Soya bean oil price rises sharply

Soya bean oil prices shot up at the retail market in the capital over the week surpassing the fixed price submitted by some of the oil refiners despite a new distributorship system for selling the edible oil was launched one week ago.

On Monday, Loose soybean oil was sold for Tk 125 per kilogram at the retail market in the city, an increase by Tk 15 over the week although two of the refiners set oil price at Tk 110 per kilo and submitted the price to Tariff Commission.

The distributors said that they were not getting bottled soybean oil from the refiners. They will not be able to get the booked oil from the refiners until mid-August.

They also claimed that the refiners might have adopted the tactics to discourage the distributorship and keep the delivery order system for their interest.

Abul Hashem Khan, a wholesaler at Moulvi Bazaar said.'If we book today for oil the refiners set the delivery date for August 10. They are not supplying the oil instantly.'

Shahin, a trader at Karwan Bazar said that he had paid the money for soybean oil but the refiners informed them they would not deliver oil before one and half months.

Under the new distributorship order, the refiners were supposed to submit the retail price of oil and sugar to the Tariff Commission before starting the distributorship. But most of the companies have not submitted the price list of the commodities.

According to the Tariff Commission, there are 15 companies in the country who refine oil and sugar. But none of them submitted the price of bottled soybean oil.

It seems that the refiners were not submitting the retail price of oil for increasing the price of bottled oil, said Shah Alam, a retailer at Karwan Bazar.

Last week, at a meeting with the refiners and businessmen the commerce minister said that the ministry would not interfere with the refiners in setting price of sugar and oil. The ministry also made some other conditions flexible upon request from the refiners.

However, the commerce ministry officials did not admit any problem regarding the distributorship.

Commerce ministry joint secretary Shawakat Ali Waresi said, 'We have not heard any problems about the distributorship system… it is going well. We will get the evaluation on July 7.'

Source : New Age

Jute cultivation doubles on strong global demand

Jute cultivation has nearly doubled this year from that of 2010 thanks mainly to a sustainable price and multipurpose use of the fibre across the globe.

According to the Directorate of Agricultural Extension data, around 8.33 lakh hectares of land has been brought under jute cultivation this year. The area was around 4.8 lakh hectares last year with the yield standing at 50.79 lakh bales or 10.58 bales per hectare.

The DAE estimates this year's total yield of raw jute at 88.30 lakh bales, based on an assumed average production of 10.6 bales per hectare.

The DAE at the beginning of this year had targeted jute cultivation in 7.5 lakh hectares of land with an estimated production of 79.5 lakh bales. 

The area brought under jute cultivation has nearly doubled year on year as farmers are now more eager and encouraged to cultivate the cash crop due to a rising price trend fuelled by increased demand as well as more diverse use of jute across the world, said DAE deputy director Moshleh Uddin Faruque.

DAE officials however apprehend that the assumed increased yield of the fibre following the cultivation boost may result in the farmers incurring loss as traders often take the opportunity of overproduction to lower the price.

Faruque said the government should take steps to procure jute from the farmers at a sustainable price to prevent such an eventuality.

He said the DAE had already submitted a proposal to the jute ministry for allocating a fund of Tk 500 crore to Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation for procuring jute from the farmers at a reasonable price. However, the decision on the proposal is yet to be made, he added.

In terms of cultivation area, Jessore tops the districts with 2.15 lakh hectares of land brought under jute cultivation, followed by Barisal with 2.08 hectares, Rangpur with 1.19 lakh hectares, Rajshahi with 1.37 lakh hectares, Mymensingh with 0.86 lakh hectares, and Dhaka with 0.52 lakh hectares. Jute has also been cultivated in 0.16 lakh more hectares of land in Comilla, Sylhet, and Chittagong districts.

Faruque said the state-owned Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory Limited has manufactured around 15,396 jute fibre separators (ribbon retting devices) worth Tk 3.62 crore under a government initiative. The devices that can separate fibres from jute stalks with very little water will be distributed among the targeted farmers by July 15.

