High-ups' remarks on Limon protested

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, a component of ruling Awami League-led grand alliance, yesterday protested the statements of government high-ups regarding Limon Hossain, who was shot to disability by Rapid Action Battalion.

In a statement, JSD Executive President Mainuddin Khan Badal, and General Secretary Sharif Nurul Ambia said the recent remarks on Limon by the prime minister's defence adviser, the home minister, and the director general of Rab is unfortunate as the high-ups said Limon and his father are involved in a "criminal gang".

They also demanded removal of the cases filed against Limon, and urged the government to ensure his proper treatment.

On Thursday at a press conference with a selected group of reporters, Prime Minister's Defence Adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique claimed that both Limon, whose left leg was amputated after a Rab team shot him on March 23, and his father are members of a criminal gang.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun on Sunday defended Tarique Ahmed, saying his remark on Limon is a government statement. Rab yesterday echoed the statement of Tarique Ahmed that Limon has "criminal link".

However, on April 11, Rab Director General Mokhlesur Rahman admitted that Limon Hossain is not a notorious criminal.

The JSD leaders said while a government probe into the incident is going on, the remarks of the prime minister's defence adviser did not only influenced the investigation process, but also it will inspire the perpetrators.

They also condemned the diatribe against the media by the government high-ups. Tarique Ahmed in the press conference criticised some newspapers' role on the issue.

"When all the people of the country want investigation and punishment for incidents of extra-judicial killings and torture by law enforcement agencies, the statements of the prime minister's adviser has created frustration and anger among the people," the JSD leaders said in the statement.

They said the government should remove the persons who are using administrative power to impede the investigation process.

On Saturday another component of the grand-alliance, Workers Party, condemned the statement of the prime minister's defence adviser terming his statement as unfortunate.

Source: The Daily Star (May 24, 2011)

5 'robbers' held after gunfight

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested five suspected robbers, four of them with bullet wounds, after a gunfight at Mohakhali in the capital Sunday night.

Rab-2 officials said they also recovered three foreign-made firearms, two pistols and a revolver, 16 bullets and four cocktails from their possession.

Bullet injured Montu Mian, 22, and Mohammad Farid, 23, of Sherpur district, Chandan Burman, 25, of Netrokona, and Mohammad Rajib, 21, of Shariatpur district were admitted to National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor) under police custody.

Another suspected robber Mohammad Ali Jibon, who was arrested unhurt, was handed over to police.

Major Ershadul Haque of Rab-2 said they, acting on a tip-off, raided a tin-roofed house at Arjatpara where the robbers were making preparation for committing a robbery at around 8:15pm.

Sensing their presence, the robbers opened fire on the Rab men, prompting them to retaliate with bullets.

Rab officials said all the detainees were garment workers and lived in Tongi and Savar areas.

Meanwhile, the Rab did not allow journalists to talk to the alleged robbers.

Source: The Daily Star (May 24, 2011)

Ctg Arms Haul: CID grills Rezzakul, Rahim

Investigators yesterday interrogated two former National Security Intelligence (NSI) directors general at Chittagong Central Jail gate in connection with the 10-truck arms haul cases.

Investigation officer of the cases Md Muniruzzaman Chowdhury, also a senior assistant superintendent of Criminal Investigation Department, quizzed Brig Gen (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury and Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim. Two other CID officials assisted him in the three-hour long interrogation that began around 12:30pm.

The IO declined to make any comment on the outcome of the grilling.

Muniruzzaman moved a petition on April 12 before a Chittagong court for quizzing the duo.

Former Directorate General of Forces' Intelligence DG Maj Gen (retd) Sadik Hasan Rumi on April 13 stated to the court that Rezzakul was involved in smuggling of the arms cache.

The court on April 17 directed the authorities concerned to interrogate them at jail gate.

Police seized 10 truckloads of weapons and ammunition from the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd on the night of April 1 in 2004.

Later they filed two cases -- one under the arms act and another for smuggling.

Source: The Daily Star (May 24, 2011)

Rangamati Killings: UPDF enforces road, river blockade

At least one person was bullet-hit during yesterday's dawn-to-dusk road and waterway blockade in Rangamati called by United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) protesting the killing of its four members on Saturday.

Pervez Alam, a passenger in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, was injured when unknown criminals opened fire from a roadside bush in Shalbaga area, some twenty-five km off Rangamati.

