Man held with pistol

Police arrested a man with pistol and three bullets at Super Market in the town yesterday.

The arrestee was identified as Md Toab Sheikh, 23, son of Abdul Malek Sheikh of Ambikapur union under Faridpur Sadar upazila.

Md Kamrul Hasan, secretary of Super Market Shop Owners' Association said plain-clothes police arrested Toab at around 2;00pm and recovered a pistol and bullets from him.

Nur- e-Alam Siddique, officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station, said Toab is a member of a criminal gang.

Acting on a tip-off, law enforcers went to the market and arrested him, he added.

Source : The Daily Star

10 cocktails found

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) recovered ten cocktails from a banana orchard at Poragaon-Laxminarayanpur village in Sadar upazila of Chapainawabganj yesterday morning.

Acting on a tip-off, a Rab team from Rajshahi went to the village under Islampur Union at around 9:55am and found the cocktails at the orchard.

Later, the cocktails were handed over to Sadar Police Station, said duty officer ASI Ishmat Ara.

Source : The Daily Star

State-owned Jute Mills in Khulna-Jessore Belt: Workers announce 5-day agitation from Aug 23

Khulna Divisional Committee of Patkal Sangram Parishad (PSP) has announced a five-day agitation programme from August 23 to press home its 10-point demand.

The announcement came from a rally on Wednesday afternoon at Khalishpur Sramik maidan with labour leader of Crescent Jute Mills Md Murad Hossain in the chair.

The demands include immediate submission of Wages Commission report and its implementation, appointment to casual workers at all seven state-owned jute mills of Khulna-Jessore industrial belt, payment of dearness allowances, adequate allocation of fund for buying raw materials for the jute mills, stern action against malpractices, irregularities and misappropriation of fund allocated by government.

Attended by a large number of workers of the state-owned jute mills, the rally was addressed, among others, by central Joint Secretary of Patkal Sangram Parishad and President of Khulna district unit of Workers' Party Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan.

The workers will stage sit-in in front of their respective jute mills for an hour from 9:30am on August 23 and in front of the administrative offices on August 24. Gate meetings in front of all the seven jute mills at 5:30 pm everyday until August 28.

On Sunday last, workers and employees of state-owned Khalishpur Jute Mills decided to go for agitation after Eid to press home their nine-point demand.

They took the decision at a closed-door meting held at the workers' union office with central leader of Patkal Sangram Parishad Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan in the chair.

The nine-point demand include issuance of appointment letters and identity cards for all casual workers and employees, permanent appointment of workers on the basis of seniority, Eid bonus, financial benefits for security guards, payment of salaries to employees of the mills as per national pay scale and renovation to labour colony.

Source : The Daily Star

3 Bogra PPs removed

Three public prosecutors (PP) have been removed on charge of settling a murder case outside the court.

They are--PP Abdul Motin, additional PP Khoda Box and Assistant PP Khairul Bashar.

Additional Public Prosecutor Md Helalur Rahman, also the acting PP, confirmed the matter, saying that an official order in this regard from the ministry concerned reached Bogra yesterday.

According to the letter, the removal came into effect on August 8 and it followed a probe report, the acting PP said.

Earlier, the three accused were temporarily suspended as per order of the High Court, following a newspaper report that they arranged settling Dr Shuvro murder case, filed with Kahalu police station, outside the court.

Source : The Daily Star

Salema Khatun

Today is the fourth death anniversary of Salema Khatun, mother of Mir Abdus Sabur Asud, adviser to the chairman of Jatiya Party, says a press release.

On the occasion, qurankhwani and milad mahfil will be held after Asr prayers at Matuail of Jatrabari in the city.

Source : The Daily Star

Lutfar Rahman

Today is the fifth death anniversary of Lutfar Rahman, says a press release.

On the occasion, qurankhwani and doa mahfil will be held at his residence at Wireless Gate in the city after Asr prayers today.

Lutfar Rhaman was a photographer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Source : The Daily Star

Mirsarai Tragedy: Truck driver on 3-day remand

The driver of the truck, which killed 41 young people in Mirsarai on July 11, will be placed on a three-day remand tomorrow (Saturday).

A Chittagong court granted the remand on Wednesday, said Tapan Bagchi, sub-inspector of Mirsarai Police Station.

Md Jasimuddin alias Mofiz, a farmer-turned-trucker, was arrested at Kawnia in Barisal on July 21. He was later sent to jail.

SI Bagchi said they prayed to the court of senior judicial magistrate of Chittagong to place Mofiz on a five-day remand, but the court granted three days.

Mofiz will be taken into the custody of Mirsarai police for interrogation tomorrow, he added.

Mentionable, 41 young people, most of them school students, died after a truck driven by Mofiz plunged into a ditch in Mirsarai upazila, Chittagong on July 11.

Source : The Daily Star

Make JS effective to meet people's expectations: Speaker urges lawmakers

At the beginning of the tenth session amid boycott of the BNP-led opposition lawmakers, Speaker Abdul Hamid yesterday urged all lawmakers to make the parliament effective to meet people's expectations.

"Parliament is the centre for practising democracy. The base of democracy will be consolidated if the parliament is made effective which will in turn expedite the country's development," he said in his inaugural speech to the session.

He said the parliament belongs to the people and lawmakers represent them in the House. Only qualitative change in politics creates an atmosphere for good governance, he said.

"The precondition of good governance is to reach a consensus through discussion in parliament," he added.

The opposition lawmakers belonging to BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Party are boycotting the House since the last budget session, which began in May this year.

