Grim situation persists

With a grim record of 10 deaths in the custody of law enforcers every month after the Awami League-led government assumed office, the nation today observes with the rest of the world the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

According to rights activists, custodial death and torture go unabated, as the government has neither enacted a law criminalising torture nor followed the High Court verdict delivered on April 17, 2003 with directives detailing procedures of arrest and interrogation in order to stop torture in custody.

According to a study of rights organisation Odhikar, at least 286 people died in the custody of law enforcers between January 6, 2009 and May 31 this year after the Awami League-led alliance assumed power.

Most of the 286 deaths were reportedly caused by torture in custody, the rights watchdog said.

Of the 286 custodial deaths, 108 were reported in 2009, in 2010 the number of deaths in custody was 109 and 69 died between January 1, 2011 and May 31, 2011.

Besides, Odhikar records show that 126 others were tortured between January 6, 2009 and May 31, 2011.

'It is reported that allegations of torture and violation of human rights are on the rise during the present government and the actual figures of custodial death and torture are much more than the reported incidents, as in most of the cases the victims and their families do not disclose the incidents because of weak justice dispensation system and in fear of harassment,' Odhikar secretary Adilur Rahman Khan told New Age on Saturday.

The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1997 and is celebrated each year on June 26.

Bangladesh ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture in 1998 and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2000. The country is, however, yet to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.

The countries which have ratified the convention are obliged to enact national laws criminalising torture.

No such enactment has yet been done in Bangladesh.

Besides, the government is yet to amend section 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure despite a High

Court verdict that had asked it to reform the law to stop torture in custody in the name of interrogation.

The High Court bench of Justice Md Hamidul Haque and Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury on April 7, 2003 delivered the landmark judgement issuing a series of directives aimed at stopping abuse of power by law enforcers in arresting persons on suspicion and interrogation of people remanded in custody.

In the verdict, the court had directed the authorities concerned to build rooms with glass walls in jails for interrogation of arrested persons. Until such arrangements are made, the arrested will be interrogated at jail gates in the presence of their relatives and lawyers, the court said.

No such rooms with glass walls have been set up yet and no relatives or lawyers have been allowed to be present during interrogation of anyone arrested.

The International Crimes Tribunal on April 13 reprimanded the government for not implementing the directives, as the jail authorities informed the tribunal that they were unable to arrange interrogation of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami amir Matiur Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed in jail.

Referring to the 2003 verdict, the tribunal chair, Justice Nizamul Huq Nasim, said, 'The government is yet to make arrangements for interrogation of the detainees in prisons eight years after the pronouncement of the verdict… It shows the attitude of successive governments in implementation of the court verdicts.'

In the verdict, the High Court issued a 15-point directive to the government and asked police officers, magistrates, jail officials, and sessions' judges to ensure that human rights were not violated.

The directives were issued in the judgement on a public interest litigation writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust and a number of other rights organisations and activists challenging the abuse of arbitrary power of law enforcers to arrest on suspicion and torture of people remanded in police custody.

The writ petition was filed in November 1998 against the backdrop of the government's inaction in implementing and making public the recommendations made by the judicial inquiry commission of Justice Habibur Rahman Khan, formed to investigate the killing of Shamim Reza Rubel, a university student who died in custody of the Detective Branch on July 23, 1998. He was arrested on suspicion under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The inspector general (prisons) brigadier general Ashraful Islam Khan said that he was not aware of the verdict as it was pronounced eight years ago when he was not in prisons service.

A senior Dhaka central jail official, however, said that he had heard about the verdict but had received no directive.

The home minister, Sahara Khatun said that she could not confirm the exact situation of the implementation of the verdict.

She, however, said that the directives might not have been implemented as an appeal against the verdict was still pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

Justice Nazmul Huq, however, during the hearing in the case of Nizami and Mojaheed on April 5, said that the Appellate Division had not stayed the operation of the 15-point directives, the implementation of which was ordered with an immediate effect.

