Greece hit by 48-hr strike against austerity cuts

Greece ground to a halt Tuesday as a 48-hour general strike began to bite while the bankruptcy-threatened government attempted to push through sweeping austerity cuts.

Apart from the metro, no public transport was operating in Athens and the streets were relatively empty, with many people deciding to stay away from work to join the fourth general strike called this year by the country's two biggest unions.

Subway employees decided not to strike so as to allow Athenians to join planned protests in the capital.

But banks were closed and hospitals were functioning on reduced staffing while at airports, dozens of domestic flights by Greek airlines Olympic Air and Aegean were cancelled as air traffic controllers went on strike.

In the port of Pireus, near Athens, which links most Greek islands with the mainland, the main seamen's union was not officially on strike, as the tourist season is just getting under way.

Nevertheless around 200 militants from a communist union and a port employees' union picketed to prevent ferries from leaving the port.

A string of rallies are planned for Tuesday, focused on Syntagma Square — home to the Greek parliament and a magnet for tens of thousands of protesters who see the international community as imposing tough conditions for their bailouts.

'We think these measures and government policy are bad for workers in general. They are cutting salaries, they are cutting pensions and cutting social services. In fact they are taking money off workers to give it to banks and big business,' a port employee and unionist told the AFP.

Parliament is scheduled to vote Wednesday and Thursday a package of austerity measures aimed at slicing 28.6 billion euros from government spending by 2015, and raising what international partners hope can reach 50 billion in privatisation receipts.

The EU and IMF have demanded the cuts and sell-offs in order provide the latest tranche of funding under last year's 110-billion-euro bailout package.

Approval of the austerity measures by lawmakers would also allow work to proceed on a second bailout of a similar size.

Meanwhile the Greek press on Tuesday welcomed a French initiative to come up with a long-term rescue plan for debt-ridden Greece.

President Nicolas Sarkozy announced Monday that France was working with private lenders on a 30-year scheme to give Greece time to get on top of its debt mountain.

The economic daily Naftemporiki carried a front page photo of Sarkozy while the pro-government daily Ta Nea had a headline hailing the French 'solution'.

Source : New Age

Germany, China ink $15b deals

Germany and China held their first joint cabinet meeting Tuesday and inked more than $15 billion in business deals but Chinese premier Wen Jiabao warned Europe against interfering in its internal affairs.

The new contracts, including one for the purchase of 62 A320s from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, were signed at a press conference with Wen and Chancellor Angela Merkel after a meeting of 23 German and Chinese ministers.

Berlin rolled out the red carpet during the two-day stay of the Chinese delegation, starting with an informal dinner for Wen and his inner circle hosted by Merkel at a lakeside villa Monday.

But Wen insisted Tuesday that despite 'growing and deepening ties,' he would not accept lectures on human rights or the rule of law from European partners.

'China respects the political system and the development model chosen by the citizens of the EU,' he told a conference of German and Chinese business leaders at a Berlin hotel.

'In exchange, we expect from the EU respect of our sovereignty, our territorial integrity and the autonomous choices of the Chinese people.'

At the press conference, Merkel welcomed the release of prominent Chinese dissident Hu Jia and outspoken artist Ai Weiwei from custody amid a government crackdown on dissent.

But she said that Germany expected Ai's case and others like it to receive a 'transparent' handling by Chinese authorities.

Western nations including Germany had repeatedly urged Ai's immediate release. But Berlin has expressed serious concerns about apparent restrictions on Hu and Ai including their freedom to speak to the media.

Human Rights Watch had urged Berlin to place the issue front-and-centre at the talks, saying that Ai's release showed 'that political pressure on the Chinese government works.'

While Merkel welcomed Wen to her chancellery with military honours, a few dozen demonstrators waved Tibetan flags and shouted 'Freedom for Tibet!' in German.

And at the end of the press conference, a German protester held up a golden-coloured, waving cat figure emblazoned with Chinese characters and a club in its paw, which he called a 'prize' for Wen.

'For the economy, for billions in deals,' he shouted.

Relations between China and Germany hit a low point in September 2007 when Merkel welcomed the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader whom Beijing brands a dangerous separatist.

Wen told reporters in London Monday that China would not accept 'finger-wagging' over human rights.

No financial details were given on the Airbus deal but press reports in Germany said the framework agreement was worth more than seven billion euros ($10 billion).

Source : New Age

TEPCO braced for furious shareholder meeting

Already battered by the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years, Tokyo Electric Power Co on Tuesday faces furious shareholders whose investments have evaporated after the March 11 disasters.

TEPCO shares have lost around 85 per cent of their value since a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that crippled cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, with three reactors suffering meltdowns.

The company faces huge costs amid anger at its handling of the crisis and the prospect of public funds being used as part of a public-private government scheme to ensure TEPCO can meet trillions of yen in compensation.

Around 85,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, farms and businesses in a 20-kilometre (12-mile) zone around the radiation-spewing plant, with evacuation pockets also further afield.

Riot squads and around 150 police officers will be deployed around the hotel in Tokyo where the annual meeting of shareholders is to take place Tuesday with protests planned by residents of Fukushima and anti-nuclear activists.

'My anger for TEPCO is beyond words. I want to tell them to take all responsibilities,' Toshiko Furusho, a 72-year-old shareholder pushing for TEPCO to abandon nuclear power, told AFP.

'There is no way our tax money should be used to cover compensation.'

Analysts say the event will see fiery debate on the fate of TEPCO's nuclear power business, while attendance is expected to be higher than last year's 3,342.

A proposal for the company to abandon nuclear power will be presented to the company's 746,927 shareholders with voting rights, but is highly unlikely to be adopted, according to Japanese media.

Source : New Age

Austerity only way to avoid Greek default: EU

European Union economic affairs chief Olli Rehn pressed the Greek parliament on Tuesday to adopt a tough austerity programme, saying it was the 'only way to avoid immediate default.'

'This week Greece faces a critical juncture. Both the future of the country and financial stability in Europe are at stake,' Rehn said in a statement.

'I trust that the Greek political leaders are fully aware of the responsibility that lies on their shoulders to avoid default,' he said.

'The only way to avoid immediate default is for Parliament to endorse the revised economic programme.'

Rehn slapped down speculation that Europe was working on a contingency plan in case Greek lawmakers this week reject 28.6 billion euros in budget cuts and tax rises as well as a 50-billion-euro privatisation programme.

'To those who speculate about other options, let me say this clearly: there is no Plan B to avoid default,' he said.

A high-ranking European official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has said that a Plan B was in the works, stressing that 'the next step is not a default of Greece.'

German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in a newspaper interview published on Sunday that the eurozone must be 'prepared for the worst' and would cope even if Athens defaulted on its debt.

Rehn reiterated that passing the austerity measures was a pre-condition for the EU and IMF to release 12 billion euros from last year's 110-billion-euro bailout, which Athens needs by July to avoid financial collapse.

'They must be approved if the next tranche of financial assistance is to be released,' he said.

'The European Union continues to be ready to support Greece. But Europe can only help Greece if Greece helps itself,' he said.

Source : New Age

Wal-Mart to set up e-commerce HQ in Shanghai

US retail giant Wal-Mart has said it signed an agreement with the Shanghai government to set up a China e-commerce headquarters in the city to boost its presence in the fast-growing market.

Under a memorandum of understanding signed on Monday, the company will strengthen collaboration with the city government on training of personnel and offer Chinese consumers 'a wider selection' of products online.

'The scale of online sales in China is expanding rapidly and is projected to match US online sales in the next few years,' Wan Ling Martello, Wal-Mart's executive vice-president of Global eCommerce, said in a statement.

'We are very optimistic about China's e-commerce market and its growth potential,' she said.

Wal-Mart announced last month it had agreed to buy a minority stake in Chinese online grocery store Yihaodian, or 'number one store' in Chinese. It did not provide financial details of the deal.

Consumer online spending in China nearly doubled to 513.1 billion yuan ($79.3 billion) in 2010 from a year earlier, accounting for around three per cent of total retail sales in the country, according to the China e-Business Research Centre.

That figure could exceed one trillion yuan in the next two years, the institute said in a report released early this year.

Highlighting the growing appeal of China's Internet market, foreign companies such as Adidas, Gap and Wal-Mart have opened online stores in the country, which has the world's largest web population at 477 million.

Wal-Mart's first quarter net profit rose three per cent to $3.4 billion as strong international sales offset weakness in its home market in the United States.

Source : New Age

Euro holds firm on Greek hopes in Asia

The euro held steady against major currencies in Asian trade Tuesday as investors were lifted by reports that officials were close to approving austerity measures key to Greece avoiding a debt default.

The single currency was flat at $1.4277 in Tokyo afternoon trade from New York late Monday. It eased slightly to 115.32 yen from 115.51.

The dollar eased to 80.78 yen from 80.90 yen.

On Monday Greek prime minister George Papandreou begged parliament in Athens to pass drastic austerity measures and keep the country 'on its feet'.

Dealers in Tokyo said investors are cautiously watching Wednesday's vote, which must be passed for Athens to receive the next 12 billion euro tranche of a bailout package from the European Union and IMF and pay its debts next month.

'Positive news regarding Greece overnight and a rebound in the stock market is making it tough to sell the euro against the dollar,' said Kuniyuki Hirai, manager at the foreign exchange trading department of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.

However, he cautioned: 'Many people in the market probably think the vote will pass, although uncertainty remains. But even after Greece approves the bill, it isn't certain whether the euro will show a strong rally,' he said.

Source : New Age

Oil turns lower in Asian trade

Oil turned lower in Asian trade on Tuesday as Greek workers launched general strikes in protest over tough austerity measures lawmakers are due to vote on this week.