Earlier, the Business Advisory Committee decided at a meeting that the tenth session, supposed to be convened by September 6, will continue till August 25 with only four sittings. This session was convened only to avert convening it immediately after Eid-ul-Fitr.

The last session was prorogued on July 7. The constitution allows a 60-day gap between the end of one session and the first sitting of the following session.

The House earlier took an obituary motion, condoling the deaths of some former lawmakers and eminent individuals including filmmaker Tareque Masud and ATN News CEO Ashfaque Munier Mishuk, killed in a road accident on August 13.

Source : The Daily Star

Death anniversary

Today is the 12th death anniversary of advocate Mosharraf Hossain MP, a language movement veteran, an organiser of the War of Liberation and former president of Faridpur district Awami League (AL).

Different programmes were taken on the occasion including recitation from the Holy Quran, doa and milad mahfil at different mosques of the district, said family sources.

A discussion meeting on Mosharraf's life and works will be held at Darbar Hall of Sadarpur upazila in Faridpur in the afternoon.

Source : The Daily Star 

Remark About Court: Hearing adjourned till Oct 17

The High Court yesterday adjourned till October 17 the hearing on a contempt of court rule against two politicians and a talk-show moderator of Ekushey Television.

The court issued a suo moto rule on August 10 asking BNP chairperson's adviser Ahmed Azam Khan, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal leader Razequzzaman Ratan and Anjan Roy, moderator of the show on Ekushey Television, to explain why they should not be punished for making a 'derogatory' remark about the court.

The court adjourned the hearing following separate time petitions submitted by the respondents through their lawyers.

The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore also ordered the respondents to appear before it on October 17.

Azam, Ratan and Anjan appeared before the bench yesterday as per its August 10 order.

Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon and Advocate KM Hafizul Alam appeared for the respondents.

Source : The Daily Star

Good relations with India stressed

There is no alternative for Bangladesh to develop a good bilateral relationship with India to achieve the expected development in Bangladesh, said speakers at a discussion yesterday.

Both the countries should come forward to maintain the good relationship by resolving existing problems considering the relationship during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, they observed.

They made the remark at a discussion on Bangladesh-India relationship organised marking the 36th death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Institution of Diploma Engineers auditorium in the city.

Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee [forum for secular Bangladesh and trial of 1971 war criminals] organised the programme.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said maintaining a conflicting relationship with India will bring nothing good for the country. Bangladesh can be benefited in many ways by developing a healthy relationship with India, which had provided a huge support during the war of Bangladesh in 1971, she said.

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs ABM Tajul Islam said India as a big country should come forward first to resolve the existing disputes between the two countries.

Historian Prof Dr Muntassir Mamoon said the relationship between Bangladesh and India is historical.

Shahriar Kabir, executive president of the Nirmul Committee, said feared that a vested quarter is active to damage the good relationship between Bangladesh and India. He called upon all to remain alert to foil such conspiracy.

Source : The Daily Star

Short filmmaker Upal dies

Sajjad Hossain Upal, a young short filmmaker of Chittagong and the general secretary of Chittagong Film Centre, passed away at his residence in Dev Pahar area in the port city yesterday due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 36.

He left behind his parents, one daughter, one sister, a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.

Upal was the director of the first short film of Chittagong, The Shuttle Train, a film based on journey of the students of Chittagong University to their campus through shuttle train.

Chittagong Photographic Society, Udichi Shilpi Goshthi, Proma Abritti Sangathan, Kathak Theatre, Chittagong Union of Journalists, Khelaghar, Bangladesh Students' Union, Bangladesh Lekhok Shibir, Tirjyok Nattyadal, Cheragi Adda, Khulna Film Society and Federation of Film Societies of Bangladesh condoled his death.

Source : The Daily Star

Ailing boy dies as parents robbed

An ailing schoolboy died as a group of robbers attacked a microbus carrying him and his parents to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) early yesterday.

The victim is Al-Amin, 12, son of Mokabbar Hossain of Amdaha village under Daulatpur, Kushtia. He was a class VI student of Amdaha High School.

Police said Al-Amin, suffering from chest disease, was being shifted to RMCH from Kushtia sadar hospital on a microbus.

Some 12 robbers attacked the vehicle and looted cash, gold ornaments, and a mobile phone from his parents at Bagha in Charghat, Rajshahi around 1:30am, they said.

Al-Amin might have died of the chest disease, said Matiyar Rahman, officer-in-charge of Lalpur Police Station.

The parents could not be contacted as they returned with the body to Kushtia immediately after the incident.

Source : The Daily Star

6 IABC men detained

Six activists of Islami Ain Bastobayon Committee (IABC) were detained while staging a procession in front of the city's Baitul Mukarram National Mosque yesterday.

IABC held a meeting on the mosque compound after Zohr prayers to protest the "deletion of absolute trust and faith in Allah" from the constitution, said IABC Press Secretary Ahlullah Wasel.

Afterwards, a procession in similar protest was to begin when the police charged baton on the procession injuring at least 25 activists, he said.

Later however, IABC activists staged their pre-scheduled procession.

Shahidul Haq, officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station, said the activists were detained for holding the procession without permission, causing public sufferings.

Source : The Daily Star

Van hits MP's car in Gazipur

An Awami League lawmaker's car was hit by a covered-van from opposite direction as it was about to cross a bridge in Pubail on the Dhaka-Sylhet bypass in the district around 8:45pm yesterday.

Police caught the driver and seized the van from the spot.

Meanwhile, movement of vehicles on the bypass that also connect Gazipur with Tangail remained halted as of 1:45am following the accident.

