Taliban kill nine in Kabul police station attack

Nine people were killed Saturday when three attackers armed with suicide vests and machine-guns stormed a police station in the heart of the Afghan capital Kabul, officials said.

The militants, at least one of whom was in army uniform, got into a compound housing the police station in the crowded main central market area, near the Afghan presidential palace, defence ministry and other official buildings.

Five civilians were among the dead along with three policemen and one officer from Afghanistan's intelligence agency, interior ministry spokesman Najib Nikzad said. Ten civilians and two police were wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest embarrassing breach at a supposedly secure location in Kabul, which comes weeks before limited foreign troop withdrawals are due to start from Afghanistan.

One of the attackers detonated his explosives at the entrance to the compound, allowing his two accomplices into the building, the interior ministry said.

Once inside, they fired at police, sparking a gun battle which lasted for around two hours before the pair were killed.

'Three suicide attackers with weapons and explosive vests attacked the police station,' Nikzad said.

'One of them detonated himself in front of the gate of the station and two others were killed following a firefight with police.'

'In this incident, three policemen, one intelligence officer and five civilians were killed and two police, along with 10 other civilians were wounded.' he added.

The finance ministry said two of its employees who worked nearby were among those who died.

Parts of the city centre were sealed off following the attack and hundreds of people were evacuated.

At least one of the men was dressed in Afghan army uniform, according to local television which showed pictures of what it said was his dead body.

The Taliban have carried out similar brazen attacks in the past against Afghan security forces in Kabul.

These have often been committed by attackers in military uniforms, highlighting the problem of Taliban infiltration of the fast-growing Afghan security forces which are taking increasing control as foreign forces start to withdraw.

Six people were killed at a military hospital by a suicide bomber in military uniform last month, while three died in April when another uniformed attacker opened fire inside the defence ministry.

Control of security in Kabul is already the responsibility of Afghan forces but there is a heavy foreign military and civilian presence in the city.

Foreign forces in seven other parts of Afghanistan are expected to start handing control of security and other official functions to their Afghan counterparts from July.

This will allow the start of a limited withdrawal of foreign troops, although the full extent of this is not yet clear.

The US president, Barack Obama, whose country provides some 90,000 of the 130,000-strong foreign force in Afghanistan, is expected to announce soon how many will leave from July amid mounting pressure for a big withdrawal.

All international combat forces are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Source: New Age

Ministry for raising officers’ house building loan entitlement

The ministry of public administration has asked for raising the house-building loan ceiling for government officials to Tk 25 lakh from 1.2 lakh.

It also asked for raising entertainment expense per head at official meetings to Tk 25 from 12.

According to a decision taken at a monthly coordination meeting chaired by joint secretary Md Maksudul Hasan Khan at the secretariat last week the ministry favoured the raise in the backdrop of recent years' price escalation.  

Hasan told New Age Saturday, 'Accordingly we sent the proposed to the finance ministry for the raise in keeping with the price situation.'

He said that the entertainment ceiling was last revised in 2007 and the house building loan ceiling against salary was fixed in 1988.

He said that now a government official is entitled to draw a maximum house building loan of Tk 1,20,000.

The ministry also recommended for providing vehicles and other logistics support to district administrations for speedy and expeditious functioning at the field level, said officials. 

The ministry deputy secretaries Md Samshul Kibria Chowdhury, Ali Ahmed, Amitabh Sarker , Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman and Mahmuda Khatun attended the meeting held on June 13.

An official told the meeting that the deputy commissioners' offices across the country were already provided with 86 jeeps and 10 microbuses and other logistics to speed up the work at the field level.

The meeting called for speedy disposal of audit disputes at the offices of the divisional commissioners and the deputy commissioners across the country through tripartite meetings, said an official.

Source: New Age

300 workers fall sick after taking lunch

Over 300 workers of Sed Fashion, an Indian-owned readymade garments unit, fell sick after taking lunch served by factory authority Saturday afternoon.

They were admitted to different hospitals and clinics in Ashulia and Savar town.

A general holiday was declared at Sed Fashion following the incident for indefinite period from 4:00pm Saturday.

About 300 workers out of 3,000 fell seriously ill with severe stomachache and vomiting soon after they had lunch supplied by Turag Traders and served by factory authority at about 2:00pm.

They are receiving treatments at different hospitals and clinics in Ashulia and Savar in critical condition.

