Snippets: Indian sari, spices seized

Rab personnel yesterday seized Indian saris and spices from Rabna Bypass in Tangail Sadar upazila. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Rab-12, led by Major Mahfuzul Haque, recovered the smuggled goods from a covered van and arrested three people.The arrestees are Ratan Mia, 20, of Rangpur, Sumon Mia, 22, of Bogra and Sadek Ali, 25, of Tangail.

Source : The Daily Star

Snippets: Janajuddho cadre held

Locals caught a cadre of outlawed Pubo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) Janajuddho faction in Chuadanga town Tuesday evening. The PBCP cadre was identified as Hanef alias Jalal. He was wanted in several criminal cases including two for murder, police said. According to police, Hanef demanded Tk 2 lakh from Mohor Ali, a shop owner in Chuadanga town, yesterday. He asked Mohor to give him the money at PTI intersection in the town at around 7:30pm. Accordingly, Hanef went to PTI intersection along with some locals and was waiting there. When PBCP cadre Jalal arrived at the place, locals caught him. They beat up Hanef and then handed him over to the police. He was yesterday produced in a court that sent him to jail.

Source : The Daily Star

Dhaka-C'nawabganj intercity train service demanded

A human chain was formed here yesterday demanding introduction of intercity train service between Dhakaand Chapainawabganj and modernisation Chapainawabganj railway station.

Chapainawabganj Nagorik Unnayan Committee, a body formed to press for development of the district, organised the programme in front of Chapainawabganj Press Club.

Leaders and workers of different political parties, professional bodies, teachers and students took part in the programme which was followed by a rally and mass signature campaign.

The participant also demanded construction of a bypass rail link at Amnura junction for intercity train service.

They said the people of Chapainawabganj have to suffer a lot for lack of intercity train.

'We have to go to Rajshahi, some 50 kilometres away from the district headquarters, to travel to Dhaka by intercity train,' the participants said.

The committee has also decided to send a memorandum to the prime minister containing their demands next month.

Chapainawabganj Nagorik Unnayan Committee Convener Syed Hossain Ahmed Badsha, Member Secretary Touhidur Rahman, Moniruzzaman Monir and Golam Rashid spoke at the rally.

Source : The Daily Star

Ethnic communities demand identity as indigenous people

Ethnic communities yesterday staged a demonstration in Rajshahi city demanding their recognition as indigenous people.

They also urged the government to review the 15th amendment to the constitution and ensure their official recognition.

Around 200 people belonging to ethnic groups assembled in the city's Alupatti intersection, marking the International Day of the World's Indigenous People.

They took out a procession from there and paraded the streets in the city.

Addressing a rally in front of the Public Library, the speakers urged the government to ensure ethnic people's right to land as well as political, economic and social rights.

District chapter president of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad Bimal Chandra Razoar chaired the rally that was addressed, among others, by Workers' Party Bangladesh Rajshahi city unit secretary Liakat Ali Liku and Communist Party Bangladesh city unit president Abul Kalam Azad.

Jatiya Adibashi Pariashd central committee president Anil Marandy said the ruling Awami League (AL), in its election manifesto, declared to ensure rights of indigenous people to land, water bodies and forests, but now the ruling party has forgotten its election pledges.

 Source : The Daily Star

Follow up Mousumi Murder: Husband held as key suspect

Police arrested Md Harun Ur Rashid, the prime suspect in the case for killing his newlywed wife Mousumi Akter, from Phulbari town in Dinajpur district on Tuesday evening.

Mousumi Akter, 17, daughter of Md Mozaffar Hossain of Balaipara village in Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur, went 'missing' when her husband took her to the bank of Chhoto Jamuna River on Sunday last.

On Tuesday morning, Phulbari police recovered her body from Chhoto Jamuna River in the upazila, police said, adding that her legs and hands were tied and she was possibly strangled to death before being thrown into the river on Sunday evening.

Only a month ago, Mousumi was married to Md Harun Ur Rashid, 32, son of Mozibar Rahman of Bhimalpur in Phulbari upazila.

Mousumi with her husband came to her parents' house on Sunday and they went to the bank of nearby Chhoto Jamuna River in the afternoon, said Mousumi's family members.

After about an hour, they returned home and took iftar.

"Then Harun again took Mousumi to the riverbank. But this time Harun returned alone and my daughter went missing. When we were searching for Mousumi, Harun managed to flee," said Mousumi's father Mozaffar Hossain.

Mozaffar filed a case with Phulbari police station on Tuesday accusing three people including Mousumi's husband Harun.

Several hundred people, mostly from Baraipara village, yesterday brought out a procession at Phulbari town demanding punishment to the killer of Mousumi Atker.

Later, they staged a sit-in in front of the office of the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO).

But the protesters failed to contact with UNO Protap Chandra Biswas as he had gone to join a meeting at Dinajpur deputy commissioner's office.

Half an hour later, the villagers marched to Phulbari police station and besieged it. They left the place following assurance from officer in charge Md Monzur Rahman.

Meanwhile, Md Abdul Aziz, chairman of Doulatpur union parishad in Phulbari, said, "Harun Ur Rashid surrendered to police on Tuesday evening as he is innocent."

Police, on the other hand, said they arrested him from Phulbari town.

Family members buried Mousumi yesterday.

Source : The Daily Star

Flash flood hits Kurigram: Trade at Border Haat suspended, aman fields go under water

Swelling of the rivers due to last three days' heavy rain coupled with onrush of water from upstream hills across the border has caused inundation of vast aman fields and marooned thousands of people in Kurigram district.

Trade in the Border Haat on Baliamari-Kalichar border in Rajibpur upazila also got suspended due to the flooding yesterday.

The Border Haat, meant for trading of locally grown agricultural and manufactured finished products mostly from the surrounding villages across the Bangladesh-Indian border, was inaugurated on July 23.

"The Border Haat area has been flooded and the 150-feet bamboo bridge over the Jhinjirum River connecting the haat on India-Bangladesh border has been washed by the river current today [Wednesday], causing closure of the haat," Rajibpur UNO Md Abdul Kader said yesterday.

Around 1,586 hectares of aman field in the district have gone under water due to the heavy rain and water from the upstream during the last three days, said Alok Kumar Sarker, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Kurigram.

Huge quantities of jute bundles, kept for rotting in the river, floated with the river current.

In the last 24 hours, 75 mm rain was recorded at Dharla bridge point, 60 millimetre at Kaunia point of the Teesta River, 25 mm at Chilmari point of the Brahmaputra River and 35 millimetre in the Water Development Board campus.

Around five thousand people have been marooned in different lowland areas of the union due to the heavy rain, said Md Mominul Islam, chairman of Berubari union parishad (UP) in Phulbari upazila.

"Bhaisher Kuthi, Rasulpur, Khamer, Raulia, Kumarer Bosh, Sarkerpara and Prothom Alo Char villages have gone under water. Besides, erosion by Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers has turned serious in some areas of the union. Thirty families have taken shelter on the embankment and high land," said Md Abdul Malek, chairman of Ghogadaho UP in Kurigram Sadar upazila.

Roumari Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Sirajul Islam said about four hundred hectares of land with aman plants in 35 villages under the upazila have gone under water and around four thousand people have been marooned.

Source : The Daily Star

Death anniversary

Today is the 36th death anniversary of Shawkat Ali, a noted language hero and one of the organisers of Liberation War, says a press release.

On the occasion, his family will organise a doa and milad mahfil.

Also one of the founding leaders of Bangladesh Awami League, Shawkat Ali took part in all the progressive movements of the country and had played a vital role in Language Movement.

He passed away on August 18, 1975.

Source : The Daily Star

Akram Khan's death anniversary today

Today is the 43rd death anniversary of Maulana Muhammad Akram Khan, founder editor of the Dainik Azad and the monthly Muhammadi, says a press release.

Jatiya Sangbadik Sangstha has chalked out elaborate programmes, marking the day. The district and upazila units of the Sangstha will organise discussions and doa mahfils. It will hold a memorial discussion in the Bangladesh Photojournalists Association auditorium in the city at 5:00pm today.

Source : The Daily Star

3 road crashes in Manikganj

Three road accidents occurred yesterday within 500 meters on the Dhaka-Aricha highway near Joka in Manikganj where five people including noted filmmaker Tareaque Masud and journalist Ashfaque Munier Mishuk killed in a road accident.

The first accident took place at about 7:00am near Muljan of Sadar upazilla when a Dhaka-bound broiler-laden mini truck skidded off the road and fell into a roadside water body while trying to escape a collision with a fast moving truck from the opposite direction.

Around 800 broiler died following the accident.

The second accident occurred around 8:00 am near Muljan bus stand, when a Paturia-bound truck skidded off the road to escape collision with a fast moving vehicle.