Gazipur Superintendent of Police Mohammad Abdul Baten said lawmaker Safiqur Rahman Chowdhury of Selhet-2 constituency was not get hurt in the accident. He [Safiqur] was on his way from Sylhet to Dhaka

Source : The Daily Star

7 cops suspended for extortion

An assistant commissioner (AC) was closed to the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) headquarters while seven other policemen were suspended early yesterday on charges of extorting Tk 1 lakh from a doctor the day before.

RMP Special Branch after an investigation confirmed that AC Towfiqul Islam along with the policemen Wednesday evening went to raid the house of Rafiq Basunia, a doctor, at Laxmipur in the town, accusing Rafiq of storing Indian garlic illegally.

After negotiations, the doctor gave them the money in return for an assurance that the law enforcers would not harass him anymore, says the probe report submitted to RMP Commissioner M Obaidullah yesterday.

The cops are sub-inspectors Masud Rana and Matiar Rahman of Rajpara Police Station, constables Atiqur Rahman, Golam Mortuza, Sujan and Islam Ali and driver Akter Hossain.

The commissioner said that since the AC is a first class officer, the local administration cannot take any action against him. So, the report and other relevant papers were dispatched to the Dhaka headquarters for necessary action against him.

He also said the police team had not had any permission from the authorities for searching the house. They [policemen] must have had an ill intention.

Following the incident on Wednesday, Basunia informed Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sabur about the matter and Sabur informed the commissioner.

On instructions of the commissioner, Deputy Commissioner (headquarters) Morshedul Anwar Khan and Humayun Kabir, AC of the special branch, interrogated Towfiqul and the policemen for one and a half hours at the DC's office.

The report was then submitted to the commissioner.

Basunia could not be contacted until filing of this report.

Source : The Daily Star

German sacked for marrying Chinese woman

An engineer in northern Germany who was sacked because he married a Chinese woman was unjustifiably dismissed, a court has ruled.

The man was declared a security risk by his employer after his marriage because of his new family ties.

The company acted as a supplier for the German armed forces and feared possible industrial espionage.

But the court said the engineer's employer had violated his right to marry whomever he chose.

Source : The Daily Star

Govt has to arrest Amini: HC orders immediate action under CrPC over 'dustbin' remark

The High Court yesterday ordered the government to immediately take appropriate legal action against Islami Oikya Jote Chairman Fazlul Haque Amini under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for his remarks about the constitution.

The HC order means Amini has to be arrested in a sedition case filed following its earlier order for proper steps against him, lawyers concerned said.

On July 14, Amini said at a public meeting in the city's Lalbagh area he will throw the amended constitution in dustbin.

Delivering its judgement on a writ petition, an HC bench ordered the home secretary, inspector general of police and commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police to submit a compliance report to it by August 25 after taking legal action against Amini.

The IOJ leader was present in the court during the hearing on the writ petition yesterday and the day before.

Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain told The Daily Star that the government recently submitted an application to trial court to issue a warrant of arrest against Amini in the sedition case filed for his remarks.

The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore also directed the government to form a high-powered committee immediately to investigate allegations of Amini's involvement in militancy and links to JMB, al-Qaeda and Taliban networks.

The allegations were made before the HC bench on Wednesday during the hearing on the writ petition. Shahriar Kabir, who filed the petition, made the allegations which Amini denied.

The HC also asked the government to probe whether the national flag is hoisted and the national anthem is played at madrasas controlled by Amini. If it is not done at these madrasas, the government has to ensure that it is done, the court said.

The bench, however, exempted Amini from personal appearance before it in connection with the writ petition.

The HC observed that all conscious people have to uphold the dignity, sanctity and authority of the constitution and the Supreme Court. Even if a parliament member makes derogatory comments about the constitution and the court, his or her membership of parliament should not remain in force, as parliament is the offspring of the constitution, it said.

Article 39 of the constitution has guaranteed freedom of speech subject to some reasonable restrictions, and therefore, nobody can make any contemptuous comment on the constitution and the court, the HC judgement said.

"Constitution is the supreme law of the land which symbolises the sovereignty of the republic, and the Supreme Court is its protector," Justice Shamsuddin said delivering the judgement.

Amini has admitted that he wanted to throw away the constitution in dustbin, the judgement mentioned.

"Throwing away the constitution means the throwing of the sovereignty, which we earned at the cost of three million lives," it said.

Advocate Manzill Musrhid appeared for the writ petitioner, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Additional Attorney General Murad Reza represented the state while barrister Bodruddoza Badal argued for Amini

Source : The Daily Star

Ovarian cancer clue raises blood test hopes

A chemical in the blood could one day help doctors spot early signs of ovarian cancer, research suggests.

A US team found a marker antibody in the blood of women with ovarian cancer, but not in healthy ones.

Ovarian cancer is hard to detect at an early stage, which means it can remain hidden until it is advanced and very difficult to treat.

Source : The Daily Star

Abul cops JS flak: Lawmakers lambast him over battered roads as Sangsad goes into session

The Awami League-led ruling alliance lawmakers yesterday came down heavily on Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain for the crumbling roads and highways.

Speaking in parliament that went into the 10th session at 11:00am, they also decried the lack of coordination between the ministries.

While some were blasting the minister, others were thumping desks in support. Some shouted "shame, shame" over Abul Hossain's claim that none of the roads was unfit for vehicular movement.

The lawmakers said they are facing the wrath of their constituents for the sorry state of the roads.

The minister in his response said all roads would be repaired on availability of Tk 1,403 crore allocated for the purpose.