The strike, intended to last 48 hours, paralysed transport and public services as legislators debated the measures tied to the country's receiving rescue loans to avert bankruptcy.

Analysts have warned that a Greek default risks sparking a contagion across the rest of Europe that many fear this could again shake the global financial system.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in August, was down five cents to $90.56 a barrel in the afternoon, and Brent North Sea crude also for August dipped 31 cents to $105.68.

'Generally, prices are reflective of the economic condition of the world such as the debt issue in Greece,' said Shailaja Nair, an analyst with energy information provider Platts.

Greek prime minister George Papandreou begged his parliament late Monday to do its 'patriotic duty' and vote to keep the country 'on its feet.'

Source : New Age

market Disclosures

Shahjalal Islami Bank
Nasima Akter, one of the sponsors/directors of the bank, has reported her intention to sell 1,00,000 shares out of her total holdings of 61,34,460 shares of the bank at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.

Delta Spinners
Trading of the shares of the company will be allowed only in the spot market and block/odd lot transactions will also be settled as per spot settlement cycle from June 29 to July 3. Trading of the shares of the company will remain suspended on record date on July 4 for EGM.

Popular Life Insurance Co
Mohammad Akhtarul Haque, one of the sponsors/directors of the company, has reported his intention to sell 15,000 shares out of his total holdings of 2,76,180 shares of the company at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.

One Bank
Hefazatur Rahman, one of the sponsors/directors of the bank, has reported his intention to sell 30,000 shares out of his total holdings of 6,23,907 shares of the bank at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.

Standard Bank
Harun Rashid Chowdhury, one of the sponsors/directors of the bank, has reported his intention to sell 10,000 shares out of his total holdings of 3,59,930 shares of the bank at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.

Peoples Insurance
Md Farhad Ahmed Akanda, one of the sponsors/directors of the company, has reported his intention to sell 2,33,990 shares out of his total holdings of 17,07,037 shares of the company at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.

Pragati Life Insurance
The board of directors has recommended 12 per cent stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2010. The AGM will be held on September 15 at 12:00pm at Jumuna Resort Ltd at Bhuapur in Tangail. Record date will be on August 25.
    Source: DSE

Source : New Age

Mercantile Insurance elects new chairman

Abdul Haque has recently been elected chairman of Mercantile Insurance Company Limited for the eighth time. He was elected at the 15th annual general meeting of the company held in Dhaka on Monday, said a news release.

He is a sponsor director of Mercantile Insurance Company. He is also the founder chairman of Shamol Bangla Media Limited, owner of Bangla Vision, a satellite TV channel company.

Source : New Age

Afghan central bank chief flees to US

Afghanistan's central bank governor has resigned and fled to the United States, saying his life is in danger over a corruption probe targeting influential figures connected to the government.

President Hamid Karzai's government on Tuesday dismissed the claims made by Abdul Qadir Fitrat, chairman of Da Afghanistan Bank, insisting his life was not under threat and calling him a 'runaway governor'.

'I announce my resignation from the position of governor of the central bank of Afghanistan immediately,' Fitrat said in a statement issued as he visited the United States, where he reportedly has permanent residency.

'Unfortunately, central bank's independence on regulatory and supervisory matters has recently been undermined by the repeated interference of high-level political authorities,' he said.

The governor has claimed his role in an investigation into the near-collapse last year of Kabul Bank, the war-torn country's largest private lender, had put him in peril.

'My life was completely in danger and this was particularly true after I spoke to the parliament and exposed some people who are responsible for the crisis of Kabul Bank,' he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

In April, Fitrat named in parliament high-profile figures who were allegedly involved in corruption scandal amounting to nearly $1 billion at Kabul Bank, which handles the pay of thousands of Afghan civil servants.

The bank was founded in 2004 by Sherkhan Farnood, a leading international poker player. Its co-owners included Mahmood Karzai, a brother of president Hamid Karzai, and a brother of vice-president Mohammad Qasim Fahim.

The scandal has highlighted chaos and corruption in Afghanistan's financial system at a time when US-led combat troops are due to start leaving the country, a decade after ousting the fundamentalist Taliban regime.

Some foreign troop withdrawals are due to start next month, with 10,000 United States forces scheduled to leave by the end of this year.

President Karzai's spokesman Waheed Omer angrily dismissed Fitrat's claims.

Source : New Age

India growth depends on reform, says Geithner

US treasury secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday urged India to open up its financial sector, warning that future growth in the rapidly emerging economy depended on new reforms.

But in key annual talks, Geithner and Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee struck a largely conciliatory tone and said that the world's two largest democracies shared common interests.

Geithner said that India was still 'reaping the benefits' of reforms in the 1990s when prime minister Manmohan Singh, then the finance minister, ended decades of socialist-style state planning of the economy.

'But I think India is at the point where future growth will depend on the success in this next wave of reforms,' Geithner told a forum.

'I think in many ways, the Indian economy is outgrowing its financial system,' he said. Geithner said India will have 'huge needs' for new capital to start businesses and that the United States hoped to play a 'significant' role.

India opened up its banking sector since the 1990s, but state-owned institutions — often with archaic infrastructures — still play a dominant role. Much of the 1.2 billion-strong population lacks access to modern banking.

Mukherjee said Singh's government hoped to move ahead on reforms in three key areas — banking, insurance and pension funds — but needed first to bring onboard other political parties.

'The talks to build a consensus are going on and I do hope it will be possible, with the help of parties concerned, (to) be able to get these legislations passed,' Mukherjee said.

The planned start of India's parliament has been delayed due to controversy over the separate issue of an anti-corruption bill.

India has also been considering other controversial reforms including opening up its retail sector. International giants such as Walmart are eager to enter India but face opposition in a country where mom-and-pop stores dominate.

India's economy grew 7.8 per cent in the three months to March, a dip from recent quarters as output and investment are hit by aggressive hikes in interest rates, which are meant to tame inflation.

Mukherjee said that India's annual inflation rate would ideally be between 5.0 and 6.0 per cent but that 'we can deal with' up to 6.5 per cent. Inflation soared to 9.06 per cent in May, aggravating misery for India's millions of poor.

But Geithner, who spent part of his childhood in India, praised the overall direction of the South Asian nation, saying it has pursued a 'more balanced' form of growth.

'India is in some ways a model for how to produce broad-based income growth,' Geithner said. 'It's a good, positive example for the rest of the world.'

The talks with Mukherjee had none of the friction that characterise US ties with China, Asia's other billion-plus nation. While India's growth is largely domestic-driven, China has run up a giant trade surplus with the United States and other developed nations through an economy based on exports.

'I think if you look at this relationship, one of the things that's so encouraging about it is the relative absence of drama,' Geithner said of relations with India.

Geithner welcomed Mukherjee to a dinner on Monday evening. On Tuesday, Mukherjee was to meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who is expected to visit India in the near future.

Relations between India and the United States were rocky in the Cold War but have rapidly improved since the 1990s.

Source : New Age

Dhaka bourse suspends Lafarge Surma trading

The Dhaka Stock Exchange on Tuesday suspended the trading of the shares of Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd for an indefinite period due to unusual rise in its share price, an official of the bourse said.

In the previous two trading days, the bourse kept the trading of the shares of the company halted on the same ground for certain periods.

'The trading of the company's shares was suspended as the price of its shares was rising abnormally,' said Md Shafiqur Rahman, deputy general manager of the DSE.

'The DSE management will conduct an investigation into the price hike,' he said adding that the trading of the company's shares would resume after completion of the enquiry.

The price of the

scrip rose to Tk 488 on Tuesday from Tk 390.50 on June 19.

The company did not give any dividend to shareholders for 2010 while its accumulated loss stood at Tk 381.64 crore on Mach 31.

The DSE on Tuesday also kept halted the trading of the shares of National Life Insurance Company Ltd and Karnaphuli Insurance Company Ltd for the day for unusual rise in the prices of their shares.

Source : New Age

Remove red tape to boost S Asian trade: Faruk Khan

Commerce minister Faruk Khan on Tuesday held the bureaucratic tangle responsible for the snags in the way of removing all sorts of tariff, non-tariff and other barriers to boosting trade in the region.

Nexus between bureaucrats and politicians is indispensable in the interest of the people, he said urging the bureaucrats to take a fresh vow to work for the common regional interests.

'Either bureaucrats in the region are inefficient or politicians have failed to give correct directives to prepare a list of regional trade barriers and remedies for the economic development. That should be our agenda in the region,' Faruk added.

He was inaugurating a daylong regional meeting on 'Economic Non-Cooperation to Consumers in South Asia' as chief guest at BRAC Inn in the city.

Prime minister's international affairs adviser Gowher Rizvi, who spoke at the meeting as the special guest, pointed out that poor infrastructure, state of transport and related services and tense political relations between SAARC states were slowing down the economic integration process in the region.

Institute for Policy Advocacy and Governance, Bangladesh arranged the seminar in cooperation with Consumer Unity and Trust Society of India.

Syed Munir Khasru of Institute of Business Administration of Dhaka University and country representative of the Asia Foundation, Bangladesh M Mazumdar and research coordinator of CUTS Geveva Resource Centre Rashid S Kaukab also spoke on the occasion.

Faruk said increasing the trade tie with South Asian countries means creating a competitive business environment in the region leading to higher standards of living, new investment opportunities, infrastructure development, access to quality products and highly paid jobs.

Source : New Age

DSE maintains gains on speculative buying

Dhaka stocks gained for the second day on Tuesday with the increase in investors' participation in the trading as the speculation intensified that the government might allow legalisation of undisclosed money by investing in the capital market, market operators said.

The DGEN, the benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, advanced by 36.30 points, or 0.61 per cent, to close at 5,970.48 points. The index had gained 92.92 points in the previous day after a marginal fall on Sunday.