The third accident occurred around 11:00am at Bhatbaur intersection when a Khulna-bound bus of Sohag Paribahan skidded off the road while it was giving side a Dhaka-bound bus of SP Golden Paribahan.

No one is hurt by these accidents.

Source : The Daily Star

Woman's body found in city

The body of a stabbed woman was found in front of a children's park in the city's Mirpur section 1 early yesterday.

The victim, aged around 26 years and wearing a salwar kameez under a burqa, bore three stab marks on her abdomen, chest and left hand, said Dhaka Medical college morgue sources.

Pedestrians saw the blood-stained body lying on the lane in the morning and informed police.

Sub-Inspector Nurul Islam of Shah Ali Police Station said unidentified criminals might have killed her some time after midnight.

Source : The Daily Star

BNP to remove posters, banners from party office: That of chairperson, Tareque to stay

The main opposition BNP decided to remove banners and posters from its central office aiming to end the unhealthy competition among party leaders to grab space on the walls in and outside the office in the city's Naya Paltan.

Instead, it asked to keep posters of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman only.

The party took the decision yesterday in an exclusive meeting between acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and presidents and general secretaries of BNP's front and associate bodies at the central office.

In the meeting, Alamgir asked the leaders to refrain from creating chaos during the party's programmes and warned of disciplinary action against violators.

The followers of party leaders usually set up banners and posters in and outside the party office, demanding release of arrested leaders or protesting cases filed against them. A few banners congratulate the leaders of the respective organisations after being awarded important posts.

As per yesterday's decision, the leaders who set up banners in privately owned buildings adjacent to the party office will also have to remove those.

The meeting also made it mandatory to take permission from the office secretary before setting up posters or banners of the party or its front bodies regarding party programmes in and outside the office.

Talking to The Daily Star, Jubo Dal President Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said they already started to remove posters and banners from the central office.

Meeting sources said Mirza Alamgir asked the leaders not to engage in chaos only to sit on the dais or in front of the dais during party programmes.

Alamgir said, "From now on, I will stand while delivering speeches in briefings and no person will be allowed to stand behind or beside me only to get their faces seen on television.

"While the party is passing a bad time with cases being filed against its chairperson and Tarique Rahman and we could not forge a tougher movement till now, you (front body leaders) are busy grabbing seats at press briefings or on stage. It has to be stopped."

Source : The Daily Star

Challenged students to get extra time in Sust exams

The Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust) authorities decided to give extra five minutes for each examination hour to its challenged students.

Sources said the academic council at a meeting took the decision on August 10. To this effect, an office order has been issued on Tuesday

Source : The Daily Star

Nahid's Surprise Visit: DSHE staff caught on bribery charge

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, in a surprise visit to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) yesterday, caught one of its employees red handed on a bribery charge.

He asked the DSHE director general to take immediate action against the accused, Monirul Islam, office assistant cum computer operator of secondary branch, who demanded Tk 12,000 as bribe from a school headmaster.

Around 11:00am, Nahid visited the Shikkhha Bhaban and witnessed the allegation of Badrul Hossain, assistant headmaster of Rastarhat Hazi A Gafur High School in Laxmipur.

Badrul alleged that he has been requesting Monirul for changing his (Badrul's) index for the past four months, but Monirul did not do the work and rather demanded Tk 12,000 for it.

Monirul was instantly transferred to Rani Nihar Devi Government High School in Khagrachhari following the education minister's order.

Nahid also talked to the officials, employees and teachers who came to the directorate for different job related tasks.

He warned that no one would be spared if any allegation of taking bribe for releasing office files is found against them.

Source : The Daily Star

Hasina for ensuring food security: Stresses strengthening ties with Ukraine

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday stressed the need for further strengthening ties with Ukraine to ensure food security of Bangladesh.

"We should continue to strengthen valuable arrangements for Bangladesh's food safety and security for now and in the future," she said when Ukrainian Minister for Agriculture Policy and Food Mykola Prysyazhnyuk called on her at her office.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said the prime minister also laid emphasis on starting cultural and tourism exchanges and exchange of business delegations to increase bilateral trade.

During the meeting, they discussed matters related to bilateral interests including trade and commerce, power generation and environmental issues.

The prime minister urged Ukraine to import world-class ceramics, pharmaceuticals, jute and jute products and garment and textile goods from Bangladesh.

She said Bangladesh can provide skilled workers and professionals to extend support for Ukraine's fast-paced development.

Sheikh Hasina referred to the MOU signed between Bangladesh and Ukraine for importing wheat, saying it is an important development.

"Bangladesh annually imports 10 lakh metric tons of wheat from Ukraine under government arrangement and 28 lakh metric tons of wheat under non-government arrangement" she added.

Regarding coal exploration, the prime minister said her government has taken into consideration all related aspects including environment, underground water level and people's rehabilitation.

The Ukrainian minister lauded the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina and the progress achieved in various sectors during the last two and a half years of her government.

He also gave assurances of continued support for the development of Bangladesh.

Food Minister Abdur Razzak, Ambassador-at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary MA Karim, PMO Secretary Mollah Waheeduzzaman, Food Secretary BD Mitra and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad were present, among others.

Source : The Daily Star

Cargo boat sinks in Meghna: 4 missing

cargo boat capsized yesterday following a collision with an oil tanker in the Meghna river in Hizla upazila of Barisal.

Eight other crewmembers were rescued after the accident.

The oil tanker OT Raida coming from Chittagong hit the Dhaka-bound cargo boat MV Wising around 4:30am at Gol-Boya point, said police and rescued crew of the sunken boat.

Jamal Molla, chairman of local union parishad, said locals with the help of police and fishermen rescued eight of the missing people.

Mamunur Rashid, master of the sunken cargo, said four crewmembers were missing.

An investigation team of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, led by its Deputy Director Abdur Rahim, reached the spot in the afternoon.

Dr Abdur Rahim, deputy inspector general of police, Barisal range, said they have alerted different police stations to seize the oil tanker.

Source : The Daily Star

Manmohan slams Hazare: Says his anti-graft hunger strike totally misconceived

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday blasted social activist Anna Hazare over his planned hunger strike for an effective anti-corruption law, saying Hazare has questioned the well-settled principles of enacting laws.

Manmohan told parliament that Hazare has chosen to impose his draft of an anti-corruption bill on parliament.

"It is totally misconceived and fraught with dangerous consequences for our parliamentary democracy."

There are sharp differences between the bill introduced by the government in parliament and the one proposed by Hazare-led civil society activists.

Hazare and his supporters want the prime minister, higher judiciary and actions of lawmakers inside parliament to be brought under the anti-corruption ombudsman law, a demand rejected by the government.

On Tuesday, Hazare was arrested hours before he was about to start a "fast unto death" at a public park for a strong and effective anti-corruption law. The authorities that night issued Hazare's release order but he refused to leave the jail unless he can resume the public protests stopped by his arrest.

Making a statement in the Lok Sabha on the arrest and release of Hazare, Manmohan said the social activist "questions the well-settled principle of the executive drafting a law and parliament approving it, if necessary, with changes."

He pointed out that the government has introduced an anti-corruption ombudsman bill in parliament and in the process of adoption of the bill, there will be opportunities for Hazare and others to present their views to the standing committee. The standing committee as well as parliament can modify the bill if they desire to do so.

"I submit that the time-honoured practice is that the executive drafts a bill and places it before parliament and parliament debates and adopts the bill with amendments, if necessary," Manmohan said.

The Indian PM said his government does not seek any confrontation with any section of society "but when some sections of society deliberately challenge the authority of the government and the prerogative of parliament, it is the bounden duty of the government to maintain peace and tranquillity."

He also said, "A functional democracy must allow multiple voices to be heard. But differences of opinion must be resolved through dialogue and consensus."

Source : The Daily Star

Four shot dead in Thai south

Gunmen have shot and killed four people, including an elderly school bus driver, in separate attacks across the violence-plagued Thai south, police said yesterday.

A Muslim rubber tapper, 34, was gunned down during an ambush inside the plantation where he worked in Narathiwat early yesterday, one of three southern provinces near the Malaysian border afflicted by a long-running insurgency.

Two other attacks on Muslims in different parts of the province on Tuesday, both drive-by shootings, killed a 28-year-old man returning from evening market and a 33-year-old woman who was travelling on a motorbike with her husband.

Also on Tuesday in neighbouring Pattani province, a 68-year-old Buddhist man, who drives a school bus and owns a local shop, was shot dead while on a morning bicycle ride.

Source : The Daily Star

Transit deal next month: Routes, fees to be finalised after further talks with India, says finance minister

Although the framework agreement for transit will be signed during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Dhaka visit next month, opening up the routes will take time, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said yesterday.

"It requires further talks between India, Nepal and Bhutan," he told reporters at his secretariat office after a meeting with Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk.