He criticised the finance ministry for not giving enough funds and for attaching strings.

At that point, Deputy Speaker Col (retd) Shawkat Ali, who was presiding over the sitting, interrupted him. He told the minister: "You are presenting the issue as if it's all about a conflict between the two ministries. Seek the prime minister's intervention or take it to the cabinet if there are any differences."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina entered the House towards the end of the hour-long slamming of Abul Hossain.

Earlier, soon after the day's question hour, dozens of MPs raised hands seeking permission to speak.

Senior AL lawmaker Tofail Ahmed said, "I talked about the dismal condition of roads and highways on February 5. I did that to help the government, not to bash it.

"I hear of many grandiose plans. Though 33 months have gone, there's no news of Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Mymensingh four-lane highways. No elevated expressway can be seen, and the work of Padma Bridge has not even started."

Rashed Khan Menon of Workers Party said, "Road communications between the capital and 12 districts were suspended. Yet, the minister maintained that not a single road was unsuitable for plying of the vehicles."

If it were in a democratic polity, he added, the minister would have resigned shouldering all responsibilities.

Menon said that when Tofail Ahmed raised the issue in parliament in February, the minister brushed aside his observations.

Referring to the blame-swapping between the finance and communications ministers over funds, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu urged the prime minister to take action against the one responsible for the collapsing road network.

Suranjit Sengupta, another veteran parliamentarian from AL, pointed out lack of coordination in the way the cabinet functions.

Citing a constitutional provision, he said, "The cabinet is a collective body. Yet, the ministers speak against each other. It's unconstitutional."

Independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim demanded the prime minister sack the inefficient ones from the cabinet.

Jatiya Party lawmaker Mujib-ul-Haque slated the transport boss for disruption to road communications between the capital and his district Kishoreganj.

Some MPs aired their grievances at the ministry's failure to ensure road safety.

They expressed shock at the deaths of acclaimed filmmaker Tareque Masud and media personality Mishuk Munier in a road crash in Manikganj recently.

AL lawmaker Tarana Halim demanded exemplary punishment to drivers responsible for road accidents.

As more MPs were queuing to join the assault, Chief Whip Abdus Shahid was seen trying to stop them. Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, however, stopped him doing so.

Source : The Daily Star 

No Asian currency integration soon: ADB

Asian Development Bank president Haruhiko Kuroda said Thursday any Asian currency integration is a long way off and cast doubt on the Chinese yuan emerging as a regional unit.

The idea of a single currency for Asia and of integrating the region's economies was first touted after the financial crisis of 1997-1998.

But the recent problems seen in the eurozone, with the bailouts of countries like Greece and Ireland, have exposed the frailties of a common currency area.

In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Kuroda said an Asian integration may happen, but not yet.

He added that he did not think the yuan or the Japanese yen would emerge as a single Asian currency or take on the role of the US dollar in the region.

'In 40, 50, or 60 years' time there could be a common currency in some parts of east Asia or even broader than that,' he told the newspaper.

'I tend to think that in Asia neither the yen or the yuan or any national currency will become so widely used (as the US dollar).

'If ever Asia has a common currency it would be what you call an artificial or agreed currency like the euro,' he added.

The Manila based development lender has previously backed an Asian currency but has focused more recently on trade and investment integration.

Source : New Age

Coca-Cola to invest $4b in China

American soft drinks giant Coca-Cola said Thursday it will invest $4 billion in China over the next three years, as it deepens its expansion into the world's second largest economy.

The huge investment, starting from 2012, will follow an estimated spend of more than $3 billion in the three years to the end of 2011, the world's biggest soft drinks maker said in a statement.

Coca-Cola's growth in emerging markets has helped it weather the weak US economy.

Chairman and chief executive Kent Muhtar said China was one of the biggest growth markets for the company.

Sales volumes have doubled over the last five years, spurred by strong demand for Coca-Cola brand and Minute Maid Pulpy, China's most popular juice brand, he said.

In an interview with the official Xinhua news agency, Muhtar said he believed China, currently the company's third biggest market following the United States and Mexico, would eventually become its largest global market.

Coca-Cola would be interested in listing on the planned international board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, he added.

'It will be a mutually beneficial action if we are listed,' he said during a visit to Shanghai.

China has said it would allow foreign companies to sell shares on the domestic stock market as part of efforts to build Shanghai into an international financial hub, but it has yet to unveil detailed regulations.

Source : New Age

Obama’s approval rating on economy hits new low

Approval of president Barack Obama's handling of the U.S. economy has fallen to a new low of 26 per cent, according to a Gallup poll released on Wednesday in the aftermath of a bruising fight with Congress over federal spending.

Seventy one per cent of Americans said they disapproved of Obama's handling of the economy, up 11 per cent from mid-May, when Gallup last questioned people about the issue.

Approval of his handling of the economy fell by 11 per cent from 37 per cent in mid-May.

The president had similarly low approval ratings on other economic issues. Only 24 per cent of Americans approved of Obama's handling of the federal budget deficit, while 29 per cent approved of his efforts to create jobs.

The poll came two weeks after Congress and the president agreed on a deal to cut U.S. federal spending following a bitter political struggle that took the government to the brink of a potential default.

The president's overall job approval rating among voters questioned August 11-14 was 41 per cent, slightly lower than other polls conducted in August.

Approval for Obama's handling of the Afghanistan war was also sharply lower. His ratings have fallen by 15 per cent since mid-May, when they hit 53 per cent after the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Since then, however, approval of his handling of Afghanistan has dropped to 38 per cent, possibly reflecting public reaction to the downing of a U.S. military helicopter in which 30 Americans were killed, most of them elite special operations forces, Gallup said.