BLAST's counsel Idrisur Rahman on Saturday said that the Appellate Division had allowed the government to appeal against the verdict for further hearing in the recommendations the High Court made for amendment to the CrPC and stayed the operation of the recommendations.

'But,' Idrisur said, 'no stay order was issued on the operation of the 15-point directives. The Appellate Division had rather said that the 15-point directives would remain undisturbed and must be implemented immediately.'

In the verdict, the High Court said, 'We are conscious that some of our recommendations cannot be implemented without making necessary amendments to the relevant law but at the same time we would like to insist that some of the recommendations may be implemented immediately as these are in conformity with some of the existing provisions of the constitution and the code itself. So, we would like to issue some directions to follow them immediately.'

In the directives, the court said when an arrested person would be produced before the nearest magistrate, the police officer would state in his forwarding letter as to why the investigation could not be completed in 24 hours and why he considered that the accusation or the information against that person was well-founded. He will also transmit a copy of the relevant entries in the case diary to the magistrate.

If the magistrate, on consideration of the reasons stated in the forwarding letter, thinks that the accusation or the information is well-founded and there are materials in .the case diary for detaining the person in custody, he will pass an order for further detention in jail. Otherwise, he will release the person forthwith, the directives said.

If the magistrate releases a person on the ground that the accusation or the information against the person produced before him is not well-founded, he will take step to prosecute the police officer for arresting the person without well-founded grounds.

The verdict said that if the magistrate passes an order for further detention in jail, the investigating officer shall question the accused, if necessary, for the purpose of investigation in a room in the jail until a glass-walled room is constructed.

Source : New Age

BB to redefine CDR to add Tk 5,000cr liquidity

Bangladesh Bank on Wednesday said it would redefine the credit-deposit ratio of commercial banks to tackle the liquidity crisis in the banking sector and that the new initiative would increase the banks' investment capacity by Tk 5,000 crore.

The central bank at a news briefing presided over by deputy governor Murshid Kuli Khan denied the existence of any liquidity crisis and claimed the main problem was the banks' inefficient asset management.

Musrhid Kuli Khan explained the liquidity situation of the banks and the central bank's strategy to tackle the crisis.

He said, 'The BB provided Tk 9,303 crore to different banks as liquidity support.'

'The CDR does not get highlighted due to weak fund management system of the banks,' he claimed.

He said the central bank would issue a circular in a day or two stating the new guidelines

that would show the liquidity in the banking system was much more than what was being reported but the real amount was not calculated due to the banks' inefficiency.

'The banks will be more relaxed and it

will not increase the inflation rate in any way,' he added.

According to the new move, the BB will allow the banks to include the amount of their capital, other provisions, inter-bank deposits, and the excess money kept to meet the cash reserve requirement, except the borrowings from call money market, in the amount that can be invested.

BB executive director Shitangshu Kumar Sur Chowdhury said, 'The BB estimates the new clarification of liquidity will add around Tk 5,000 crore to the amount which can be used by the banks for investment.'

He said, 'According to the new calculation, the existing assets of the banks will be added to their deposits, whereby the banks will get more money to hand out loans.'

He explained that there was a CDR shortfall not liquidity crisis and said the government borrowing from the banking system and the BB would not affect the money market in any way.

'The banks in line with the BB directive reduced the CDR to 81.54 per cent by May from 85.64 per cent in February,' he mentioned.

Earlier in February, the BB directed the commercial banks to reduce the CDR to 85 per cent and the Islamic banks to 90 per cent.

The banks, financial institutions, and business leaders have recently been reporting that they were facing a liquidity crisis but the central bank has been claiming that there was an excess liquidity of Tk 28,000 crore in the banking system.

The Bangladesh Association of Banks on Monday urged the Bangladesh Bank to increase the ceiling of CDR of commercial banks from 85 per cent to 90 per cent and of Islamic banks from 90 per cent to 95 per cent. 

