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6 suspected militants arrested in Pabna

Police arrested six people on Saturday night from Raipur village in Manikhat union under Sujanagar upzila suspecting their links with Islamist militants.

The six hailing from different districts recently gathered at a residence at the village and started a religious campaign triggering suspicion among the villagers and police arrested them for investigation, said Md. Samsul Islam, officer in-charge (OC of Sujanagar police station.

The arrestees are Ashraful Islam of Dohokola in Kushtia, Ariful Islam of village Piarpur in Kushtia, Ekhlasur Rahman of village Latidanga in Jhenidah, Milon Hossain of village Kalishangkarpur in Jhenidah, Shakil Hassan of village Garaduba in Meherpur and Fahima Akter of village Harinakundu in Jhenidah.

Police said the group was sheltered at Md. Arshed Ali's house at village Raipur a few days ago. A team from Sujanagar police station arrested them from the house at about 10 pm on Saturday.

During the drive the police also seized some Islamist books, two motorbikes and mobile sets from them, said sub-inspector Md. Sifatul Islam. The arrestees claimed that they came to the area to teach the Holy Quran in modern method.

Source : The Daily Star 

Same old tale of reception to 'VIP'

The teachers and students of six high schools and five Dakhil (secondary level) madrasas in newly formed Rangabali upazila under the district joined the reception of a state minister on Saturday, suspending the scheduled examinations at the institutions.

At the reception organised by upazila unit of Awami League at Rangabali High School field at about 2:00pm on Saturday, Mahbubur Rahman Talukder, state minister for water resources, announced Rangabali as a new upazila, showing copy of a gazette notification to the locals.

As per schedule, examinations of Bangla 2nd paper in the high schools and Arabic in the madrasas were to be held from 10:00am to 1:00pm on the day but authorities of the institutions decided to shift the examinations to next Friday (weekly holiday), sources said.

"Reception meeting in honour of the state minister was organised in the school field. And so, I suspended the scheduled examination on the day. It will be held later," said Nirmal Chandra Das, acting headmaster of Rangabali High School.

"Local UP chairman, also a member of the managing committee of the school, asked me to join the minister's meeting. I with my colleagues and students joined the meeting as all educational institutions in the area did the same," said Fazlur Rahman, headmaster of Chhotobaishdia F Karim High School.

When contacted, Ahsan Kabir Chan, president of Rangabali upazila unit of Awami League, said, "We did not invite any educational institution to join the meeting. They may have joined it willingly as the minister announced Rangabali as a new upazila at the function."

As per directives issued by the education ministry, no institution can make its students join a VIP's reception, said acting district education officer Subhas Chandra.

Source : The Daily Star

7 shops gutted in fire

A devastating fire gutted seven shops at Jolli bazaar in Nabinagar upazila Friday night. Police and local people said the fire originated from an electric short circuit at the shop of Jahangir Alam of the bazaar at around 10:00pm and soon engulfed the adjacent six shops. Local people extinguished the fire after two hours of frantic efforts. The affected shop owners claimed that cash and valuables worth Tk 50 lakh were gutted in the blaze.

81 fruit trees felled

Criminals felled 81 fruit trees at Puthrijana village under Razapur upazila of Jhalakathi district early yesterday. Owner Azim Sharif said he planted 83 'amra' trees on his land last year and unidentified criminals felled 81 of them for 'unknown reasons.' Officer in-charge of Razapur police station said they will take action against the culprits after investigating the allegation.

Patuakhali Passport Forgery: Probe starts, AD and 3 other staff held

The probe committee of the Department of Information and Passport yesterday started investigating the matters related to the seizure of 350 fake passports and 344 fake forms from Patuakhali passport office.

Mohammad Toufiqul Islam Khan, deputy director of the department, also the head of the one-member probe committee, met district level officers including the Patuakhali deputy commissioner and officials of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police yesterday.

Rab seized 350 fake passports and 344 fake passport forms from Patuakhali passport office and arrested three passport office staff and five brokers on Thursday evening.

The arrestees include Shahjahan Howlader, assistant director of Patuakhali passport office, its office assistant Abul Hossen and MLSS Wahiduzzaman.

The arrested brokers are Babul Gazi, 35, of Haritokibaria village, Md Rafiq, 48, of Jainkathi village, Partho Sarothi Das, 30, of Chawk Bazar in Patuakhali town, Uttam Kuamr, 32, of Idrakpur village under Patuakhali Sadar upazila, and Montu Karmakar, 65, of Kawnia village under Barisal Sadar upazila.

Shahjahan Howlader has already been suspended for his alleged involvement in issuing fake passport, Toufiqul Islam Khan, the investigation officer, told Patuakhali journalists yesterday.

"Keeping the passport office under observation for long, Rab found that a section of brokers with the help of some officials were preparing and delivering golakata (fake) passports to people including pilgrims in exchange of huge money. Terrorists and war criminals can use such fake passports to leave the country," said Nuruzzaman, company commander of Rab-8 in Patuakhali, who conducted Thursday's raid in the passport office.

A case was filed with Patuakhali police station in this regard.

A team from Detective Security Branch examined 1700 passports from January to June this year and they have continued the process for examining all the passports issued from the Patuakhali office, Rab sources said.

Source : The Daily Star

Support for Mirsarai victim families

State Minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarker provided Tk 30,000 to each family of the deceased students killed in Mirsarai road accident.

The minister on behalf of the ministry handed over the cheque at a ceremony on Abu Torab Government Primary School premises in Mirsharai yesterday.

Addressing the occasion, the minister also announced to construct necessary galleries at Mirsarai upazila stadium after renovating the stadium.

Ahad Ali visited the accident spot and he on behalf of the national sports council declared to give financial assistance for construction of a monument at the spot, which was planned by Ministry of Education.

Source : The Daily Star

2 electrocuted in Gazipur

Two construction workers were electrocuted at Masjidia village at Khoiyachhara union in Mirsarai upazila yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Najim Uddin, 25, and Saddam Hossain, 22.

Locals said they were working at an under-construction building owned by Gura Mia at the village in the afternoon.

Suddenly they came in contact with live electric wire and were electrocuted.

Source : The Daily Star

Torture on Man, Two Women: HC summons 3 cops, eight others

The High Court yesterday summoned three police officials including the superintendent of police of Narayanganj, and eight persons in connection with separate incidents of torture against a man and two women in Narayanganj and Rangpur.

An HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore issued the summons following a writ petition and in a suo moto move.

The HC bench asked the SP of Narayanganj, officer-in-charge of Bandar police station and chairman of Musapur union of the district to appear before it on August 3 to explain their roles over the torture of a young man.

One Babu Chakrabartee of Musapur was reportedly mercilessly tortured in an arbitration at the direction of Chairman Anwar Hossain of Musapur union on July 16.

Babu was punished for marrying daughter of one local Brojen Das without his (Brojen) consent.

The daily Bangladesh Protidin on July 20 published a report on the incident, saying that the men of Chairman Anwar Hossain also beat Sukumar and Bimol, brothers of Babu, as they informed the incident to journalists.

