Burnt For Dowry Mother dies 4 days after her 2 kids

Ending her grim battle for life, dowry victim Shazia Begum succumbed to her burn injuries yesterday, four days after both her children had met the same fate in a classic example of human brutalities.

The 32-year-old housewife and mother of two breathed her last at the Intensive Care Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Shazia, who hailed from Jagannathpur in Sunamganj, was brought to the DMCH on Monday with 98 per cent of her body burnt. Her children Emon (5) and Emona (3) died from burns on the same day at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital where all the three were admitted on Sunday.

Shazia's brother Abdul Hafiz had earlier quoted her as saying she woke up from sleep smelling kerosene Saturday evening and saw her sister-in-law Nasima throw fire at her and flee the spot. She rushed to a nearby pond and jumped into it to douse the flames engufing her. Her kids still asleep were badly burnt.

Hafiz told The Daily Star that Shazia was married to Kuwait-expatriate Nuruddin nine years ago without dowry. Then they had to give at least Tk 5 lakh to Nuruddin's family at different times. "Due to torture on Shazia by her in-laws for more money, we brought her to our home and she lived with us for two years. Around five months ago, her in-laws took her back promising no more torture," Hafiz said.

His mother Samirunnesa told this correspondent that Shazia's in-laws started torturing her for another Tk 3 lakh when her husband left for Kuwait at the end of his vacation.

"Shazia told me over the phone a week ago that torture on her had increased. I told her I will take you away soon," Hafiz said.

Contacted yesterday, Officer-in-Charge of Jagannathpur Police Station Saleh Uddin said a case was filed accusing five persons. They are trying to track down the culprits.

Source : The Daily Star

PM pledges stronger EC: Asks BNP for caretaker formula

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday in parliament said the government will further strengthen the Election Commission to hold free and fair parliamentary polls.

She, however, urged the main opposition BNP to suggest an alternative to recently scrapped caretaker government system.

"We cannot validate the provision of caretaker government declared illegal by the Supreme Court. But I will request them [opposition] to come up with a formula if they find any alternative to the system."

Hasina was delivering her winding-up speech in budget session, which began on May 22 and prorogued last night after 30 sittings.

Stressing the need for a stronger EC, the premier said the voter list with photographs has been prepared and translucent ballot boxes introduced.

Her government wants the electoral process to be more transparent and fair so that people can freely exercise their voting rights, she said.

Referring to the Chittagong City Corporation elections, municipality and union parishad polls and Habiganj by-election, the premier said the commission worked independently and nobody can claim that her administration tried to influence it.

Hasina, however, mentioned no specific measure to strengthen the EC.

The prime minister said the current parliament held 237 sittings till yesterday. But the opposition lawmakers joined 51 sittings and the opposition leader only six, she said.

"Participating only six sittings, the opposition leader spoke four days for three hours and 25 minutes. But still, they claim they are not allowed to speak in parliament."

Hasina, also the ruling Awami League chief, criticised Khaleda Zia for demanding reintroduction of the non-partisan caretaker administration system.

She noted it was a caretaker regime that had detained the opposition leader and forced her two sons to leave the country. "Now, I ask, why she is crying for the caretaker government system."

Also, Hasina defended recent constitutional amendments.

"The way of grabbing state power by extra-constitutional means has been blocked forever," she said, referring to a new provision in the charter ensuring stringent punishment for of usurper.

The premier also tried to justify maintaining Islam's status as the state religion and keeping the Arabic phrase "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim" above the preamble of the constitution. "We did it to respect people's sentiment."

She blasted some religion-based political parties for calling hartal on July 10 and 11 protesting the scrap of the phrase "Absolute faith and trust in Almighty Allah" from the constitution.

"Can't they find Allah in Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim? Do they find Allah in hartal? Allah lives in our heart. Did they lose Allah from their hearts?" Hasina added.

However, the premier expressed "shock" at Wednesday's police assault on Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, and said she herself enquired about his treatment round-the-clock.

In her half-an-hour's speech, the prime minister also spoke about the government measures to ensure food security, economic freedom, and bring normalcy to the stock market.

Source : The Daily Star

Posthumous award for Indira

The government will award former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi posthumously for her "tremendous support" to the Liberation War, 1971.

Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi will receive the Foreign Friends Award on behalf of her mother-in-law during her Dhaka tour on July 25-26.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said this while addressing a joint press conference following her official talks with her Indian counterpart SM Krishna.

Sonia, being a member of the Gandhi family, will receive the award for her late mother-in-law during her visit to Bangladesh to attend an International Child Autism Conference at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the minister said.

The government has decided to honour a number of foreign nationals who helped Bangladesh win the nine months of war against Pakistan occupation force and emerge independent.

A list of some 500 "Foreign Friends in 1971", including around 225 Indian and 40 Pakistanis, has been prepared so far.

They would be honoured at a ceremony in the city ahead of the 41st Victory Day on December 16 this year.

"Obviously, Indira Gandhi comes at the top of the list of our Foreign Friends in 1971," added Dipu Moni.

Officials said more names would be added to the list gradually.

Any recipient, unable to attend the ceremony in Dhaka, would be delivered the award by the foreign minister or the prime minister herself while visiting that country.

Source : The Daily Star

Capacity 50, carrying 200: Capsized launch salvaged; death toll reaches 9

Despite having the approval of carrying 50 passengers, MV Madinar Alo that capsized in Shitalakhhya on Wednesday evening was carrying around 200.