Muhith said there might be up to 16 routes but transit through all of them will not start at a time.

Asked about transit fees, he said the matter will be settled during Manmohan's visit scheduled for September 6-7.

"I don't think we'll be able to fix the rate before his visit," Muhith said.

The fees will be settled based on the recommendations of the government committee on transit fees, he added.

The government will make the committee reports public. Completion of the reports is unlikely before the Indian prime minister's visit.

Nepal recently took transit facility from Bangladesh.

On this, the finance minister said it has been given on an ad hoc basis following an understanding between the two countries.

On July 16, two Indian trains left Rohanpur of Chapainawabganj for Nepal with 2,389 tonnes of fertiliser.

This was for the first time Bangladesh allowed Nepal to use its land, river and rail routes in line with a decision taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh last year.

Asked what benefit Bangladesh got from this, Muhith said, "Maybe we have got some money here. But I do not know the exact amount."

He also termed the criticism against transit "nonsense" and without "merit".

Source : The Daily Star

Fitra fixed at Tk 53

This year's Fitra has been fixed at minimum Tk 53 per head and maximum Tk 1,320.

Islamic Foundation fixed the amount at a meeting yesterday. Prof Maulana Mohammad Salahuddin, Khatib of Baitul Mukarram mosque, chaired the meeting.

A press release issued after the meeting said the Sadqatul Fitra was fixed taking into account the market prices of wheat, atta, dates and other items.

Fitra can be given in cash or kind.

Maulana Abdul Jabber, Dr AKM Yakub Hossain, poet Maulana Ruhul Amin Khan, Maulana Obaidur Rahman Khan Nadvi, Principal Mufti Mahfuzul Haq, Mohammad Ismail Mia, Maulana Habibul Matin Sarkar, Dr Mufti Abdullah Al Maruf and Mufti Muhibullahil Baqi Nadvi attended the meeting.

Source : The Daily Star

Dhaka-munshiganj Route: Bus services suspended on cracked road

Just one day after bus services resumed on the Dhaka-Mymensingh route, bus owners suspended operations on the Dhaka-Munshiganj route yesterday citing the worn-out condition of the road.

Sanaullah Bepari, general secretary of Munshiganj Bus Owners' Association, said it was not possible to run buses on the dilapidated roads. The suspension of bus operation would continue until the roads are repaired, he said.

Our Munshiganj correspondent reported that the endless number of potholes on the highway forced transport owners to suspend bus operation, causing immense suffering to the public.

"This is not a strike. We have stopped bus operation due to the treacherous roads. It has become too risky to use," said Jaglul Halder, chairman of Dighirpar Paribahan of Dhaka-Munshiganj-Dighirpar route.

Menawhile, after resumption of services yesterday the Dhaka-Mymensingh route saw only about 30 percent of the usual number of vehicles plying the road.

Abul Kalam, president of bus owners' association of Mohakhali bus terminal, said many operators did not bring out their buses fearing further damage to their vehicles.

Khandaker Enyet Ullah, secretary general of Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Samity, told The Daily Star yesterday about the terrible traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Mymensingh route.

"It took over thrice the usual time to reach Mymensingh from Dhaka," he said.

Transport owners halted bus service on the route on Thursday last week saying the highway is now too risky. They decided to resume operation Tuesday night following the communications minister's assurance that the dilapidated roads would be repaired on urgent basis.

There are two routes from Dhaka to Munshiganj. One is the Dhaka-Narayanganj-Munshiganj route and the other Dhaka-Sirajdikhan-Munshiganj. Bus operations on the first route stopped in the morning while the second route was abandoned in the afternoon.

Our Narayanganj correspondent adds: Vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Narayanganj-Munshiganj route remained suspended for 8 hours yesterday after a van overturned on a large hole on the highway.

Source : The Daily Star

Problem lies in setting priorities: Muhith says funds no problem for road repair

Road maintenance and many other important works were not done properly as numerous projects have been taken without priority and with small allocation of funds, said Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

Muhith was speaking with the media yesterday after a meeting with Ukrainian Agriculture Policy and Food Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk at his secretariat office.

"The road sector has about 147 ongoing projects with allocations like Tk 1 crore, 2 crore, 47 crore and so on. The problem is, none of the projects has been prioritised," said the finance minister replying to reporters' queries.

Muhith said, "Our demand is much bigger than the fund we have. So we must prioritise the demands. I have told the planning ministry to prioritise its projects and make the budget wing of ministries stronger."

The ministries have to decide which projects to implement first and which later, he said, adding that it also needs to be decided whether money will be spent on repairing an existing road or on constructing new ones.

He said the total allocation in 147 ongoing projects is Tk 16,058 crore and of the amount, project 132 -- meant only for road repairing -- got an allocation of Tk 1,401 crore. The communications ministry got Tk 50 crore last year and Tk 57 crore this year for the project.

The Roads and Highways Department also got an allocation of Tk 2,974 crore in the revenue budget this year which includes Tk 690 crore for road maintenance.

Muhith said the communications ministry in 2009 sought an additional allocation of Tk 500 crore from the finance ministry saying that no roads had been repaired in the last seven years and that it had to pay off pending bills.

"I told them not to burden me with that as the planning and communications ministries together can make this allocation. So I asked the communications ministry to prepare a project and get it passed. They promptly prepared a project and had it approved," he said.

"As soon as parliament approves any budget for a ministry, the fund becomes the responsibility of that particular ministry. There is no chhar (release of fund) business here," he said.

Release of fund is required when there is no allocation in the budget and if the ministry wants to spend the fund meant for other projects on salary payment, Muhith told reporters.

He also said the communications minister should have approached the Planning Commission when he needed extra fund.

Asked whether the allocation in the revenue budget was being properly spent, the finance minister said the audit department monitors the matter.

Replying to another query as to why the condition of roads is so bad despite huge allocation of money, Muhith said, "It does not make any sense asking me this".

The finance minister said during the meeting with the Prime Minister on Tuesday no fresh allocation was made to the communications ministry. It has been asked to spend the money for repair work quickly.

Muhith said it would not be fair to blame the communications ministry for not spending the Tk 690 crore allocation of the current fiscal year yet.

Muhith also said the present government is very alert so that corruption and plundering do not occur in big projects as the Padma Multipurpose Bridge.

Source : The Daily Star

Report road safety measures by Oct 17: HC asks govt; wants to know details on road development in 5 years

The High Court yesterday directed the government to submit to it by October 17 a comprehensive report on the measures taken in the last five years to repair roads and highways, prevent road accidents and ensure road safety across the country.

The report must contain how much money was allocated for roads and highways, how the money was spent and what measures have been taken for development of roads and highways during this period, the HC said in a rule issued on the day.

The court also asked the government to explain within six weeks its failure to conduct proper investigation into road accidents, and why it should not be directed to prosecute and punish people responsible for the accidents.

The HC fixed October 18 for hearing on the rule.

An HC bench comprised of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Md Nuruzzaman issued the rule in response to a writ petition filed as a public interest litigation following the death of eminent filmmaker Tareque Masud and broadcast journalist Ashfaque Mishuk Munier in a road accident.

The HC said the report to be submitted to it must mention the number of licences issued for heavy and light vehicles and their drivers in the last five years, whether fitness of the vehicles and physical fitness the drivers were checked and what were the criteria for issuance of licence, the number of licences renewed in the last two years and the criteria for renewal of those.

Besides, the report has to mention the measures taken to prevent road accidents on 216 "black spots" identified by the Roads and Highways Department. Steps taken against unfit vehicles, drivers having illegal licence or no licence, and drivers using mobile phones during driving must also be mentioned in the report, the rule said.

The HC also wanted to know how many cases were filed regarding road accidents and how many were punished in those cases in 2010 and 2011.

The HC bench invited all including members of the Supreme Court Bar Association to place their suggestions to it to prevent road accidents.

The writ petition was jointly filed by the chairman of Legal Aid and Human Rights Committee of Bangladesh Bar Council, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Ain O Salish Kendra and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.

Advocate Mahmudul Islam, barrister Sara Hossain and advocate Iqbal Kabir Lytton represented the petitioners in the court while Additional Attorney General MK Rahman appeared for the state.

Source : The Daily Star

Gas found in Sundalpur: Petrobangla hopes to get 10-12mmcf gas from the newly discovered field

Petrobangla yesterday announced the discovery of a gas field by Bapex in Sundalpur of Noakhali while many parts of the country face a shortfall in gas supply.

Petrobangla Chairman Hussain Monsur disclosed it at a press conference at its headquarters in the capital yesterday.

"We are breaking the news on the first day of the discovery because we are pretty sure about commercial production from the field," he said.

The size of the gas field is apparently small and it goes 1,400 metres beneath the surface.