DAE officials said the devices would be distributed among the targeted farmers of 171 upazilas in the districts that usually see little rainfall like Naogaon, Pabna, Thakurgaon, Kurigram, Dinajpur, and Jessore.

The Bangladesh Jute Research Institute in collaboration with the DAE has trained a number of farmers on how to operate the ribbon retting devices.

The local jute industry, which employs around 1.50 lakh workers, has now become the second largest export earner after the readymade garment industry.

The jute sector in fiscal 2009-10 logged 76 per cent higher export earnings year on year at $736 million, equivalent to Tk 5,225 crore approximately, and the demand for Bangladeshi jute on the global market continues to be buoyant in the current fiscal year too.

In the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, the country has earned $1030.57 million from export of jute and jute goods, posting a 42.04 per cent year-on-year rise. Of the sum, raw jute exports accounted for $331.61 million, jute yarn and twine $463.58 million, jute sack and jute bag $188.86 million, and other jute products $46.52 million.

Source : New Age

Reformed science edn stressed to cut unemployment

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Monday said that science education of the country needed redesigning to address unemployment.

'Every year 30 lakh people enter the job market in search of employment. It is not possible for the government to provide jobs for so many. But they can be self-employed by generating work for themselves. In this regard a proper science education can help them create their

own occupations,' Nahid said.

He was addressing as the chief guest a two-day international workshop titled 'scientific education for sustainable development,' jointly organised by the education ministry, UNESCO and Commission for Sustainable Development in the South at the BIAM auditorium in the capital.

Education secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and head of UNESCO Dhaka office Derek Elias spoke at the workshop, among others.

The government will undertake programmes to facilitate the scientific research work in the country so that the researchers do not have to go abroad for it, he further said.

The government also intends to immediately implement the National Education Policy 2010, which stresses the importance of vocational education, he added.

A total of 34 representatives from 21 countries attended the workshop.

Source : New Age

Demand for constitutional recognition of ethnic people

Civic groups on Monday demanded specific provisions in the Constitution of the Republic enshrining civil, political and cultural rights of all ethnic minorities.

'It's necessary for building peace,' they said.

They were speaking at the launching of a book containing national and international laws on indigenous peoples hosted by Kapaeeng Foundation and Oxfam-GB at the National Planning Academy. Kapaeeng, a Khumi word of Bandarban means 'right.'

Chakma circle chief Devashish Roy, assistant attorney general Pratikar Chakma and lawyer Shirin Lira, jointly edited the book, 'Compendium on National and International Laws and Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh.'

Justice SK Sinha of the Appellate Division expressed the hope that following amendment specific provisions would be incorporated in the Constitution enshrining the rights of the country's population groups having their own culture and customs that make them distinct from the country's mainstream population.

Raja Devashish Roy, himself a barrister, said that Constitutional recognition of ethnic peoples, particularly their customary laws and contracts like CHT accord 1997, was a must for upholding rule of law and justice.

Devashish said that for the implementation of the CHT Accord it was essential for it to have constitutional recognition.

Otherwise, he said, the constitutionality of implementation of the CHT Accord and the legality of the regional council formed in according with the Accord could be questioned as it happened recently.

Devashish recalled a recent HC decision which struck down the regional council as unconstitutional.

He said it was, therefore, essential for the CHT Accord to have constitutional recognition.

He said that the HC questioned the legality of the accord as it lacked the recognition.

Raja Devashish said, 'Recognition in the constitution is a must to ensure our rights.'

A former caretaker government adviser, Devashish said that the word 'tribal' and its bangle version 'Upajati' is derogatory and unacceptable.

He said that it would be totally unacceptable to use the term  'tribal' in the amended Constitution to describe the ethnic minorities.

He expressed the hope that the government would use the correct terms to describe and identify the ethnic minorities.   

Former chief justice and caretaker government chief adviser M Habibur Rahman said it would be good for all, not to create new conflicts. 

He said that reconciliation alone could provide a solution.

Justice Rahman called for ensuring the community based right to land and the customary rights of the indigenous peoples.