Sed Fashion, situated in Beron area and owned by an Indian company, accused the food suppliers of supplying toxic food that caused mass sickness at the factory.

Source: New Age

Juba Dal leader hacked to death in UP polls

Polls-related violence caused the death of one more person on Saturday, raising the number of people killed during the ongoing second phase of the Union Parishad elections to thirteen.

Twelve persons were killed earlier in violence caused by the UP polls which began on May 31 amidst stray clashes, intimidation and snatching of ballot boxes.

Polling in 205 unions was held on Saturday and elections in 182 more UPs are scheduled to be held today.

The New Age correspondent in Jhenaidah reported that one person was chopped to dead and 20 others injured in a clash during election on Saturday morning which took place at Kastosagra polling centre under Surat union.

The deceased was identified as Jamirul Islam, 35, son of Izahar Ali Joardar of Kastosagra. Jamirul was the president of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal in the village, as well as the nephew of chairman candidate Manjurul Islam.

Local people said that the clash began when some of the supporters of Awami League's chairman candidate Kabir Hossain and member candidate Abdur Rashid were trying to expel the polling agents of BNP-backed candidate Manjurul Islam at about 9.30am from the Kastosagra polling centre.

They said that the AL supporters appeared in the polling centre with sharp and lethal weapons and swooped on the BNP men.

Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Jhenaidah thana, said that Manjurul's nephew Jamirul, Toyeb Ali, Asad, Shahin, Pitul, Alam and 15 others were injured by the assailants. They were rushed to Jhenaidah general hospital. No case was filed till Saturday noon, said the police.

District election officer Rokanuzzaman said that the election in Kastosgara polling centre had continued in spite of the clash. Additional law enforcers were deployed to maintain law and order, he said.

BNP's Jhenaidah thana unit president Munshi Kamal Azad Pannu alleged that the AL men were stamping the ballot papers in the polling booths, and when Jamirul protested the AL thugs attacked the BNP and JCD activists.

The Election Commission, in the wake of widespread violence in the second phase of the UP polls, on Friday issued a six-point directive to the district administrations, urging them to ensure free and fair elections. Law-enforcing agencies must be more dynamic in discharging their duties, said the EC.

Source: New Age

Who’s more patriotic than me: PM

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, Saturday came down heavily on the 'National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports', posing the question: who is more patriotic and thinks more for the country's welfare than her?

'My question: who is more patriotic and look after the interest of the country more than me?' Hasina said while laying the foundation stone of the head office building of the Board of Investment at Agargaon in the city.

Without mentioning any name, she indicated that the 'National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports' which is opposing the government's signing of a production sharing contract with an American oil company.

The government on Thursday inked the deal with ConocoPhillips for exploring oil and gas from two deep-sea blocks in the Bay of Bengal.

The US oil company won the two deep-sea blocks — DS 08-10 and DS-11 — after taking part in an international tender floated by Petrobangla in 2008.

The PSC allows ConocoPhillips to conduct exploration in the undisputed part of the two blocks that cover an area of 5,158 square kilometres. The two blocks are located at a distance of about 280 kilometres from the port city of Chittagong.

The prime minister said these groups often cry out loud in the name of protecting the interest of the country. 'Where were they when there was no production of electricity and no gas exploration?  Investors were waiting for years to go into production as there was no gas and electricity supply.'

She said: 'These groups were silent when the previous governments did not do anything for the development of the country. When we are moving forward they are opposing us.'

Hasina categorically assured that the present government would not do anything against the interest of the country and welfare of the people.

She said that her government, soon after taking the office, had given priority to creating investment-friendly environment in the country to attract foreign direct investment and simplified the investment related laws and rules.

The premier said despite resource constraints, the government was providing money for implementing massive development projects in the infrastructure and service sectors.

She informed that various industries, mills and factories would be set up in different corners of the country by establishing seven economic zones in the seven divisions.

The government, she said, has formulated the National Industrial Policy identifying 32 sectors that include agricultural products, readymade garments, shipbuilding, tourism, ICT goods and services, jute and leather goods, plastic goods, and ceramics industry as the thrust sectors. Investment incentives are being given to these sectors.

Hasina said the public-private-partnership policy had been formulated to encourage private investments in infrastructures and in service sectors while tax holiday facilities had been ensured for 17 sectors in the proposed national budget for the next fiscal (2011-12).