The poll was based on 1,008 telephone interviews with U.S. adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 per cent.

Source : New Age

Japan trade data better than forecast, worries loom

Japan's exports fell in July, but not as sharply as expected, raising hopes that a gradual recovery is on track from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster, official data showed Thursday.

Japan booked a trade surplus for a second month in a row, despite the carnage of its worst post war catastrophe, which claimed more than 20,000 lives, destroyed entire towns and wreaked widespread economic havoc.

But even with the relatively hopeful trade data, analysts warned more turbulence could lie ahead because of uncertainty over the US and eurozone economies as well as the rising yen, which makes Japan's export goods less competitive abroad.

Japan's exports in July were down 3.3 per cent from a year earlier, at 5.78 trillion yen ($75.4 billion), a figure that beat market expectations of a 4.4-per cent fall, the finance ministry said.

Compared to June, exports grew a seasonally adjusted 0.8 per cent, the third straight month of expansion.

Japan managed to book a trade surplus of 72.5 billion yen — a figure 90.8 per cent lower than the same month last year, and nearly matching the market forecast of a 70.1 billion yen surplus.

Meanwhile, imports grew 9.9 per cent to 5.71 trillion yen on rising energy prices, the ministry said.

'For the immediate term, we are seeing a recovery,' said Satoshi Osanai, an economist at the Daiwa Institute of Research.

Export oriented manufacturers have rebounded since the March 11 disaster devastated Japan's north eastern coast, destroying factories and infrastructure and disrupting industrial supply chains.

Economists have generally expected Asia's second largest economy to continue to strengthen for now, fuelled by quake reconstruction demand.

Gross domestic product data on Monday showed Japan's economy shrank by a smaller-than-expected annualised 1.3 per cent in the April-June quarter, fuelling hopes that it will grow again in July-September.

But the trade outlook worried some analysts, who said the persistent strength of the yen, a safe-haven currency in times of crisis, and uncertainty in key exports markets spell risks for Japan.

As the yen recently neared a post-war high against the dollar, forcing the government to intervene in markets, Japan's major manufacturers have threatened to move their factories overseas to mitigate the effect of the rocketing unit.

Source : New Age

Sugar price posts a fresh hike amid lack of govt monitoring

Sugar market has become unstable again in the capital due to a supply crunch at the wholesale level and lack of proper government monitoring, said the traders.

Although the commerce minister had been frequently saying since the beginning of Ramadan that the market was being properly monitored and supply of sugar was adequate, many retailers at different points of the city were found on Thursday selling sugar at a price higher than the government-set one.

Some retailers claimed they had run out of sugar and had no inclination to procure the essential sweetener from Moulvibazar as the wholesalers there were charging a price even higher than the retail one.

Retailers at Azimpur, Kathalbagan and Mohmmadpur markets were found selling sugar at Tk 70 per kilogram on Thursday.

Abul Kasem, a shopkeeper at Azimpur, who was selling sugar at Tk 70 a kilo, claimed the government-set price existed only in the media and the speeches of government authorities but not in the market.

Kasem produced an invoice which showed that a sack of containing 50 kilograms of sugar cost Tk 3,220 at Tk 64.4 per kg at Shamim Store in Babu Bazar on August 11.

'In spite of the fear of mobile courts, I have to sell sugar at a higher price considering customers' demand,' he claimed.

Nazrul Islam, a shopkeeper at Kathalbagan, claimed he had to sell sugar at Tk 70 per kg to ensure minimum profit as he had procured sugar at Tk 67 per kg from the wholesalers.

He said, 'Mobile courts fine us for selling sugar at higher price but we are not responsible for the price hike.'

Many shopkeepers at Palashi Bazar claimed they had no loose sugar in stock and were found selling packaged sugar only at Tk 65 per kg.

Babu at Palashi Bazar said he did not go to procure sugar on the day as he had heard that the wholesalers at Moulvibazar were charging Tk 66 per kg.

Another retailer claimed sugar wholesalers had asked for Tk 67.6 per kg from him.

Retailers at Hatirpul and Karwan Bazar claimed they were selling sugar at the government-set price of Tk 65 per kg.

The retailers asked the government not to harass them for selling sugar at a higher price but monitor the wholesalers, who were charging higher prices, instead.

Aminul Hauque Amin, a sugar distributor at Karwan Bazar, claimed the refiners had drastically cut the supply of sugar from that in early days of Ramadan.

Amin said some of the wholesalers might charge higher prices as the current sugar supply was not adequate to meet the increased demand in Ramadan.

He also observed that the retailers at the large markets in the city, like Karwan Bazar, were compelled to sell sugar at the government-set price as the mobile courts kept a sharp vigil on those markets but the grocers outside the markets were charging higher prices as they were not monitored by the courts.

Bangladesh Chini Babosayee Samity vice president Md Abul Hashem said sugar supply to Moulvibazar wholesale market had dwindled to half of that in the early Ramadan.

Abul Hashem admitted that some wholesalers might charge prices higher than the government-set rate at Moulvibazar but the association was not responsible for that as the mobile courts were supposed to monitor that.

He also said, if sugar price was to be kept stable, its adequate supply must be ensured.

Source : New Age

Change in temperature unlikely

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

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

Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in Dhaka today at 6:29pm and rises tomorrow at 5:35am.

The country's highest temperature, 32.8 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Thursday in Rajshahi and the lowest, 23.0 degrees Celsius, in Rangamati.