Moreover, inefficiency of master and driver of the launch led to its prompt sinking, alleged Department of Shipping (DOS) officials.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the launch capsize rose to nine as the body of a woman passenger was found floating in the river near Char Muktarpur in Munshiganj yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Korbul Nesa, aged about 60, of Motlob in Chandpur district.

Salvage vessel MV Rustom of BIWTA towed the sunken ship to the shore in the morning. No more body was found inside the vessel, report our Munshiganj and Narayanganj correspondents.

The rescue operation was declared closed with the salvage of the sunken launch, said Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner Md Azizul Alam.

Eight people drowned and 35 went missing when Narayanganj-bound MV Madinar Alo from Chandpur sank after a head-on collision with oil tanker OT Shitalakkhya in the river near Char Muktarpur on Wednesday.

Police seized the oil tanker, said Shahidul Islam, officer-in charge of Munshiganj Sadar Police Station.

Narayanganj police arrested Faruque Hossain, master of the oil tanker, and his assistant Mizanur Rahman at noon after a case was filed in this connection.

According to the latest registration paper of MV Madinar Alo issued on October 3 last year, the capacity of the vessel was 50.

Witnesses and survivors, however, said the number of passengers on board of the launch was four times more than its capacity during the incident.

According to the Inland Shipping Ordinance-1976, authorities of all vessels have to mention the name of DOS-registered master and driver for its operation.

But the launch got permission without having any name of DOS-registered master and driver in the registration paper that is mandatory for every vessel.

It also got approval for plying during daylight on stable rivers. But violating its registration proviso, the launch way plying in the evening when the accident occurred, said a DOS ship surveyor.

Talking to The Daily Star, DOS Director General Commodore Jobair Ahmad said probe committees have been formed to investigate the incident. Disciplinary action will be taken if any irregularities are found, he added.

Source : The Daily Star

'Unite or you will suffer': Says Rahul Gandhi in UP

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi yesterday said that Uttar Pradesh was being run by dalals (touts).

Addressing people in Kripalpur village of Aligarh, he said, "Touts have taken over the administration as people of the state are divided." He said that touts are active in all the districts wehere land had been acquired.

"You may not like it. But this is true. Since you are not together that is why this is happening here. Unless you unite, you will continue to suffer," the Congress leader told the villagers.

Rahul made this statement on the third day of his footmarch in west UP districts affected by large scale land acquisition by the state government.

In a bid to counter Rahul Gandhi's footmarch in support of farmers whose land has been acquired by the state government, the ruling BSP accused Congress led UPA government of step-motherly treatment towards UP.

Source : The Daily Star 

Samsung Elec tips sharply lower Q2 operating profit

South Korea's Samsung Electronics on Thursday forecast second-quarter operating profit of 3.7 trillion won ($3.48 billion), a 26 per cent fall from a record 5.01 trillion won a year earlier.

Giving its earnings guidance before the release of official results, Samsung also estimated second-quarter revenue at 39 trillion won, a 2.9 per cent increase from 37.89 trillion in April-June 2010.

The company, the world's biggest maker of flat panels, memory chips and flat-screen televisions, did not give an estimate for net profit or other details.

Analysts said the liquid crystal display business probably suffered from falling demand for televisions and personal computers — especially in the United States and Europe — as the global economic recovery falters.

They expected earnings to improve modestly in coming quarters due largely to strong sales of its latest version of the Android- powered smartphone, Galaxy S II.

As of the end of June, Samsung had sold around three million of the new model globally since it debuted in April.

Some industry-watchers said the company's performance would probably improve over the rest of the year, as its advanced displays — organic light emitting diodes — help turn around that business.

'The display business hit the bottom and with a higher profit from the OLED panels, it will post about 100 billion won in operating profit in the third quarter,' David Choi, an analyst at KTB Investment & Securities, told Yonhap news agency.

In the first quarter of this year, the company recorded an operating profit of 2.95 trillion won on sales of 36.98 trillion.

Source : New Age

1,40,000 Filipinos ‘could lose jobs in KSA’

Up to 1,40,000 Philippine workers could lose their jobs in Saudi Arabia due to a domestic helper ban and a programme to compel firms to employ more locals, the Filipino labour minister said on Thursday.

Between 20,000-50,000 Filipino domestic workers in the kingdom could be hit by Saudi Arabia's decision announced last month to stop granting work permits to Philippine and Indonesian maids, labour secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said.

Another 90,000 Filipinos of the 1.3 million working there could be affected by the new policy of imposing quotas for local staff, though the specialised skills of the majority should allow many to hang on to their jobs, she added.

'Let us not talk about everyone being sent home. That is impossible. You can't just replace skilled workers,' Baldoz told a news forum.

However, the 'Saudisation' policy would affect mainly unskilled workers like manual labourers, janitors, drivers and gardeners, she added.

Saudi Arabia said last week it would stop granting work permits to Philippine and Indonesian maids after failing to agree on hiring conditions imposed by the Asian countries.

Baldoz said the maids ban would mainly affect new applicants and not those already working there.

However, the exact implications were still unclear and she said she hoped to negotiate with Saudi officials to minimise their effects.

The main issue appears to be the demand, backed by Philippine law, for a base monthly salary of $400 for domestic workers, she said. Saudi Arabia rejects the salary floor, she added.

Source : New Age

Oil up in Asia on signs of improved US demand

Crude was up in Asia on Thursday on signs that oil demand is picking up in the United States, the world's largest consumer of the commodity, analysts said.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for August delivery, rose 66 cents to $97.31 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for August gained 57 cents to $114.19.