Alam, 20, of Chandanaish village in Chittagong, was hit in the leg and was admitted to Rangamati General Hospital.

An auto-rickshaw driver was wounded as pickets beat him at Moghachhari on the Chittagong-Rangamati road around 10:00am, Kawkhali police said.

All kinds of vehicular movement on the road and waterways were closed during the day-long blockade.

Around 9:00am, a running battle erupted between members of UPDF and Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), a pro-peace treaty body, at Moghachhari when a group of PCJSS supporters came out on the road with their bikes.

Pickets also smashed a bike at Kutukchhari Bazar around noon.

The UPDF, which opposes the peace deal in the hills, held a rally at Jurachhari protesting the gun attack on its members at Naraichhari under Barkal upazila.

Four of its members were killed in the attack allegedly orchestrated by PCJSS. PCJSS, however, denied the allegation.

So far police recovered three bodies while the body of Pulok Jibon Chakma is yet to be found.

No case was filed in connection with the Saturday's incident, said Iddris Ali, sub-inspector of Barkal Police Station.

Source: The Daily Star (May 24, 2011)

Govt eyes 27pc more revenue next FY

The government may set the target of total revenue earning at Tk 1,18,380 crore in the national budget for the next fiscal year, which is 27 percent higher than that in the present budget.

Revenue earning target in the present budget is 17 percent higher than in the budget for the previous FY (2009-10).

The share of income tax is 28.93 per cent in the earning by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in the current FY, and it will be 29.81 percent in the next budget.

The target of earning from income tax in the next budget will be 37 percent higher than in the present budget.

NBR sources said no new tax will be imposed for raising revenue earning. This will be done through various new initiatives and by limiting the scope of tax evasion.

Besides, the present upward trend of inflation will also contribute to higher revenue collection.

The NBR at a meeting with the prime minister last month presented its plan for increased revenue earning.

In its plan, the NBR said direct or income tax in the next budget will be increased to 29.81 percent of the total NBR earning compared to 27.47 percent in FY 2009-10.

Moreover, Value Added Tax (Vat) will be increased by about 0.70 percentage point to 35.77 percent of the total revenue. But import tax will be lowered to 33.72 percent of the total revenue after slashing it by 3.11 percentage point.

NBR officials said they are also going to lower the cost of collecting revenue. In FY 2009-10, Tk 0.74 was spent for collecting Tk 100 in revenue on an average but in the next FY, the cost will be lowered to Tk 0.70.

Revenue earning was more than the target in the first nine months of the current FY, said the NBR officials.

The finance minister has said the target may be increased by Tk 1,000 crore in the revised budget.

The officials said one of the main causes for the increase in revenue earning in this FY is high prices of commodities both in the domestic and international markets, and for this Vat, import tax and supplementary duty shot up.

Besides, a number of measures were taken to increase revenue earning. In some cases, tax rate was enhanced, sources said.

NBR officials said high inflation will continue in the next FY, which will normally increase revenue income. Alongside NBR is going to be automated, and new Vat and income tax laws introduced. All this will contribute to higher revenue collection.

They mentioned that there will be no change in import duty structure in the next FY. Possibility of imposing new tax except on cigarette and tobacco is very slim.

In the current FY, a survey has been conducted in some areas to find new tax payers, and in the next FY, more areas will be covered.

The central intelligence cell (CIC) will be strengthened to check tax evasion.

In the next budget, special focus will be given on raising non-tax revenue, the finance minister said.

Source: The Daily Star (May 24, 2011)

Interest rate of savings instruments may go up

Interest rate of savings instruments may go up by 0.5 to 1 percent in the next fiscal year, as their sale dropped by over 60 percent in the current fiscal year.

The issue was discussed at a meeting between Bangladesh Bank, National Board of Revenue (NBR), Finance Division and Savings Directorate at the central bank in the capital yesterday.

Chaired by Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Ziaul Hasan Siddiqui, the meeting agreed in principle on the matter, and it will be finalised later this week, meeting sources said.

The interest rate of different savings instruments was cut by 1 to 1.5 percent in the current fiscal year.

Following the slash, the net sale fell by about 65 percent in the first eight months of the current financial year.

At present four types of savings instruments are in the market -- Paribar Sanchaypatra, Pensioner Sanchaypatra, five-year term Sanchaypatra and three-year term Sanchaypatra.