BB executive director Jahangir Alam also spoke at the briefing.

Source : New Age

Change in temperature unlikely

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

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

Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in Dhaka today at 6:49pm and rises tomorrow at 5:13am.

The country's highest temperature, 35.5 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Wednesday in Rajshahi and Ishwardi and the lowest, 24.0 degrees Celsius, in Rangamati.

Source : New Age

Speakers for pro-people citizens’ charter

Speakers at a daylong workshop in Rajshahi on Wednesday underlined the need for formulating pro-people citizens' charter for smooth public services.

They also stressed public access to all civic services.

The Rajshahi district administration and public administration ministry under Civil Service Change Management Programme hosted the workshop on 'citizens' charter for improving civic services' at the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner's Office.

With Rajshahi deputy commissioner Delwar Bakth in the chair, public administration additional secretary Abu Bakar Siddique, also the national project director, addressed the inaugural session as the chief guests while Rajshahi divisional commissioner Abdul Mannan, additional deputy commissioner (education and development) Subol Bose Mini and additional deputy commissioner (general) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman spoke on the occasion as the special guests.

The speakers said the present government had taken initiatives for formulating the citizens' charter aimed at building competent, dynamic and time-fitting public services.

Public administration deputy secretary Abu Taz Muhammad Zakir Hossain gave an outline of the programme.

About 50 government officials, public representatives, professionals and non-governmental organisation's activists also attended the workshop.

Source : New Age

Rajshahi silk, mango show begins

A three-day silk and mango exhibition was lunched in the Rajshahi city on Wednesday with a view to popularising the products.

We are Rajshahi Dwellers, a welfare organisation, arranged the programme, sponsored by mobile operator Banglalink at the Green Plaza on the Rajshahi City Corpo-ration building premises.

The organisers brought out a procession from the exhibition ground and huge number of city dwellers joined the procession with banners and placards.

With drumbeats, the procession marched the city streets and ended at the Green Plaza.  

Rajshahi panel mayor Sariful Islam Babu, as the chief guest, inaugurated the programme.

We are Rajshahi dwellers president Abu Bakkar Ali, also former president of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, general secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed, among others, addressed the inaugural ceremony.

Source : New Age

Use of surface water stressed to cut pressure on groundwater

Government and foreign missions officials on Wednesday gave importance on using surface water to reduce pressure on groundwater.

They made the observation while visiting the Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Phase II project in the capital.

Dhaka WASA managing director Taqsem A Khan said Saidabad project phase II started in April 15, 2010 which would be finished in December 2012.

'This phase will have a pre-treatment plant which will be producing water during the dry season to remove bad smell in the water as surface water goes down during the season,' he said.

Taqsem A Khan said through this project WASA would go to use the surface water which would be a great achievement.

Danish ambassador Svend Olling said the people of the Dhaka city must go for the surface water which should be properly treated.

Citing Saidabad plant as 'one of the biggest water treatment plant', he also said engineers from France and Denmark came here because of strong political support.

French ambassador Charley Causeret said the second phase was very impressive and much better than the first phase and added that Denmark and France were happy to participate in the project.

The project manager, Jon W Moellebro, said at present the construction work of the project was completed between five to ten per cent and expressed confidence that the work would be completed in time.

Martial Dautrey, another project manager, said the same treatment process, which was used in the first phase, would be followed in the second phase. 

DWASA managing director said the Denmark government gave about Tk 800 crore out of about Tk 1,140 crore for the project's expenditure.

'We are only a little behind meeting the daily demand of 225 crore litres and if the project is implemented that would also produce more 22.5 crore litres of water daily,' he added.

Taqsem A Khan said water of the River Sitalakhya would be used in the second phase.

Land requisition for the third phase of the project had already been done and a project of $1.6 billion was under consideration while planning of two other water treatment plants at Pagla and Khilkhet was also in progress, he added.

Among others, project director of Saidabad plant's phase II and III Mohammad Serajuddin and Danish embassy's deputy head of mission Jan Moller Hansen were present at the plant.