The American Petroleum Institute on Wednesday reported a bigger than expected drawdown in crude reserves, seen as a sign of improved demand in the world's biggest economy.

'US crude oil stockpiles fell unexpectedly by 3.2 million barrels, more than analysts' prediction of 2.3 million barrels, which was supportive for

crude oil prices,' said Ker Chung Yang, commodity analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore.

However, concerns about future Chinese demand are expected to keep a lid on crude prices after Beijing on Wednesday raised interest

rates for the third time this year in a bid to rein in inflation.

China, the world's second biggest economy, is the largest energy consumer.

Source : New Age

Euro up slightly against dollar

The euro edged higher against the dollar in Asia on Thursday following overnight falls, ahead of the European Central Bank's policy meeting at which a rate hike is expected, dealers said.

The euro fetched $1.4324 in Tokyo afternoon trade against $1.4314 in New York late Wednesday. The European common currency edged up to 115.92 yen from 115.83 yen. The dollar was slightly higher at 80.93 yen against 80.88 yen.

Despite the euro's marginal gains, 'sentiment remains bearish for the euro due to renewed concerns about peripheral eurozone countries,' Hideki Hayashi, global economist at Mizuho Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.

The ECB is on Thursday expected to raise interest rates for the second time this year, by 0.25 percentage points to 1.5 per cent with the aim of curbing inflation, dealers said.

Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet is to hold a news conference after the meeting.

'The biggest focus today is on whether Trichet would indicate further rate hikes later this year,' said Sumino Kamei, senior analyst at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.

If Trichet stresses ongoing upside inflationary risks, that could buoy the common currency, Hideki Amikura, foreign exchange dealer at Nomura Trust and Banking, told Dow Jones Newswires.

Source : New Age

market Disclosures

Makson Spinning Mills 
Mohd Amzad Ali and Khadiza Akhter Shilpi, both are sponsors/directors of the company, have reported their intention to sell 2,10,000 and 1,20,000 shares (bonus shares) out of their total holdings of 27,30,000 and 15,60,000 shares respectively at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within July 31, 2011.

Progressive Life Insurance Co
Gulam Mostofa Ahmed, one of the sponsors/directors of the company, has reported his intention to sell 2,500 shares out of his total holdings of 27,500 shares of the company at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.

Continental Insurance
Mohd Jahangir Hussain, one of the sponsors/directors of the company, has reported his intention to sell total 9,170 (8,571+599) shares out of his total holdings of 88,000 shares of the company at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.

Beacon Pharmaceuticals
The company has informed that due to unavoidable circumstances the 5th EGM of the company will now be held on July 13 instead of July 11. Other information of the EGM as announced earlier.

Keya Cosmetics
The SEC has issued showcause cum hearing notice to Keya Cosmetics Ltd, its directors, managing director and company secretary for non-compliance with the securities related laws in connection with retention of auditor for a consecutive period exceeding three years. SEC has also issued showcause cum hearing notice to Keya Detergent Ltd, its directors, managing director and company secretary for non-compliance with the securities related laws in connection with retention of auditor for a consecutive period exceeding three years.
    Source: DSE

Source : New Age

Fewer people sought unemployment aid last week in US

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in seven weeks, although applications remain elevated.

The labour department said Thursday that applications for benefits dropped by 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 4,18,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, declined for the first time in four weeks, to 4,24,750.

Applications have topped 4,00,000 for 13 weeks, evidence the job market has weakened since the beginning of the year. Applications had fallen in February to 3,75,000, a level that signals sustainable job growth. They stayed below 4,00,000 for seven of the next nine weeks. But then applications surged to an eight-month high of 4,78,000 in April and have shown only modest improvement since.

The department says that about 2,500 applications in Minnesota were from state employees temporarily laid off because of a state government shutdown.

Stock rose after payroll processor ADP said the private sector added 1,57,000 jobs last month. That was more than double what economists had forecast. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 72 points in early-morning trading, and broader indexes also rose.

Source : New Age

Insurance cos asked to report anti-money laundering measures to BB

Bangladesh Bank directed the insurance companies to report to the central bank the measures they have taken against money laundering and terrorism financing.

The companies have to send their detailed policy, approved by their boards of directors, to tackle terrorism financing before 30 September.

BB Anti-Money Laundering department issued a circular in this regard to all the managing directors and Chief Executive Officers.

The circular said that the insurance companies have to take adequate measures against money laundering and terrorism financing and report to the central bank within 31 December.

Earlier, BB formulated a guidance notes for the insurance companies, where some standards were identified for reducing the terrorism financing and money laundering.

Source : New Age

DSE turnover hits three-and-a-half-month high

Dhaka stocks on Thursday maintained heavy gains for the third consecutive day with the bourse's turnover hitting a three-and-a-half-month high of Tk 1,348.33 crore as the investors continued with post-budget buying spree.

The benchmark general index of Dhaka Stocks Exchange, or DGEN, on Thursday gained 68.47 points, or 1.09 per cent, to close at 6,311.80 points.

The DGEN advanced by 342 points since the Finance Bill 2011 was passed in parliament on June 28 allowing legalisation of undisclosed money by investing in the capital market paying a  10 per cent tax.