Turnover of the bourse, however, dropped to Tk 771.52 crore on Tuesday from Tk 831.91 crore in the previous day.

Market operators said both individual and institutional investors remained active as a number of newspapers reported that the government might finally include a provision in the budget for fiscal 2011-2012 allowing legalisation of undisclosed money invested in the capital market.

Business leaders at a meeting on Sunday had requested the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to include the provision and she had assured them that the government would consider the demand.

Last week, the parliamentary standing committee on finance ministry also suggested the finance ministry to include the provision.

A DSE stockbroker said, 'Investors are buying shares as they expect that the market will grow further.'

Out of the 255 issues traded on the day, 191 advanced, 57 declined, and seven remained unchanged.

The stockbroker said bank issues dropped on Tuesday after a jump in share prices in the previous day as investors took profits.

United Commercial Bank topped the turnover leaders on the day with Tk 34.19 crore. Other turnover leaders were Aftab Automobiles, One Bank, MI Cements, LankaBangla Finance, Southeast Bank, Beximco, City Bank, National Bank, and Grameenphone.

Source : New Age

BPC wants to borrow $250m from 3 multinational banks

The Energy Division has forwarded a proposal of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation to the government's Hard-Term Loan Committee to allow it to borrow $250 million from three multinational banks for import of fuel.

Officials said that the Energy Division on Monday sent the committee the BPC's proposal to get permission to take loans from the HSBC, Standard Chartered and Citi Bank at an interest rate of 5.3 per cent.

If the Hard-Term Loan Committee, headed by finance minister AMA Muhith, approves the proposal, the banks will arrange a road show to collect the fund which will be loaned to BPC for six months, said a high official.

'The interest rate of the banks will be at par with the rate of the Islamic Development Bank, which is the major supplier of funds to the BPC,' he said.

BPC officials said that they were finding it difficult to arrange funds to import fuel oils, including diesel and kerosene, because of increased bills.

The annual oil bill will be increased to around $4-$5 billion in the next fiscal year because of the installation of a large number of oil-based power plants.

'The IDB will provide us around $700 million in the July-December period. We will also get the proceeds from selling fuel oils. But as their prices at the consumer end are lower than the import cost, BPC will need additional fund for continuing the import of fuel oils,' said the official.

The import of fuel oils will rise to around 6 million tonnes a year from around 4 million because of the oil-based power plants.

The BPC took loans worth $250 from the Standard Chartered Bank in FY2006-07 when the country's oil import bill was around $2 billion.

Source : New Age

Trade deficit to cross $8b: CPD

The country's trade deficit in the current financial year will cross $8 billion, Centre for Policy Dialogue executive director Mustafizur Rahman has said.

Reviewing the latest updates of export-import data, he told the news agency on Monday that the trade deficit stood at $6.43 billion in the first 10 months of the 2010-11 fiscal.

'This figure is much higher than any whole-year deficit in the past. The deficit will cross $8 billion mark if the accounts of the last two months are added,' he said.

The trade deficit was $4.5 billion in the first 10 months of 2009-10 fiscal year and $5.152 billion in the year.

According to the central bank statistics, Bangladesh imported goods worth $24.745 billion while exported products valued at $18.315 in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year.

Most of the export earnings, $14.17 billion, came from readymade garment sector.

Bangladesh Bank statistics suggest that import expenditure outpaced the export earnings during the period.

According to the statistics, export earnings increased by 41.13 per cent while import cost increased by 41.51 per cent.

In 2009-10 fiscal year, export earning went up by 4.11 per cent and import expenditure by 5.47 per cent.

The CPD executive director said: 'Trade deficit is always there in our country. But this time the deficit will be higher than any other past period. Basically, the rise in import expenditure led to the trade deficit.'

'Prices of food, fuel, oil and every other thing increased in the global market. Import of these goods also rose due to higher demand. So the import expenditure also went up,' he explained.

Mustafizur also said: 'Fuel import rose due to establishment of rental power plants. Import of fabrics and yarns also increased as export of garments rose. A large amount of money was spent on these heads.'

Trade deficit registered a record high in 2007-08 fiscal year as the country had to import a large amount of food following Sidr, a devastating storm that hit Bangladesh in November 2007 destroying crops of its southern areas.

The deficit was $5.33 billion that fiscal year and $4.71 in the following one.

It was $2.21 billion, $2.31 billion, $3.29 billion, $2.88 billion and $3.45 billion in the fiscal years from 2002-03 to 2006-07 respectively.

In his budget speech for 2011-12 fiscal year, finance minister AMA Muhith said: 'We've taken a number of programmes to develop the investment condition by improving power, infrastructures and other sectors.'

'Trade deficit has increased due to the rise in fuel price and fuel import volume and import of machinery for power plants that we are constructing,' he added.

The finance minister also said the situation would improve soon.

'A foreign-investment-friendly field will be created by improving power sector and infrastructures. It'll help decrease trade deficit,' he said.

Source : New Age

Divisional tree fair launched in Khulna

Khulna divisional tree plantation and fair 2011, jointly organised by the Khulna district administration and Sundarban West Zone of the Forest Department, began in the Khulna city Tuesday.

Khulna mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque inaugurated the programme at

the Shaheed Hadis Prak as the chief guest of the ceremony.

The speakers at the programme called on the general public to plant more trees and present their relatives with plants of local species and friends on special occasions.

Earlier, a colourful procession was brought out from the Khulna Circuit House premises to end at the fair ground at Shaheed Hadis Park after parading the main city roads.

Representatives from the government departments, non-governmental organisations and different civic groups, students of different schools and journalists attended the programme.

The fair has 42 stalls and a nursery pavilion with a number of nurseries, showcasing a range of medicinal, garden, forest and fruit-bearing species, said the organisers.

The 15-day fair will be open from 10:00am to 8:00pm every day and end on July 12.

Chaired by Khulna deputy commissioner Jomsher Ahmmad Khandokar, the inauguration was addressed, among others, by Khulna divisional commissioner Mohammad Moshiur Rahman, Khulna Superinten-dent of Police Tanvir Hayder Chowdhury, Khulna circle conservator of forest Mohammad Akbar Hossain and Sundarban West Zone divisional forest officer Johir Uddin Ahmed.

Source : New Age

Demo continues at SAU

The Sylhet Agricultural University students continued their agitation on Tuesday, demanding adjustment in the existing credit system for evaluation.

Campus sources said no academic activities, including classes and scheduled examinations, were held on the day as the students locked the administrative and academic buildings.

The vice-chancellor and other officials and employees could not enter their offices as the students locked the two entrances of the administrative building at about 8:30am.

Students of the fisheries department said two scheduled examinations of the level 3 students were postponed as the authorities could not enter the administrative building to collect the question papers.

Being contacted, fisheries faculty dean Matiar Rahman Hawladar told New Age in the afternoon that new schedule of the postponed examinations would be announced later.

The campus sources said the students at first locked the entrances of the administrative building and then all faculty buildings on the campus.

The students also set fire to tyres in front of the university buildings and at all the roundabouts, brought out processions and held rallies on the campus in protest at the authorities' decision not to allow a student's promotion if he/she fails in more than 20 per cent examinations of the credit courses in a semester.

They students, however, unlocked the faculty buildings after 1:00pm, but kept the administrative building locked till 5:00pm.

The university proctor, Anwar Hossein, told New Age that they should not support the students' demand, because the quality of education system of the university would fall if the demand was met.

'The authorities will rather take a sterner position in this regard,' he added.

The first and second batches' students of SAU began the movement on Wednesday last, demanding the credit limit at 40 per cent.

Source : New Age

Change in temperature unlikely

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

Moderately heavy to heavy falls are also likely at places, 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 5:15am.

The country's highest temperature, 36.0 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Tuesday in Jessore and the lowest, 24.4 degrees, in Feni.

Source : New Age

RU to form committee for TSCC

The Rajshahi University authorities will form a 15-member committee for taking steps to open its Teachers Students Cultural Centre as soon as possible.

The decision to set up the committee came out at a RU syndicate meeting, presided over by vice-chancellor Abdus Sobhan, at his residence on Monday night.

The VC, however, could not say when exactly the committee would be formed. 

Meanwhile, the students, in continuance of their movement, brought out a procession and staged songs and dramas on the campus Tuesday morning.

Source : New Age

JnU discloses 2011-12FY budget

The Jagannath University authorities on Tuesday announced Tk 29.98 crore budget for the fiscal year 2010-11

The 39th syndicate meeting of the university approved the annual budget for the university on Monday.

JnU treasurer Professor Shawokat Jahangir disclosed the budget at a news briefing in the university vice-chancellor's conference room at about 1:00pm where vice-chancellor Professor Mesbahuddin Ahmed was present.

Of the total budget, the University Grants Commission will give Tk 21.68 crore and the university would manage Tk 8.30 crore from its own income.

Like every year, the lion part of the budget, which is about 67 per cent, will be spent for salary and allowances of the teachers and officials.

This year 13.30 per cent of the total budget will be spent in education-related areas while 12.3 per cent will be spent in general services.

Tk 25 lakh will be spent for central library renovation, Tk 7 lakh on research work and 8.80 per cent of total budget will be spent for repair, collecting resources and transport. 

University registrar Mohammad Ohiduzzaman, acting proctor Asoke Kumar Saha, public relations officer Sayed Faruk Hossain and publication officer Md Saiful Islam were present on the conference.

Source : New Age

KCC places Tk 179.64cr budget

The Khulna City Corporation on Tuesday announced Tk 179.64 crore budget for 2011-2012 financial year, imposing no additional taxes.