Advocate Manzill Murshid, president of Humman Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, yesterday filed a writ petition seeking necessary orders against the persons responsible for the incident.

The same bench yesterday in a suo moto order also directed the OC of Badarganj police station and seven local people to appear before it on July 31 to explain incident of torturing two women in an arbitration at Kashiganj village of Rajarampur Upazila in Rangpur on June 26.

A Bangla daily recently published a report on the incident.

The seven people are local BNP leader Abdur Rouf Mondal, Union Parishad members Ainul Haque and Ilias Ali, retired school teacher Mozahed Ali, Madrasa teacher Sekander Ali and Enamul Haque and Enamul Hossain, who conducted the arbitration.

The court also issued separate rules upon the government to explain within two weeks why it should not be directed to prosecute the persons responsible for torturing the man and women.

Source : The Daily Star

Biplob awarded death sentence at Moudud's interference: Says state minister Hasan

State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday alleged that President Zillaur Rahman shown mercy to AHM Biplob as he was given death sentence by a lower court at the interference of Barrister Moudud Ahmed when he was in charge of the law ministry.

"BNP Standing Committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed interfered in the investigation and trial of the BNP leader Nurul Islam murder case," he told reporters at his office in the city.

"Moudud, when he was law minister openly interfered into the investigation of the case and its trial in the lower court to award death sentence to Biplob," Hasan said.

"Taking the all interferences of Barrister Moudud into consideration, the president has shown mercy to Biplob," he said, adding "A party which stands on politics of killing and falsehood, has no legal morality to raise question on the president's mercy.

He said BNP showed the ways of politics of killing in independent Bangladesh. Founder of BNP Ziaur Rahman had set the example of showing mercy to Shafiul Alam Pradhan, the main accused in the seven murder case of Dhaka University, he said.

Dr Hasan expressed his surprise as BNP leader MK Anwar, flanked by Pradhan, was talking against the president's mercy to Biplob at a recent press conference in Dhaka.

Hasan said Zia acquitted more than 12,000 razakars and collaborators of Pakistani Army and hanged 17 army officers who directly fought for country's independence.

"President Zia amended the country's constitution to close all legal ways of trial of Bangabandhu murder case and killing of the four national leaders inside the jail.

He (Zia) also rewarded the killers by giving official postings at home and abroad to patronise the killers", he said.

Khaleda Zia also followed the footprint of his late husband, Hasan said adding that an accused of a double murder case Mohiuddin Jintu was shown mercy by president at the recommendation of Moudud during the past BNP regime.

Moudud also recommended for commuting punishment of Shamsul Alam Tofa, brother of BNP leader and former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, Hasan said, adding, "So BNP has no moral right to raise question about the president's mercy to Biplob.

Source : The Daily Star

State minister wants job of visually challenged in health ministry

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Captain (retd) Dr Majibur Rahman Fakir expressed his desire to appoint visually challenged people at the ministry when circulars regarding vacant posts are released.

He was speaking as the chief guest at a view exchange meeting organised to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organisation (BERDO) at its head office in Mirpur on Saturday.

The state minister also wanted the list of visually impaired job applicants through the executive director of BERDO, says a press release.

He said the programme BERDO is running to fulfill the five basic needs of visually challenged people in Bangladesh is a commendable initiative.

Secretary of Rural Development and Cooperatives Division Mihir Kanti Majumder was also present at the meeting as the special guest.

Source : The Daily Star

EVM in next local elections: CEC

Election Commission (EC) will introduce electronic voting machine (EVM) in the next local government elections to secure people's faith in the system before using it in the parliamentary polls.

"If the new system can gain the trust of the people and political parties, we will go for introducing it in the 2014 general election," said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday.

He was speaking at a view exchange meeting on introducing EVM with representatives of different print and electronic media. EC organised the meeting at the conference room of National Economic Council in the city.

Editors, news-editors and veteran journalists of several print and electronic media attended the meeting where two election commissioners M Sohul Hussain and M Sakhawat Hussain were present.

Addressing the function, media representatives emphasised on enhancing security measures in the EVM to prevent vote rigging and launching massive awareness programmes for general people on EVM.

The CEC said EC decided to introduce EVM in Narayanganj City Corporation polls, expected to be held in November, and in Comilla City Corporation polls in January next year.

EC plans to launch a five-year long project to popularise EVM and to use it in phases in different polls, he said.

Talking about different features of the EVM, Huda said this new system will make EC's administrative activities easier during and after elections and save time in counting votes.

EC is also mulling over reducing the time allotted for casting votes, which is currently from 8:00am to 4:00pm, he said.

The CEC also reiterated that EC wants the cabinet division and three ministries of home, local government and rural development & co-operatives and public administration to do the administrative jobs relevant to parliamentary polls in consultation with it, ahead of the polls

Source : The Daily Star

Call to introduce journalism education in colleges

Vice-chancellor (VC) of Dhaka University (DU) Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique urged the government to introduce journalism education in college level after its inclusion in the education policy.

The DU VC made the call at the concluding session of 20 years celebration programme of Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ) department of Rajshahi University (RU) at RU Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium yesterday.

RU Treasurer Prof Abdur Rahman, Social Science Faculty Dean Prof Muhammad Mizan Uddin, RU MCJ dept Chairman Moshihur Rahman also addressed the session.

RU MCJ dept and Journalism Alumni Forum of Rajshahi University (Jafru) jointly organised the two-day event.

Earlier a seminar titled "Broadcast Journalism in Bangladesh: Limitations, Prospects and Guildlines" was held on the campus while DU MCJ dept Chairman Prof Gitiara Nasrin was in the chair.

Reporters Mahfuzur Rahman Mishu and SM Mahiuddin of ATN Bangla presented the keynote paper at the seminar.

Speakers stressed the need for ethical standard in journalism to strengthen democracy and good governance in the country.

DU MCJ teachers Abul Mansur Ahmed and Kaberi Gayen, Jagannath University MCJ dept teacher Prof Helena Ferdousi, head of news of Desh TV Jayedul Ahsan, NTV Chief Reporter Zahirul Alam, Head of Output of channel-71 Shakil Ahmed, head of news of Somoy TV Tushar Abdullah and channel-i News Editor Jahid Newaz Khan also spoke at the seminar.

A friendship cricket match between former and present students of RU MCJ dept was also held on the campus.

Source : The Daily Star

'Introduce quota for Urdu-speaking people'

Speakers at a national convention yesterday urged the government to introduce quota system for the urdu-speaking people like other minorities of the country.

They made the call at the convention on Social inclusion of Urdu-speaking camp-based Bangladeshis organised by Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) and representatives from Urdu-speaking community, at RC Majumdar Auditorium of Dhaka University.

They also demanded ensuring fundamental rights, including education, health and habitat, for the Urdu-speaking minorities.