The DSE turnover also increased significantly in the last one week crossing Tk 1,000 mark twice before hitting three and a half month high on Thursday as investors rejuvenated by the hope of increased liquidity supply in the market went for heavy buying. The turnover of the DSE was Tk 1,592.60 crore on March 21.

Of the 262 issues traded on Thursday, 192 advanced, 60 declined, and 10 remained unchanged.

Market operators said the investors continued to buy heavily on Thursday hoping that the current gain would be sustainable as the government specified that investors must keep the undisclosed money invested in stocks till June 2013 to avail the opportunity of legalising their money by paying 10 per cent tax.

There is also a speculation among the investors that Bangladesh Bank's monetary policy for the current fiscal year would also be capital market friendly.

'Investors are getting back their confidence which was shattered in prolonged volatility and depression in the market for last six months. Participation of institutional investors has also increased in last few days,' said a stockbroker.

Mahmood Osman Imam, a professor of finance at Dhaka University, said, 'The market trend in recent time is positive as the growth is gradual and substantial.'

'But it's hard to say whether is has been stabilised at this point. The trade volume rose to a substantial level but we need to see that if it continues like this for next two weeks or one month.'

Mahmood said that the recent bullish trend occurred because of a combined effort of all the stakeholders including Securities and Exchange Commission, Bangladesh Bank, ministry of finance and the Dhaka and Chittagong Stock Exchanges.

'If the coordination among these institutions continues then the positive trend may sustain for long,' he added.

The bourse's turnover earlier hit an all-time high of Tk 3,249.57 crore on December 5, when the market witnessed a boom, but plunged to Tk 206.41 crore on January 25 following a series of huge stock crashes that discouraged the investors from trading.

A liquidity crisis also hit the market at that time as most of the banks as well as other large investors withdrew their huge investments in December pocketing hefty profits.

After the dull period of January-February, the market began to get back onto the track in March, when the turnover crossed the Tk 1,000 crore mark for the first time after crashes.

The turnover of the DSE rose to Tk 1,592.60 crore on March 21 when the index was at 6,528.20 points.

But the market started to slip again in mid-April as investors became panicked once more following uncertainty over implementation of the recommendations of the probe committee on January's stocks scam.

On May 26 the turnover of the bourse plunged to Tk 296.49 crore as panic-gripped investors remained almost inactive and a fresh liquidity crisis seized the market.

The market, however, started to go up just before the passage of the finance bill with the average daily turnover rising to Tk 800.55 crore.

Source : New Age

Food prices high but inflation may ease: FAO

Inflationary pressure from world food prices may be lower in 2011-12 than a year ago as crops are improving, but prices will remain at high historical levels, a senior economist at the United Nations' food agency said.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) raised on Thursday its 2011-12 global grain output view to reflect the latest US data and unexpectedly said world food prices it measures rose one per cent in June on higher sugar prices.

Falls in the prices of wheat, corn and soybeans as well as a broad pullback across a wide range of commodity markets in June had been expected to drag on the index and defuse price food inflation, one of the factors which sparked unrest in Arab countries earlier in the year.

'It is possible to see a slightly less of an influence from the food price increases than you have seen in 2010-11 in 2011-12,' FAO's senior economist and grain analyst Abdolreza Abbassian told Reuters Insider in an interview.

'However, the high price in relative terms compared to the historical level is going to be with us. Unfortunately, the volatility will not diminish, given the fact that stocks and reserves are quite tight,' Abbassian said.

The FAO Food Price Index which measures monthly price changes for a food basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, averaged 234 points in June, up from a revised 231 points in May and 39 per cent higher than in June 2010,

The FAO's index hit a record high of 238 points in February fuelled by climbing grain prices and tight supplies, raising fears of a repeat of the 2007-08 global food crisis when soaring prices triggered deadly riots in some developing countries.

The FAO raised its forecast for world cereal output in 2011-2012 to about 2.313 billion tonnes, 11 million tonnes above its last forecast released on June 22 and 3.3 per cent higher than last year's output, following two consecutive revisions to the US crops and planting prospects for 2011.

US corn futures tumbled 10 per cent in one day last week after the US Department of Agriculture indicated supplies were not as tight as many had believed, accelerating a retreat in prices of corn, wheat and many other commodity markets.

FAO's Abbassian said downward pressure on grain prices may last for another couple of weeks, but strong demand, especially from feed and biofuels industries, would prevent prices from considerable falls and keep them at historically high levels.

'Prices are coming down but they won't get to low levels,' Abbassian said.

The FAO has also raised its 2011-12 global wheat output forecast to 676 million tonnes from a previous forecast 671 million tonnes, mostly due to better crops expected in the Commonwealth of Independent States  and India which will offset output falls in the United States and European Union.

Russian grain crops were devastated in 2010 by a drought, prompting an export ban which was only lifted last week.

The FAO has increased its coarse grains (cereal grains other than wheat and rice) output forecast to 1.161 billion tonnes, to a level surpassing the 2008 record, from 1.155 billion tonnes expected last month.

In the United States, the world's largest producer, total coarse grain production is likely to exceed the 2010 level by at least 6.5 per cent, or 22 million tonnes, coming close to the 2007 record. Higher production is also expected in the CIS and the EU.

Source : New Age

Hartal pushes up vegetable prices sharply in capital

The retail prices of various vegetables in the capital increased sharply on Thursday due to supply shortage caused by the 48-hour hartal on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Thursday aubergine, which cost Tk 35 to Tk 40 per kilogram on Tuesday, was being sold for Tk 40 to Tk 50 per kg at Hazrat Shah Ali City Corporation's kitchen market in Mirpur.