The mayor, Talukder Abdul Khaleque, declared the budget at Shaheed Altaf Auditorium of Nagar Bhaban in the city He announced the revised budget of Tk 150.28 crore for 2010-2011 financial year against the proposed budgetof 159.19 crore andsaid inadequate tax collection and government allocation were responsible for it.

In the proposed budget, Tk 54.83 crore would be spent from KCC's own income and the rest Tk 124.81 crore from government allocation for development projects.

Marking the 2011-2012 fiscal year as the year of development of the city, the mayor declared that no new holding and business taxes would be imposed this year.

He said Tk 19.60 crore would be spent for public works, Tk 2 crorer for emergency water sector, Tk 3.40 crorer for public health sector and Tk 5.05 crore for conservancy sector from the government's annual development projects. Besides, if the corporation gets Tk 10 crore, it would be spent for public works, he added. 

He said Tk 77.26 crore would be spent in government approved seven projects including road and footpath extension, infrastructure development, establishing sanitary landfill, establishing linier park by the side of River Moyur,  urban public and environmental health sector development and Bangladesh municipal development fund.

The budget also allocated Tk 7.50 crore in a project for development of slum dwellers' socio-economic development funded by World Bank and different donor agencies.

The budget declaration ceremony, chaired by KCC finance and establishment standing committee chairman Memori Sufia Rahman Sunu, was also attended by KCC panel mayors – Ajmol Ahmed Tapan, and Ruma Khatun and chief executive officer Tapan Kumar Ghosh.

Source : New Age

CCC proposes Tk 915cr budget for 2011-12FY

Chittagong mayor M Manjur Alam proposed a budget of 915.16 crore for the fiscal year 2011-12 on Tuesday.

He had announced this at a budget session held at the Theatre Institute of the Chittagong city.

Allocations under six major heads in the proposed budget are Tk 446.64 crore for development works, Tk 126.59 crore for staff salary and allowance, Tk 118.45 crore for immovable properties, Tk 103.60 crore for paying dues, Tk 25.45 crore for maintenance and repairs, and Tk 27 crore for power, fuel and water bills.

Allocations under three smaller heads are Tk 6.16 crore for welfare activities, Tk 3.15 crore for rents and taxes and Tk 2.8 crore for advertisement and publicity.

Besides, Tk 34 crore has been allocated for some other minor items while the rest Tk 21.30 crore has been kept under the head of other expenditure.

The CCC expects to draw Tk 640.87 crore of the total budget from its own sources while Tk 274 crore as assistance and donation.

The major sources of its revenues will be Tk 352.90 crore as outstanding holding taxes, 135.40 crore as current holding taxes, Tk 73.18 crore as other taxes, 29.16 crore as rents of different establishments and Tk 18.12 crore as different fees.

The rest of the revenues will come from different smaller sources.

A revised budget of Tk 325.69 crore was also approved against the proposed budget of Tk 741.52 crore for the 2010-11 financial year at the meeting.

The mayor, while presenting the budget, said that they had sent three projects to the local government ministry for approvals.

The biggest of these is a coordinated project involving Tk 344 crore to construct, repair and maintain the roads, footpaths and parks.

The rest two projects are for enhancing tourism facilities at the Patenga sea beach involving Tk 100 crore and setting up garbage disposal plant with a budget of Tk 25 crore.

The mayor also revealed a Tk 1,500 crore plan to construct a flyover stretching from Dewanhat to Shah Amanat International Airport and Tk 2,500 crore plan to set up a 500MW power plant.

He, however, mentioned that the projects were not included in the proposed budget as their sources of funding were not certain yet, adding that they had thought to implement the projects under the public-private partnership.

Source : New Age

CNG auto-rickshaw strike withdrawn

Owners and drivers of CNG-run auto-rickshaws on Tuesday called off the indefinite strike they had earlier announced from July 3 after the government's assurance for extending 'economic life' of the three-wheelers by two years.

The government, however, has decided not to further raise the fare and deposit of the Compressed Natural Gas-run auto-rickshaws operating in Dhaka and Chittagong as demanded by the owners and the drivers.

'We have decided to extend the economic life of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw by two years on the recommendation of BUET and the owners and workers of the three-wheelers have agreed to withdraw their strike,' secretary to the Roads and Highways Division Mozammel Haque Khan told reporters after a meeting with representatives of the CNG-run auto-rickshaw owners and workers at the secretariat.

The drivers complained to the government that many of the owners realise Tk 800 to Tk 1000 for each auto-rickshaw although the daily deposit was fixed at Tk 600. They also alleged that police very often harass the drivers to realise 'kickbacks' from them.

There has been a common allegation against the drivers that they were always unwilling to go on meter. The drivers on the other hand say they have to pay more than the government-fixed rate to the owners for the three-wheelers.

'We will take stern measures against the owners if they realise from any driver more than Tk 600 set by the government,' Mozammel warned.

He said that the errant owners would not be allowed to replace their old three-wheelers whenever these vehicles would expire their economic life.

Senior officials from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, police and the roads and highways division attended the meeting, among others.

The meeting also decided that the police would be more active to remove harassments of passengers by the CNG drivers.

The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology earlier recommended extension of the auto-rickshaws' 'economic life' from nine years to 11 years.

The CNG-run auto-rickshaws were introduced in 2003 when the daily deposit against one auto-rickshaw was fixed at Tk 300 which been revised to Tk 600 in 2011 and fare for fist two kilometres was Tk 12 in 2003 which was revised to Tk 25 following price hike of fuel and spare parts in 2011.

The Dhaka District Auto-rickshaw Workers' Union had demanded that the minimum fare be raised by Tk 10 and fare for the next every kilometre by Tk 2 in Dhaka and Chittagong cities.

Dhaka Metropolitan CNG Auto-Rickshaw Owners' Association had demanded the daily deposit be increased to Tk 750. 

'We have agreed to withdraw the strike as the government has extended the economic life of the auto-rickshaws by two years. The fare and the deposit will remain the same,' the association's president Barkat Ullah Bhulu told New Age.

CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers at a rally on Saturday called for an indefinite strike from July 3 to press home their 10-point demand which included an increase in the fare in keeping with the of CNG price hike.

Their demands also included punitive measures against the auto-rickshaw owners who collect extra money from drivers ignoring the government-fixed deposit, end to police harassment in the name of checking driver's licence, a new hassle-free system of obtaining drivers' licence and parking space for auto-rickshaws at different places.

Source : New Age

Divisional tree fair launched in Khulna

Khulna divisional tree plantation and fair 2011, jointly organised by the Khulna district administration and Sundarban West Zone of the Forest Department, began in the Khulna city Tuesday.

Khulna mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque inaugurated the programme at

the Shaheed Hadis Prak as the chief guest of the ceremony.

The speakers at the programme called on the general public to plant more trees and present their relatives with plants of local species and friends on special occasions.

Earlier, a colourful procession was brought out from the Khulna Circuit House premises to end at the fair ground at Shaheed Hadis Park after parading the main city roads.

Representatives from the government departments, non-governmental organisations and different civic groups, students of different schools and journalists attended the programme.

The fair has 42 stalls and a nursery pavilion with a number of nurseries, showcasing a range of medicinal, garden, forest and fruit-bearing species, said the organisers.

The 15-day fair will be open from 10:00am to 8:00pm every day and end on July 12.

Chaired by Khulna deputy commissioner Jomsher Ahmmad Khandokar, the inauguration was addressed, among others, by Khulna divisional commissioner Mohammad Moshiur Rahman, Khulna Superinten-dent of Police Tanvir Hayder Chowdhury, Khulna circle conservator of forest Mohammad Akbar Hossain and Sundarban West Zone divisional forest officer Johir Uddin Ahmed.

Source : New Age

Demo continues at SAU

The Sylhet Agricultural University students continued their agitation on Tuesday, demanding adjustment in the existing credit system for evaluation.

Campus sources said no academic activities, including classes and scheduled examinations, were held on the day as the students locked the administrative and academic buildings.

The vice-chancellor and other officials and employees could not enter their offices as the students locked the two entrances of the administrative building at about 8:30am.

Students of the fisheries department said two scheduled examinations of the level 3 students were postponed as the authorities could not enter the administrative building to collect the question papers.

Being contacted, fisheries faculty dean Matiar Rahman Hawladar told New Age in the afternoon that new schedule of the postponed examinations would be announced later.

The campus sources said the students at first locked the entrances of the administrative building and then all faculty buildings on the campus.

The students also set fire to tyres in front of the university buildings and at all the roundabouts, brought out processions and held rallies on the campus in protest at the authorities' decision not to allow a student's promotion if he/she fails in more than 20 per cent examinations of the credit courses in a semester.

They students, however, unlocked the faculty buildings after 1:00pm, but kept the administrative building locked till 5:00pm.

The university proctor, Anwar Hossein, told New Age that they should not support the students' demand, because the quality of education system of the university would fall if the demand was met.

'The authorities will rather take a sterner position in this regard,' he added.

The first and second batches' students of SAU began the movement on Wednesday last, demanding the credit limit at 40 per cent.

Source : New Age

Change in temperature unlikely

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

Moderately heavy to heavy falls are also likely at places, 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 5:15am.

The country's highest temperature, 36.0 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Tuesday in Jessore and the lowest, 24.4 degrees, in Feni.

Source : New Age

Second Int’l Bangabidya Confce in Dec

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, will be the chief guest at the Second International Bangabidya Conference 2011 to be held in December on the Dhaka University campus.

She agreed to inaugurate the conference when a delegation of the Bangabidya Conference led by Dhaka University vice-chancellor professor AAMS Arefin Siddique invited the prime minister during a meeting with her at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday morning.

Prime minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed newsmen after the meeting.

The 3-day conference will be held December 18-20 at the Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University.

Addressing the delegation, the prime minister asked the authorities of the country's universities to maintain congenial atmosphere on the campuses.