She said: 'Bangladesh has become the most attractive investment destination in South Asia for the foreign investors and as a result foreign direct investment is increasing gradually.'

Despite worldwide decline in investment flow in the recent years caused by economic recession in the developed countries, Bangladesh got over  $910 million FDI in 2010 alone, she mentioned.

The prime minister said foreign investors become attracted to investment in Bangladesh due to its geographical location, cheap and easily trainable labour, easy regional connectivity, increasing domestic market and attractive incentive package.

As the country's image has brightened following the establishment of good governance, she urged the foreign investors to invest more in Bangladesh.

Hasina said the present government had provided two incentive packages to the export sector to cope with the negative impacts of world economic recession.

She said two closed jute mills had been reopened through reviving the BJMC and five more jute mills will be reopened soon. As a result, jute, the golden fibre of Bangladesh, has regained its past glory.

State minister for housing and public works Abdul Mannan Khan and BoI executive chairman SA Samad also addressed the function, chaired by the Secretary in-charge of the housing and public works ministry.

The Public Works Department is implementing the 14-storey BoI head office building project at an estimated cost of around Tk 100 crore from the government's own resources.

Source: New Age

Libya insists talks under way with rebels

The Libyan government dismissed rebel denials that the two sides have been holding talks and hit out at NATO's air war as Muammar Gaddafi defiantly vowed the alliance was doomed to defeat.

Addressing a news conference in Tripoli late on Friday, just hours after loud explosions again rocked Tripoli, the prime minister, Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, accused NATO of committing 'war crimes and crimes against humanity' by 'directly targeting civilian sites' with air raids over the past three days.

State television aired Gaddafi's comments in what it said was a live telephone call from the Libyan leader, who has gone underground since the Western-led air war was launched in March, as thousands of his supporters gathered in Tripoli's Green Square for their biggest rally in weeks.

Baghdadi said that the governments of the countries where regime envoys had approached rebel representatives were fully aware that multiple contacts were under way as detailed by Russian envoy Mikhail Margelov.

'Ask the Egyptians, French, Norwegians and Tunisians for information. They will tell you the truth,' Baghdadi said.

'We are sure of our meetings and everything has been recorded.'

Speaking earlier on Friday a day after visiting Tripoli, Margelov said that the Libyan government had forged multiple contacts with the Libyan opposition in foreign capitals including Berlin, Paris and Oslo.

The comments from the Russian envoy, who visited the rebels' eastern stronghold of Benghazi last week, drew a swift denial from their National Transitional Council.

'I can assure you there is and there was no negotiation between the NTC and the regime,' said the council's head of international affairs, Mahmud Jibril.

France said it had no knowledge of any negotiations.

'If there have been direct contacts, we're not involved and we didn't set them up,' foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.

Austria, meanwhile, on Saturday became the latest country to recognise the NTC as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people. In his speech, broadcast by loudspeaker to the flag-waving supporters in Green Square, Gaddafi said the government would not accept any reforms imposed from abroad.

'We are determined to change nothing in our country other than by our own free will... We are resisting, we are fighting,' he said.

'NATO is bound to be defeated.'

The Libyan premier denied allegations being investigated by prosecutors of the International Criminal Court that loyalist forces had been carrying out mass rapes as matter of deliberate policy.

'Neither our morals nor our religion permit it,' Mahmudi said.

He called for 'an urgent meeting' of the United Nations to examine 'crimes committed by NATO against Libyan civilians,' charging that the alliance had hit targets including a university and a hotel in Tripoli on Friday.

In response, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement that 'the claims made by Gaddafi and members of his regime are outrageous.'

'It is Gaddafi and his regime that have been systematically and brutally attacking the Libyan people.'

Source: New Age

79 Indian fishermen rescued

At least 79 Indian fishermen with five fishing trawlers have so far been rescued at Mohipur in Patuakhali.  Of them 64 fishermen with four trawlers were rescued early in the morning on Saturday and 15 with one trawler Friday evening. All the rescued fishermen and trawlers are now under police custody.

Police sources said the fishermen were fishing in the deep sea and they entered the Bangladesh territory as their trawler engines went out of order during the depression.

Of the rescued fishermen, 13 belong to FB Ma Lakshmi, 17 each to FB Annapurna, FB Anandamaee, FB Shankhadip and 15 to a nameless trawler.