The Urdu-speaking people who come from different camps of the country said though the government has given voting rights and national ID cards but they are still out from the fundamental rights for which they have been passing their days under sub-human condition in 116 shelter camps in the country.

The camps, known as "Bihari camp" or "refugee camp" were constructed after the liberation war for stranded Pakistanis. Now there are around 1.60 lakh Urdu-speaking people in the country.

Stressing the movement to get anything, Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman said if anybody does not want anything he will not get it.

Dr Shahdeen Malik said it the time to place demand for quota system for the Urdu- speaking people of the country.

"Though we wear Benarashi shari made by Urdu-speaking people but we do not think about their contribution," said Rasheda K Chowdhury, former adviser to a caretaker government.

Poet Asad Chowdhury, said there were around five Urdu-speaking poets who supported the language movement of 1952 but it was not written anywhere in the country.

Mohammad Hasan, a representative of the Urdu-speaking community, said though there are 116 camps for the Urdu-speaking people in the country but the government is giving attention only to the Geneva comp.

Md Sazid Hossain, a youth of the community, said they do not have any privacy as they have to share a room with grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, son and daughter.

Hannah Sholder, who carried out a research on two camps of the community, said there is only one toilet for every 200 residents in Geneva Camp in the city's Mohammadpur.

CR Abrar of RMMRU said though Urdu-speaking people have got their citizenship but they fear about eviction from their places.

Source : The Daily Star

Orthopaedic hospital limps on with shortage of staff

The poor patients are not getting artificial limbs at the cheapest rate from Pongu Hospital, the country's lone specialised public orthopaedic hospital, as its artificial limb centre is almost closed down due to severe manpower crisis.

Though the centre produced 734 artificial limbs in 12 months [June 2003 to June 2004] for the patients, it produced only 245 in last year [January to December, 2010], shows the hospital record.

As the eight limb makers of the centre have gone to retirement in last five years and these posts have been laying vacant at the centre since then, said Matilal Biswas, only limb maker and manager of the artificial limb centre at National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), mostly known as Pongu Hospital.

Despite having "enough fund and machines," the limb centre remains virtually inoperative due to the shortage of limb makers, said Motilal who is also going to retirement soon.

Total post of limb makers of the hospital is nine.

According to Matilal, Tk 65,000 is needed for the Above Knee Prosthesis (artificial organ set above the knee) at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and Tk 25,000 at Brac Artificial Limb Centre, which is only Tk 550 at NITOR.

"Only Tk 330 is needed for the Below Knee Prosthesis at NITOR which cost at least Tk 8,000 if you want to procure it from outside the hospital," he said admitting that the poor patients are suffering most as they have to procure artificial limbs from outside paying even 24 times more now.

While visiting the hospital, this correspondent found one Darbesh Ali, 40, who admitted to the hospital in the mid of June following a road accident and his leg had to be amputated.

Darbesh, a fish trader, was about to cry while narrating his state as he is managing treatment costs from his relatives.

Purchasing an artificial limb is beyond his capacity if he is not provided it free of cost or nominal cost.

"Can you manage an artificial limb from here for me, apa [sister]? If I would go back to work, I could save my family, my four little children would at least get their education," said Darbesh lying at G-1 bed at IJ ward of the hospital to the reporter.

According to the hospital sources, a total of 246 items like surgical/club foot shoe, Taylor brace, long leg brace, short leg brace etc was prepared last year, which was quite insignificant comparing to the existing demand. The production is almost nil this year, sources said.

Admitting the situation, Director of NITOR Abdul Awal Rizvi said that they could not go for recruitment, as they did not get qualified limb makers.

"Even we could not take non qualified ones to make them qualified after providing them training. Because the government recruitment policy does not allow it. So, we have applied to the health ministry to bring slight changes in the recruitment policy," said Dr Rizvi.

They are also trying to take people through outsourcing and already have contacted to the Protibandhi Unnayan Foundation in this regard, he added.

The hospital has been producing and supplying artificial limbs to the patients at the cheapest rate since its inception in 1972.

Source : The Daily Star

BNP upbeat

BNP yesterday said it hopes Indian National Congress President Sonia Gandhi's visit to Dhaka will strengthen the country's relations with India and also help resolve the long-standing disputes between the two sides.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, talked to reporters yesterday after placing wreaths at the grave of late president Ziaur Rahman, founder of the party, at the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

He at that time asked the government to disclose details of all deals signed with India. He hopes the government will discuss water sharing, transit deal and border killing with Sonia and ensure the country's interest in transit deal, Alamgir said.

The BNP leader also said they have to see whether Bangladesh is getting the fair share of water and the border killing is stopped.

Sonia Gandhi arrived in the capital last night. The prime minister of India will also visit Dhaka soon and a number of deals including transit are expected to be signed during his visit.

The main opposition has been strongly opposing the government's move to provide transit facilities to India as it thinks the country is getting nothing in return.

The BNP leader told reporters, "We want to keep relationship with India on the basis of equality. Our chairperson has already said we have to see first how Bangladesh can be benefited from the transit deal."

Implementation of all deals including transit will depend on people's support, he noted.

Source : The Daily Star 

PM sees donors' interference in dev projects

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has preferred to implement the development projects with government funding to avert unnecessary interference from the donors.

"You can not imagine how much they [donors] interfere in the project implementation," she told the newly elected office bearers of the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB) at her office yesterday.

During the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government, it was a normal phenomenon that the donors complained about the hindrance to project implementation due to the slow activities of the government agencies, she recalled.

"But the situation has changed a lot. Now, we are complaining to the donors that the development projects are being hindered for them [donors]," she said.

The premier said that the government funded projects are now being implemented more quickly as the present government has taken a motto to implement those as soon as possible.

"As there is no Hawa Bhaban now, there is none to take commission. That is why the projects are being implemented so fast," she said.

Hasina asked the engineers to make the country self-sufficient in each sector. In this connection, she requested them to use their innovative and creativity ideas.

She criticised some vested quarters, who often said that the ADP implementation rate is very slow. "We have achieved 92 percent implementation rate, so those allegations are wrong," she said.

In this connection, Hasina mentioned that the government has improved the power generation and already 1,900 megawatt of electricity has been included in the national grid after the present government assumed power.

She said that the government has to improve the power generation further as the foreign investment is increasing day by day.

"Bangladesh is now an attractive place for investment. Huge investment proposals are coming every day. For more foreign investment we have to provide them electricity and we are committed to improve the situation," she said.

In this regard, the premier said that there is a problem the government is facing regarding foreign investment, which is land. "The land is limited in the country and we will not allow using the agriculture land for any other purpose. We have to protect the agriculture land," she said.

Referring to the BNP-Jamaat alliance government, she said that they earned a lot of money using the state power and they thought that this money would bring them to power again.

"At least they have had a lesson this time that by money it is not possible to bring everything," she said.

Hasina underscored the need for political stability for the uninterrupted development of the country.

The government has to ensure food security, social safety net and employment generation, she said.

She also said that the government will turn the country's population into wealth by providing them education and technical knowledge.