Officials hope that it will be possible to supply 10 to 12 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas a day from the newly-discovered field.

"We hope to supply this gas to the Chittagong region," Mortuza Ahmad Faruque, managing director of Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (Bapex), told The Daily Star.

Chittagong is the worst hit area in terms of shortfall in gas supply.

The gas field can be linked to Maizdee and Feni by a six-kilometre pipeline. All necessary equipment is ready for installation of the pipeline, said Faruque.

Bapex officials are calculating the exact volume of gas in the newly discovered field. They said the depth of the gas reservoir is only five metres but it spreads over a large area.

Nearly 2,000 mmcf gas is consumed every day while the country faces a supply shortfall of at least 500 mmcfd.

The Petrobangla chairman said they would soon drill a few more wells in the same field.

The government in May 2008 approved a Tk 73.65 crore project to drill an exploratory well in Sundalpur. Bapex began the exploration late last year and drilled up to 3,327 metres. It pinpointed three test zones at various depths but did not find commercially recoverable gas in two zones beyond 1,400 metres.

Bapex previously discovered three small gas fields and now operates six wells. It is hopeful of more discoveries in the future with the use of better technology.

Faruque said it would take a while to examine and fathom the volume of gas in the newly discovered field.

"It will help ease gas crisis in the Chittagong city, as gas will be channelled to Maizdee and Feni from this newly-discovered field," said the Bapex chief.

Source : The Daily Star 

Highway repair to take months: RHD officials say they can now only fill potholes to make roads usable before Eid; RHD, BRTC staff's leave cancelled; RHD engineer suspended

Although Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday gave a firm directive to repair all dilapidated highways before Eid-ul-Fitr, Roads and Highway Department (RHD) officials said it is practically not doable.

They said the huge task cannot be completed in such a short period even if highest effort is made. Proper repair of the highways will take at least several months, they added.

"We will try to fill the potholes and repair the badly damaged portions of the highways before the Eid to make the highways suitable for transport. But it will be very difficult to do so if rain continues," said an official requesting anonymity.

He said the repair work will be carried out following the limited tender method under which a contractor can be awarded a job of up to Tk 5 lakh within a couple of days, without any tender. If there is a fund shortage, contractors can be requested to carry out the repairs and submit bills later, he added.

"If we follow the emergency tender procedure, it will take us 20 days to complete a job of a small tender of 20 lakh taka, while a job of a large tender involving several crores will take about a month," he told The Daily Star.

Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain, however, said he already mobilised all his resources to carry out emergency road repair work across the country, so that there is no problem for vehicular movement.

When asked how much time is needed if funds are made available, Chief Engineer of RHD Shahab Uddin told the prime minister at a meeting on Tuesday that they will require at least six months to properly repair all roads and highways.

At the meeting held in the Prime Minister's Office, Hasina directed the communications ministry to repair all highways before the Eid so that people heading home do not face any trouble.

On repairing the badly damaged Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, Director of Dhaka-Mymensingh Four-Lane Project Firoz Iqbal said equipment and materials have been mobilised to fill up the potholes removing the water in them. He said proper repairs and laying fresh tarmac on the roads cannot be done without sunshine.

According to RHD records, out of the total 21,000 kilometres of major highways, about 4,400 kilometres are in bad condition requiring emergency repairs.

The communications ministry and its RHD claimed they could not repair the roads due to a fund shortage, but the finance ministry and many ruling Awami League leaders and lawmakers blamed the communications ministry for being negligent.

Meanwhile, the communications ministry yesterday cancelled all kinds of leave and holidays of engineers and field-level officers of RHD until further notice, for carrying out emergency repairs to the dilapidated highways before the Eid.

Similar orders were also issued for Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) officials and employees.

The ministry ordered executive engineers, officers, and field workers of RHD, BRTC and BRTA to stay at the sites where emergency repair work will be carried out.

The ministry issued the order in the wake of growing public outcry against the sorry state of the country's highways, especially Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways.

RHD OFFICIALS FACE ACTION
The communications ministry yesterday suspended one executive engineer, and transferred some senior engineers of RHD for their negligence in duties, but spared a self-confessed corrupt official of RHD who is mainly responsible for the poor condition of the country's major highways.

Executive Engineer of Gazipur Fazle Rabbi was suspended and attached to the RHD while Superintendent Engineer of Dhaka Circle Arifur Rahman was transferred to Comilla.

Executive Engineer of Road Design and Standard Division of RHD Sheikh Shafiqul Alam will replace Rabbi, and the superintendent engineer of Comilla will replace Arifur.

The ministry also attached Additional Chief Engineer of Rangpur Circle Mafizul Islam to RHD. He will be replaced by Additional Engineer of RHD Shariful Islam.

"Road conditions turned bad as they did not work actively," said the communications minister about the officers who were suspended and transferred.

But he failed to take any action against RHD Chief Engineer Shahab Uddin, widely blamed for widespread corruption and irregularities in various development projects of the department, and for misuse of road maintenance funds.

Senior officials of the ministry have been suggesting the minister to take action against Shahab Uddin. "Shahab Uddin is not accountable to the ministry or the government. He is busy with other businesses," a senior official told The Daily Star yesterday.

Shahab Uddin voluntarily went to the now-defunct Truth and Accountability Commission, confessed to his misdeeds, deposited a small portion of his ill-gotten money, and got clemency.

Instead of being punished, he was promoted to the post of chief engineer.

Shahab Uddin repeatedly said he does not talk to journalists. He also said he does not bother about media reports about him.

Source : The Daily Star

SEC okays in principle new book building system

The Securities and Exchange Commission in a meeting on Wednesday approved in principle the draft amendments to the book building system, setting a cap on the price-earning ratio for calculating the indicative price of initial public offering of any issue.

The SEC in principle also approved a number of changes in the Mutual Fund Rule, 2001 to facilitate and ensure effective participation of the MFs in the capital market.

The SEC in the last week of July finalised the draft amendments to the book building system under the Securities and Exchange Commission (Public Issue) Rules, 2006 and sent it to different stakeholders, seeking their opinions.

The two bourses of the country, in response, made a number of suggestions to the commission, with the Dhaka Stock Exchange proposing withdrawal of the cap in setting the P/E ratio, which the SEC set at 15, and the Chittaging Stock Exchange suggesting lowering the P/E ration to 10.

The amendments to the book building system drafted by the SEC said the indicative price would be such that it did not exceed 15 times of the weighted average earnings per share of the preceding three years or three times of the net asset value per share of the issuing company, whichever was lower.

'Although the stakeholders proposed changes regarding the section, the commission decided to stick to its own stance,' SEC executive director Saifur Rahman told reporters.

Besides merchant banks, commercial banks, and asset management companies, the SEC included three more types of institutions – non-bank financial institutions, insurance companies, and stock dealers – in the 'eligible institutional investors' category.

It also said the indicative prices should be supported by at least 20 EIIs including at least three quotations, instead of previous five, from each EII.

The commission in Wednesday's meeting decided to scrap the draft provision for forming a committee for verification of audited financial statements and replace it with the recommendation made by the DSE. The DSE said, instead of forming such a committee, the SEC might re-audit any financial document, if it found it doubtful, by engaging a panel at the expense of the IPO-issuer.

'The commission decided not to form any committee to verify audited financial statements, rather it will engage a panel of auditors, if it found any such statement doubtful,' Saifur told reporters.

The commission in the meeting also set the lock-in period for the bidders at four months, he said.

'The draft will now go for public opinion and then will be published as a gadget notification,' said Saifur. 

Following the share market debacle in January, the SEC, as per a government directive, suspended the book building system in the wake of severe criticism that the system allowed for floatation of over-priced shares.

Under the book building system, introduced in 2009, a company sets its share price under an IPO for general investors based on the biddings made by institutional investors.

The SEC on Wednesday also decided to bring changes in the Mutual Fund Rule, 2001. According to the new rule, the quota of IPO for mutual funds will be raised from earlier 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

Under the new rule, at least 25 per cent of the total size of any mutual fund should be offered to the public. Earlier, this percentage was at least 50.

Saifur Rahman, also the spokesman of the commission, said the SEC wanted increased participation of the mutual funds in the market. 'To encourage more participation of the mutual funds in the market, the commission decided to reduce the minimum size of any open-ended mutual fund from Tk 20 crore to Tk 10 crore,' he said.

He also said, once the new rule was passed, the asset managers could also sponsor their own mutual funds.

'The SEC also decided that the name of any mutual fund would have to start with the name of its asset manager, like the mutual funds of the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh,' Saifur said. 

Source : New Age

Heavy rainfall likely

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at most places in the Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places.

Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged, said the Meteorology office in a forecast on Wednesday.

The forecast also said that there will be very little change in next two days and within next five days the rainfall activities may decrease.

The sun sets in Dhaka today at 6:30pm and rises tomorrow at 5:35pm.