In the current budget, the interest rate on Paribar Sanchaypatra was fixed at 11.04 percent while 10 percent on three-year term Sanchaypatra.

In addition, 10 percent tax was imposed on their profit. The tax may be brought down to five percent.

Source: The Daily Star (May 24, 2011)

Natore Jubo League activist shot dead

A Jubo League activist was shot dead in the town's Kanaikhali area last night allegedly by members of a rival faction.

The deceased is Rasu, 28, son of Abdur Rouf Noni.

Some four to five miscreants, led by Afzal, abducted him from Kanaikhali area yesterday morning and shot him in the head around 10:00pm, claimed Shariful Islam Ramzan, president of district unit JL.

Hearing his scream people rushed him to Natore Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared him dead, he added.

Shafikul Islam Shimul, secretary of Natore district JL and also the chairman of Sadar Upazila Parishad, said assailants shot secretary of the town JL unit Afzal Hossain on Thursday.

Rasu is one of the accused in a case filed in connection with the shooting incident.

Denying the allegation against Afzal, Shimul insisted Afzal was at Rajshahi Medical Collage Hospital for collecting a medical certificate of his treatment when Rasu was killed.

Police arrested Sabbir Hossain, Ripon Ali, Goutam, Shohrab and Subash for interrogation.

Nasirul Islam, additional superintendent of Natore police, said they suspect internal feud of JL led to the killing.

Additional police have been deployed in the town to maintain peace, added Nasirul.

No case was filed regarding the murder till filing of this report at 11:30pm.

Source: The Daily Star (May 24, 2011)

3 lakh Bangladesh workers in Malaysia to get MRP

The government yesterday decided to issue over three lakh machine readable passports (MRP) to the undocumented Bangladeshis in Malaysia to help expedite their regularisation process.


Following Malaysia's decision to regularise undocumented foreign workers, including around three lakh Bangladeshis, an inter-ministerial meeting was held at the home ministry.
Chaired by Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, the meeting was attended by officials of various ministries, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia and the Department of Immigration and Passport.
Malaysia's decision has not been officially announced yet, but diplomatic missions of countries of foreign workers were notified of it last week.
"We will take a crash programme to issue the MRPs which is the best way to enhance our image abroad," Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan told The Daily Star.
"We shall send additional staff to Malaysia by June 15, to do the job," Zafar said.
Other ministries including the expatriates' welfare and foreign affairs and home minister will extend all required assistance, the secretary said.
Director-General of the Department of Passports Abdul Mabud said there are no exact figures regarding the number of passports required.
"However, we will issue around four lakh MRPs," he said, adding, "We have adequate capacity, but would appoint locals from Malaysia, if required."
The process will start shortly and will be completed in three months, sources said.
Mantu Kumar Biswas, labour counsellor at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, said the undocumented workers willing to get regularised will have to provide their biometric features for registration.
Currently, there are around five lakh Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia. Malpractices led to a ban on recruitment early 2009 and many Bangladeshi workers became undocumented.
Failing to return home for not having job or travel documents, they have been facing threats of arrest and deportation.
Source: The Daily Star (May 24, 2011)

Rab to get 2 copters

The government is going to purchase two choppers at a cost of Tk 90 crore to equip Rapid Action Battalion better for carrying out anti-crime operations through the air.

A proposal to procure the aircraft, first of its kind for Rab, is likely to be placed in a meeting of the cabinet committee on government purchase today, said sources in the home ministry.

Besides, the housing and public works ministry will table another proposal to construct more than 500 flats in the capital and its adjoining areas.

Bell Helicopter Asia (Pte) Ltd will supply the copters to be purchased from the US.

According to the home ministry proposal, parts of the helicopters will be brought from the US to Singapore. The choppers will be assembled there and later flown to Bangladesh.

The government has allocated Tk 60 crore in the current fiscal year's budget for this purpose.

With the inclusion of choppers to its logistics, the elite force will be able to reach crime scenes quicker, noted a home ministry official.

The Air Force will be in charge of operation, maintenance and safety of the choppers, added the official.

The purchase committee meeting will also consider a scheme for building 360 flats, each measuring 1336 square feet, for government officials in the capital's Mirpur area, stated sources in housing and public works ministry.

The ministry will also propose to construct three buildings, each having 15 storeys, in Dohar upazila of Dhaka for the middle class people. The three units will have 168 flats with a floor area of 1298 square feet each.