IEB President Engineer Nurul Huda and its honorary General Secretary Engineer Abdus Sabur led the delegation.

Source : The Daily Star

Withdraw robbery case: Appeal families, blame local leaders and police over killing of 6 students by mob in Aminbazar

Local leaders and police have to bear the responsibility for the deaths of six students killed in mob-beating in Aminbazar, said a section of villagers of Baradeshi yesterday.

Another section however believes the students were "robbers" and the mob "consciously" killed them.

They told this to reporters when a four-member high-powered investigation team led by a deputy inspector general of police, visited Keblarchar, the place of occurrence.

The reporters were accompanying the investigation team.

The investigation team recorded statements of the family members of three slain students and lone survivor Al-Amin.

The mob in the name of resisting robbers beat up the six students to death in the early hours of July 18, which was also the night of Shab-e-Barat.

"Several robbers-resistance teams were formed with the consent of both police and local leaders to prevent robbery spree in the locality. The teams have been vigilant at nights for about one month," a villager told The Daily Star asking not to be identified.

A number of other villagers echoed him.

They said the outraged villagers took the law in their own hands and killed the students, as the law enforcers failed to take action against repeated incidents of robbery.

Responding to newspersons' question as to alleged involvement of law enforcers in the incident, Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Amir Uddin said they will probe everything about it.

Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Savar police, said they were aware of robberies in the locality and a team was on patrol that night. But the angry villagers killed the six students before police reached the scene.

The investigation team interviewed some villagers including Abdul Malek who filed a robbery case against the victims.

Khabir Bepari, father of Al-Amin, said the team heard the incident from his son for two and a half hours and took both of their signatures.

The victims' families appealed to the team for immediate withdrawal of the robbery charges against the six slain students and Al-Amin.

The slain students were Towhidur Rahman Palash, Kamruzzaman Kanto, Shams Rahim Shamam, Sitaf Jabi Munif, Ibrahim Khalil and Tipu Sultan.

Abdul Kader Suraj, disabled father of Kanto, leaning on the shoulders of his relatives arrived on the scene where his son was killed. He broke into tears seeing the ground where his son was lying dead, and demanded justice for the deaths of his son and his friends.

Families of some other victims also went to the scene for the first time along with the investigation team, as they dared not to go there alone.

Over two hundred villagers including women gathered around the investigation team and protested various news reports published on the issue, and claimed that the killed youths were robbers.

Savar police filed a murder case against around 600 unnamed villagers in this connection and arrested two accused -- Sanwar Hossain and Md Selim of Baradeshi -- on Saturday.

The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate allowed police a two-day remand yesterday to interrogate the arrested two.

Source : The Daily Star 

Extortion: Minister accuses police

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan has brought allegations of extortion against highway police officials.

"If the money is not paid, the transport drivers have to face cases," he said while speaking at a meeting of the National Road Advisory Council at the communications ministry yesterday.

The minister demanded taking necessary steps to stop police extortion on roads and highways especially ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

He echoed the concerns of representatives of transport owners and workers who were present at the meeting.

Enayetullah, secretary general of Transport Owners Association, alleged that transport drivers have to pay Tk 300 to Tk 400 extortion at each designated point across the country.

Demanding an end to such unbridled extortion by police, he suggested removal of hat-bazars (markets) from both sides of the highway to reduce the traffic jam.

The meeting chaired by Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain asked the district administration to take steps to remove traffic jams in front of shopping centres and from highways during the Ramadan.

The meeting asked the authorities concerned to make sure that drivers of private cars, jeeps and microbuses fasten their seat belts, and do not use cell phones while driving.

The communications minister asked the law enforcers to take legal action against motorcyclists who do not wear helmets while driving.

The meeting also asked the authorities concerned to take legal action against the violators of traffic rules.

Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on communications ministry Mujibur Rahman, divisional commissioners, metropolitan police commissioners and representatives of transport owners association and Road Transport Workers Federation, among others, attended the meeting.

Source : The Daily Star

Population no less than 16cr: Muhith

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the country's population would exceed 16 crore, nearly two crore more than the census data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) last week.

According to the preliminary report on Population and Housing Census 2011, the population now stands at 14.23 crore.

"The difference between enumerated figure and the final figure is always between 4 and 5 percent. Some 7.5 million expatriates will also be included this time. So the final figure would stand between 16.2 to 16.5 crore," Muhith told journalists at a discussion at the National Press Club.

The Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) is carrying out a sample survey, which will be published in September and the final figure will come out after that, the minister added.

The Economic Reporters' Forum organised the discussion on budget implementation and challenges with its president Monwar Hossain in the chair.

The reporters raised the issue saying that finding the real figure of population is crucial for successful implementation of the national budget.

The "underestimated" census data also sparked debate among policymakers and analysts as those could misguide the government in decision-making process. A powerful cabinet member Matia Chowdhury also raised questions on the census data.

"The complaint is every house was not covered. Even the house of the agriculture minister was not covered," said Muhith. Simultaneously, the minister added this census was relatively better as it used digital maps and voter lists in reaching out to the people.

Muhith said the data that has been published is a preliminary estimate and further work is being carried out to finalise it. He added BIDS would finish sample survey by September this year and after that the country will get a final figure.

"There has always been a difference of nearly two crore between the UNFPA and the government estimates. This time the government has included UNFPA into the census," the minister pointed out.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) early last year projected Bangladesh's population at 16.44 crore, which triggered criticism particularly from the government. Later, UNFPA revised the population at 14.87 crore.

Source : The Daily Star

Sudan launches new currency

Sudan launched a new currency on Sunday, six days after the newly independent south did so amid fears of a currency war, but the central bank said it was ready to negotiate with Juba on the old money.

'Today we have launched the new currency in the capital and all the states, and we are ready to issue any amount of the currency through the banks and the ATMs,' said the bank's governor, Mohammed Kheir al-Zubair.

Speaking to reporters in Khartoum, he declined to specify how long the old currency would remain in circulation, only saying the transition would be completed 'as quickly as possible.'

The new Sudanese pound has a redrawn map of the country and certain symbols are absent on the differently coloured notes, following the secession of the south on July 9.

It replaces the old Sudanese pound, which has plunged in value this year, mainly because of the surge in food prices and weak state finances.

One dollar can now buy up to 3.5 Sudanese pounds on the black market, compared with the official exchange rate of 2.67 Sudanese pounds.

The South Sudan pound, launched last Monday in Juba, threatens to further devalue the Sudanese pound and has raised concerns about either country being flooded with old notes.

 There are about 11 billion old Sudanese pounds in the north, and the south's central bank governor, Elijah Malok, urged the new country's 10 states to ensure the swiftest possible circulation of their new currency, saying otherwise 'a lot of money will pour in and destroy our economy.'

But Zubair sought to calm fears about any such move.

'We are ready to negotiate with the government of South Sudan about the old money that they have,' he said.

Zubair hailed the launch of the new Sudanese pound as 'the beginning of the second republic,' echoing the words of Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir, on July 12, in his first speech to parliament after the south's declaration of independence.