The country's highest temperature, 30 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Cox's Bazar on Wednesday and the lowest, 21.5 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Rangamati.

Source : New Age

PSA opposes DU charge increase

The Progressive Students' Alliance, a platform of the left student organisations, on Wednesday condemned a recent Dhaka University decision to increase charges for non-collegiate students.

The leaders of the platform were addressing a rally in front of the university's central library after bringing out a procession from Madhur Canteen on the campus.

They called on the students to wage movements protesting at such decisions.

According to the university academic council's decision on August 9, students would be considered non-collegiate if they had class attendance below 60 per cent and they would eventually become unable to sit for any examination of their session.

The new rules also say that studentship of the science faculty students with below 30 percent class attendance will be cancelled.

Students with 65-74 per cent class attendance will be able to sit for the examinations by paying Tk 5,000 fines.

Earlier, this fine was only Tk 1,000.

Source : New Age

Bottled water factory sealed

A mobile court on Wednesday sealed an illegal factory producing and marketing bottled water at Badda and fined two restaurants Tk 1.6 lakh at Gulshan in the capital.

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution court, with the help of Dhaka district administration, police and Rapid Action Battalion and led by executive magistrate Md Al-Amin, sealed RS Enterprise at Santarkul Pukurpara on Kabarsthan Road of Badda as they found the factory producing and marketing drinking water without license and using BSTI standard mark illegally, said a BSTI press release.

The court also ordered to lodge a regular case against RS Enterprise owner Md Shah Alam Chowdhury.

The court later launched another drive at Gulshan 2 and fined Topkapi Restaurant Tk 1 lakh as it found the restaurant using rotten fruits for preparing fruit juice and preserving uncooked meat and prepared food in the same refrigerator.

Fridays Fast Food Limited at Gulshan 1 was also fined Tk 60,000 as the court found it preparing a drink item using sub-standard curd.

Source : New Age

CU teachers, students Dhali’s treatment abroad

Chittagong University teachers, students and cultural activists urged the government to send the university's fine arts teacher Dhali Al Mamun abroad for better treatment.

Dhali Al Mamun is now undergoing treatment at Square Hospital in Dhaka after being injured in Manikganj traffic accident on August 13.

Film director Tareque Masud and ATN News chief executive officer Ashfaque Mishuk Munier were among the five who were killed in that accident.

The CU teachers and students placed the demand at a human chain organised by CU Fine Arts Institute in front of the Chittagong Press Club Wednesday morning.

The participants said that the family of Mamun was unable to bear the treatment charges and the government should arrange his treatment as he was a successful teacher and artist.

The human chain was joined, among others, by CU teachers Mansur-ul-Karim, Pranab Mitra Chowdhury, Masud Mahamud, Yubraj, Nasima Akhter, Showmen Das, Ahmed Newaz, Shayla Sharmin Shathi, Mohammad Shah Alam and cultural activists.

Source : New Age

Collective efforts stressed to reduce extreme poverty

Participants at a daylong seminar in the Rajshahi city Tuesday stressed the need for collective efforts to uplift the situation of the extreme poor.

Informing that there were around four crore extremely poor people in the country, they observed it was not possible for the government to change their condition single-handedly.

They called on the government, non-government organisations and elite to join hands to reduce poverty in the country.

BRAC, an NGO, organised the seminar titled 'the role of the livestock department in the programme for the ultra poor' at its Training and Resource Centre.

The Rajshahi divisional commissioner Abdul Mannan spoke at the programme as the chief guest with Mustafizur Rahman, acting deputy director of the Rajshahi divisional livestock department, in the chair.

Speakers at the seminar, urging NGOs to help the extreme poor achieve visible socio-economic betterment, suggested that changes should be brought to the traditional micro-credit system so that it can truly benefit the poor.

Demanding special allocation for the ultra poor of the northern districts in the next budget, they underlined better coordination between the government and the NGOs in carrying out the poverty reduction activities.

The programme was addressed, among others, by policy analyst Abdul Halim Mia, senior sector specialist Dwijen Ray, Sirajganj district livestock officer Shafiqul Islam Mukul and senior social communicator of BRAC Mashiur Rahman.

Six district livestock officers, 45 upazila livestock officers and newsmen of Rajshahi division took part in the programme.

BRAC officials said under its Targeting the Ultra Poor programme, launched in 2002, the NGO covers around four lakh people of very poor socio-economic condition.

Source : New Age

End to public transport crisis in Chittagong demanded

Speakers at a rally in the Chittagong city on Wednesday called on the government to take necessary steps to solve ongoing transport crisis in the city and adjacent areas.

They also criticised the role of the government as it failed to control the arbitrary transport fare.

They also said that some unscrupulous transport service providers in collusion with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation and Chittagong Metropolitan Police were harassing the passengers.

They asked the commuters as well as the city people to unite against transport service providers.

They were addressing a rally and a human chain organised by the Civic Committee to Resist Arbitrary Bus Fare and Harassment of Passengers in front of the Chittagong Press Club on Wednesday morning.

Bhasani Foundation president Siddiqul Islam presided over the rally that was addressed, among others, by the civic body general secretary Shitu Ashraf, Ganasanghati Andolan Chittagong district co-ordinator Hasan Maruf Rumi, leader Shahid Shimul, Chittagong University fine arts teacher Showmen Das, Communist Party of Bangladesh leader Amitabh Sen and Bangladesh Students' Federation leader Mohammad Rumi.

The speakers said that the transport owners at first hike the fare in May on the pretext of rise in fuel price and they again increased the fare in July in the name of launching 'counter service' in the city.

Siddiqul Islam said that the newly introduced counter service failed to provide quality service to the commuters and it just prolonged the suffering as people now had to wait in queues for hours.

He also said that the government should introduce more services for the commuters under its own supervision.

Source : New Age

Oil, gas protection committee defers its representative meeting to Oct 7

National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources and Power and Ports will hold its representatives meeting in Dhaka on October 7 to press for realising its seven-point demands including scraping of the deal with Conoco Phillips for off-shore gas exploration.

The date for the meeting was earlier set for August 20.

Meanwile, the committee will continue its countrywide mass contact programme and hold Dhaka-Chittagong road march from September 26 to 28.

It will stage Dhaka-Sunetra (Sunamganj-Netrakona) long march from October 28 to 31 and finally hold a grand rally in Dhaka on November 26.

At a meeting on Wednesday, a resolution was taken condemning the attack by the cadres of the ruling party men on a rally of the committee at Badshaganj in Sunamganj recently. 

Presided over by the convener of the committee Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah, the meeting was attended among others by its member secretary Anu Muhammad, leaders Tipu Biswas,  Ruhin Hossain Prince, Bazlur Rashid Firoz, Ragib Ahsan Munna, Zonayed Saki and Shahidul Islam Sobuj.

Source : New Age

Amini refutes contempt charges

The chairman of his faction of Islami Oikya Jote, Fazlul Haque Amini, on Wednesday refuted the allegation that he had committed contempt of court in his recent remarks on the recent 15th amendment to the constitution.

The High Court asked Amini to appear before it again today when it said it would deliver its order.

On a summons, Amini was explaining to a High Court bench the remarks he had recently made.

The court had asked him to personally explain to it the remarks he reportedly made at his Lalbagh office on July 14, in which he allegedly said that the amended constitution would be thrown into the dustbin.

It also asked the police to explain their failure to take legal action against Amini for making objectionable remarks about the constitution.

It issued the summons after hearing a writ petition of writer Shahriyar Kabir in which he requested the court to direct the government to take legal action against Amini for his remarks.

Explaining his remarks before the bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore, Amini said, 'I meant that the people would not accept the 15th amendment to the constitution the government had made by dropping provision of 'Absolute faith on almighty Alalh.'

He also said that his remarks were on the 15th amendment and not on the constitution itself.

Amini also said that as a mufti he felt duty bound to protest against any action against the Holy Quran and that he would accept any punishment he was given for trying to protect the Quran.

He also refuted Shahriar Kabir's allegation to the court that Amini was involved in militancy and that he was responsible for the attacks by the militants that took place in the country so far.

'Shahriar is self proclaimed atheist and people do not believe what he says,' Amini told the court.

The additional attorney general, Murad Reza, in his submission stated that any criticism against any provisions of the 15th amendment tantamount to treason as per the amended constitution.

He said Amini committed sedition by making derogatory remarks about the constitution.

'Freedom of expression does not mean one will say whatever one likes,' Murad said.

He said, 'the constitution prohibits making any derogatory remarks against it.'

He refuted the argument of M Badruddoza, Amini's lawyer that his client's matter became ineffective after the police lodged a sedition case against him with a Dhaka court on August 11.

Murad said that the police had complied with the High Court order for which the matter can not become ineffective.