Source: The Daily Star (May 22, 2011)

Adviser Imam asks Khaleda to apologise

Prime Minister's Adviser HT Imam yesterday blasted opposition leader Khaleda Zia for her remark that Awami League assumed power through a secret understanding with the last caretaker regime.

"She [Khaleda] will have to apologise to the people if she fails to prove her claim," he told a press conference at the AL president's political office in the capital's Dhanmondi.

BNP chairperson in a recent meeting in London had alleged that the decision of bringing AL to power was taken at a secret meeting among the chief adviser of the last caretaker government Fakhruddin Ahmed, the then army chief Moeen U Ahmed and Imam in Cox's Bazar, days before the 2008 polls, said the former bureaucrat.

Terming Khaleda's comment baseless, imaginary and ill-motivated, Imam insisted he had not been to Cox's Bazar in 2008, never even in five years before that.

He also complained the BNP chief is making such statements from the pain of being defeated in the last parliamentary elections.

The administrative affairs adviser categorically rejected BNP's demand for holding mid-term polls.

Imam urged Khaleda to join the parliament session and help a parliamentary body amend the constitution.

AL leaders Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin and Mrinal Kanti Das were present at the press conference.

Source: The Daily Star (May 22, 2011)

Online GD fails to make a mark

The government move to digitalise policing initially with online general diary has failed to make an impression as most people are unaware of it even a year after its launch.

Most people, who have recently visited police stations to file GDs for snatching, lost documents or other reasons, were found scratching their heads when asked why they did not go for online GDs.

In most cases it turned out that they have never heard of it.

"I visit the police station almost every month to report of stolen goods from my garage," said Ahammad Hossain at Tejgaon police station.

"But no-one at the station informed me that I could file GDs from anywhere," said the owner of a garage in Karwan Bazar.

As many as 2,082 GDs were filed electronically since the online system was introduced in March last year.

On the other hand, 38 police stations in the city received 32,721 handwritten GDs in April alone -- 15 times the number of online GDs recorded so far.

Police say the online general diary system, launched as an e-governance initiative, was intended to make it easier for citizens to file GDs. It meant no longer going to the police station to file a GD for "non-emergency" matters.

Instead, the system has remained merely as a window dressing, according to citizens and experts, who say the police have put little effort to make it attractive and useful.

"It seems the service exists only in name," said Mustafa Jabbar, president of Bangladesh Computer Samity, a national coalition of IT-based organisations. "It is just there without helping anyone, neither people nor the police."

A GD is usually filed for legal or security matters that do not warrant police cases.

Dhaka police stations receive over 35 handwritten GDs a day, compared to some five GDs or so that are filed electronically every month, insiders say.

The statistics came as little surprise to Anirban Ghosh, a Khilgaon resident.

The software engineer tried to file an online GD for his lost office identity card in December.

After losing his ID card, Anirban went home, fired up his computer and logged into the police website to file the GD, which involved filling out an elaborate form with required information.

Everything went well. He received an identification number for collecting a copy of the GD from the police station concerned.

Ten days later he received a call from his local police station.

"They said I did not provide enough information, so I need to visit the station and give a handwritten application instead," said Anirban.

"So here I am to file a GD that could have been taken care of ten days ago had I come here in the first place," he said, adding, "The website is a total waste of time."

Police officers admit the new system is unattractive, clunky and a flop among the citizens.

Speaking on anonymously, a top home ministry official blamed lack of promotion and the slow online process, which ironically is more time consuming than the handwritten process.

It takes days for the electronic diaries to get sorted and sent to the respective police stations, from where the complainants can collect their copies of GD, police sources inform.

"Conversely, you can file your GD and get a copy in five minutes if you go to a police station," commented a duty officer at Dhanmondi Police Station who refused to be named.

Police officers say the website is not user-friendly and does a poor job of instructing the citizens on how to fill out the diary properly. It creates problems for both the police and the complainants.

In October, Tejgaon police received a GD where the description of the incident read: "Dear Sir, Please save me".

The complainant, an alleged stalking victim named Shifa, mentioned the name of the stalker. But she did not provide any contact details or any other information.

The lack of user-friendliness in the website reflects poor efforts and planning from the police, experts observe.

They questioned the police administration's sincerity towards going digital and added that much of the corruption in police would go away with digitalisation.