Source : New Age

Top senator warns US reaching ‘brink of default’

President Barack Obama and top US lawmakers held day-long crisis talks Saturday but failed to find a breakthrough to avert a debt default just 10 days away that could rock the fragile global economy.

Behind closed doors at the White House and in the marbled halls of Congress, polarised US leaders struggled to come together despite fears that the stalemate could send global markets tumbling, starting with early Monday trade in Asia.

In a late flurry of frustration, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid accused Republicans of bringing the world's richest country to 'the brink of default' by rejecting a deal that would last through the 2012 US election.

'Anything less than that will fail to provide the certainty that the markets — and the world — are looking for, risking an immediate downgrade of America's credit rating,' he said at day's end. 'Now is the time for cooperation.'

Hours earlier, Republican House Speaker John Boehner told members of his majority on a conference call that he hoped for a deal within 24 hours to soothe investor worry, notably in Asia, a participant told the AFP.

'We are working, and I'm confident there will be resolution. There has to be,' Boehner told the group, promising 'real cuts' in spending that help put cash-strapped Washington on a 'sustainable' path, the source said.

The speaker said the hard-fought negotiations centred on a two-step process to cut $3-4 trillion in spending over ten years as part of a deal to raise the $14.3 trillion US debt limit by an August 2 deadline, the participant added.

Source : New Age

Tokyo stocks seen to gain amid earnings hopes

Tokyo shares are tipped to maintain their gains this week on optimism that upcoming earnings reports from major Japanese firms will illustrate a faster-than-expected recovery from the March 11 disasters.

However, risk factors such as the yen's relative strength versus major currencies will weigh as the United States continues urgent debt negotiations and markets react to the latest efforts to shore up eurozone economies.

'Stocks will move higher as Japanese firms' earnings reports will likely show an earlier-than-expected post-quake recovery,' said Kenichi Hirano, operating officer at Tachibana Securities.

'While foreign exchange moves need to be cautiously watched, the Nikkei is likely to be supported by corporate earnings,' said Hiroichi Nishi, equity general manager at SMBC Nikko Securities. 'Japanese firms' supply chains have been normalising following their disruption' caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, Nishi said.

Japan posted its first trade surplus in three months in June, data showed Thursday, indicating that the world's third-largest economy is recovering from the twin disasters. The 9.0 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami devastated Japan's northeast, leaving 20,000 dead or missing and causing massive production disruption, sending shipments of cars and other key export products plunging.

Source : New Age

Lehman trustee appeals $1.1b win for Barclays

The bankruptcy trustee for Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc's brokerage arm is appealing a February decision awarding Barclays PLC about $1.1 billion associated with Barclays' purchase of Lehman's North American unit at the height of the financial crisis.

Trustee James Giddens said in a court filing on Friday he would appeal to Manhattan federal court the ruling reached by Judge James Peck, the US Bankruptcy Court judge presiding over Lehman's Chapter 11 case.

The move comes a week after Barclays appealed other aspects of the same case, much of which went in the trustee's favour.

The trustee's appeal centres on $1.1 billion awarded in the same case to Barclays. The money consists of 'clearance box' assets, held to facilitate the clearance of securities trading.

Giddens said he would have been content to let the matter rest, but filed an appeal because Barclays had already done so.

'The trustee had hoped to avoid protracted litigation,' Giddens said in a statement, but 'since the appeal process is already underway, and with the trustee's ... duty to maximize assets available for distribution to public customers and others, the trustee is also appealing the denial of his claim to the clearance box assets.'

Source : New Age

RMC medics want college to be univ

The students of Rajshahi Medical College on Sunday went on demonstration, demanding the college should be declared a university.

About 200 students brought out a procession on the campus after boycotting their classes and later, held a rally in front of the college gate.

Speakers said that it was very shameful for the medical college as it was still a faculty under Rajshahi University.

They complained that they had to face numerous problems to get necessary papers and information from the university.

The urged the prime minister and health and education ministers to upgrade the college to a university and renamed it as AHM Kamruzzaman Medical University.

They reminded the people about the contribution of AHM Kamruzzaman in the country's Liberation War.

The speakers also demanded the authorities concerned to set up an intensive care unit and casualty centre at the college to ease its way to be a full-fledged university.

The demonstrators vowed to continue their agitation until their demand was met.

Matiur Rahman, Shasmul Islam and Habibibur Rahman addressed the gathering.

After ending the rally at about 12 noon, the demonstrators took to the street and lay on the street and started observing a hunger strike.

The Rajshahi mayor, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, also son of AHM Kamruzzaman, went to the spot at about 2:00pm and expressed his solidarity with the students.

Source : New Age

Sylhet intern doctors end strike

The interns of Sylhet Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College Hospital on Sunday called of the indefinite strike they had been enforcing from Thursday, protesting at a suspension order against two of their fellows.

The medical college principal told New Age at noon that the interns agreed to join duties after a successful discussion with the college authorities.

'The authorities have withdrawn the suspension order,' he added.

The college authorities on Thursday suspended two interns — Aleya Ferdaus Nipa and Setu Bhoumik — on charge of spreading calumny against a 4th year student.

The interns, however, complained that the college principal had taken the decision of punishing the twos without the evidence of their involvement in spreading rumour about the 4th year student.

Source : New Age

Change in temperature unlikely

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

Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, Met Office said.

The sun sets in the capital today at 6:45pm and rises tomorrow at 5:25am.

The country's highest temperature, 34.0 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Sunday in Patuakhali and the lowest, 22.8 degrees, in Rangamati.

Source : New Age

HIV/AIDS workshop held in Sylhet

A daylong workshop on HIV-AIDS, reproductive health and violence against women was held at the Ansar and VDP training centre in the Sylhet city on Sunday.

Sylhet range of Ansar and Village Defence Party, in association with the home ministry and UNFPA, organised the programme.

Additional home secretary Iqbal Khan Chowdhury addressed the inaugural session, with Ansar and VDP Sylhet deputy director Abdur Rahim in the chair.

Source : New Age

Workshop shares experience on urban utilities

Speakers at a programme in Sylhet on Sunday stressed the best use of the limited water supply capacity of the urban authorities.

For this while they had suggested that the authorities concerned should enhance the proficiency of their staff, they also urged the city and town dwellers to use water wisely.

They made the call while addressing the inauguration of a two-day workshop styled 'experience sharing to strengthen the urban utilities' held at a city resort.

Sylhet City Corporation, in association with the World Bank, organised the programme under the government's water supply and sanitation programme to build link between three water supply and sewerage authorities, two city corporations and 26 municipality authorities in the country.

Source : New Age

ToR on SAARC energy co-op on cards

SAARC countries, which are looking for ways and means to meet the energy crisis from outside the region, will put into the final form a draft for cooperation among the countries at a meeting of an expert group beginning in Dhaka today.

'As SAARC are facing energy crisis, we are looking into scopes for import of oil and gas from outside the region. But the countries of the region need cooperation between themselves in this regard,' an energy division official said on Sunday.