Source : New Age

SCC announces Tk 275.95cr budget

The Sylhet City Corporation on Wednesday announced a Tk 275.95 crore budget for 2011-12 fiscal year.

The new budget did not impose any new tax on the city dwellers with a view to keeping balance between income and expenditure.

Sylhet mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran announced these at a briefing at the city corporation conference room.

He said the last year's budget was of Tk 268.91 crore, he said.

The mayor said the RCC tried its best to prepare a suitable budget for the next financial year to keep balance between the city corporation's ability and expectation for ensuring an overall development in the city.

He also sought cooperation of the city dwellers in achieving the development goals and providing better services.

'The city corporation would be able to earn about Tk 50.21 crore from its own resources in the next fiscal year,' he added.

Focusing water logging in the city and drinking water crisis as major problems, the mayor said ECNEC had approved an estimated project of Tk 236 crore.

'Works of several development projects had already been started and the projects, which included installation of two surface water purifying plants and 15 deep tube-wells to meet water crisis, were expected to be completed by the next financial year, if the government allocation under the projects remained uninterrupted,' he added.

He also informed the media that Tk 5.60 crore would come from the government's annual development project and Tk 13 crore from the special grants of the government.

Sylhet deputy commissioner Abu Syed Md Hashim and ward councillors were present at the programme.

Source : New Age

UGC allocates Tk 253 crore for DU budget

The University Grants Commission has allocated Tk 253 crore for Dhaka University's 2011-12 fiscal year's budget.

The university authorities had submitted a proposal for allocating Tk 281 crore for this year's budget to the UGC, but it granted Tk 253 crore after analysing present conditions of the university, said a DU official on Wednesday.

The UGC also asked the DU authorities to manage rest of the amount from internal sources, he added.

He also said the university authorities had no choice, but to increase academic fees to meet the deficiency.

He said the allocation would certainly not adequate for the mounting educational expenditures.

The official said the main share of the budget, about Tk 224 crore, was kept for salary, allowance and pension of teachers, officials and employees.

Only about Tk 24 crore was allotted to meet expenses for education, research and other sectors in the budget and the amount was very tiny in global contest, he said further.

DU treasurer Mizanur Rahman said the university would announce its budget for 2011-12 fiscal year at its syndicate meeting on June 28-29, 2011.

Source : New Age

Water stagnation persists in Ctg city

Water stagnation in Chittagong city takes a severe turn every year with the advent of the rainy season despite its wonderful natural drainage system.

A little rainfall is enough to inundate the low-lying Chaktai, Bakalia, Khatunganj, Asadganj, Agrabad, Badurtala, Rahmatganj, Halishahar, Chandgao, Chawkbazar, Muradpur and Kapashgola.

The incumbent mayor, Manjur Alam, in his election manifesto had pledged to address water-logging in the city. But even after one year of his tenure, the city people's complaint about the nagging water stagnation remained unaddressed.

'We live on the ground floor of a student mess. Every year the floor goes under water during the rainy season,' complained Mustafijur residing at Nasirabad.

'The canals are not excavated regularly while there is hardly any drive to free the city canals and riverbanks from the grabbers,' said Mohammad Mamun, a resident of Agrabad. 

'After excavation, the garbage is piled up on the both sides of the drains and canals. As a result, the rainwater washes away the garbage again into the canals and drains', said Minu Barua, a dweller of Tigerpass.

The Chaktai canal, the major carrier of city household water and wastes into the River Karnaphuli, and other canals and drains have narrowed down and industrial and household wastes have made the canals shallow.

The grabbers in many places have built shops and other establishments along the canals and riverbank. As a consequence, the whole area around Chaktai- Khatunganj goes under water with a little rainfall.

To make the matter further worse, Ab-e-Jam Jam, a ship stuck at the confluence of Chaktai-Karnaphuli for eight months, is obstructing the free flow of water.