Source : New Age

Osotimehin calls for use of available resources in family planning

United Nations under-secretary general Babatunde Osotimehin, also UNFPA executive director,  on Wednesday called on all to use domestic resources and skills available in family planning and the maternal health sector.

'Domestic resources are a sustainability factor,' he told a consultative meeting organised by the UNFPA at the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel to discuss aims to generate more interaction among stakeholders.

Chaired by the UNFPA country representative Arthur Erken, the meeting was attended by government officials concerned, representatives of development partners and NGOs, professionals, academicians and youth leaders.

The chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on health and family welfare ministry, Meher Afroze Chumki, and parliament member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion.

Presenting the keynote paper on 'maternal health in Bangladesh: achievements and challenges,' health and family welfare secretary Humayun Kabir emphasised an increased number of births being attended by skilled health workers and reduction in adolescent pregnancies for intensified momentum towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Taking part in the panel discussion, the Bangladesh Population Council country director, Ubaidur Rob, said that there was lack of government infrastructure in the health and family welfare sector to address the growing number of urban population which is likely to reach 100 million in 10 years from the present 25 million.

He also said that the government programmes of training 4000 graduate nurses every year was

far less than the nearly 7,000 students taken in graduation programmes by different medical colleges.

The national youth Forum's former member and now physician, Sanjoy K Chowdhury, said that public hospitals had failed to cater to youth-friendly services needed to address issues such as early pregnancy and adolescent healthcare.

Dhaka University's population science teacher AKM Nurunnabi, American University's Ahmed Niaz and family planning department director general MM Niazuddin, among others, spoke.

Source : New Age

Political stability, democracy must for dev: PM

The prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said political stability and democracy are a must for the development of a country.

She made the remark when UNFPA executive director and UN under-secretary general Babatunde Osotimehin called on her at the prime minister's office.

The prime minister also mentioned that poverty is the main barrier to development, said PM's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad while briefing newsmen after the meeting.

Sheikh Hasina reiterated her government's firm stance to root out corruption and said it was working relentlessly with sincerity and honesty to ensure peace, progress and prosperity of the people.

She also listed various pro-people programmes of the government.

Referring to the Vision 2021 programme, the prime minister said her government is working for alleviating poverty, ensuring people's fundamental rights and establishing peace in the region.

The UN under-secretary general lauded the visionary and dynamic leadership of prime minister Sheikh Hasina for ensuring economic development of the people and women empowerment, achieving MDG-IV as well as reduction in mother and child mortality rates.

'Bangladesh is advancing towards development under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina,' he said, assuring that UNFPA support and assistance for Bangladesh's development would continue.

Ambassador at large M Ziauddin, principal secretary MA Karim, PMO secretary Mollah Waheeduzzaman were present, among others.

Source : New Age

Transit fee fixation ‘unlikely before Singh’s visit’

The finance minister, AMA Muhith, on Wednesday said the transit fee or charge is unlikely to be finalised before Indian prime minister Dr Manhoman Singh's visit of Bangladesh next month.

'I don't think we'll be able to fix the fee ….prior to his (Manmohan) visit. But, we may finalise the principal agreement or framework agreement,' he told reporters at his ministry's conference room after Ukranian agrarian policy food minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk and then UNFPA executive director Babatunde Osotimehin met him at his office.

Asked about the criticism about the country's benefit from giving the transit facilities, Muhith said it is absolutely nuisance that Bangladesh would not be benefited by giving the transit facilities.

The finance minister said his ministry has made comments on the draft report on finalisation of transit fee submitted by the core committee.

'The report is yet to be finalised. Once finalised, the report will be made public,' he said adding that it might not be possible prior to the Indian prime minister's visit early next month.

He said the experience of Switzerland is being considered in the study on transit and it is also necessary to take the experience of Ukraine.

Mentioning that the estimate of the transit cost is a problem, Muhith said the transit cost is realised everywhere as Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam have given transit facilities.

The finance minister said it would not be possible at the moment to open 16 routes at a time to give transit facilities. 'Instead, 2-3 routes could be opened and the other routes would be opened gradually.'

Muhith said he is looking for the utilisation of the $ 1.0 billion Indian credit assistance prior to the visit of the Indian prime minister.

He said out of the 20 projects identified for the credit, nine projects have so far got the approval and a process is underway for their tendering.

'There'll also be deals on the rest of the projects, may be before the visit or during the visit.'

On transshipment, he said, 'An agreement with fee is more or less there.'

But, considering the growing traffic, he said it should now be fixed on the basis of cargo, weight or the routes (rail and water).

Source : New Age

Residents demonstrate for power in Sylhet

Residents of a part of Sylhet city blocked the Sylhet-Tamabil Highway for more than for one hour on early Wednesday, demanding immediate resumption of power supply.

Several hundred residents of Islampur put up barricades on the highway at about 12:30am to protest against the delay in replacing the electrical transformer that went out of order on Monday night.

The agitated people also set fire to old tires during the blockade and chanted slogans demanding immediate steps to resume power supply to the area, said locals.

The protesters said that they would not go home until resumption of power supply to their area, said Abul Miah, a resident of Shyamali Residential Area in Islampur.

Ehsan Ahmed, president of a social welfare organisation, said they had requested officials of the Power Development Board repeatedly between Monday night and Tuesday to repair the inoperative electric transformer and resume the power supply to reduce the suffering of the people observing Ramadan.

But the PDB authorities did not take any steps at all to repair or replace the transformer and resume electricity supply to Islampur, the home of more than ten thousand people, he said.

On Tuesday night at around 11:30pm a group of senior people of the area went to the headquarters of the Rapid Action Battalion-9 and informed the officials of their suffering.

The RAB-9 authorities, responding to the locals' request, requested the PDB authorities to take an immediate initiative to restore the power supply to Islampur.

The locals got furious as none of the PDB officials or employees went to the area till Wednesday 12:30am to repair or replace the transformer, which went out of order on Monday night, and started demonstrating and blocked the highway, said local sources.

On being informed, a team of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police of Shahparan thana rushed to the spot at around 1:30am and persuaded the protesters to lift the barricade on the highway after assuring them that power supply would be resumed by Wednesday, said sources in the police.

PDB Sylhet office's chief executive engineer, Shahinul Islam Khan, on Wednesday afternoon said they were trying to complete repair of the transformer in the shortest possible time.

'Replacing the inoperative transformer by a new one is not possible as an acute shortage of transformers is prevailing in Sylhet,' he added.

Source : New Age

Dhali likely to be taken to Bangkok

The critically injured artiste Dhali Al Mamun may be taken to Bangkok on Friday for better treatment, a close friend of Dhali has told the news agency.

Artiste Wakilur Rahman said on Wednesday that family and friends of Dhali had taken the decision as 'he was grievously hurt' in the August 13 road accident that killed celebrated filmmaker Tareque Masud and ATN News chief editor Mishuk Munier and three others.

Dhali is in the intensive care unit of city's Square Hospitals.

'If everything goes fine, we will take him (Dhali) to Bangkok by air ambulance on Friday morning,' he said, adding, there are some 'formalities' still pending that may delay the schedule (Friday).

However, a Square Hospital medical board sat around noon and decided to operate upon Dhali's broken arm on 'family members' consent'.

'We are ready to operate upon his arm, if family agrees,' professor Mostafizur Rahman told the news agency and added, 'The artiste is improving.'

However, Dhali's friend Wakilur Rahman said they would not go through any surgical procedure further as they had decided to take him to Bangkok.

The accident has also broken Dhali's lower jaw and eight chest ribs that injured the lungs.

Doctors clipped the broken jaw and inserted a tube into the chest to drain the accumulated air into the pleural space (surround the lungs).

Though he was stated 'critical', doctors were optimistic as 'there is no sign of deterioration'.

Artiste's colleague and friend Lala Rukh Selim, on behalf of the artist community, has made a blog-appeal unheardvoice.net/blog/2011/08/16/dhali-al-mamoon seeking help for Dhali's treatment.

One can send contributions to the account number: 012911100004095 of Mercantile Bank Ltd's Gul-shan Branch in the capital.

Source : New Age

Warrants against 2 BNP leaders

A Bhola court on Wednesday issued warrants of arrest against BNP leaders- barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah and Shah Moazzem Hossain- for issuing death threats to the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.

Magistrate Mahabub Alam of Sadar court passed the order, said defence lawyer Syed Ashraf Hossain Labu.

Earlier, the court summoned the duo. But, they did not respond.

Source : New Age

This year’s fitra Tk 53

The Islamic Foundation has fixed the lowest amount of this year's sadakatul fitra at Tk 53.

This mandatory alms to be given to the poor before the Eid-ul-Fitr was fixed at a meeting at the Islamic Foundation office on Wednesday.