She said the situation on the campuses needs to be made more peaceful and congenial for the greater interests of the nation.

Principal secretary to the prime minister MA Karim, director general of Bangla Academy Shamsuzzaman Khan and Nazrul Researcher Rafiqul Islam were, among others, present.

The first International Bangabidya Conference was held on February in 2010 at the Delhi University.

Researchers, teachers and students of various universities at home and abroad are expected to attend the 2nd international conference.

A 47-member conference preparatory committee headed by DU VC Arefin Siddique has been working to make the conference a success.  The committee has so far received over 300 articles/proposals for presentation at the conference.

Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman is the academic president of the conference.

Source : New Age

National budget of 2011-12 FY did not reflect farmers’ interest: UBINIG

Policy advocacy and research organization Unnayan Bikalper Nitinirdharoni Gobeshona (UBINIG) on Tuesday said the national budget for 2011-12 fiscal year did not reflect the farmers' interest.

They made the observation at a press conference on the proposed budget for FY2011-12 at the National Press Club.

UBINIG leader MA Sobhan, who read out an article at the conference, said that the agriculture sector was given an allocation of 5.4 per cent of the total budget in FY2010-11, but the allocation has been reduced to 4.7 per cent in the proposed budget for FY2011-12.

He said that the budget emphasized the supplying hybrid and modified seeds to the farmers in the name of providing developed varieties though hybrid and modified seeds were yet to be proved to be seeds of higher quality.

'The farmers do not want to cultivate hybrid seeds as their production is affected if there is any environmental problem in the season,' Sobhan said.

He said that agricultural production cost had increased in recent times and the farmers needed more help for production, suggesting that agricultural subsidy should be given to the farmers directly.

He opined that applying granular urea for increasing soil fertility would not bring any positive result and suggested for  using organic fertilizers.

The proposed budget did not have any practical measure to solve the problems of jute, he alleged, adding that the country needed 5,000 to 5,500 tonnes of jute seeds of which more than half is imported from India.

The imported Indian seeds are of low quality and hence the country is producing low quality jute which means that it is only giving India the opportunity to continue their seed business in Bangladesh, he alleged.

UBINIG demanded for stopping introduction of hybrid paddy, encouraging local varieties that can tolerate local weather and climate change impacts, considering agricultural research as a priority sector and preserving environment and saving arable land by discouraging tobacco cultivation.

UBINIG executive director Farida Akhter and senior researcher Jahangir Alam Jony also spoke at the press conference.

Source : New Age

Yangon keen to open air link with Dhaka soon

Myanmar has expressed its keen interest to open direct air link with Bangladesh shortly as part of further improving mutual cooperation between the two countries.

This was conveyed by chief of army staff General Abdul Mubeen, who visited Myanmar recently, when he called on the president at Bangabhaban on Tuesday.

Gen Abdul Mubeen, who visited Myanmar from May 23-27, informed the president that Myanmar has also shown interest to work jointly with Bangladesh on road connectivity and fighting counter-terrorism.

He said that Myanmar has offered Bangladesh to explore the natural resources and utilise their unused cultivable lands for food production on partnership basis.

The army chief, who is also the president of Bangladesh Olympic Association, informed the president that he would join the Asian Olympic Committee conference to be held in Tokyo on July 14-16.

Source : New Age

Nine acquitted BGB men released from Kashimpur jail

Nine members of Border Guard Bangladesh, who were acquitted from the charges of BDR Mutiny of February 25-26, 2009, were released from Kashimpur jail on Tuesday, officials said.

'They were set free and reinstated in the paramilitary force in the afternoon,' the 24 BG Battalion commanding officer, Major Khan Mohammad Alauddin, told New Age.

Of the acquitted, only three pleaded guilty and four were not present at Pilkhana during the mutiny, the BGB officials said.

Subash Chandra Ghosh, the jailor of Kashimpur Central Jail unit-2, said that they were released in the afternoon following a special court order issued on June 27.

On Monday, the special court-7 chaired by the BGB director general, Major General Rafiqul Islam, acquitted nine out of 666 accused of the mutiny.

The acquitted BGB soldiers are : Havildar Abdul Khalek, Nayek Tapan Kumar Devnath, Lance Nayek Abul Kalam Azad, Sepoys Sheikh Md Shamim Reza, Mohammad Reazul Islam, Shaheen Farazi, Rabiul Islam, Emran Miah and Habibur Rahman.

So far, 72 BGB soldiers have been acquitted of the mutiny charges by different specials courts.

Source : New Age

London terrorist linked to Bangladeshis

Shabaaz Hussain, the suspected terrorist fundraiser who appeared in London's Westminster Magistrate court on Monday, was linked back to Bangladeshi men in Somalia.

He was accused of sending money to three Bangladeshi nationals in the east African country between January 1 and October 22 last year. It was said the money was used for 'al-Qaeda-inspired' terrorism training.

Shabaaz, 27, from Jamaica Street, Stepney in Tower Hamlets, east London, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London.

The charge stated that between January 1, 2009 and October 22 last year, he was engaged in the criminal conduct with the intention of committing an act of terrorism, or advising, coaching and helping others to engage for such an act. He was remanded in custody to appear before the Old Bailey Court in London on July 15.

Source : New Age

MA Kashem re-elected NSUF chairman, Yasmin Kamal treasurer

MA Kashem and Yasmin Kamal, both founder and lifetime members of the North South University Foundation, have been re-elected chairman and treasurer respectively of the endowment committee of the foundation.

The NSUF endowment committee re-elected them for another term of one year in its 19th general meeting on June 23, said a press release.

An industrialist, MA Kashem was a former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries, founder chairman of Southeast Bank Limited and former chairman of the Association of the Private Universities of Bangladesh.

He also served as the member of the syndicate of Jahangirnagar University of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Open University in two consecutive terms, the press release said.

Yasmin Kamal, also an industrialist, is a director of National Credit and Comm-erce Bank Limited, it added.

Source : New Age

Amu says there is still scope for discussion on constitution amendment

Senior Awami League lawmaker Amir Hossain Amu on Tuesday said there is still chance for discussion on the caretaker government issue and it could take place in parliament or anywhere.

Amu said that discussion was the only means to bring something positive which would be accepted by all.

He criticised the opposition BNP for not responding to the government's call for discussion on the caretaker and constitution amendment issues.

'They are eager to take the country on a different track,' he said while discussing on proposed budget in parliament.

Amu lamented at BNP's absence in the special committee on constitution amendment.

On the constitution amendment issue, he blamed the subsequent governments after 1975 for changing the constitution frequently.

Amu urged the opposition to shun their negative politics and come for a dialogue for reaching a consensus on the important national issues.

On the court's authority to amend the constitution, Amu said there were instances of accepting the court's ruling on constitution amendment in the past.

'If the court can be the guardian and interpreter of the constitution, it has the authority to cancel any provision which is contradictory to the basic principles of the constitution,' he said.

Source : New Age

Dhaka calls advancing peace among OIC states

The foreign minister, Dipu Moni, has called for advancing peace and development through greater cooperation among OIC member states based on the ideals of compassion, justice, dignity, tolerance and unity.

She made the call when she was addressing the Council of Foreign Ministers of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference, re-named as Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

The minister, during her statement at the 38th session of the council, also stressed on the need for enhancing intra-OIC trade and reducing resource gap between developed and developing countries, said a message received in Dhaka.

In the context of the ongoing political turmoil in some of the OIC members in the Middle-East and North Africa, she emphasised on meeting the legitimate needs of the people by ensuring good governance and socio-economic development.

She also urged the international community, particularly the Quartet, to force Israel to stop its unlawful practices and create conditions for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State in its pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital in the interests of world peace and security.

During the meeting, Dipu Moni handed over the Instrument of Ratification of the TPS-OIC Rules of Origin to the secretary general.  The Trade Preferential System of the OIC came into force with Bangladesh's ratification of this protocol. With the Trade Preferential System and related protocols in force, the intra-OIC trade is now expected to receive new momentum.

Source : New Age

Ethnic languages need government patronage to survive

Academics, students, poets and rights activists on Tuesday called upon the government to patronise the languages of ethnic communities to prevent them from becoming extinct.

'Everyday in the world 14 languages are becoming extinct, mainly for the lack of patronage, particularly by the governments,' said speakers at a recitation programme.

The recitation programme, titled 'Recitation of mother languages of the indigenous communities', was jointly organised by the Jum Literature Young Society and Kapaeeng Foundation.

The poets of the ethnic communities expressed their concern over insufficient patronage of the ethnic cultures, languages and literature by the government.

Speakers pointed out that in Bangladesh there are more than 45 languages as more than 75 ethnic communities are living in the country.

Lawmaker Jatindra Lal Tripura, who is also chairman of the Taskforce for Repatriation of Tribal Refugees and the Rehabilitation of Internally Displaced People, said that this diversity of languages and cultures in the country needs to be preserved and necessary steps need to be taken to nurture the languages and cultures of ethnic communities.

Poet AK Sheram, who is a member of the Monipuri ethnic community, said, 'Sufficient steps need to be taken at the national level, otherwise these colourful languages will be lost. I believe that would be quite regrettable, irrespective of the communities' identity.'

Dhaka University's Professor Robayet Ferdous said that the recognition of 21 February as International Mother Language Day did not only mean the patronisation of the Bangla language. Such recognition also demands that the government understands and shows love and respect for the languages of other communities also.

Stressing the need for ensuring the cultural rights of the ethnic communities, Abhilash Tripura of ILO said, 'As we all believe in unity in diversity, the government needs to take the necessary steps to prevent these ethnic languages from becoming extinct.'