When contacted, city corporation magistrate Kazi Mohammad Abdur Rahman told New Age that they had already launch drives on a regular basis against the grabbers of canal and river embankments in order to ensure their free flow of water.

Bijoy Kumar Chowdhury, president of the permanent committee for addressing water stagnation, an initiative of the city corporation, told New Age that the city corporation had taken a Tk 17.50 crore project to address water stagnation in the city.

To restore the free flow of canal and drain water, they have been removing the silt and garbage in 41 wards of the city.  

'Compared with previous year, the extent of water stagnation in the city has reduced by up to 25 per cent. About 60 per cent work of the project to address water stagnation has been completed. If implemented fully, the project would reduce water-logging to a great extent', said Bijoy.

Meanwhile, experts and city planners have stressed concerted efforts of all to address the water stagnation in the port city.

'There should be well coordination between the city corporation and the Chittagong Development Authority. Besides, all government bodies should work together to address the problem; the city corporation cannot alone address it,' said AKM Rezaul Karim, chief CCC city planner.  

'The canals of the city, particularly the Chaktai canal, have to be freed from the grabbers. Road or footpath could be built on the both sides of the canals to reclaim the encroached canals,' added Rezaul. 

Terming the natural drainage system of the Chittagong city as wonderful, Rashedul Hasan, lecturer in urban and regional planning of the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, said lack of adequate maintenance of canals and drains was responsible for water stagnation in the city.

The authorities concerned should take precautionary measures before the advent of rainy season, he said, adding the city dwellers should not throw their household wastes into the drains.

Source : New Age

NUST observes 5th founding anniversary

Noakhali University of Science and Technology observed its fifth founding anniversary on the university premises on Wednesday.

The teacher and students of the university brought out a colourful procession marking the day while the local lawmaker Ekramul Karim Chowdhury participated. The procession paraded university campus and the main roads of the district headquarters.

Chaired by the NUST vice-chancellor, Professor AKM Sayedul Haque Chowdhury, a discussion meeting was held at the campus where Alauddin Ahmed, advisor to the Prime Minister for Education, Social Develop-ment and Political Affairs, attended as a chief guest.

SM Nazmul Islam, vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and Professor Sharif Enamul Kabir, VC of Jahangirnagar University attended as special guest while Professor Mominul Haque, registrar of the NUST, Md Abdullah Al-Mamun, president of the NUST Teachers Association, and student representatives addressed the meeting.

A cultural programme was held after the discussion meeting.

Noakhali University of Science and Technology observed its fifth founding anniversary on the university premises on Wednesday.

The teacher and students of the university brought out a colourful procession marking the day while the local lawmaker Ekramul Karim Chowdhury participated. The procession paraded university campus and the main roads of the district headquarters.

Chaired by the NUST vice-chancellor, Professor AKM Sayedul Haque Chowdhury, a discussion meeting was held at the campus where Alauddin Ahmed, advisor to the Prime Minister for Education, Social Develop-ment and Political Affairs, attended as a chief guest.

SM Nazmul Islam, vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and Professor Sharif Enamul Kabir, VC of Jahangirnagar University attended as special guest while Professor Mominul Haque, registrar of the NUST, Md Abdullah Al-Mamun, president of the NUST Teachers Association, and student representatives addressed the meeting.

Source : New Age

Day-labourer killed

A day-labourer was killed falling from a under construction building in Cox's Bazar Sadar upazila on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Abul Kalam, 18, son of Mohammad Jahangir in Light House area in Cox's Bazar.

The Cox's Bazar police and witness said that Abul Kalam and other labourers were working at 8th floor of a under construction building of Bengal Holding Limited Company in Kolatoli area of Cox's Bazar town. At one stage Abul Kalam fell on ground from the 8th floor at about 12:00pm.

The workers rescued him and took to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital where duty doctors declared him dead.

The Cox's Bazar police visited the spot and recovered the body and sent it to the hospital morgue for autopsy.  A case was filed.