Oxfam-GB programme manager MB Akhter and programme officer Saikat Biswash, Kapaeeng Foundation chairperson Rabindranath Soren, Human rights and legal education committee chairman ZI Khan Panna spoke, among others.

Source : New Age

Change in temperature unlikely

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at most places over the Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions and at many places over the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions till 6:00pm today.

Moderately heavy to heavy falls are also likely at places over the country, Met Office said.

Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital today at 6:50pm and rises tomorrow at 5:14am.

The country's highest temperature, 33.0 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Monday at Ishwardi and the lowest, 24.5 degrees, in Rangamati.

Source : New Age

Narayaganj starts its journey as city corporation

Narayanganj started its journey as a city corporation on Sunday with taking over charges by the newly-appointed administrator Mohammad Shah Kamal, also joint secretary of primary and mass education ministry.

Situated on the eastern bank of the River Sitalakhya Narayanganj was upgraded into a city corporation with merger of Kadamrasul municipality in Bandar upazila, Siddhirganj town and Narayanganj last month.

The announcement was made through a gazette notification by the LGRD ministry on May 5.

With publication of the gazette Narayanganj became the 8th city corporation of the country.

Though appointment of Shah Kamal as administrator of the city corporation was made on Thursday he attended his duty at Narayanganj City Corporation office on Sunday.

With taking over office by the administrator, Narayanganj ceased to exist as municipality and formally started its journey as city corporation, according to the local government administration rule.

The administrator will conduct policy-making and administrative activities of Narayanganj until a mayor is elected to the newly-declared city corporation.

However, most of the local representatives, including former ward councillors, elite of the city, businessmen and general public want an elected mayor and councillors run the city after holding of city corporation polls.

Source : New Age

RU students stage sit-in for TSCC

Rajshahi University students on Monday staged an hour-long sit-in in front of the university administrative building, demanding immediate construction of Teachers-Students' Cultural Centre.

About two hundred students, including activists of different political and cultural organisations of the university, brought out a procession that marched along the campus thoroughfares.

Later, the students gathered in front of the university administrative building at 12:00pm and staged sit-in, sources added.

They performed street drama, music and other cultural progrmmes during their sit-in to drum up support for their demands, sources also added.

When contacted, RU vice chancellor Abdus Sobhan told the New Age that a decision on TSCC would be taken in Monday's (yesterday) syndicate meeting. 

Source : New Age

Ctg developers urged to abide by bldg code

Chittagong Development Authority chairman Abdus Salam on Monday called on the property developers to go by the building construction rules properly in the Chittagong city.

Abdus Salam made the call at a meeting of the Chittagong city development committee at the CDA office.

He said that the real estate companies must follow the Bangladesh National Building Code and Chittagong Metropolitan City Building Construction Rules 1995 particularly because the city fell in a highly earthquake prone region. 

'The CDA in its resolve to ensure the quality of building construction will identify the violators of the construction rules and take action against them,' he said.

The apartment buyers suffer the worst for the activities of the dishonest property developers, he observed, adding that the CDA would train its engineers who had joined the office just finishing their graduation.

The CDA will soon begin enlisting the real estate establishments and soil testing companies that are mushrooming in the city, he said.

At the meeting Mohammad Jahangir, chair of the Chittagong city development committee, presented the investigation report on 22 construction projects for which their companies were accused of violating the related rules.

Mohammad Jahangir also informed that there were around one lakh and eighty-two thousand buildings in the port city of which around 90 per cent were built defying the BNBC.

'According to the extent of violation of the rules, we have classified these buildings under major, medium and minor categories,' he said, adding that the offender companies would be fined.

He also said that the Chittagong city development committee would continue its investigation.

With the CDA chairman in the chair the meeting was also addressed, among others, by Ali Ashraf and Mohammad Harun, former presidents of Institute of Engineers, Chittagong, Kazi Aynul Haque, managing director of Equity Property Management, and Shahinul Islam Khan, CDA deputy chief city planner.