This could be a reason for the lack of interest in implementing many of their digitalisation initiatives, said a retired police official requesting anonymity.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun during inauguration of the online GD system dubbed it as a part of fulfilling the government's electoral pledge of a "Digital Bangladesh".

If the online general diary system is a reflection of the government fulfilling its dream of "Digital Bangladesh", the country has big things to worry about, Dhaka residents observe.

Source: The Daily Star (May 22, 2011)

Mob kill 2 robbers

A mob beat two suspected robbers to death in Companyganj upazila of Noakhali Friday night.

They also vandalised a microbus used by the robbers.

On information, police rushed to the spot at about 10:30pm and arrested driver of the microbus Ilias and helper Rabbi.

Police said locals on information stopped a microbus carrying a gang of robbers around 9:00pm when the bandits were going to Bazar area of Musapur union from Chardiarar Balua.

They could catch two of the robbers while the others managed to flee. The mob beat the two up leaving them dead on the spot.

One of the deceased was identified as Jashim Uddin while the identity of another could not be known immediately.

Jashim hails from Gochchhagram and is an accused in a number of robbery cases, said Officer-in-Charge Monjurul Haque of Companyganj Police Station.

The bodies were sent to Noakhali General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Source: The Daily Star (May 22, 2011)

Govt delays procurement for farmers' benefit

The government is taking time to go for procurement of Boro rice to build a public stock as it considers market price of rice is still high, and public purchase of it for providing price incentives to farmers is not needed at this stage.

In the previous years, procurement of Boro rice for government stock used to start in mid or late April.

But this year the food ministry has not yet announced a procurement policy while Boro harvest is already more than halfway through, and will be over by the first week of next month.

Some experts support the government strategy, but others oppose it saying small and marginal farmers, who are forced to sell their produce during peak season to repay their loans for Boro cultivation, will face losses or make marginal gains that will discourage them to grow rice.

"Rice price is still high, though it started declining. Paddy price is not yet at a level that farmers will face losses. If we see farmers are really deprived of fair prices, we shall surely procure rice," said Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury.

Coarse rice prices in the capital's markets now range from Tk 30 to 34 a kg, that of medium quality rice from Tk 35 to 40 and of fine rice from Tk 41 to 50. The prices have fallen 6-7 percent in the last one month, but still these are 14-20 percent higher than during the corresponding period last year.

Food ministry officials said prices of coarse rice in the rural markets are also not less than Tk 28 a kg. Paddy prices are between Tk 525 and Tk 750 a maund depending on varieties compared to Tk 750-1100 in March, according to farmers and rice millers.

Matia Chowdhury, who is also on the Food Policy Monitoring Committee, said, "Throughout last year, farmers made good gains. At the present prices too, they are making gains."

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) assessed production cost of milled boro rice this year is Tk 24-25 a kg, she mentioned.

The agriculture minister said that fixing rice procurement price at Tk 27-28 will be fine, but market price of coarse rice is still higher than this. A prime goal of public food procurement is price support for farmers, but as the price is still high, the government is waiting for it to decline, she added.

Ahmad Hossain Khan, director general of food directorate, said, "Rice price could go up if we start procurement immediately."

Prices would come down further when harvest is over 80 percent, mainly in the major Boro producing districts in the northern region of the country.

Dr Quazi Shahabuddin, former director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, supported the government strategy, but suggested that it must keep a watch on food prices both in the domestic and global markets.

"If prices in the international market are lower than those in the domestic market, the government will surely go for import."

Former food secretary Abdul Latif Mondal however said the government has to go for rice procurement immediately to ensure interests of small and marginal farmers, if not of the big farmers.

"Small farmers sell paddy immediately after the harvest to pay the loans they take for cultivation. Low prices of paddy means losses for them," he said. "If these farmers make more gains, they will grow more, which is crucial to food security."

Mondal warned that rice traders, who take large amounts of bank loans, are controlling the rice market now, and will continue to do so if the government further delays rice procurement.

Referring to last Boro season, he said the government managed to buy less than six lakh tonnes of rice while the target was 12 lakh tonnes. Later, under pressure from rice millers, it had to increase procurement price to Tk 28 a kg from Tk 25.

"We must take lessons from the past. Higher prices should go to the farmers, not to the rice millers," he said.

Source: The Daily Star (May 22, 2011)