Nikhil Das, one of the rescued fishermen, said their trawlers came here floating on the Bay and local fishermen brought them to Mohipur.

Informed, the police rushed to the spot and took all the rescued fishermen into their custody, Abu Bakor Siddiqi, additional superintendent of police in Patuakhali, told New Age.

The Patuakhali police super conveyed the matter to the Indian embassy through high officials, he added.

Meanwhile an AFP report from said that India's coast guard on Saturday launched an operation to trace about 400 fishermen who went missing during monsoon storms in West Bengal, officials said.

About 33 fishing boats went missing on Friday in the choppy waters of the Bay of Bengal in eastern India.

'Our team has been able to establish contact with some fishermen but we are yet to trace 25 trawlers,' Iqbal Singh Chauhan, coast guard commander stationed in West Bengal, told AFP.

Naval vessels, hovercraft and helicopters have joined the rescue effort but incessant rainfall is hindering the search operation.

Chauhan said they had reports that more than 20 fishing boats had anchored at various isolated islands near the Sundarbans mangrove forest 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of Kolkata, capital of West Bengal.

'Preliminary reports suggest that most of the fishermen are safe but we are yet to establish direct contact with them,' he said.

During storms in West Bengal, many captains find themselves unable to return to port and take refuge with their boats and crews along the coast.

Fishermen's Welfare Association chief Bijan Maity said five of the 33 trawlers had drifted to neighbouring Bangladesh and one had capsized, but there were no casualties.

Storms and cyclones which form over the Bay of Bengal every year kill hundreds and destroy cattle and crops in India's eastern states and in Bangladesh.

India has forecast a "normal" monsoon this year that could boost food production and ease high inflation.

The strength of the annual June-September downpour is vital to hundreds of millions of farmers and to economic growth in Asia's third-largest economy which gets 80 percent of its annual rainfall during the monsoon season.

Source: New Age

Ball now in AL’s court: BNP

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies on Saturday announced a three-day agitation in protest at the price hike of agricultural inputs, gas, fuels, share market scam and rise in transport fares.

BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam announced the programme at separate press briefings at their respective party offices.

At the BNP's press conference at Naya Paltan, the party's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said their allies and other like-minded political parties, including Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Islami Oikya Jote, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party, National People's Party, Bangladesh NAP, Bangladesh Labour Party and NAP (Bhasani)] also announced similar programmes.

Mirza Fakhrul said rallies and processions will be held on June 21 and 28 in Dhaka city and elsewhere in the country to protest at the price hike of fertiliser and agricultural produces, fuel, gas and transport fares.

On June 23, he said, similar protests will be staged in the capital and the port city of Chittagong, over the share market scam 'that made some 33 lakh small investors paupers.'

The BNP, however, did not announce any fresh programme in protest at the government's move to scrap the caretaker government provision.

Mirza Fakhrul said the ball [caretaker government issue] was now in Awami League's court and that the opposition would decide its next course of action 'after the AL makes its stance clear [over the caretaker issue]'.

'The party chairperson Khaleda Zia has made our stand clear that we will not sit for any discussion unless the government announces that the caretaker provision will be retained,' he said.

When his attention was drawn to a statement of AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, The BNP leader said, 'Holding a one-sided election under its regime is the Awami League's ultimate goal, no matter what they say in public.'

About the signing of the Production Sharing Contract with US companyConocoPhillips to extract gas from the Bay of Bengal, Mirza Fakhrul said they were yet to go through the deals.    

Demanding that the government should make public the entire PSC deal, Mirza Fakhurl said, 'BNP is always against the any anti-state deal.'

Asked whether the party would lend its support to the half-day hartal called for July 3 in Dhaka by the national committee to protect oil, gas, mineral resources and ports, he said, they would discuss the issue in the party forum.     

In reply to a question, he said the party had postponed its plan for organising a 'long march' and Khaleda Zia's tour of districts for 'inclement weather' and also because of the ongoing elections to union parishads.

Jamaat acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam announced similar programmes at the party's Moghbazar central office.

Source: New Age

Talks only way to settle issue: AL

The ruling Awami League on Saturday urged the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to join discussions to find out an amicable solution to the caretaker government issue.

AL leaders also said the door for talks on the issue had not been closed and that the party would formally invite the BNP to a discussion, if necessary, on the issue.