He said that an expert group composed of energy division officials of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had worked out a draft of the terms of reference on the field of cooperation among the SAARC.

He said that the expert committee would put into the final form the draft at a meeting in Dhaka today.

Bangladesh is hosting the two-day meeting of the expert committee, led by officials of the joint secretary rank of the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

The official said that the terms of reference would be placed at the next SAARC summit, scheduled for November in Maldives, before taking up any specific project under the framework.

Ministries of the countries concerned will be working on the draft after the joint secretary level meeting, he said.

The expert group has in the draft emphasised building infrastructure for transport of oil and gas from the sources to destinations in SAARC countries in addition to exploration of sources of oil and gas outside the region.

The energy division official said that they were also considering technical and financial assistance in SAARC countries on the installation of oil and gas pipelines, liquefied natural gas terminal, and formation of a SAARC energy bank.

The SAARC countries are considering gas-enriched western, central and eastern Asia as long-term energy supplier, he added.

The SAARC countries are also planning to build cooperation in four different fields to meet the energy crisis in the region.

The other fields are renewable energy generation, electricity generation and transmission, and technology and knowledge sharing in the SAARC region.

Source : New Age

Matia calls for expanding agriculture in southern dists

Agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury on Sunday called for finding ways to expand agriculture in the country's southern areas as the northern districts are gradually getting industrialised.

She asked agricultural researchers to develop salinity tolerant seeds and agricultural products so that the country could meet its demand for food.

Matia was addressing a discussion on 'Agriculture and Food Security: Emerging Research Initiatives' organised by The Asia Foundation at a city hotel.

Matia said, 'We have to produce salinity tolerant wheat to meet the demand of flour. Similarly to meet the demand of protein, we have produce more sheep and buffalos in the southern parts of the country as these animals can adjust with salinity.'

At the same time, researchers should innovate small and effective equipment for the small farmers, she added.

The agriculture minister called upon non-government organisations to come forward in helping research and training for the agriculture sector.

Source : New Age

DMP restricts traffic movement on some city roads

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has restricted traffic movement on certain roads for two days on July 25 and 26 as part of the unprecedented security measures to protect the foreign VVIPs who have come to participate in the international conference on autism, and to ensure free movement for all the other foreign participants.

The streets adjacent to the conference venue and the hotels of the delegates, and the streets which they will use, have been included in the restriction. The Special Branch, however, will issue special passes for some vehicles to ply those streets.

The DMP has restricted vehicular movement on the roads that stretch from Sonargaon Hotel to Farmgate to Bijay Sarani to Ganabhaban to Gabtoli as the distinguished guests will visit the National Monument in Savar at 8:00am today. Besides, traffic movement on the road that stretches from Gabtoli to Mirpur Road will be restricted for two hours from 9:00am as they will place floral wreaths before the portrait of Bangabandhu.

The DMP has restricted traffic movement on the roads that stretches from Ruposhi Bangla to Kakrail Mosque to High Court to Zero Point to Bangabhaban between 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Monday.

Besides, the roads stretching from Bangabhaban to Zero Point to Hare Road to Ruposhi Bangla Hotel to Mohakhali to the airport will remain off-limits to vehicles from 7:00pm.

On July 26, traffic movement on the roads stretching from Bangabhaban to Zero Point to Shiksha Bhaban to High Court to Ruposhi Bangla Hotel to Hotel Sonargaon Crossing to Russel Square to Mohakhali to Dhanmondi Abahoni Field and Shishu Academy and adjoining areas will remain off-limits between 3:00pm and 5:00pm, said the DMP.

The traffic department of the DMP has also requested the city dwellers to use alternative roads during the time. Besides, it has also requested the pedestrians to avoid those roads and their footpaths.

Source : New Age

Experts seek national policy on climate change

Experts on Sunday recommended formulation of a national policy on climate change to implement the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2009 and to strengthen the action plan for withstanding the impact of climate change.

They urged the government to revise the action plan in line with the recommendations made by civil society experts and the inhabitants of disaster-prone areas of the country who expressed their opinions in a seminar titled 'Climate Victims and Civil Society Opinions from Six Divisions, Bangladesh Climate Action Plan 2009, Participation and Coordination', held at National Press Club.

They also demanded transparency and social auditing of the climate action plan in implementation of the BCCSAP.

They said that the government should focus on funding research to find out how to enable the people to withstand the numerous impacts of climate change.

The seminar was jointly organised by the Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods and Equity and Justice Working Group (EquityBD).

EquityBD's secretary Rezaul Karim Chowdhury moderated the seminar which was also addressed by Dr Hasan Mahmud, the state minister for environment and forests, and Dr Qazi Khaliquzzaman, convener of the national climate change negotiation team.

Dr Khaliquzzaman said that the BCCSAP has been prepared without the participation of the grassroots-level people who could have made valuable inputs.

But Mahmud said BCCSAP was a 'living document' and can be revised anytime in response to the recommendations of knowledgeable members of the civil society.

He said that the BCCSAP is a guideline to cope with climate change and the government is making constant efforts to prepare and implement various projects according to that guideline.

Syed Aminul Haque of EquityBD presented the keynote paper in which he made five recommendations which include need of high-level political coordination, integration of the 6th Five Year Plan, institutional reforms of different government agencies, decentralized implementation and preparation of a regional version of the climate action plan.

Source : New Age

Call for effective steps against sexual harassment

Women in Bangladesh are now living in a fearful time as sexual harassment of women are on the rise, activist working for women's rights said at a rally in Dhaka on Sunday.

They cited some recent incidents such as the rape of a student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College by a teacher in Dhaka, gang rape of a girl of a national minority community in Rajshahi and the hanging of the body naked after killing the girl, caning of a woman in village arbitration in Rangpur as the incidents creating such a situation.

The activists under the banner of Sama Adhikar Amader Nyunatama Dabi held the rally in front of the National Press Club in the morning and then submitted a memorandum to the home minister demanding effective steps against sexual harassment of women.

The convener of the platform, Jahangirnagar University teacher Nasim Akhter Hossain, presided over the programme, conducted by Samajtantrik Mahila Forum's organising secretary Shampa Basu.

Writer and journalist Rahnuma Ahmed, Samajtantrik Mahila Forum president Rowshan Ara Rusho, Biplabi Nari Sanghati coordinator Shyamali Shil, Shramajibi Nari Maitree president Bahni Shikha Jamali and Arup Rahi of Sangskriti Mancha also spoke

A delegation of seven members submitted the memorandum to the home minister after the police had stopped a march towards the home minister after the rally.

In the memorandum, they demanded expeditious trial of all incidents of sexual harassment and repression against women, punishment of people responsible for sexual harassment, end to government campaign against sexual harassment, implementation of policy against sexual harassment in all institutions and workplaces, keeping law enforces out of political influence to ensure security of women and change in the patriarchal attitude of the law enforces in the interest of proper trial of the cases, and impartial and accountable trial of such incidents.