Source : New Age

Speakers for disaster management law

People in Khulna on Thursday demanded that the government should pass the disaster management law in the ongoing parliamentary session.

They made the demand at a press briefing jointly organised by the Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood and the Humanity Watch at the Khulna Press Club.

Humanity Watch chair Sazzadur Rahim said that in 2009 the Cabinet on principle agreed on preparing a draft of the disaster management law but the draft was not placed in parliament till now.

Source : New Age

Armed youth held in Ctg

The Pahartali police in Chittagong apprehended a young man in possession of a 9mm pistol, two bullets and two magazines near City Gate on Wednesday night.

The arrested is Jihadul Islam, 24, a resident of North Betiara at Chauddagram in Comilla.

Source : New Age

JU BCL wants teacher expelled

The Jahangirnagar University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling Awami League's associate body of students, on Thursday staged demonstrations on the campus, demanding a teacher who expressed contempt for the prime minister should be removed immediately.

The demonstrators brought out a procession from the registrar office and ended at the Old Arts Building.

Chhatra League activists complained that Institute of Information Technology lecturer Mohammad Ruhul Amin expressed his contempt for the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on social network website facebook.

JU vice-chancellor Shariff Enamul Kabir said that a five-member committee, led by pro-vice-chancellor Mohammad Farhad Hossain, was formed on Wednesday to investigate the matter.

BCL leaders confirmed that a case was filed with Ashulia police on the issue.

Source : New Age

Bank official killed, wife held in city

A bank executive was murdered at his Mirpur house in the capital Wednesday night, the victim's family members alleged.

The deceased, Sayeed Iftekhar Ahmed Bappi, 26, was a senior officer at Jamuna Bank Motijheel Branch, bank sources said.

The police arrested the victim's wife Maria Akhter Sanda, 25, after his mother Sayda Akhter had filed a case accusing her daughter-in-law and some unnamed people of the alleged murder.

The Mirpur police, however, claimed Iftekhar Ahmed died from a head injury sustained while trying to commit suicide. According to the police, the cord with which Iftekhar tried to hang himself from the ceiling of a room was torn and he sustained the head injury from the sudden fall to the floor.

The Mirpur police on information recovered the body from an ambulance in front of his house at Section 10 at around 10:30pm, said the investigation officer of the case, Omar Ali.

The family members said Iftekhar attempted to commit suicide after an altercation with his wife in the evening but fell to the ground and sustained critical head injuries. He was rushed to a local hospital, where the doctor on duty pronounced him dead.

But, the inquest report read that the body bore marks of injuries in the neck and the knees. His head was critically wounded, the report said.

Iftekhar's uncle Moklesur Rahman alleged his nephew had been murdered.

Asked what made him certain that Iftekhar had been murdered, Moklesur said, 'From the marks of injuries in his head it seems he was murdered and the family members of his wife tried to disguise the killing as a suicidal accident'. 

'Iftekhar was tortured to death,' he said.

The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examinations, the hospital sources said.

The victim's family members said Iftekhar, who hailed from Mymensingh, got married to Maria from Barisal following a love affair a few years ago. But, they often used to get locked in altercation over family matters, particularly over his mother living in their house.

Source : New Age

8th wage board soon after talks with stakeholders, says Azad

The information minister, Abul Kalam Azad, has said  steps will be taken to form the 8th wage board soon for journalists and newspaper employees after discussion with all stakeholders.

The minister said this while replying to a question from treasury bench member Sadhana Halder at the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday.

Replying to a supplementary raised by Awami League lawmaker Apu Ukil, the minister said the allegation of reducing viewers of the state-owned Bangladesh Television was not correct.

He said BTV used to plan programmes considering the demand of the total population of the country. Describing BTV as the most popular TV channel in Bangladesh, he said BBC World Trust in a study last year found BTV as a popular channel.

Besides, he said the government had been implementing various programmes for further improving the standard of the programmes of BTV.

Replying to a written question from lawmaker M Harunur Rashid from Chandpur-4, the minister said the matter of telecasting the Bangladesh's TV channels in all states of India was under process.

Source : New Age

10 hurt in N’ganj gas cylinder blast

At least 10 workers were injured in gas cylinder explosion in a LP gas storehouse at Bhuigar Kazibari bus stand in Fatullah of Narayanganj sadar upazila on Thursday morning.

The police said an explosion took place in the storehouse of M/S Ruhin enterprise at 6:00am that blew up the tin shed of the warehouse and two walls, creating panic among the residents of the area.

Local people rescued 10 workers from the storehouse with burn injuries. The injured were admitted to burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Other workers fled the scene soon after the incident.

The police seized a pickup van of Ruhin enterprise from the premises of the storehouse but its driver fled away.

Source : New Age

Jessore medicine shops observe half-day strike protesting at BCL attack

All the medicine shops in Jessore town observed a half-day strike from dusk to noon on Thursday in protest against ransacking of a medicine sales outlet at Daratana in the town on Wednesday night allegedly by a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader.

The Chemists' and Druggists' Association Jessore district unit handed over memorandums to the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police of the district, demanding exemplary punishment of the accused.

The police arrested BCL Jessore district unit vice president Faisal Khan in this connection.

Faisal along with Juba League activist Shafiqul Islam Shipon allegedly attacked and ransacked Nipu Drug House at Daratana at around 9:30pm on Wednesday. They fled the scene as other businessmen came to the spot hearing the screams of the shop employees. The police also rushed to the spot and arrested Faisal at a nearby place.