Poets Muhammad Samad and Sarat Jyoti Chakma, and rights activist Lina Jesmin Lushai also took part in the discussion, along with others.

Later on, more than 25 poems in 15 different ethnic languages, including Bangla, were recited in the programme.

Source : New Age

Utilise space tech to minimise disaster havoc: Matia

The agriculture minister, Matia Chowdhury, stressed  the need for utilising space technology for minimising disaster havoc for ensuring human security and sustainable development.

The government has been able to address all major disasters in recent time like strong cyclone Sidr in 2007 due to timely precautionary messages released by SPARRSO, she said.

The minister was addressing the inaugural session of a seminar at SPARRSO auditorium in the capital Tuesday morning.

Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation organised the seminar titled 'Space Technology Application for Monitoring Earth Resources, Disasters and Climate Change Impacts for Ensuring Human Security and Sustainable Development'.

Chaired by SPARRSO chairman Mujibur Rahman Howlader, the session was addressed, among others, by the state minister for environment and forest, Hasan Mahmud, defence secretary Khandakar Asaduzzaman and former chairman of SPARRSO M Chowdhury.

Speaking as chief guest, Matia said the government had planned to modernise SPARRSO aiming at building 'Digital Bangladesh'.

She said necessary allocation would be made immediately for the development of SPARRSO so that it could provide service by using modern technology.

Matia said considering some devastating disasters, which occurred in recent past in the region, the government was very conscious about disaster. 'Devastating cyclone claimed huge lives and property in 1991. Recent cyclone destroyed huge assets in Myanmar, she added.'

SPARRSO chairman Mujibur Rahman in his key-note presentation said from 1960 to 2009, Bangladesh had to face 15 cyclones with a death toll of more than 750,000 and the devastating trend and damage of property was on the rise. But, there was a tremendous reduction in human death.

He said early warning system of space technology application is helping much to minimise disaster loss in recent past.

Mujibur Rahman said use of integrated space technological techniques, tools and analysis of different weather prediction model was the need of the hour to face the challenge of climate changes and variations.

Source : New Age

Majority against nuclear energy as a source of electricity

A majority of the world's people voted against nuclear energy and supported solar power, wind power, hydro-electric power and natural gas as sources of electricity, said a recent study.

The study, titled 'Global Citizens' Reaction to the Fukushima Nuclear Plant Disaster', conducted by UK research company Ipsos MORI Reputation Centre, shows that support for nuclear energy is far below that for solar power which is about 97 per cent, wind power which is 93 per cent, hydro-electric power which is 91 per cent and natural gas which is 80 per cent as sources of electricity.

The study, published on June 23 this year on the website of the organisation, said that only about 38 per cent of the world's people — mainly from India, Poland, Saudi Arabia and the USA — voted in favour of nuclear power plants.

An international sample of 18,787 adults, aged between 18 and 64 in the US and Canada and between 16 and 64 in all other countries, were interviewed in 24 countries around the world via the Ipsos online panel system between May 6 and May 21 this year.

The survey shows that three out of five global citizens, about 62 per cent, oppose the use of nuclear energy, while about a quarter, 26 per cent, have been horrified by the recent nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan.

People from 24 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States, were interviewed by the surveyors.

The study also said that around four persons in ten, about 38 per cent, support 'modernization' of electricity production by nuclear power. The highest number of votes in favour of modernisation was in Russia (73 per cent) and in Japan (71 per cent).

The report also stated that about 80 per cent of the global citizens voted for boycotting at least one Japanese product, and among them the majority, about 56 per cent, blamed the Fukushima incident for the boycott.

Source : New Age

UNESCO Club urges govt to send Rumana abroad

National Association of UNESCO Club in Bangladesh urged the government to take step for sending Dhaka University teacher Rumana Manzur to Singapore or London for better treatment.

Club secretary general Mahbubuddin Chowdhury in a statement made the call on Tuesday.

He requested the women and children affairs ministry, Dhaka University authorities, philanthropists and NGOs to come forward to help Rumana send aboard for better treatment.

Mahbubuddin Chowdhury also demanded exemplary punishment to Rumana's husband Hasan Sayeed for her barbaric torture on Rumana for which she lost her eyesight.

Source : New Age

UPDF announces programme against constitution change

The United People's Democratic Front has announced programmes against the move to ignore ethnic and linguistic minorities in the Constitution (15th Amendment) Bill 2011, retaining state religion and other contradictory provisions.

The party will hoist red flags and bring out a procession carrying red flags on June 30, demonstrations in district and upazila headquarters on July 3, form a human chain on July 4 and hold a signature campaign in June 29–July 5.

The party's president Prasit Bikash Khisha in a statement on Tuesday said the ethnic and linguistic minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and elsewhere in the country would not accept the contradictory amendment moves. 'None of our ancestors were Bengali. We have our own national identity and we want its constitutional recognition,' he said.

'We will not accept any imposed identity instead of our national identity. It is our basic right,' he added.

The UPDF raised six objections to the constitution amendment bill. It found that retention of state religion and Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim in the constitution and reintroduction of secularism totally contradictory. 'The bill has proposed to make people of other religions second-class citizens and it is a discriminatory move,' the party said.

The party said that the bill has denied the existence of all other people in Bangladesh but the Bengalis. It also said that the amendment bill fully denies the contributions of national minorities to the war of independence.

Source : New Age

Multi-stakeholders meet to protect rights of apparel workers abroad

Multi-stakeholders related to Bangladesh apparel workers abroad on Tuesday started discussing the ways to protect the rights of migrant workers as a large number of them were reportedly abused and harassed in the receiving countries, the organisers said.

The organisers were trying to set core principles for responsible recruitment and employment of the migrant labours, said CR Abrar, the executive director of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit in Dhaka University.

The core principles provisions that the recruitment agent or employer would not charge the migrant workers any fee or deposit and health and safety measures will be made available in the languages of the migrants.

Derek Mackay, head of supplier management of the Arcadia Group Limited, in the roundtable urged the employers who hire migrant workers to recruit directly from the source countries instead of recruitment through agents.

The roundtable organised by the Institute of Human Rights and Business and the RMMRU at a city hotel is convening multi-stakeholders, including senior representatives of a select group of global apparel brands, their suppliers, Bangladeshi recruitment agents and officials concerned, representatives of migrant workers and non-governmental organisations.

'This is the new approach to protect the rights of our migrant workers by the employers abroad,' the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training director, Nurul Islam, told New Age after attending the roundtable.

International brands such as NEXT, Arcadia and Levis, Gap, Inditex, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Wal-Mart and Mauritian suppliers also joined the roundtable to explore how to mitigate the risks facing migrant workers and address the challenges for business dealing with poorly regulated recruitment agencies, one of the organisers told New Age.

Several retailers have expressed a need for addressing risk mitigation strategies with respect to recruiting and protecting migrant workers, sources attending the roundtable said.

The secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of international Recruiting Agencies, Ali Haider Chowdhury, who attended the roundtable, told New Age that it was important to have government-to-government agreements with receiving and sending countries to protect the rights of migrant workers.

The organisers earlier held multi-stakeholder roundtables in the labour receiving countries — on January 25 in Mauritius and in March 2010 in the United Kingdom.

The roundtable will end today with the Dhaka declaration.

Source : New Age

Businesses for consensus among parties to strengthen EC

A group 73 business community leaders in a statement has sought consensus among political parties and MPs to make the Election Commission independent and stronger for forming an interim government instead of caretaker government system.

'It is desirable to all to hold election under an independent, neutral and stronger Election Commission for the greater interest of the nation,' said a joint statement of the business leaders on Tuesday.

The statement requested both the treasury bench and opposition MPs to reach a consensus for strengthening the Election Commission which is the only constitutional body for holding polls free and fair.

'We have observed with grave concern that the last caretaker government extended its tenure by two years from 90 days. During the period, people's basic right was trampled, businesspeople, politicians were undermined and tortured,' said the business leaders in their statement.

Signatories to the statement include FBCCI president AK Azad, CCCI president Morshed Murad Ibrahim, Khulna Chamber president Kazi Aminul Islam, Rajshahi Chamber administrator Ziaul Haque Tuku, Sylhet Chamber president Farooque Ahmed Mijbah, Barisal Chamber president Saidur Rahman Rintu, Rangpur Chamber president Mosaddek Hossain Bablu, Bangladesh Chamber of Industries president ATM Waziullah, Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Khalilur Rahman, Chittagong Women Chamber president Monwara Hakim Ali, Narayanganj Chamber president AKM Selim Osman, BGMEA president M Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, BKMEA president AKM Selim Osman, Bangladesh Oushod Shilpa Samity president Salman F Rahman, BTMA president Jahangir Alamin and BAIRA president M Abul Bashar.

Source : New Age

PM to lay foundation stones of a new govt school, a college in city

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will lay the foundation stone for one new government school and one new government college at Kalu Nagar in Hazaribagh in the old town in Dhaka on July 2.

The school is named as Sheikh Russel Government High School and the college is Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Government College.

'All preparations are complete for a successfully holding of the foundation laying programme,' said Manik Chandra Dey, the project director of '11 new school and six new college establishment project.'  

The government took the project to establish 11 new schools and six new colleges in Dhaka to solve the seat crisis for rising number of students in the city.

One school and one college will be built at Hazaribagh, one school and one college at Mohammadpur, one school and one college at Pallabi, one school and one college at Sabujbagh, one school and college at Badda, one school at Uttarkhan in Uttara, one school at Shyampur, one school at Mirpur Darussalam and one school and one college in Mirpur's Bhasantek area.

The work on the Tk 435 crore project will start in July 2011 which is expected to be completed in June 2014.

There are 24 government schools and 11 government colleges in 24 thanas in the city.