'Let us discuss the issue for finding out an amicable solution,' AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said in reply to a query at a press briefing after a meeting of the AL secretariat at the party chief's Dhanmondi office in the afternoon.

He, however, said that that the issue should be settled in line with the court verdict and it was still possible to find a solution.

'We are sincerely requesting them to join discussions; one should not mistake our  sincerity for deceit,' said Ashraf, reminding the BNP that there was no alternative to discussion to reach an understanding over the caretaker issue.

'Whatever is said now, discussions will be held in time and a solution will come…What is required is patience,' he said.

The Supreme Court in a verdict on May 10 declared the caretaker government provision unconstitutional and void.

After the verdict, prime minister Sheikh Hasina had said there was hardly any chance to keep the provision for an election-time caretaker government and the parliamentary special committee on constitution amendment recommended scrapping of the system.

In response, the BNP-led alliance vowed tougher agitation and already enforced a 36-hour countrywide hartal.

In reply to a question, the AL general secretary also said that the deals signed with the US oil company ConocoPhillips for exploration and extraction of gas from two offshore blocks in the Bay of Bengal was an agreement and nothing had been hidden there.

'It is not illegal or shady. Everything is open in the agreement and it has been done for economic development of the country considering the increasing demand for gas.

The AL secretariat also finalised the programme for celebration of the party's 62nd founding anniversary on June 23.

The programmes include hoisting of national and party flags at all party offices at 7:30am, a discussion meeting at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre at 11:00am and cultural programmes at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue office in the evening.

Source: New Age

Hartal called for July 3 to protest at deals with ConocoPhillips

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports on Saturday called a half-day hartal in Dhaka city on July 3 in protest against the production sharing contract signed with US oil company ConocoPhillips on June 16, saying that it was against the interest of the country .

The national committee's protest programmes also  include countrywide demonstrations in front of deputy commissioners' offices in the districts and formation of human chains in thanas and unions from 11:00am to 12:00 noon on the day of hartal.

The member-secretary of the national committee, Anu Muhammad,  at a press conference in the CPB's central office announced the six-hour hartal from 6:00am to 12:00 noon and said that Petrobangla's contract with the US company had all the provisions of the Model PSC-2008, formulated during the regime of the military-controlled government of Fakhruddin Ahmed, and was a totally one-sided deal which would only benefit the US company, not the country.

According to the contract the company will get 80 per cent of the gas extracted from Blocks 10 and 11 in the Bay of Bengal, and Bangladesh will get only 20 per cent which will be difficult to carry onshore for the nation's use, Anu added.

Moreover, the company will be allowed to convert the gas into Liquefied Natural Gas and export it to other countries.

The national committee will launch mass contact programmes from June 21 to July 1 in Dhaka city and in various parts of the country to make the people aware of the inequitable deal and drum up support for the hartal, and hold views-exchange meetings with professional bodies from June 20 to July 2.

Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah, the convener of the committee, said that they would announce tough agitation programmes to compel the Awami League-led government to cancel the inequitable deal and implement of the seven demands of the committee.

The programmes may include 'long marches' from Dhaka to various parts of the country and a 'Dhaka gherao' (siege) programme in October when thousands of people will march towards Dhaka city with the slogan, 'Chalo Chalo, Dhaka Chalo', said Shaheedullah.

Committee leaders Nur Muhammad, Syed Abul Maksud, Enamul Haque, Khalequzzaman, Ruhin Hossain Prince, Saiful Huq, Mosharraf Hossain Nannu, Ragib Ahsan Munna, Abdus Sattar, Mushrefa Mishu, Zonayed Saki and Khan Asaduzzaman Masum were present at the press conference, along with others.

The national committee enforced another half-day hartal in Dhaka city on 14 September, 2009 to underline the demand for cancellation of Model PSC-2008.

The leaders of three left-leaning political parties, in a separate press conference on the same day in Dhaka Reporters Unity, extended their support to the hartal and other agitation programmes announced by the national committee.

The secretary of Jatiya Mukti Council, Foyezul Hakim, read out written speech in the press conference.

The parties will stage countrywide mass contract programmes across the country from June 20 to July 1 to drum up the peoples' support for the agitation programmes.

Mukti Council's president Badruddin Umar, Nayaganatantrik Ganamorcha's convener Shibli Quayum and Jatiya Ganatantrik Ganamorcha's convener Masud Khan were present at the press conference.