Source : New Age

PM donates Tk 10 lakh for Dhali’s treatment

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday donated Tk 10 lakh for the better treatment of Dhali Al Mamun, who was injured in the fatal Manikganj road accident and undergoing treatment at the city's Square Hospital.

Prime minister's assignment officer Manoj Kanti Boral handed over a cheque for Tk 10 lakh to Dilara Zaman Jolly, wife of Mamun, at the hospital.

Filmmaker Tareque Masud, chief executive officer of ATN News Ashfaque Munier and three others were killed on August 13 when a passenger bus hit their microbus on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Ghior upazila of Manikganj.

Catherine Masud, wife of the award-winning filmmaker, painter Dhali Al Mamun, his wife Dilara Zaman Jolly and Saidul Islam, a production staff were critically injured in the crash and are now undergoing treatment at the Square Hospital.

Source : New Age

Lawmakers flay power ministry

The ministry for energy and power on Thursday drew fire from lawmakers in parliament over its failure to improve the power supply situation.

Senior ruling party lawmaker, Tofail Ahmed, questioned who was actually in command of the ministry.

'Nobody knows who runs the ministry, the adviser or the [state] minister. I don't know who is in command of this ministry,' said Tofail, also a member on Awami League's advisory council, in presence of the leader of the house, Sheikh Hasina, who also holds the portfolio of energy, power and mineral resources ministry.

Tofail alleged that the prime minister's power adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury did not even receive phone calls as lawmakers thumped tables and shouted 'shame, shame'.

He vented his anguish while talking on nagging power crisis in his constituency and the ministry's indifference to a proposal from a Malaysian company for setting up a 213megawatts plant.  

'There had been no power crisis in Bhola when the entire country was experiencing acute power shortages as there was a 34.5 megawatts plant in the district. But for past one month, Bhola has been in total dark after the plant was closed,' he said.

'Now the people of the district cannot even charge their mobile phones and have their iftar properly…The plant is closed but nobody is concerned,' he said.

Tofail said Bhola had plenty of gas and a Malaysian firm offered the lowest prices in the

tender to build a 213MW power plant in the district but the ministry failed to negotiate the selling price of gas and buying price of power from it in seven months.

'They told me that it would not be possible for them to set up the plant as the value of US dollar has shot up,' he said.

Zainul Abedin of Meherpur said his district was deprived of power during the past BNP-Jamaat regime and the situation has not changed after passage of two and a half years of Awami League government. He asked the state minister to provide a data of power demand, production and its district-wise share.

'As a lawmaker I do not know who is to be asked for remedies of the irregularities in power supply,' he said.

Abdul Mannan of Bogra lamented the poor supply network of gas in northern districts and asked the state minister to say it clearly whether he would be able to supply gas in next two and a half years of Awami League's tenure.

Lawmaker Nurul Islam BSc wondered how a few companies in Chittagong were getting power supply at lesser prices.

In response to a question, Enamul said that Tk 297 crore power bills remained outstanding till May of the current fiscal and gas bills outstanding with different government organisations till June this year amounted to Tk 572 crore.

He told Nasimul Alam Chowdhury that the government has plans to produce 24,000megawatts of power by 2021 and tender process had begun for setting up 29 power stations to produce 3,829 megawatts of electricity.

He also said the government was also planning to supply liquid petroleum gas in cylinders to areas out of gas network.

The state minister told Mujibul Huq that the government had no plan to stop selling gas to cars.

Source : Nge Age

Shajahan says TU leaders can pick drivers for licence

Shipping minister Shajahan Khan on Thursday said that formal education should not be mandatory for 'skilled drivers' to get heavy driving licences.

'If a driver understands signals, can sign his name and recognise cows, goats and human beings, he should be eligible to get a driving licence as there is a huge demand for professional drivers in the country,' he said at a briefing in the secretariat.

Shajahan, labour-leader turned minister, called the press briefing a day after the High Court asked the authorities concerned 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 has been reported that the shipping minister's pressure caused the issuance of 10,000 driving licences without the conducting of any tests in 2010, and now he wants issuance of 24,630 more licences without testing the drivers.

Shajahan, however, denied allegations against him of exerting pressure on the communications ministry to give licences to so many drivers, as recommended by the Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, without testing them.

He said that the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority should consider the ground reality in issuing the driving licences for which an applicant has to go through written tests, viva voce and practical examinations.

Shajahan Khan, also the executive president of the Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, and communications minister Syed Abul Hossain came under fire from all sections of the people, including his Cabinet colleagues and lawmakers, after the death of internationally acclaimed film director Tareque Masud, ATN News' chief executive officer Ashfaque Munier and three others in a road accident on August 13.

It is widely believed that the number of fatal accidents has increased due to reckless driving and unskilled drivers.

Shajahan said that only the drivers should not be blamed road accidents.

He said that the federation did not exert any pressure for giving licences without testing the drivers.

'The overwhelming majority of the drivers are not educated. So we want the provision of written tests to be relaxed for efficient drivers because of the tremendous shortage of drivers,' he said in reply to a query.

He said that the BRTA was issuing only 10,000 licences against a demand of 60,000 every year. Around 44,000 new vehicles were being registered annually, he added.

As per the rules, an applicant gets a learner's licence after an initial test, a light licence after passing the tests after three months, a medium licence after passing another test after three years, and finally the heavy licence after another three years on successfully passing another test.

When asked about the reasons for the increase in road accidents, Shajahan explained that faulty engineering of vehicles, lack of training and lax enforcement of the laws were responsible for the accidents.

He told reporters that the communications ministry alone cannot cope with the growing transport sector that includes roads and railway.