Source : New Age

Ethnic minorities observe Santal Revolution Day

Two major organisations of ethnic minority communities in the northern region will observe the 156th anniversary of Santal Revolution today with a demand for their recognition as indigenous people in the constitution.

On June 30, 1885, santals led by Sidu and Kanu rose up in arms starting a heroic struggle against the British Raj. Since independence from the colonial rule, ethnic minority people commemorate the day as Santal Revolution Day.   

Jatiya Adibashi Parishad and Adibashi Cultural Development Organisation separately organised programmes in the city on Tuesday to mark the occasion.

Adibashi Cultural Development Organisation brought out a procession and accorded reception to the newly elected union council members, and organised war games with their traditional weapons arrows and bows and spears. Discussions and cultural programmes were also organised.

Jatiya Adibashi Parishad on Monday brought out a procession, held a rally and cultural programme in the city.

Several hundred ethnic minority people under the banner of Adibashi Cultural Development Organisation brought out a procession from Rajshahi C and B crossing which ended at the Rajshahi Central Jail playground where a traditional santal war game was watched by hundreds of townspeople.

A discussion was held at the Nan King Darbar Hall in the city where the speakers demanded constitutional recognition of and a separate land commission for the ethnic minority groups living in plains.    

The speakers said it would be unfortunate if the government stuck to its guns and did not recognise ethnic minorities as indigenous people.

The santal leaders, like other ethnic groups, renewed  their call for recognising them as 'indigenous' instead of 'tribal' people in the constitution or they said they would go for 'movement'.

'We participated in all democratic movements, including the liberation war. Why should we remain outside the mainstream,' said a speaker.

Commissioner of information Sadeka Halim, Rajshahi police super SM Rokon Uddin and Adibashi Cultural Development Organisation executive director Rajkumar Shao addressed the discussion, among others. 

Jatiya Adibashi Parishad on Monday afternoon brought out a procession from Alupatty crossing which ended at Rajshahi General Library at Miapara after parading the major streets.

Later, a discussion was held in the library auditorium where the parishad president Anil Marandy said that the textbook 'Paribesh Parichiti' for class IV and V carries 'wrong information' about the lifestyles and cultures of ethnic minority communities.

Rabindranath Saren, general secretary of the parishad, suggested that a special committee should be formed in which experts from ethnic minorities should be included in order to correct information, dropping the 'humiliating details' from the textbooks.

He also demanded that a mother tongue-based primary education should be introduced for ethnic minority children.

Jatiya Adibashi Parishad's Rajshahi city unit president Bimol Chandra Rajowar, Godagary upazila president Uttam Kumar, Workers Party of Bangladesh city unit secretary Liakat Ali Liku, National Awami Party Rajshahi district unit secretary Mustafizur Rahman Khan Alam, Communist Party of Bangladesh Rajshahi city unit president Abul Kalam Azad and Jatiya Mahila Parishad Rajshahi district chapter general secretary Kalpana Ray spoke in the programme.

Source : New Age

Grading of pathological labs, uniform charge for tests demanded

Bangladesh Society of Pathologists on Tuesday sought government steps to salvage pathological tests from the grip of 'commission business.'

The society general secretary M Shamiul Islam called it 'unethical' that medical tests are prescribed in exchange of commission from diagnostic centres.

He called it regrettable that the patients in the country, most of whom are poor, have to pay unnecessarily or more for getting the tests done only for the benefit of the labs which pay the commission to the prescribers.

Pathological screening of patients has fallen into the trap of the diagnostic centres who pay commission so that the tests were prescribed, other speakers told the 29th national convention of the society held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.

They said that the diagnostic centres pay the commission to the doctors to get more tests done by them. For them it's nothing more than a business proposition, they said.

They called for immediate corrective action from the government to save patients from spending more or unnecessarily for pathological screening prescribed for the benefit of the diagnostic centres.

The society also demanded introduction of uniform charges for pathological tests, ranking of the diagnostic laboratories and checking mushroom growth of diagnostic centres across the country.

Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, however, refrained from saying what corrective steps could be taken against the widespread practice of prescribing the tests in lieu of commission.

He, however, said the process had been initiated to bring all the pathological laboratories in the country under official registration.

Sadi said less known diagnostic centres pay more to doctors for referring their patients to get pathological tests done by them.

He said that these labs do it to get more patients.

He called for ranking the country's laboratories so that people would know where to go to get the tests done.

He said that different diagnostic centres charge at varying rates for the same tests in the absence of accreditation and uniform rates for the tests.

For urine routine and microscopy examination in short called urine RME, last year, United Hospital charged Tk 205, Popular Diagnostic Centre -- Tk 123, Padma Diagnostic Centre -- Tk 81, Medinova Medical Services -- Tk 120, Dhaka Community Hospital -- Tk 61, Ganashastha Nagar Hospital -- Tk 50 and Aitam Welfare Organisation -- Tk 30.

In the same year, for serum bilirubin test, United Hospital charged Tk 286,  Padma Diagnostic Centre -- Tk 204, Medinova Medical Services -- Tk 200, Popular Diagnostic Centre-- Tk 153, Dhaka Community Hospital -- Tk 123, Ganashastha Nagar Hospital -- Tk 150 and Aitam Welfare Organisation -- Tk 80.

Source : New Age

2 killed in city road accident

Reckless driving killed two unnamed pedestrians and injured seven passengers of a bus near Matsha Bhaban intersection in the capital's Ramna on Tuesday, triggering street protests.

The identity of the deceased, one aged 20 and another 35, could not be known immediately, police and hospital sources said.

Witnesses said that a bus (Dhaka Metro Ja 11-26-03) hit another bus from behind at about 11:45am, leaving two passersby dead on the spot and injuring seven passengers inside the buses.

The agitated people damaged the both buses, causing traffic a huge traffic congestion on the busy road.

Source : New Age

Alien encounters ‘within twenty years’

Russian scientists expect humanity to encounter alien civilisations within the next two decades, said a top Russian astronomer on Monday, according to the Guardian's report published on Tuesday.

The genesis of life is as inevitable as the formation of atoms...Life exists on other planets and we will find it within 20 years,' said Andrei Finkelstein, director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Applied Astronomy Institute, according to the Interfax news agency.

Speaking at an international forum dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life, Finke-lstein said 10 per cent of the known planets circling suns in the galaxy resemble Earth.

If water can be found there, then so can life, he said, adding that aliens would most likely resemble humans with two arms, two legs and a head.

'They may have different colour skin, but even we have that,' he said.

Finkelstein's institute runs a programme launched in the 1960s at the height of the cold war space race to watch for and beam out radio signals to outer space.

Source : New Age

100 hurt, 100 houses damaged in B’baria clashes

Over 100 people were injured in a series of clashes between two rival groups in Brahmanbaria sadar upazila in last two days till Tuesday.

Over 100 houses were also damaged and looted and 50 other houses torched during the two-day violence, which took place at Birasa village in a sequel to June 25 Natai Uttar union parishad election.

The police said rival groups equipped with homemade lethal weapons attacked each other, leaving 40 people injured on Monday afternoon.

About several thousand people again were locked into the clash at 8:00am on Tuesday, leaving about 60 people wounded.

The police said they arrested 11 people so far.

The police said the situation was now under control after deployment of RAB and BGB members in the area.

Source : New Age

Benefit of mammograms even greater than thought

The longest-running breast cancer screening study ever conducted has shown that regular mammograms prevent deaths from breast cancer, and the number of lives saved increases over time, an international research team said on Tuesday.

The study of 130,000 women in two communities in Sweden showed 30 per cent fewer women in the screening group died of breast cancer and that this effect persisted year after year.

Now, 29 years after the study began, the researchers found that the number of women saved from breast cancer goes up with each year of screening.

'We've found that the longer we look, the more lives are saved,' Professor Stephen Duffy of Queen Mary, University of London, whose study was published in the journal Radiology, said in a statement.

Dr. Stamatia Destounis, a radiologist at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, New York, who was not involved in the study, said radiologists have been quoting results of the Swedish study for years and the new findings show breast cancer screening is 'even more of a benefit than we understood.'

She said sweeping changes in the US screening guidelines two years ago that scaled back recommendations on breast cancer screening caused a lot of confusion among doctors and patients about the benefits of mammograms.

'We've had to do a lot of education of the patients and their doctors. This will help for that,' Destounis said.

In the study, women were divided into two groups, one that received an invitation to have breast cancer screening and another that received usual care.

The screening phase of the trial lasted about seven years. Women between 40 and 49 were screened every two years, and women 50 to 74 were screened roughly every three years.

'Our results indicate that in 1,000 women screened for 10 years, three breast cancer deaths would be prevented,' Duffy said, adding that most of the deaths prevented would have occurred more than a decade after the screening had started.

'This indicates that the long-term benefits of screening in terms of deaths prevented are more than double those often quoted for short-term follow-up.'

The new data adds to evidence on the long-term benefits of regular mammography screening.

New breast screening recommendations issued in 2009 by the US Preventive Services Task Force, an influential advisory group, recommended against routine mammograms for women in their 40s and said women in their 50s should get mammograms every other year instead of every year.

The guidelines contradicted years of messages about the need for routine breast cancer screening starting at age 40, eliciting protests from breast cancer experts and advocacy groups who argued the recommendation for fewer screenings would confuse women and result in more deaths from breast cancer.

The changes were meant to spare women some of the worry and expense of extra tests needed to distinguish between cancer and harmless lumps. But the latest results from the Swedish study show the rate of false positive results was low.

Source : New Age

ICC courts Gaddafi aides, Libya blasts warrant

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Tuesday urged Muammar Gaddafi's aides to help arrest him, as the Libyan leader lashed out at an ICC warrant against him for crimes against humanity.