Baitul Moqarram National Mosque Khatib Maulana Mohammad Salahuddin presided over the meeting, said an Islamic Foundation press release.

The lowest amount of fitra was fixed as per the value of 1.650 kilogram wheat or coarse flour.

Source : New Age

EU concerned about CHT peace process

The European Union is concerned about the implementation of Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, the EU ambassador to Dhaka, William Hanna, told diplomatic correspondents on Wednesday.

'We are more concerned about the peace process' he said at a discussion hosted by Diplomatic Correspondents' Association, Bangladesh at a city hotel

At 'DCAB talk,' as the session was styled, Hanna said, 'For us (EU) the main issue is the implementation of the peace agreement.'

He said the EU would provide 24 million Euro, in addition to current support to Bangladesh, for dealing with poverty, health, education and food security issues in Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Bangladesh government and the leaders of Parpatya Chattagram Janasanghati Samity signed the CHT Peace Accord in 1997.

Hanna, an Irish, hoped that the next general election in Bangladesh would be free, fair and inclusive.

 'How it will be held will be decided by Bangladesh,' he said. 

Asked about the EU's perception about current human rights situation and extrajudicial killing in Bangladesh, the ambassador said that justice and law should be followed.  

Sharing what he experienced during a recent visit to Yaper, a small town of about 1000 people in Belgium, Hanna said, goods from Bangladesh including, its apparel and prawn flooded the shops there.

'This is creating employment in Bangladesh,' he said. 

He said that the EU would continue to support Bangladesh in trade, economic development, and other sectors including, democracy, food safety, health and education.

The ambassador stressed the need for providing technological support to Bangladesh in its struggle against the adverse impacts of climate change.

'Bangladesh is at the frontline facing adverse impacts of climate change. Now, we have to formalise other big players including China and USA,' he said. 

DCAB president Raheed Ejaz chaired the session while its general secretary Abdul Majid gave the welcome address.  Senior EU officials Andrew Barnard, Pierre Buysschaert and Anjum Aziz were present.

Source : New Age

Muhith blames communications ministry

In response to the communication minister's remark on disbursement of fund for road repairs, the finance minister, AMA Muhith, on Wednesday said that the question of disbursement did not come in this regard.

He also blamed ministries, including the communications ministry, for not prioritising the selection and implementation of the projects.

'The planning and budgeting unit of every ministry must be strong and be  strengthened and has to exercise this discipline of priority,' he added.

In reply to a question, he said that the allocation for different projects is not adequate compared with the demand. As a result, there is a need to prioritise the projects.

As for rundown condition of the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, he said it has almost been destroyed as there was no maintenance in the past seven years.

 'Once the budget is passed in the parliament, the allocated funds go to the ministries concerned and there is no disbursement business here,' he told reporters in his ministry's conference room on Wednesday.

Muhith said that his ministry releases fund if it is not included in the budget or when a change is made in the allocation.

He said that in the Annual Development Programme of the current financial year, the Roads and Highways Department features 147 projects, including six new ones.

An amount of Tk 1401 crore was allotted for a project for the repairs of roads and highways, he said.

Muhith said that the project has so far witnessed an expenditure of Tk 56 crore in the previous year as well as an allocation of Tk 50 crore in the current year.

The finance minister on Tuesday said the communication minister did comment on release of fund on road repair without having a clear understanding of the matter.

At a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Abul Hossain and Muhith argued in presence of the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, as she sought explanation from Hossain over the current status of roads and the deaths of filmmaker Tareque Masud and journalist Mishuk Munier and three others in a fatal road crash on Saturday.

Source : New Age

RHD holidays cancelled, key officials transferred

The government on Wednesday cancelled, until further order, all weekly and Eid-ul-Fitr holidays of the officers and employees of Roads and Highways Department and asked them to complete emergency repair of the badly-damaged road and highway networks before the festival.

It also cancelled weekly and Eid holidays of the officers and employees of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to ensure smooth transport service for the home-bound passengers during Eid.

The communication ministry issued a gazette notification cancelling their holidays a day after prime minister Sheikh Hasina had asked for completing the repair of all dilapidated roads and highways before Eid to ease public sufferings.

Long distance vehicular movement virtually came to a standstill earlier in the week as most of the highways developed potholes and craters for non maintenance and repair for long.

Earlier in the week, the communications minister came under scathing criticism from all quarters including his cabinet colleagues as well as lawmakers for the state of the roads and highways across the country.

Officials and engineers related to maintenance and construction of roads and highways have been asked to be on duty round the clock to complete the repair and rehabilitation of the roads before the festival.

They have been asked not to leave their places of duty until further notice, the ministry said in its official order.

The communications ministry asked RHD, BRTA and BRTC for carry out the order.

The ministry in a separate official order, issued on the day, withdrew RHD Gazipur executive engineer Mohammad Fazle Rabbi.

RHD Road Design and Standard Department executive engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shafiqul Alam replaced him.

Dhaka circle supervising engineer Mohammad Arifur Rahman and Comilla circle supervising engineer Mohammad Shahab Uddin Khan have been interchanged. 

Rangpur circle additional chief engineer Mafizul Islam and additional chief engineer at RHD headquarters Md Mohammad Shariful Islam have also been interchanged. 

Supervising engineer at RHD headquarters Mohammad Dalil Uddin has been appointed the director of the Eastern Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project.

The ministry issued the transfer orders a day after the communications minister, Syed Abul Hossain, with senior officials on Tuesday paid a spot visits to the badly-damaged Mawna point on Dhaka-Mymensigh Highway after highway communication on the route came to a virtual halt.

At an emergency meeting held at the prime minister's officer on Tuesday, prime minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the communications ministry to repair the badly-damaged highways before Eid.

She held the meeting with the communications ministry in the wake of bus operators suspending inter district bus service on Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh, and several other routes.

Transport operators have been asking for the repair of the rundown highways. 

Officials said that she asked the communications ministry to cancel holidays of the roads and highways officials and employees, if necessary, to complete the repair of major highways before Eid.  

Following an assurance from the prime minister that the badly needed repair would be done, the owners withdrew the suspension of bus service on inter district routes Tuesday evening.

Source : New Age

Gas-field discovered in Noakhali by Bapex

The state-run Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company after 15 years has finally discovered a new gas-field located at Sundulpur in Companyganj upazila under Noakhali district.

Bapex, which is a subsidiary of the state-run Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Corporation, Petrobangla, discovered the Saldanadi gas-field in 1996 in Brahmanbaria.

The latest discovery was announced at a press briefing on Wednesday by Petrobangla's chairman Hossain Monsur, Bapex's managing director Mortuza Ahmad Faruque and other high officials.

Monsur, however, said that the technicians would monitor the pressure of gas and some other parameters for a few more days.

He told the reporters that gas started spewing through pipeline of the exploration well from a five-metre-thick layer at a depth of about 1,400 metres at 8am on Wednesday.

Though he said nothing about the amount of the gas-field's reserve, Monsur hoped that from next March Bapex would be able to supply 10-12 million cubic feet of gas a day to the nearest gas transmission and distribution network at Maijdi in Noakhali.

'In the meantime, Bapex will set up a gas separator, connect the pipeline and build other infrastructure,' he added.

Mortuza claimed that the gas produced from the newly discovered field would help to meet Chittagong's demand.

Monsur said that Bapex would conduct three-dimensional seismic surveys of the area for finding other potential gas-laden sand layers that are deeper than the newly discovered layer.

Bapex will drill a number of gas production wells in accordance with the report of the seismic survey.

Bapex's technicians did not find gas in the other two layers that lie at the depth of 3,196-3,220 metres and 3,118-3,121 metres in Sundulpur area which is under Hydrocarbon Block-15.

The company took eight months to discover the fruitful layer after it started drilling the exploration well at Sundulpur. The project cost was estimated to be Tk 73.76 crore.

Bapex, however, had to spend about two and half a month to recover the pipes and tools from a depth of about three kilometres as the pipes on April 14 got jammed when it was drilling the exploration well.

During the present government's regime, two exploration wells were drilled — one by Bapex at Sundulpur and other by international oil company Chevron at Charkajal in Patuakhali district in Hydrocarbon Block-7.

Chevron did not found gas in the well it drilled this year and so relinquished the block to Petrobangla.

In 2009, Bapex conducted 200 line-kilometre seismic surveys over the region before finding the drilling location for its exploration well.

Source : New Age

JS body blames BRTA for traffic accidents

The parliamentary standing committee on the labour and employment ministry on Wednesday blamed the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority for frequent traffic accidents.

The committee at a meeting also set up a sub-committee to investigate unauthorised toll collection and extortion in the transport sector by associations of transport workers and owners in different places, sources attending the meeting said.