Source: New Age

Trading of unapproved projects continues

Real estate companies were continuing to showcase and sell unapproved projects in the housing fair right under the nose of the concerned authority.

The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, which was ordered by the court to stop trading of unapproved projects in the four-day fair that is scheduled to end today, said that it was 'unable to take action against the unscrupulous real estate companies because of legal complexities'.

The Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh said it could not 'take action against the companies which are trading unapproved projects in the fair as it was not a regulator'.

The REHAB began its Summer Fair 2011 on last Thursday at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre with a total of 263 companies showcasing their offers of apartments and plots to customers.

Rajuk chairman Nurul Huda said they have approved only 28 projects of several companies out of 263.

State minister for housing and public works Abdul Mannan Khan himself inaugurated the fair, ignoring a request from green activists to shun the fair.

Following a writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan and Paribesh Banchao Andolan, the High Court on the very day of the beginning of the fair directed the REHAB not to allow companies that have unauthorised housing projects to participate in its fair.

The court also issued a rule asking the REHAB to explain the legality of the participation of companies showcasing unauthorised projects.

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

The Rajuk and police were asked to submit a compliance report to the court in 40 days.

The Rajuk, as mentioned above, blamed 'legal complexities' for its failure to implement the court's directive.

'We have received neither the certified copy of the court's verdict nor the lawyers' certificate, so how can we take action against the trading of unapproved projects?' replied Rajuk's chairman Nurul Huda when he was asked why they were not taking action against the trading of unapproved projects.

In reply to another question, Nurul Huda said, 'The Rajuk is not authorised to conduct a mobile court against the trading of unapproved projects.'

'We have already asked the ministry to make a provision for empowering Rajuk to conduct mobile courts against the trading of unapproved land and housing projects,' he said.

 REHAB's president Nasrul Hamid Bipu denied the allegation that unapproved projects were being sold at the fair.

Bipu, a ruling party lawmaker, told reporters, 'It is the Rajuk's responsibility to take action against the trading of any unapproved projects. The REHAB cannot take action against them as it is not a regulatory body.'

He, however, said the REHAB has issued notices to its members, asking them not to showcase unapproved projects.

Expressing his utter dismay at the trading of unapproved projects in the fair, BAPA's joint secretary general Iqbal Habib said, 'The trading of unapproved projects is continuing in the fair and the government and its machinery remain silent even after a court order was issued against it.'

'The BAPA requested the state minister for housing not to inaugurate the fair. We also urged him to check with Rajuk to see whether there were any unapproved projects,' he said.

Source: New Age

Vast coastal areas submerged

Torrential rains triggered by depression over the Bay of Bengal disrupted life all over the country, particularly in the coastal districts, and submerged low-lying areas in different districts on Saturday.

Met office in Dhaka said the depression moved north-northwestwards weakening into a land depression and causing incessant rainfall in Bangladesh and over the Indian state of West Bengal.

Life in the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong was paralysed due to rough weather.

Our correspondent in Barisal said sudden onrush of waters triggered flash flood and erosion of river banks in the southern districts.

Rough weather also caused surges up to 4 feet above normal and maritime ports were asked to keep hoisted cautionary signal number 3 while river ports were asked to show signal number 2, weather officials said.

The Barisal Met office recorded 198mm rainfall in Barisal city and 179 mm in the coastal Kalapara upazila town in 72 hours ending 3:00pm Saturday.

Most of the people remained indoors while educational institutions declared it a holiday, residents said.

All fishing boats and trawlers in the north Bay and in deep sea were advised to stay on the shore or to remain at safe shelters until further notice, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's deputy director Kazi Wakil Newaz said.

Barisal agriculture extension department's additional director Sudhir Chandra said that incessant rain submerged crops on at least 25 thousand hectares of land in the region.

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society's cyclone preparedness programme officials said people in different shoals, riverbanks and coastal areas were stranded in inclement weather as the sea turned rough.

Barisal Water Development Board official Mahfuzur Rahman said onrush of water caused breaches at two points of the embankment in Daulatkhan upazila.

A 10-metre breach also occurred at Shibpur point of Bhola district town protection embankment.

The waters of Meghna entered through the breaches leaving vast areas inundated and 30,000 people marooned, the WDB official said.