Source : New Age

Increased salinity in farm land decreases crop output

Salinity particularly in the thousands of acres of croplands in the country's vast southern region is increasing almost alarmingly causing possibilities of turning a large number of croplands into barren lands in future, according to agriculture experts.

Rapidly spreading salinity was not only decreasing fertility of the croplands or increasing cost of crop production, but it was also severely affecting aqua life, biodiversity and threatening food security in Barisal region, the expert said.

Admitting the fact, the acting additional director of Barisal regional Department of Agriculture Extension, Debangshu Kumar, said that situation was deteriorating day by day.

The DAE experts said that the tolerable degree of salt in land for the production of crops was the maximum four to five unit deci Siemens per meter.

Water with electrical conductivity of only 1.15 dS/m contains approximately 2,000 pounds of salt for every acre foot of water.

Sources of regional offices of Department of Agriculture Extension, Department of Hydrograph of Water Development Board and Soil Resource Development Institute said that rapidly expanding aggression of salinity on croplands reached to 4.28 lakh hectares in 2009, from 3.77 lakh hectares in 2000 and 2.78 lakh hectares in 1973.

It means aggression salinity spread more than 27 per cent in 2000 than 1973 and more than 47 per cent in 2009 from 1973.

In 1973 the salinity affected lands were 2.18 lakh hectares in Barguna and Patuakhali districts and 0.60 lakh hectares in Bhola and Pirojpur districts.

This affects spread in more than to 3.77 lakh hectares in 2000 within 27 years.

However the aggression of salinity became speedier within next 9 years and expanded to 4.34 lakhs hectares, more 20 per cent areas, in 2009 in all of the six districts of Barisal division.

'Even salinity is now affecting at least 15 thousand hectares lands of Barisal and Jhalakathi districts, which are more than 110 kilometres far away from the coast and rapidly spreading to upper stream of north,' acknowledged Ifterkharuzzaman, scientific officer of Barisal office of SRDI.

'About one-third of the cultivated land and one-fifth of the arable land in the region are now under threats of rapidly expanding salinity,' he said.

The salinity has reached 6 to 7 dS/m per meter inside embankment and 9-12 dS/m outside embankment in different areas of the region including Kalapara, Galachipa of Patuakhali, Sadar, Amtali and Patharghata of Barguna, Zia Nagor, Nazirpur of Pirojpur, Lalmohon, Manpura of Bhola districts, according to the related sources.

During the dry season, salinity stands there at 9-11 inside to 12-16 dS/m, outside embankment, the experts noticed.

Besides over flowing of river-tide, destroy and damages of embankments during disasters like Sidr and Aila and changing climate decreasing amounts of raining in the region and also helping aggression of salinity with effect of loss of fertility.

Affected fishermen and farmers are now searching for alternative livelihood and urging for research to find out salinity resistant varieties of crops to save them from incurring losses and burden of loans.

The agriculture research department already invented IRRI-47 variety of up to 12 ds/m saline resistant paddy   and expanding its cultivation in salinity affected areas and continuing research for more powerful saline resistant variety, the DAE acting AD said.

Source : New Age

Change in admin

Education ministry's additional secretary Md Sirajul Islam has been transferred to the Election Commission Secretariat as additional secretary.

The public administration ministry on Wednesday issued a gazette notification to the effect.

Besides, deputy secretary to the information ministry Tandra Sikder has been transferred to the public works ministry as deputy secretary, officer on special duty (deputy secretary) Md Khairul Islam has been posted to the finance division, deputy secretary to the science and information & communication technology ministry Shyama Prasad Bepari has been sent to the information and communication division as deputy secretary and deputy secretary to the Election Commission Secretariat  Ahmed Morshed has also been sent to the ICT division as deputy secretary, said another order issued on the day.

Deputy secretary Imran Hossain, who was deputed to the primary education directorate as director, has been withdrawn to the public administration ministry for fresh posting.

Source : New Age