The sources said that the meeting had discussed road communications and frequent traffic accidents in recent times. It observed that irregularities and negligence of the road transport agency in issuing driving licences to properly trained drivers was responsible for the accidents, the sources said.

Expressing their concerns about the frequent accidents, the committee members said that the agency had issued registration for 44,000 vehicles on an average a year but it issues only 11,000 driving licences a year, which prompted untrained people to run vehicles that cause such accidents.

They recommended that the government should take effective measures in this regard.

The committee also observed that the associations of transport workers, transport owners and other quarters were involved in unauthorised toll collection and extortion which created indiscipline in the transport sector.

It also formed a three member sub-committee headed by its chairman Israfil Alam to investigate unauthorised toll collection and asked the committee to submit a detailed report in six weeks with recommendations.

Other members of the committee are Shahuduzzaman Sarker and Rawshan Jahan Sathi.

'Associations of transport owners and workers are realising unauthorised toll indiscriminately which created indiscipline in the transport sector,' the committee chair, Israfil Alam, told reporters after the meeting.

He said that as per the labour law, the decision for collecting any tolls should be approved at the annual general meeting of the association but they were collecting tolls at their will.

'We have formed a sub-committee to investigate the matter,' the committee chair said, adding that the committee would investigate the toll collection and other violations of labour law by transport owners and workers.

The committee members criticised the transport owners for enforcing strike without notice in violation of Section 209 of the labour law.

The meeting also requested the ministry to take necessary measures to ensure wages and allowance of workers in different sectors including apparel industries before Eid.

Committee members Monnujan Sufian, also the state minister for labour and employment, Nasim Osman, Nani Gopal Mandal and Rawshan Jhan Sathi and high officials of the ministry attended the meeting.

Source : New Age

AL fails to win support of small parties, Islamic groups

The informal initiatives the ruling Awami League took to win support of small political parties, which include some Islamic organisations, as a part of its move to expand the alliance failed to get a positive response.

Leaders of a number of political parties either directly or indirectly expressed their reluctance at joining the ruling alliance while the Islamic political parties tagged the condition of the retention of the phrase 'absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah' in the preamble to the constitution to their joining the alliance, sources in the Awami League and political parties concerned said.

A few of the political parties, however, remained silent in this regard, according to sources in the Awami League.

The failure to win the support is now prompting AL leaders to re-think the issue to establish an effective communication with the parties further after Eid, they said.

The Liberal Democratic Party chairman, Oli Ahmed, directly expressed his interest in joining movements with the opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

'Both the parties came to me but I have already given commitment to the BNP leaders,' Oli Ahmed told New Age.

He said that a three member committee, led by the LDP secretary general, had already held three meetings with the BNP delegation, led by its secretary general, to decide the ways to work together and wage movements against the government.

The Krishak Sramik Janata League president, Abdul Kader Siddiq, told New Age on Sunday, 'I am working inside my party and preparing myself to make a decision. The decision will be taken in due time.'

the Bangladesh Kalyan Party chairman, Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, said that his party had received invitation from both the Awami League and the BNP but his party had finally decided to support the BNP in its movement demanding the reinstatement of the caretaker government provision.

'As we want the caretaker government provision reinstated, we have decided to express solidarity with the BNP in the caretaker government movement,' he told New Age, adding that AL leader Obaidul Quader and BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had communicated with him separately.

The Awami League in July communicated with some political parties to form a common platform before the next general elections to face the BNP-led alliance politically.

AL presidium member Obaidul Quader, organising secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanok, office secretary Abdul Mannan Khan, environment affair secretary Hasan Mahmud, religious affairs secretary Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and chairman of a faction of the Islami Oikya Jote, also a component of the AL-led alliance, Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury separately communicated with the political parties, including Liberal Democratic Party, Krishak Sramik Janata League, Kalyan Party, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and Gana Forum and groups informally in the initial stage but failed to get any positive response.

Obaidul Quader, however, brushed aside the proposition that the move was meant for expansion of the alliance. He rather said that it was a move to reach an understanding with the political parties on some common national issues.

'Although we did not get positive response from all, such an understanding was essential to create a friendly political atmosphere,' Quader told New Age, adding that they held informal communications and it would be more fruitful if formal discussions could be held.

'It is a wrong concept that we are trying to expand our alliance as it is not the time for alliance expansion and it could be considered later before the polls,' he said.

He said that the ruling party was just trying to create a stable political situation and it would also communicate with the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

'But at this moment we are thinking about improving our relationship with the components of the alliance as a gap has already been created with them on some issues,' said Quader, adding that the Awami League would take a move to narrow the gap with its components after Eid.

Islami Oikya Jote leader Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury also held meetings with the leaders of the Islami Andalon Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Andalon, Islami Oikya Andalon, Bangladesh Islamic Party and Olama Mashayekh Parishad expressing the Awami League's interest in holding dialogues with them but he did not get any positive response.

Misbahur told New Age that he had informed the prime minister of the development of the meetings with the Islamic organisations.

'Leaders of the seven organisations set a condition to the dialogue that the government should retain phrase "Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah" in the constitution,' he told New Age, adding that he would sit with the Islamic organisations before Eid.

The Awami League's religious affairs secretary Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah said that any direct move to with the support of the Islamic parties was yet to be taken but the move will be taken soon.

Source : New Age

Govt asked to explain failure to ensure road safety

The High Court on Wednesday asked the government to explain its failure to ensure safety on the roads and to repair the damaged highways throughout the country.

The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Md Nuruzzaman asked the government to submit a report to it by October 17 on the steps taken to ensure road safety and repair the country's roads.

It posted October 18 for the hearing of the government's reply to the rule.

The court also asked the communications secretary, Roads and Highways Department's chief engineer and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority's chairman to explain what action they had taken in connection with the reported issuance of licences to aspiring drivers without making them undergo the necessary tests.

It referred to a report in the Prothom Alo on August 15, which stated that 'the shipping minister's pressure caused issuance 10,000 driving licences without the conducting of any tests last year, and now he wants issuance of 24,500 more licences without any tests'.

They will also need to submit a report on the driving licences issued in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The BRTA's chairman was also asked to submit a report detailing the road accidents that had occurred till 2010.

The court asked the government to provide several more items of information, including the measures taken to prevent road accidents on the 216 'black spots' on major highways identified by the Roads and Highways Department, the accidents that occurred till 2010 and the steps taken for investigating them.

The government was asked to report to the court about how many licences had been issued for heavy and light vehicles in the last five years and whether any tests had been conducted to examine the fitness of the licence-holders.

The court also wanted to know whether any medical tests of the drivers had been conducted to ascertain their physical fitness and whether any tests had been conducted to examine the fitness of the vehicles.

The government will also need to explain the criteria followed for renewal of the licences.

It was asked to detail the measures taken against the running of unfit vehicles, drivers having no valid licences or talking over mobile phones while driving.

It will need to detail the measures taken against the drivers and people in the front seats for not fastening their seatbelts.

The government was also asked to detail the latest situation of the implementation of the recommendations made by the road safety committees.

The court also wanted to know whether any investigation was conducted or any action taken against the people engaged in ensuring road safety for their failure.

The government will also need to detail the budgetary allocations for the Roads and Highways Department for the last five years, their expenditures and the programmes taken up or implemented for development of the roads.

The court asked the Accident Research Institute of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology to submit a report by October 17, detailing the causes of road accidents and making recommendations for their prevention.

The court passed the orders after hearing a writ petition filed on August 14 by the Bangladesh Bar Council's Legal Aid and Human Rights Committee's chairman ZI Khan, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust and Supreme Court lawyer Abantee Nurul.

The petition was filed a day after internationally acclaimed film director Tareque Masud, ATN News' chief executive officer Ashfaque Mishuk Munier and three others were killed in a road accident at Ghior in Manikganj on August 13.

Former attorney general Mahmudul Islam, the petitioner's counsel, told the court that the petitioners were shocked by the alarming incidence of road accidents across the country, which has been reported widely in newspapers and broadcast on the TV channels.

The petitioners are also alarmed by the failure of the authorities concerned to discharge their statutory duty to take appropriate measures to investigate road accidents, take action including prosecution against those responsible, and ensure redress to those affected, he said.

The counsel argued that road accidents continue to increase in frequency due to the failure of the authorities to enforce the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1983, the Highways Act 1925, the Vehicles Act 1927, the Road Transport Corporation Ordinance 1961, the Police Act 1861 and Highway Police Rules 2005.

The failure of the government to enforce the relevant laws and rules is complete violation of the fundamental rights of persons to equality before law, life and personal liberty, which include the right to safety on the roads and highways, as guaranteed under Articles 27, 31 and 32 of the Constitution, he argued.

Mahmudul Islam, along with Sara Hossain and Iqbal Kabir, moved the petition, while additional attorney general MK Rahman appeared for the government.

Source : New Age