Source : New Age

Experts seek national policy on climate change

Experts on Sunday recommended formulation of a national policy on climate change to implement the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2009 and to strengthen the action plan for withstanding the impact of climate change.

They urged the government to revise the action plan in line with the recommendations made by civil society experts and the inhabitants of disaster-prone areas of the country who expressed their opinions in a seminar titled 'Climate Victims and Civil Society Opinions from Six Divisions, Bangladesh Climate Action Plan 2009, Participation and Coordination', held at National Press Club.

They also demanded transparency and social auditing of the climate action plan in implementation of the BCCSAP.

They said that the government should focus on funding research to find out how to enable the people to withstand the numerous impacts of climate change.

The seminar was jointly organised by the Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods and Equity and Justice Working Group (EquityBD).

EquityBD's secretary Rezaul Karim Chowdhury moderated the seminar which was also addressed by Dr Hasan Mahmud, the state minister for environment and forests, and Dr Qazi Khaliquzzaman, convener of the national climate change negotiation team.

Dr Khaliquzzaman said that the BCCSAP has been prepared without the participation of the grassroots-level people who could have made valuable inputs.

But Mahmud said BCCSAP was a 'living document' and can be revised anytime in response to the recommendations of knowledgeable members of the civil society.

He said that the BCCSAP is a guideline to cope with climate change and the government is making constant efforts to prepare and implement various projects according to that guideline.

Syed Aminul Haque of EquityBD presented the keynote paper in which he made five recommendations which include need of high-level political coordination, integration of the 6th Five Year Plan, institutional reforms of different government agencies, decentralized implementation and preparation of a regional version of the climate action plan.

Source : New Age

AL leaders set out on dist tours Tuesday

Awami League leaders will set out on tours of the districts on Tuesday to gear up organisational activities as a part of its preparations for the next general elections and face the opposition's movement politically.

During the visits, they will attend rallies at the headquarters of 18 greater districts in July 26-31 to explain to the people and local activists of the party the present socio-economic and political situation and

its development programmes, AL sources said.

The AL high command has constituted 18 teams, each headed by senior party leaders, and instructed the organising secretaries entrusted with the responsibilities and district unit leaders to complete preparations to make the organisational tours successful, sources said.

Central AL leaders, ministers, city corporation mayors and local lawmakers were also included in the teams to visit the district headquarters and address the rallies.

'We have completed all preparations to make the organisational tours successful,' AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif told New Age on Sunday, adding that the teams would set out on Tuesday and complete the visits on July 31.

Hanif, also the spokesperson of the AL, said that the local units were organising the rallies in cooperation with the central leaders.

AL presidium member Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir will lead the team which will visit Dinajpur, executive council member Mohammad Nasim will lead a team to Rangpur, executive council member Durga Das Bhattacharya will visit Rajshahi, presidium member Matia Chowdhury will lead a team to Pabna and Tangail, executive council member Abdul Khaleque will visit Bogra, presidium member Kazi Zafar Ullah will go to Jessore  and Kushtia, executive council member Suranjit Sengupta will visit Khulna and Faridpur, presidium member Yousif Hossain Humayun will visit Patuakhali  and Barisal, executive council member Amir Hossain Amu address rallies in Dhaka, general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam in Mymensingh, presidium members Sahara Khatun in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim in Comilla and Obaidul Quader in Noakhali and Feni and executive council member AMA Muhith in Sylhet.

The AL entrusted organising secretaries Jahangir Kabir Nanok, Ahmed Hossain, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud, BM Mozammel Haque, Mizbah Uddin Siraj, Bahauddin Nasim and Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury with the organisational responsibility for Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet , Barisal and Rangpur divisions respectively.

Source : New Age

Norway suspect says acted alone

The self-confessed author of Norway's attacks that killed at least 93 people and wounded nearly 100 more says he acted alone, the police said Sunday, as thousands attended a memorial service for the victims.

Anders Behring Breivik, 32, is due to appear in court in Oslo on Monday after telling police that last Friday's bombing and shooting attack was 'cruel' but 'necessary'.

'He admitted responsibility' for the twin attacks, his lawyer Geir Lippestad told Norwegian media. 'He feels that it was cruel to have to carry out these acts but that, in his head, it was necessary.'

At least seven people were killed in a car bomb blast outside government buildings in Oslo on Friday and, hours later, a further 85 were shot dead on the nearby island of Utoeya, where a Labour party youth meeting was being held.

The crimes have caused outrage in Norway amid calls on the internet for the reinstatement of the death penalty, given the maximum prison sentence the perpetra-

tor can face is 21 years' imprisonment.

The prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, and Norway's King Harald V and Queen Sonja led the nation in mourning at an emotional memorial mass in Oslo Cathedral for the victims.

Stoltenberg said in an address to the hundreds of mourners that the 'scale of the evil' would only fully emerge when the names and photographs of the mostly teenaged victims were published.

The death toll rose to 93 on Sunday, after one of those wounded in the attacks died in hospital.

The police have not ruled out the involvement of a second gunman, amid witness reports of a possible second shooter on the island, and on Sunday they detained several people in a swoop on an Oslo property thought to be connected to the attacks. They were released shortly afterwards.

'No explosives were found at the location and those detained have been released,' Oslo police said in a statement following the raid in the Sletteloekka district of the capital.

'Police have nothing that could enable these people to be connected with acts of terror.'

Behring Breivik acknowledged the facts resulting from his actions, but rejected 'criminal responsibility,' according to police.

'In his mind, he has the feeling that there was nothing reprehensible in what he has done,' his lawyer told NRK.

At the emotion-filled service in Oslo, Stoltenberg wiped his face with a handkerchief and told the hushed congregation that despite the tragedy Norway would demonstrate 'more democracy, more openness, more humanity, but without naivety.'

'We are a small country but we are a proud people,' he said as a woman in the congregation sobbed uncontrollably, adding that Norway 'will never abandon its values.'

The leader of the Labour Party's youth group, Eskil Pedersen, wept openly during the service.

'We are gathered under the signs of mourning and of hope,' the bishop of Oslo, Ole Christian Kvarme, told the congregation, many of them wearing black.

Hundreds of people had gathered earlier outside the cathedral where a shrine has been set up amid a sea of flowers laid in tribute to the victims.

Stoltenberg and Pedersen each laid a white rose near the improvised shrine before the service began.

Investigators were Sunday poring over a rambling 1,500-page tract that emerged on the internet apparently written by Behring Breivik, in which he said he had been preparing the 'martyrdom operation' since at least autumn 2009.

The internet document — part diary, part bomb-making manual and part political rant in which he details his Islamophobia — explains how he set up front mining and farming businesses to prepare the attacks for which he was arrested on Friday.

'The reasoning for this decision is to create a credible cover in case I am arrested in regards to the purchase and smuggling of explosives or components to explosives — fertiliser,' says the tract.