He suggested a separate ministry for dealing with road transport. He said that the youth as well as the local government ministries should be given the authority to provide training in order to produce skilled drivers.

'Being a federation leader, I know all the drivers of the Madaripur union…Trade union leaders know who are the efficient drivers. And on this ground alone, the federation can recommend drivers and ask the BRTA to give them licences,' said Shajahan in reply to a question.

He claimed that he was a politician with high moral standards. 'But the media is spreading rumours against me without knowing anything about my family background.'

He said his family members had inherited the transport business of his father. 'Transport business is our family tradition. My father started the business back in 1962.'

Shajahan alleged that there were irregularities in the issuance of driving licences by the BRTA's officials.

Source : Nge Age

Muhith, Abul draw fire from MPs

The lawmakers in the Parliament on Thursday strongly criticised the communications minister, Syed Abul Hossain, and finance minister, AMA Muhith, for the terrible condition of the country's roads and their 'irresponsible' comments, and asked the communications minister to admit his failure and resign.

Speaking on a point of order, the lawmakers of the ruling Awami League, Jatiya Party, Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and the lone independent member urged the prime minister to settle the dispute between the two above-mentioned ministers who are blaming each other, and to take stern measures against the responsible persons.

Workers Party lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon initiated the discussion by drawing the House's attention to the severed road communication on 12 routes, and accused the communications minister of not paying any heed to the demands of lawmakers in the Parliament on February 5.

'When Tofail Ahmed raised the issue in Parliament on February 5, citing the example of the dreadful condition of the road that crosses Brahmanbaria, the communications minister made insulting remarks about him instead of admitting the reality,' said Menon.

He said that despite the repeated alarming reports by the media, lawmakers and other quarters, the minister remained heedless, resulting in the increase of accidents on the highways, until the prime minister's intervention.

'If any person were responsible for such a situation in any democratic country, he would have resigned,' said Menon.

He also criticised the trading of blame by the finance and communications ministers, and demanded open discussion in the Parliament to ascertain who was really responsible.

Tofail Ahmed said that although he raised the issue in Parliament six months ago, no action was taken other than an assurance by the communications minister that the inter-district highways would be widened to accommodate four lanes.

He said that that instead of discharging their duties, the ministers were now accusing each other to evade responsibility.

He called upon the ministers to settle their disputes in the Cabinet, not publicly.

He also criticised the ministers for making some 'irresponsible' comments like advising the people to refrain from going to the market more than once a week and to take less food.

Referring to a study, he said that 86 per cent of the people feared that there would be a mass outburst in the country if the condition of the roads was not improved.

JSD lawmaker Hasanul Haq Inu blamed the negligence of the communications minister for the awful condition of the roads and highways and said that the lives and properties of the people were no longer secure on the roads.

'The prime minister should find out who is responsible for the situation, whether it is the communications minister, finance minister or chief engineer, and take action against him,' said Inu, adding that the road accidents, price spiral and power crisis had become normal due to the failure of the concerned ministers.

He said that the minister who had failed to do his duty should resign and the prime minister should appoint qualified persons to save the AL-led alliance government from the people's wrath.

AL lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta said that instead of holding a minister individually responsible, it is the Cabinet that should be held collectively responsible. He added that it was unfortunate that the finance minister was trying to avoid his responsibility.

'The prime minister instructed the finance minister to allocate Tk 690 crore for renovation of the roads before Eid, but he set conditions for releasing the fund, which is not acceptable,' he said.

Jatiya Party lawmaker Mujibul Haque said that many people were uncertain whether they would be able to go home before the Eid after seeing that road communications between Dhaka and Kishoreganj had remained suspended for the last 10 days due to the dreadful condition of the highways.

'I want a statement from the communications minister about this,' he said, adding that the minister was responsible for the situation as he had promoted self-confessed corrupt persons to the higher posts of the ministry.

Independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim said that the people had no means to go home during the Eid due to the situation in road and rail communication, and accused the communication and finance minister of being responsible for the situation.

'High-quality people are needed for the big posts, and the prime minister should make changes in her Cabinet, if necessary,' he said, adding that the communications, finance and commerce ministers had failed to discharge their duties properly.

AL lawmaker Tarana Halim said that as per the government's statistics, 38,000 people are killed in road accidents every year, so the government should enact tougher laws to ensure adequate punishment of drivers who are responsible for fatal crashes.

'If any one is pressured illegally to issue 10,000 licences without testing the drivers, he should take the responsibility for any accident in the future,' she said in an emotion-choked voice.

The deputy leader of the House, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, took the floor and said that the concerned minister should clarify his position.

Communications minister Abul Hossain, in his statement under Section 300 of the Rules of Procedure, said that he had failed to repair the roads because he did not get funds from the finance ministry.

'How can I do my work if I do not have money?' he asked, and expressed sorrow at the death of so many people in road accidents.

At one point of Abul Hossain's speech, deputy speaker Shawkat Ali stopped him and said, 'You should seek the prime minister's intervention to settle the dispute with the finance ministry, but now the House wants to hear something positive from you.'

Abul said that his ministry had asked Tk 5,000 crore for repair and maintenance of the roads, but had received only Tk 690 crore, and that too with some strict conditions that had prevented him from spending the money on an emergency basis.

He urged the finance ministry to relax the conditions so that he could begin immediate renovation of the roads.

'If I am allocated Tk 1,000 crore in due time, all of the roads will be renovated by the end of this year,' he said, adding that they were working hard to repair the badly damaged roads before Eid.

Source : Nge Age