River Ilisha and the Meghna in Bhola

region were flowing 3.5 and 4.5 centimetres above their respective danger level at Bhola Sadar and Pakkhiya-Alimuddin points of Borhanuddin, sources said.

Reports from Patuakhali said incessant downpour paralysed life in the district while road links with Kuakata tourist zone was disrupted as ferry gangways went under water.

Reports from Pirojpur said that low-lying areas, including Majherchar, Shapleza, Kachubaria, Tushkali of Mathbaria upazila went under water due to flash flood.

Besides, vast areas in Juniar char, Harinpala and Telikhali of Bhandaria upazila, Pattashi, Dorirchar Gazipur, Char Southkhali, Gabgasia of Zianagar upazila and Saniarchar, Meghpal, Raghunathpur of Kawkhali upazila also went under water.

Our correspondent in Manikganj said ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia route was seriously hampered due to inclement weather and strong current in the River Padma.

More than a thousand vehicles, particularly passenger buses and goods-laden trucks remained stranded on the two sides of Paturia-Daulatdia till 6:00pm.

Ferry service on Mawa-Kawrakandi route resumed on Saturday after remaining suspended since Thursday noon due to inclement weather, officials said.

Our staff correspondent in Chittagong said intermittent rainfall in the last three days since Thursday disrupted life and business activities with many low-laying areas going under water.

The Met office recorded 123.8mm of rainfall in 72 hours ending at 3:00pm on Saturday.

source:NewAge

Rains halt life in city, elsewhere

Major streets in the capital Dhaka became waterlogged on Saturday disrupting traffic and causing sufferings to pedestrians as downpour all day halted life with the meteorological department recording 5 centimetres of rain in the morning alone.

The city's authorities however denied the situation was so chaotic because of the downpour with Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority's managing director and Dhaka City Corporation's chief waste management officer both telling New Age that they were satisfied with the speed at which the water drained from the roads.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police traffic control room also told New Age that the rains had not created any massive traffic congestion.

Abul Hasnat, a resident of Rampura area, said that after the rain the roads in front of Mouchak market turned waterlogged.

'A number of cars and CNG-run autorickshaws had stopped working in the middle of the road creating traffic congestion,' he added.

Sayma Tajreen, a resident of Uttara, said that there was water all over the roads since Friday night due to rains.

'Two thirds of the streets went under water in Uttara with pedestrians, particularly women and children, facing difficulties in walking down the streets,' she added.

The worst affected were the thousands of slum dwellers and people living in roadside shacks in the capital.

'We could not sleep at night due to rainfall,' said Reshma Begum, 30, who lives along with her daughter and a sister on a pavement at Karwanbazar.

Day labourers were also affected. The workers who came to New Market and Lalbagh Fort intersection in the morning for work, waited the whole day in vain before returning home in the afternoon.

Shopkeepers told New Age that their overall sales had been frustrating because of rain and inclement weather.

Traffic was thinner than usual in the capital with a smaller number of buses plying the roads making it a heyday for rickshaw pullers who charged fares at whim.

Amir Tuhin, who regularly uses rickshaw from Shahbagh intersection to Dhaka Medical College Hospital paying Tk 12-15, said he had to pay Tk 20 on Saturday.

Dhaka WASA managing director Taqsem A Khan told New Age on Saturday that the waterlogging was not so acute.

Dhaka WASA has two permanent pumps for drainage of water at Dolaikhal and Kalyanpur and two temporary pumps at Rampura and Janapath.

He claimed that because of their contingency programme, 'water was removed from the city streets within two or three hours.'

Admitting that there was waterlogging at Fakirapul, Mouchak, Mirpur 10, Moghbazar and Shantinagar, he told New Age that the water was drained in a short period of time.

DCC's chief waste management officer Bipan Kumar Saha also said their special programme to clean and unclog the surface-level drains in the 10 zones of the capital had now been completed.

'Our 271 cleaners are working round the clock cleaning the drains,' he said.

Bipan told New Age that it was only in a few areas in the city like Mouchak, Shantinagar, and Jurain, that there was some waterlogging as the discharge points could not drain such a huge amount of water.

The meteorological department reported that the atmospheric depression causing the rain was now centred over West Bengal and adjoining southwestern part of Bangladesh.

The met office forecast light to moderate rain accompanied by gusty or squally wind over Dhaka and its adjoining areas.

source:NewAge