Source : New Age

JS passes land acquisition bill

The Dhaka Elevated Expressway Project (Land Acquisition) Bill-2011 was passed in parliament on Monday with provision of compensation for those whose land would be acquired for implementing the project.

Earlier, land minister Rezaul Karim Hira placed the bill for the 26-kilometre elevated expressway in parliament on June 21.

According to the new law, none can claim compensation if any installations are established or types of land changed hampering public interest.

In such cases, if any person or organisation claims compensation, it would be rejected by the deputy commissioner, the act said.

The bill also kept provision of filing appeal with the deputy commissioner by the aggrieved person within seven days after denial of the claim. Provision has also been made in the bill to give a reviewed order within five working days after filing of any appeal.

It said if the appeal was rejected, the petitioner will have to shift his or her establishments at his or her own cost and responsibility.

If the petitioner does not shift the installations, the deputy commissioner can hold an open auction and deposit to the government exchequer the money from the sale of the installations, said the act.

The bill also kept the provision for giving flats or land plots or money as compensation as per the earlier ordinance to the effect.

The government owns 80 per cent of the land needed for the 26-kilometre expressway while it has to acquire 20 per cent more belonging to the citizens.

The expressway is designed to link Shahjalal International Airport with Kutubkhali on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, says the bill.

The bill proposes payment of due compensation to the landowners so that no untoward incidents could occur at the time of land acquisition.

It states that the government had taken the project to cut down the capital city's traffic congestion.

The expressway would be built under public-private partnership at a cost of Tk 8,703 crore.

Source : New Age

UP chairman candidate dies, 8 go missing in boat capsize

A UP chairman candidate drowned and eight of his supporters went missing as a boat capsized in Jadukata river in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj on Sunday night.

When chairman candidate of Uttar Badaghat union parishad Abdus Samad along with his 20 to 30 supporters were crossing Jadukata river to go to Laurer Gar village for election campaigning the boat carrying them sank in the river at 8:00pm.

Some 10 passengers managed to swim ashore while the rest went missing.

Local people recovered the body of Abdus Samad from the river after a hectic search at night.

Four of the missing people were Siddique Miah, Ramjan Ali, Al Amin and Ibrahim, residents of various villages of Badaghat union of Tahirpur upazila.

Source : New Age

Govt plans new river port at Teknaf

The Shipping minister, Shajahan Khan, on Monday told the Jatiya Sangsad that the government plans to set up a river port in Teknaf area in Cox's Bazar district.

'The government has a plan to set up a river port on Shapuri island in Teknaf,' said the minister replying to a question during the question-answer session.

He said that the ministry has already formed a committee in this regard headed by a joint secretary.

'We will make the announcement about the river port after getting the report of the committee,' he said.

Replying to another question, the minister said that Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation incurred a loss of Tk 9042.82 lakh in last four years from its steamer service.

A total of six steamers have been plying on the country's six river routes, said that minister.

In reply to another question, Shajahan Khan said that the government has taken a project to buy two rescue ships and the project would be implemented by the year 2013.

The minister, replying to another question,

said that Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority completed dredging of 14 rivers in fiscal year 2009-2010 to improve navigation.

Source : New Age

Jamaat countrywide demo June 29

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will stage demonstration across the country June 29 demanding withdrawal of the name of its chief Matiur Rahman Nizami from the charge sheet of 10 truck arms haul case.

The Jamaat acting secretary general, ATM Azharul Islam, announced the programme at a press conference at the party's central office in the city Monday afternoon.

Speaking at the press conference, Azharul also demanded immediate release of its detained leaders.

Jamaat leaders Shafiqur Rahman, Rafiqul Islam Khan, Hamidur Rahman Azad MP, ATM Masud, Nurul Islam Bulbul, Matiur Rahman Akand and Abdul Halim, were, among others, present at the press conference.

Source : New Age

Boy held with arms, ammunition in Tangail

The police arrested a teenage boy along with 100  bullets, a foreign made pistol and a magazine at Deohata in Mirzapur upazila on Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu Highway on Monday morning.

Source : New Age