The price of green chilli more than doubled from Tk 32 to Tk 40 per kg on Tuesday to Tk 80 to Tk 100 per kg on Thursday.

Traders at Mirpur, Sheworapara, Farm Gate and Kawran Bazaar said that a decline in the supply of vegetables had pushed their up prices.

'Every day the price is going up and up because of different excuses and now has become almost double in just two days,' complained Selim Gazi who came to the Mirpur kitchen market. 'But we haven't seen anyone decreasing the prices so sharply within such a short period.'

Momin Bhandari, a trader at Kawran Bazaar wholesale market, said that vegetables from distance districts could not arrive because the

trucks could not move due to the two-day hartal called by the opposition parties.

'The old stocks and a few vegetables that came on early Thursday by other means were sold in a few moments as the demand was much higher than the supply,' he said, adding that the price had naturally gone up.

Retailer Musa Bepari of Farm Gate said he could buy only half of the vegetables he needed from Kawran Bazaar as there was acute shortage of supply.

On Thursday at Sheworapara kitchen market, okra, bitter gourd and pointed gourd were selling for Tk 40 to Tk 48 per kg, whereas their prices ranged from Tk 30 to Tk 35 on Tuesday.

Papaya was selling for Tk 24 to Tk 26 per kg and pumpkin for Tk 20 to Tk 24 per kg. Both the items cost Tk 15 to Tk 16 per kg two days back.

Source : New Age

2 youths jailed for 10 years in murder case

A court in Jhenaidah on Thursday sentenced 10 years imprisonment to young men and fined Tk 5 thousand each in a murder case.

The district sessions judge Khan Mohammad Abdul Mannan declared the verdict.

The convicts were Jahidur Rahman, 16, son of Mizanur Rahman and Mohammad Sohel, 15, son of Ohidur Rahman of village Keshabpur at Moheshpur in Jhenaidah.

According to the prosecution, the two accused on May 12, 2008 called Samaul Haque, a trader in the village, over cellular phone call and demanded money as ransom. When Samaul refused to pay the money, the young men slaughtered him to dead. Later Samaul's father Abdur Rahman had filed a case with Moheshpur police on May 13 in the year. The investigation officer of Jhenaidah police station, Sagir Hossain, had submitted charge sheet against the two after investigation.

Source : New Age

Two Indians arrested on C’nawabganj border

BGB members arrested two Indian citizens from Alatuli border in Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila on charge of intruding into Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The arrestees were Zillur Rahman, 42, son of Zahid  Sheikh and Meghdad Hossain, 35, son of Nasir Uddin. They hailed from Murshidabad of India. BGB-39 battalion sources said on secret information they launched a drive and arrested the two Indian nationals from the border area.

Source : New Age

Find alternative to hartal: CCCI

The Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry  president, Murshed Murad Ibrahim, has urged the opposition to find an alternative to hartal in future for the sake of smooth economic activities and country's economic development.

'Hartal called by some opposition allies including the main opposition BNP will stagnate our economy, investment, trade and commerce, export and import and will make our daily life unstable,' he said in a statement on Thursday.

In this context, he said hartal was a democratic right of every political party but in the name of hartal no one  expected any destruction in the normal life of people.

Terming hartal suicidal to the country he said such programme would hamper the normal export-import activities of the port, raise the price of raw materials and finally it would make overall industrialisation of the country uncertain.

The price of the imported goods for the upcoming  Ramadan will increase. As a result, the people of the country will be affected because of being their purchasing power decreased, he said.

The CCCI president also said the frequent hartal of the opposition would lead to rejection of the foreign import orders.

By giving statistics, Mur-shed said they were incurring a loss of about Tk. 1,000 crore in every hartal which was increasing day by day.

Source : New Age

Aug 9 to be observed as Energy Security Day

In a bid to recall Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's historic decision on establishing country's ownership over gas fields, the country will observe Energy Security Day on August 9.

The government last year endorsed the energy ministry's plan to observe August 9 as Energy Security Day in a cabinet meeting.

On this day in 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman bought five gas fields from Shell Oil Company at 4.5 million pounds making the nation owner of gas fields for the first time.

'Preparations have been made to observe the day in a befitting manner,' a top official of the energy ministry said.

As part of the day's programme, newspapers will publish special supplements and energy ministry will conduct a seminar to recall Mujib's vision in the sector through which Bangladesh could establish our rights to natural resources, he added.

The energy ministry Thursday discussed observing the day at a meeting chaired by the state minister for power, energy and mineral resources.

The meeting asked the officials concerned to make necessary preparations to implement the programme.

According to the energy ministry, Mujib negotiated the purchase of five gas fields and shares of the then Titas Gas Transmission and Distri-bution Company from Anglo Dutch Shell Oil Company, barely a week before conspirators killed him.

Mujib purchased Titas, Habiganj, Rashidpur, Bakhrabad and Kailashtila gas fields to ensure the country's energy security. These gas fields still have 4.3 TCF proved and 2.6 TCF probable gas reserves. As a result, the people of Bangladesh are buying gas at the cheapest rate among the neighbouring countries.

These fields produced about 73 per cent of gas till the end of December 2009 since the independence and are contributing 40 per cent to the national grid.

Source : New Age

Demo for Job in Korea 4 hunger strikers hospitalised

The aspirant job seekers, who passed the examinations to get job in South Korea but failed to get approval, continued their hunger strike for fifth consecutive day on Thursday.

