi-charged a procession of the Islami Andolon and injured at least 20 agitators. They also picked up 30 agitators including Islami Chattra Andolon city unit's general secretary Mahbubur Rahman and activists Zahidur Rahman, Joynal Abedin and Sheikh Hafizur Rahman.

Source : New Age

City suffers as most buses off roads ahead of strike

Commuters in the capital city found it difficult, an often impossible to go places as there were fewer buses and other public transports on the streets on Saturday on the eve of a 30-hour hartal called by 12 Islamic political parties.

Fear of pre-hartal violence as well as requisition by the police prompted many owners to keep their buses off

the streets, said transport workers.

Even then it was a Saturday with unprecedented traffic congestion at different city points with thousands of people coming out in cars.

People said that they just wanted the outing before another shut down.

A common picture was of commuters swelling queues waiting, in vain, for buses or min buses  at busy city points like Paltan, Malibagh, Gulistan, Maghbazaar, Rampura, Dhanmandi, Shabagh,Farmgate, Uttara,

Jatrabari and Mirpur throughout the day as only a limited number of these vehicles plied since the morning.

 'I had to wait for 40 minutes to get a bus at Shewrapara to go to Karwan Bazaar in the morning,' Bidhan Chandra told New Age.

He said it was absolutely unusual for so many people to wait for a bus at the stoppage on a Saturday, a weekly holiday. 

Hasib Al Sarker, who lives at Uttara, said that he was among hundreds of others who awaited a bus for 30 minutes at Abdullahpur to get a bus to go Mahakhali.

He said that he had to force his way into a bus which was full and kept the door shut.

 He said unless he forced his way there was no way for him to go to his office at all.

The buses were fewer than usual and all were full, he said.

Transport workers and the city police gave contradictory opinions with regard to requisition of vehicles creating the transport crisis.

Mohammad Hasem, who works at the ticketing counter of Prabhati Banasree Transport at Maghbazaar Rail Gate told New Age that the owners kept the buses off the road fearing violence ahead of hartal and also due to the police requisitioning vehicles.

The city's additional deputy police commissioner traffic police Mohammad Zayedul Alam, however, contradicted him and blamed the transport crisis only to hartal.

He refuted the allegation that wholesale requisition of buses by the police led to the crisis.

'We spoke to the owners' associations before requisitioning buses,' he said.

Syed Rzaul Karim senior vice-president of the Association of Bus Owners said the owners always fear the police for requisition of buses without making any payments.

Besides, he said, 'During hartals we prefer to keep the buses off the road out of fear of violence. '

Arman Mollah said he waited for long, in vain, for a bus at Shatrasta crossing at Tejgaon for going to airport.

Ticket sellers of KTL Transport, Winner and Anik Transports at Karwan Bazaar said that fear of requisition and violence keep the buses off the road. 

Commuters at the ticketing counters of Winner Transport and Anik Transport at Karwan Bazaar said they had been awaiting a bus for long but in vain.

Gabtoli, Saidabad, Tongi and other entry and exits points to the capital city witnessed unprecedented traffic congestion throughout the day due to heavy rush of intercity buses.

The congestion aggravated in the evening with thousands of people waiting to enter or leave the city ahead of the 30-hour countrywide shut down.

Many of them had remained stranded in the city or outside due the previous shut down.

An official said that it took him eight hours to return to the capital city from Tangail, usually two and half hours' drive.

Source : New Age