On the ground, rebel fighters captured an arms depot from Gaddafi forces in the desert near their mountain enclave southwest of Tripoli in a boost for their resupply, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

Human rights bodies and the West, meanwhile, hailed the ICC's move against Gaddafi on Monday that came on the 100th day of a NATO bombing campaign.

Libya rejected the warrants issued for Gaddafi, 69, his son Seif al-Islam, 39, and the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, 62, for atrocities committed in a bloody uprising that began mid-February.

The ruling is a 'cover for NATO which is still trying to assassinate Gaddafi,' said the justice minister, Mohammed al-Gamudi.

The deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaaim, said the ICC 'functions as a European foreign policy vehicle.

'It is a political court which serves its European paymasters,' he said, adding: 'Our own courts will deal with any human rights abuses and other crimes committed in the course of conflict in Libya.'

But ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Libya's regime could 'be part of the solution' by implementing the arrest warrant.

'Gaddafi's inner circle is the first option. They can complement the arrest warrants,' he said at a press conference in The Hague.

'They can be part of the problem and be prosecuted, or they can be part of the solution, working together with the other Libyans to stop the crimes,' Moreno-Ocampo said.

In the latest fighting around the southwestern mountains, the rebels on Tuesday captured a network of bunkers in the desert around 25 kilometres from the hilltown of Zintan, the AFP correspondent said.

The capture of rockets, machine guns and other munitions was a major boost for rebel hopes of driving on to Tripoli from the frontline on the other side of the Nafusa Mountains, which now lies just 50 kilometres from the capital.

Hundreds of rebel fighters, accompanied by local civilians, combed through the warren of caches, some of which had been blown up in air strikes but with others remaining intact.

The rebel fighters overcame heavy multiple rocket fire from loyalist troops to seize their booty. Rebel commanders said they also ambushed a government convoy, destroying three vehicles.

Source : New Age

One more killed, 200 injured in UP polls

One more person was killed and at least 200 others injured in polls-related violence on Tuesday and Monday night.

Earlier, 30 people were killed in violence in the second phase of the staggered Union Parishad elections which began on May 31 amidst stray clashes, intimidation and snatching of ballot boxes. The elections are set to end on July 5.

Elections in 196 unions were held on Tuesday and are scheduled to be held in 67 unions today.

The New Age correspondent in Habiganj reported that a man, who was injured in post-polls violence on Monday, died in Sadar Hospital on Tuesday morning.

Local sources said that 20 people, including Nur Mohammad, 35, of Ruhitonsi village, were wounded in a post-polls clash at Sadar union in Lakhai upazila on Monday. All the injured were admitted to Sadar Hospital where Nur Mohammed died in the morning. The condition of another injured person, Jamshed Miah, 50, was stated to be critical.

The New Age correspondent in Sylhet reported that supporters of a chairman candidate attacked a pick-up van of the police, leaving two cops injured, at Bishwanath in Sylhet on Tuesday.

Police fired five rounds of blank shots to bring the situation under control, said local sources. The injured were identified as constables Rubel and Arif of the Bishwanath police.

The police and local sources said that Khalil and Iskar Ali were picked up from the polling centre at Ghuran Government Primary School under Alangkari union at Bishwanath upazila for trying to cast false votes for a chairman candidate.

A group of the supporters of the chairman candidate swooped on a pick-up van of the patrol team of the police at about 3:00pm when the detained were being taken to the thana, leaving the two constables injured.

The New Age correspondent in Noakhali said that at least 50 people, including a chairman candidate, were injured in a clash between the supporters of Manjurul Ahsan and Abdur Rahman at Bhatirtek Chaumuhani Bazaar of Dharmapur Union under Sadar upazila in Noakhali at early night on Tuesday.

Locals and eyewitnesses said that independent candidate Manjurul Ahsan was campaigning at the bazaar with his supporters. While they were crossing the campaign office of the BNP-backed chairman candidate, Manjurul's supporters attacked the office, which led to the clash.

Our correspondent in Nilphamari reported that local people torched three motor-bikes of the workers of a chairman candidate of Bangalipur Union Parishad on Monday night.

According to the United News of Bangladesh, at least 31 people were injured in separate poll-related attacks and clashes in Narail and Munshiganj districts on Monday and Tuesday.

In Munshiganj, at least 11 people were injured in separate post-polls clashes at Bhaghaikandi, Andhamanik and Shoshthitola villages in Imampur under Gazaria upazila on early Tuesday.

Rivals attacked Liakat Ali, 65, who came to Baghaikandi village after a long time to campaign for his candidate. Liakat was grievously injured. They also mercilessly beat up and injured Torab Ali, Abu Miah, Lalu, Bachchu, Shaheed, Fazal and Babu when they tried to rescue Liakat.

All the injured were admitted to the local hospital.

A gang of miscreants attacked and beat up Joj Mia, 48, who went to his village in Andhamanik after a long time to campaign for his candidate. The seriously injured Joj had to be hospitalized.

In Narail, supporters of the defeated chairman candidate of Itna UP of Lohagor upazila, Nazmul Hassan, swooped on BGB personnel and magistrate Tabibur Rahman and beat them up, leaving them injured.

They also damaged the magistrate's vehicle (Dhaka Metro Cha 13-2259) and threw brickbats at the police and BGB in Itna town when they were heading for the upazila headquarters with ballot boxes after the polls.

The magistrate's driver, Hasan Ali, lodged a case, accusing Najmul Hassan Togor and 200 named and unnamed people of launching the attack.

Source : New Age

Kibria’s widow files objection to supplementary charge sheet

Asma Kibria, widow of former finance minister SAMS Kibria, on Tuesday filed an objection with a Habiganj court to the supplementary charge sheet in the Kibria murder case.

Alamgir Kabir Bhuiyan, counsel for Asma Kibria, filed the objection with the court of senior judicial magistrate Rajib Kumar Biswas, saying that the names of the masterminds of the killing have not been included in the supplementary charge sheet.

The supplementary charge sheet was submitted on June 20 against 14 people, including former BNP state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami chief Muft Hannan.

Former minister Kibria and four others were killed in a grenade attack at Baidyer Bazar in Habiganj on January 27, 2005. More than 70 people were also wounded in the attack.

Quoting the statements of

witnesses, including Major General Sadek Hassan Rumi, and the arrested such as Babar, the objection appeal said that although the Harkatul men had carried out the attack with the help of former ministers and leaders of the BNP-led alliance, the names of the influential masterminds were not there in the charge sheet.

The court heard the objection and after hearing, Rajib Kumar ordered that as the main documents were not with the court, this application should be sent to the she speedy trial court in Sylhet.

Source : New Age

BNP holds countrywide protests against price hike

BNP on Tuesday staged demonstrations across the country in the face of obstruction from the police and imposition of section 144 in many places, in protest against unbridled price hike hurting the common people.

The main opposition said it protested against soaring fuel and gas prices and transport fare hike.

BNP held protest rallies and demonstrations in all divisional cities as well as district and upazila towns in protest against soaring prices causing untold public sufferings,   BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed told New Age.

Speaking at a protest rally in the capital, the acting secretary general of the party Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said BNP would announce on July 3 a tougher action programme against the Awami League led government's anti people policies.

He said that neither the people of the country nor BNP would accept holding

of general elections under am incumbent government.

He called for a united national movement against the misrule of Awami League led government.

He said that Bangladesh's interests would suffer more setbacks if Awami League continued in power as it had been planning.

Dhaka city chapter of BNP organised the rally in front of the party's central office at Naya Paltan.

BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Jamiruddin Sircar and Abdul Moyeen Khan, vice chairmen Abdullah Al Noman and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and chairperson's adviser Fazlur Rahman Patal spoke at the rally, chaired by mayor of Dhaka city and BNP city committee convener Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

Mirza Fakhrul said tougher agitation programme would be announced after the party's senior leaders complete their district tours by July 2.

He said that the Awami League led government was deceiving the people in the name of Constitution amendment. 

He said that the government's bid to add 'dangerous and autocratic' provisions to the Constitution of the Republic posed 'a great threat to democracy and national sovereignty.' 

He cautioned the government against its move to amend the Constitution 'in a hurry.'

He said no nation ever benefitted from 'hasty' amendment to the Constitution.

He said Awami League should ask itself how the country benefitted from its hasty fourth amendment to the Constitution.

 He asked Awami League to recall the consequences of the fourth amendment done in seven minutes.

'Can't you recall it?,' he asked.

Mirza Fakhrul asked for calm from the huge crowd attending the protest rally when it repeated asked for calling hartals against the government's anti people policies.

He assured them that 'non-stop hartal' would be called in due time.

Hartals are coming, he said.

The proceeding of the BNP meeting remained suspended as a procession taken out by the National Committee for Safeguarding Oil, Gas, Ports and Mineral Resources passed by.

The crowd at the BNP rally clapped the Oil, Gas Committee protesters.

Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the Awami League led government initiated a move to change 51 Articles of the Constitution.

He said that the ruling party's plan to change the Constitution was set to replace 'Absolute trust and faith in Almighty Allah' with secularism.

He said Bangladesh needed mid term polls under a caretaker administration to prevent the restoration f Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League type rule in the country.

 New Age district correspondents, including from Bogra, Sylhet, Munshiganj, Chittagong, Feni, Khulna and Barisal, reported that protest rallies and demonstrations were organised by the local chapters of BNP in divisional cities and district and upazila towns across the country.

New Age Pabna correspondent reported that the administration banned public gatherings at Faridpur upazila town in Pabna from Tuesday morning after two groups of local chapter of BNP took separate programmes for rallies at the same venue and time.

Jamaat also held separate demonstrations on the day on the issues. 

Jamaat held its central programme at Purana Paltan in front of its city office with its acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam as the chief guest.

Source : New Age