Four of them were hospitalised with critical conditions.

Abdul Maleq from Narayanganj, Rabiul Islam from Magura, Nur Alam Siddiqui from Netrakona and Abdus Samad from Satkhira were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Thursday morning and later, in the evening, were taken back to the place where they were staging the strike.

Besides, Sanoar Hossain from Manikganj and Faruk Hossain from Narayanganj were on intravenous saline, said the strikers.

The job seekers said that none, either from the government or from any organisation, met them to hear their sufferings and demands.

Source : New Age

Audit report submitted to PM

Bangladesh Comptroller and Auditor General Ahmed Ataul Hakim Thursday submitted the audit report of 2007-08 fiscal to the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, at her office.

Receiving the report, the prime minister stressed the need for publishing an updated audit report to ensure transparency and accountability and to check corruption.

The press secretary to prime minister, Abul Kalam Azad, told journalists after submission of the report.

Azad said the present government was emphasising on publishing an updated audit report.

A total of 139 meetings were held so far for publishing an updated audit report, resulting in realisation of Tk 400 crore through audit settlement.

Comptroller and Auditor General Office sources said measures were taken to publish audit report of 2008-09 fiscal within next September and audit report of 2009-10 fiscal within next December.

Source : New Age

Canada expat girl killed in road mishap

A Canada expatriate Bangladeshi teenager died in an accident at Rampur Bridge on Dhaka-Sylhet Road at Budhoshyi in Bijoynagar upazila Thursday afternoon.

Two other people were injured in the accident.

The deceased was Fahmida Aktar Sunny, 18, a Canada expatriate and hailed from Shibganj of Sylhet.

Fahmida, accompanied by two other people, was going to her ancestral home in Sylhet from Dhaka by a microbus which skidded and fell into a roadside canal as its driver lost control over the steering at the east end of Rampur Bridge.

Fahmida died on the spot. However, her two companions managed to come out of the sinking micro with injuries.

Locals rescued them and took them to Brahmanbaria General Hospital.

Source : New Age

BNP protesting with militants, war criminals: Ashraf

The opposition BNP is staging protest programmes teaming up with 'hooligans, militants and war criminals' to protect corrupt Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman, the Awami League spokesman has said.

'Constitution amendment is not the main issue. Their (BNP) aim is to protect two corrupt sons [of chairperson Khaleda Zia] and war criminals,' general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said on Thursday.

'Another group of war criminals called hartal which proves how they are staging joint agitation programmes,' he said at a press briefing at party president Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office.

Syed Ashraf said the opposition's main goal was to 'turn Bangladesh into another version of Pakistan'.

'The BNP is not a pro-liberation force. They do not believe in Bangladesh's independence. They still believe that the liberation war was the cardinal sin in Bangladesh's history,' he continued.

Referring to the July 10-11 general strike called by 12 Islamist parties, Ashraf, also the LGRD minister, said, 'They called hartal after the BNP did. They did not even read the constitution.'

'These communal groups, militants and international terrorists planned the hartal at a meeting presided over by Khaleda Zia at her office.

'The trials of the corrupt people and war criminals will be held in Bangladesh during the tenure of this government,' he asserted.

Asked who were the 'communal, militants and international criminals', the Awami League general secretary said, 'Harkat-ul-Jihad[-al-Islami], Islami Shasantantra Andolan, Hizb-ut Tahrir…all were there.'

A 48-hour shutdown is being observed by the BNP and its allies from Wednesday to protest at the annulment of the caretaker government system through the 15th amendment.

Twelve other Islamist parties called general strike for July 10-11 protesting at the removal of the words 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Almighty Allah' from the constitution through the amendment.

Source : New Age

Govt to appoint nutritionists at public hospitals

The government will appoint nutritionists at public hospitals to improve the current nutrition condition of the country, health directorate officials said.

The director general of health services, Khondaker M Shefyetullah, on Thursday said that they had already sent a proposal to the health ministry in this regard.

'The posts of the nutritionists are yet to be created. The ministry will send the proposal to the establishment ministry,' he said.

Shefyetullah said, 'We have decided to appoint nutritionists primarily at medical college hospitals, specialised hospitals and post-graduate hospitals.'

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, talked about the need for nutritionists at hospitals when she launched the World Breastfeeding Week in August 2010.

The decision followed her instruction for the appointment of nutritionists at hospitals for proper diets and nutrition counselling, he said.

The UNICEF National Report Bangladesh 2008 said that because of malnutrition, about 46 per cent of the babies aged below five are not as tall as they should be. It also said that because of the same reason, 15 per cent of the children are skinny and 40 per cent of them are under-weight in accordance with their age.

The report also said that children in rural areas are suffering more from malnutrition compared with the children in urban areas.

Source : New Age

$100m ADB loan to add 500MW power to nat’l grid

The Asian Development Bank is extending a $100-million equivalent loan for a cross-border electricity initiative between India and Bangladesh.

ADB's Board of Directors has recently approved the loan for the Bangladesh-India Electrical Grid Interconnection Project, which will provide impetus for increased power trading in South Asia.

Around 500 megawatts of power are expected to flow into Bangladesh by 2012 as a result of the project, with the possibility of more in the future, according to an ADB statement.

The funds will be used to build a 40-kilometre 400-kilovolt transmission line, along with a high voltage direct current substation and connecting loop, linking the western electrical grid of Bangladesh with India's eastern grid.

Bangladesh's fast growing economy has seen power demand sharply outstripping supply, resulting in frequent power cuts, voltage fluctuations and losses in economic output estimated at nearly $1 billion a year.

While the economy has grown by an average of 6 per cent a year since 2005, less than half the population of 156 million has access to power.

Unreliable power supply has hurt industry and will hamper efforts to provide better economic opportunities and social services for the poor.

The project will signal a new era in energy cooperation in South Asia and is likely to herald further power trading agreements, resulting in the more effective use of existing energy resources in the region, said Sultan Hafeez Rahman, director general of ADB's South Asia Department.

Rahman said, 'Connecting the two grids will demonstrate the substantial economic benefits that come from enhanced regional cooperation and help to address energy gaps across the region.'

The statement said staff from the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh would be trained to manage the new facilities, while officials of the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board will learn cross-border power trading skills.

The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh is the executing agency for the project, which is due for completion in December 2012, the statement added.

Source : New Age

Mobile court sentences during hartal violation of HR: Odhikar

Right organisation Odhikar on Thursday urged all concerned, rights activists in particular, to raise their voice against mobile courts sentencing citizens during hartals violating fundamental rights.

Odhikar said its investigation into one such case, revealed that a service holder was sentenced in violation of fundamental rights.

The investigation report said that due process of law was not followed in sentenc

ing Khandaker Ashaduzzaman to imprisonment for six months by a mobile court at Mahakhali on Tuesday.

Asaduzzaman was denied the right to self defence.

The produce of mobile courts, which require that an offence has to occur in the presence of a magistrate, was also ignored by the police in sentencing citizens during hartals.

Odhikar said its fact-finding team found out that the police arrested Ashaduzzaman, senior assistant officer at Mahakhali branch of Reliance Insurance Limited when he was returning home from his office at Mahakhali Kitchen Market with his colleagues at about 8 PM on Tuesday.

It also found that before he was arrested some people surrounded Ashaduzzaman saying that he was involved in setting a car on fire, 10 yards behind the Kitchen Market on Tuesday on the eve of the 48-hour hartal that began on Wednesday at the call of the opposition.

The fact finding team found out that after arresting Ashaduzzaman the police disappeared from the spot taking him towards the Mohakhali flyover.

The police ignored repeated pleadings of innocence by Asaduzzaman and his colleagues showing their identities cards.

Later, Ashaduzzaman's colleagues learnt that he had been taken to Gulshan police station where he was seen without wearing his shirt and there were injury marks on his back, the investigation by the Odhikar team revealed.

The fact-finding committee also came to know that Ashaduzzaman's colleague was allowed to meet Ashaduzzaman at the police station on condition that he would keep his mouth shut.

It also found out that the officer-in-charge of Gulshan police station had lodged a first information report on July 5 which stated that a mobile court had sentenced Ashaduzzaman for setting a car on fire on the basis of his confession to a magistrate.

Ashaduzzaman was, however, sent to jail on July 6, the fact finding team reported.

The FIR also mentioned that Ashaduzzaman and his associates had severely hurt sub-inspector Harunur Rashid, beating him with sticks, the report of the fact-finding team said.

Source : New Age

Sahara accuses Farroque, BNP MPs of vandalism

Home affairs minister Sahara Khatun on Thursday accused the BNP chief whip, Zainul Abdin Farroque, and some opposition lawmakers of assaulting on-duty police personnel, using abusive words, damaging vehicles, taking out processions and staging a rally in the premises

of the Jatiya Sangsad while the Parliament was in session.

Sahara, speaking in the Parliament under Section 300 of the Rules of Procedure, expressed sympathy for Farroque as 'his head had been injured when he fell down on

the ground', and said that all the incidents

including the unlawful activities that took

place in the Parliament's compound on Wednesday were unexpected and unfortunate.

She also said that all the incidents which took place at that time would be investigated.

'We have formed a three-member inquiry committee headed by an additional police commissioner, and a case has been lodged with

Sher-e-Bangla Nagar thana in this connection,' said Sahara, adding that action would be taken against anyone who had acted unlawfully.

She also said that although any sort of agitation in the Parliament's compound and adjacent areas was prohibited during a session, the opposition lawmakers staged a rally and brought out a procession while the session was in progress.

Referring to a photograph published in Bangla newspaper Prothom Alo, the minister said that the BNP lawmakers led by Farroque threw stones at vehicles in Farm Gate area when they took position there after the police stopped them from staging a rally in the Parliament's premises.

She also claimed that the people did not respond to the opposition parties' call for hartal

because there were no valid issues.

Sahara said that the public life was normal in the capital and other parts of the country and the hartal had no impact.

'Seventy-five mills and factories of the BNP members remained open during the hartal,' she said, adding that two of the factories belonging to Farroque had been operational during the hartal.

Independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim strongly criticised the police action on Farroque and urged the government to refrain from destroying the police as an impartial, non-partisan institution.

Speaker Abdul Hamid told Sahara that he had sent a letter to her ministry, requesting that necessary action be taken against those found to be responsible for Wednesday's unfortunate incident.

Source : New Age

BNP’s fresh agitation programmes today

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party's acting secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, on Thursday said that the government had 'resorted to repressive measures in a bid to establish a governing system sans the opposition'.

Taking a vow to continue with the 'tough street agitation programme to free the people from the government's misrule', he said that his party would announce fresh agitation programmes today [Thursday].

Mirza Fakhrul was addressing a media briefing at the party's central office in Naya Paltan on the second day of the 48-hour hartal called by the party and its allies in protest against the 15th Amendment.

The BNP spokesperson said the country was now in the 'gravest crisis' caused of the 'hotheadedness of the ruling Awami League'.

'The AL does not believe in democracy. It cannot tolerate the opposition and its political programme,' he said. 'That's why it has resorted to repressive measures to wipe out the opposition.'

Claiming the nationwide hartal to be 'successful', Fakhrul said, 'The government employed its police force and thugs to repress the opposition activists during the hartal.'

He told reporters that the government employed a new force called 'robot police' to harass the opposition activists.

He claimed that more then 550 BNP activists were arrested and some 675 leaders and activists were injured in 'attacks by police and ruling party thugs' in different parts of the country during first 36 hours of the hartal.

BNP alleged that some 65 opposition activists were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment by mobile courts during the hartal.

He demanded immediate release of the arrested leaders and activists and withdrawal of the 'false' cases filed against them.

He thanked the people for observing the first day of the hartal successfully. He also expressed regret for the inconveniences caused to the people due to the hartal.

He said that they were forced by the government to call hartal as the government did not allow them to organize other political programmes.

Terming the AL's election pledges 'trickery', he said, 'The government is out to implement its hidden agenda.'

Levelling a series of allegations against the government, he said, 'The government has trampled human rights by bring about the 15th Amendment.'

When asked about the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam's comments that hartal has been called for protecting Khaleda Zia's corrupt family and making the country a second Pakistan, Fakhrul said the government wants to divert public attention from its failure to solve the multifarious problems as well as divert the ongoing anti-government movement.

'They are playing their old cassette,' he added.

BNP leaders Abdullah Al Noman, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Amanullah Aman, Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon MP, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Abdus Salam, Advocate Sanaullah Miah, Habibur Rahman Habib and Abdul Latif Johnny were present at the press briefing.

Source : New Age

JS session prorogued

The ninth session of the ninth Jatiya Sangsad was prorogued on Thursday after running for 30 working days in the continued absence of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance.

The budget session, which began on May 22, passed eight Bills including the Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Bill 2011 that has scrapped the election-time caretaker government provision, and also passed the budget for FY2011-2012.

The other Bills passed in the outgoing session include the Whistle-Blower (Protection) Bill, Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Bill, Tax Ombudsman (Repeal) Bill, and the Dhaka Elevated Expressway Project (Land Acquisition) Bill.

Finance minister AMA Muhith placed the proposed budget for the FY2011-2012 on June 9, which was passed on June 30 after being discussed for about 50 hours.

Sources in the Parliament Secretariat said that a total of

490 call attention notices were placed in the House during the ninth session, but only 27 were accepted.

The opposition lawmakers submitted 34 adjournment motions but the speaker did not accept them as it was the budget session.

'As it is the budget session it will not be logical to accept the notices. Moreover, some of the notices can be discussed if the opposition lawmakers care to be present,' said speaker Abdul Hamid on Wednesday.

The prime minister answered a total of 72 questions in the questions-answers hours while the other ministers answered 2,144 questions during the session, said sources.

Hamid in his concluding remarks urged the BNP to attend the next parliamentary session for the greater interest of democracy.

He read out the written order given by President Zillur Rahman in regard to the conclusion of the ninth session.

Source : New Age

Govt plans to strengthen EC for fair polls: PM

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday told the parliament that after the fifteenth amendment to the constitution, the government was planning ways to strengthen the Election Commission to ensure free, fare and credible elections.

She also held the BNP-led opposition alliance responsible for causing sufferings to the people by enforcing general strikes without any valid ground.

'After bringing about the amendment to the constitution, now we are planning how to strengthen the Election Commission to ensure fair elections,' Hasina said in her concluding speech in the parliament.

She said that the Supreme Court verdict and the opinions of elected people's representatives were taken in consideration in the amendment to the constitution to

ensure people's democratic right.

'I do not know what the BNP is thinking about this,' she said urging the leader of the opposition to attend the parliament to discuss the issue.

'The union council elections were held across the country but none could level any allegations against the government of exerting any pressure on the Election Commission,' she said.

Criticising the opposition lawmakers for pelting police vehicles with stones, the leader of the parliament also accused opposition parties of enforcing the general strike to cause sufferings to the people.

'They [BNP] are enforcing general strike but their mills and industries remained open. Are they enforcing general strike only to cause sufferings to the people?' Hasina said adding that the strike might also harm investors in the capital market.

'I want to ask the leader of the opposition in the parliament whether general strikes are being enforced to destroy the investors in the stock market,' she said.

The prime minister said that the general strikes were being enforced to save the family of Khaleda Zia from charges of money laundering and grenade attack and to save war criminals.

'It is unfortunate that a lawmaker will throw stone at police vehicles. People do not expect it from a lawmaker,' Hasina said adding that the people expected gentle behaviour from an elected representative.

'The immediate-past BNP-led government did not investigate the incident of August 21, 2004 grenade attack and staged a drama by involving George Mia,' she said. 'They even said that I had carried the grenades in my purse to commit suicide.'

The reluctance of the past government at investigating the incident made their involvement in the grenade attack clear and it has now been proved, she said.

She also said that the budget for the 2011–2012 financial year had been aimed at ridding people of poverty.

The prime minister said that the people had elected the Awami League-led alliance to ensure their right and the government would work to ensure economic emancipation of the people.

Source : New Age