The suspect's estranged father Jens Breivik said from his home in France that he only learned of his son's involvement when 'suddenly I saw his name and picture' on an internet news site.

'We never lived together but we had some contact during his childhood,' said Breivik senior, who divorced from the suspect's mother. 'When he was younger, he was an ordinary boy but not very communicative. He was not interested in politics at the time.'

As harrowing testimony emerged from the summer camp where scores of youngsters were mown down, Norway was struggling to understand how a country famed as a beacon of peace could experience such bloodshed on its soil.

'Many of those who have died were friends,' Stoltenberg said. 'I know their parents and it happened at a place where I spent a long time as a young person... It was a paradise of my youth that has now been turned into hell.'

The toll could rise further as the search continued for four or five people still missing from the island, aided by a mini-submarine and Red Cross scuba divers.

Blond-haired Behring Breivik described himself on his Facebook page as 'conservative', 'Christian', and interested in hunting and computer games like World of Warcraft and Modern Warfare 2, reports said.

He also described himself as director of Breivik Geofarm, an organic farm that may have given him access to chemicals used in the production of explosives.

The head of the populist right-wing Progress Party (FrP), Norway's second-biggest political party, confirmed Behring Breivik had been a member between 1999 and 2006 and for several years a leader in its youth movement.

Anti-fascist monitors meanwhile said Behring Breivik was also a member of a Swedish neo-Nazi Internet forum named Nordisk.

The attacks on Friday afternoon were western Europe's deadliest since the 2004 Madrid bombings, carried out by al-Qaeda.

On arrival at the island, he wore a police pullover and claimed to be investigating the bomb attack and began opening fire with an automatic weapon. The shooting spree lasted for around 90 minutes before he surrendered to armed police arriving on the island.

Witnesses described scenes of horror among the more than 500 people attending the youth camp. Some who tried to swim to safety were even shot in the water.

Stine Haheim, a Labour party lawmaker who was on the island, said the gunman had carried out his killings methodically.

'He was very calm. He was not running, he was moving slowly and shooting at every person he saw,' she said.

The police said 97 people had been injured in the attacks, 30 by the car bomb in central Oslo and 67 in the shooting rampage at a Labour Party youth camp on the island of Utoeya.

Source : New Age

AL move to mollify oil-gas committee Moloy Saha and

Two leaders of the Awami League, including a state minister, on Sunday held a meeting with the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports in a move to make the committee understand the 'necessity' of the deal signed between the government and US oil company ConocoPhillips for oil and gas exploration in two deep-sea blocks.

AL presidium member Obaidul Quader and state

minister for housing and public works Abdul Mannan Khan initiated the preliminary talks with the committee leaders at the Farmgate office of its convener Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah and conveyed the prime minister's desire to hold a dialogue with the committee on the deal.

Both the AL delegation and the committee leaders said that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and a dialogue could take place with the prime minister later.

'We just held preliminary talks with the committee leaders and discussed the issue in a cordial atmosphere' Obaidul Quader told New Age after the two- hour meeting that ended at 9:00 pm. He said that the committee had responded positively to the prime minister's call for a dialogue.

Quader, however, said that the discussion would continue in phases and 'we hope a final dialogue will be held with the prime minister.'

'The delegation wanted to know about our demands and we explained it in detail,' member-secretary of the committee Anu Muhammad told New Age after the meeting, adding that they had demanded scrapping of the deals with ConocoPhillips, implementation of Phulbari agreement and passing a bill with a provision for banning export of mineral resources.

He said that the delegation told the committee that they had come to convey the desire of the prime minister for holding a dialogue with the committee leaders and the issue would be finalised after informing the prime minister about the outcome of the preliminary talks.

The national committee leaders also told the AL team that the government should invite them formally for the proposed dialogue giving it time.

The AL leaders said that the objective of the committee and the government was the same as both wanted to safeguard the interest of the country and the differences could be resolved through dialogue, meeting sources said.

The convener of the national committee, Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah, member-secretary Anu Muhammad, leaders Justice Golam Rabbani, MM Akash, Akmal Hossain and Nur Mohammad attended the meeting, among others.

Last week, Obaidul Quader made a phone call to Khalequzzaman, general secretary of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, and wanted to know the stand of the committee on the idea of talks with the government.

The AL leader also talked to the committee leaders over phone on July 2 and urged them to hold talks with the government instead of waging street movement.

On the same day, a representative from the Prime Minister's Office also met the member-secretary of the committee, Anu Muhammad at the office of the Communist Party of Bangladesh and told him that the prime minister had expressed her interest to talk to the committee.

Source : New Age

HC asks for punishing profiteers

The High Court on Sunday asked the government to take legal action against hoarders pushing sugar and soybean oil prices beyond the rates set by it.

It also ordered mobile courts to punish traders found selling sugar and soya bean oil at prices higher than set by the government.

A bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore summoned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh chairman, chief controller of export and import, Chittagong Port Authority chairman and the director general of National Consumer Protection to explain on August 9 their failure to check hoarding and cub profiteering on eligible oil sugar.

 The court also directed the inspector general of police, the Rapid Action Battalion director-general, and secretaries of the ministries of commence and  food to inspect wholesale and retail markets and ensure that no one sold sugar and soya bean oil above the prices set by the government.

It directed the authorities to ensure strict inspection to stop illegal hoarding of sugar and soybean oil for creating an artificial crisis of their supply and increase the prices by exploiting the demand of the two items.

The court issued the directives after hearing a public interest writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh with reference to its previous writ petition of November 2010 challenging the government's inaction and failure in checking soaring edible oil price.

The petitioners contended that the authorities failed in their responsibilities.

After hearing the previous public interest writ petition, the same court had on November 28, 2010 directed the officials to explain in two weeks why their inaction in arresting soybean oil price escalation would not be declared illegal.

On Sunday, the petitioners' counsel Manzill Murshid submitted that the respondents had failed to comply with the order the court had issued last year.

He argued, 'If the respondents had complied with the previous order, unscrupulous traders would not be able create an artificial crisis of supply now to raise the price of the essential sweetener by exploiting its demand ahead of Ramadan.

Citing newspaper reports, he told the court that though sugar disappeared from the market the government could not as yet ensure its supply at fair price.

Murshid also told the court that virtually no grocer sold sugar in recent days, on the plea that they had no stocks.

He also told the court that a handful of shops retailed sugar charging Tk 72 to 75 per kilogram ignoring the maximum retail price of Tk 65 set by the government.

The lawyer told the court that the retailers were charging Tk 123 per litre of bottled soybean oil against the rate of Tk 109 set by the government. He showed a 1-litre bottle of soybean oil of Rupchanda Oil Company to drive home his point.

On July 20, the government had set the maximum retail price of sugar at Tk 65 per kilogram and cooking oil at Tk 109 a litre.

The government had set the price of non-packed palm oil at Tk 99 a kg.

The prices were set following a decision the commerce ministry took at a meeting with sugar and cooking oil refiners.

The petitioners' lawyer contended, 'It is the duty of the controller of imports and exports to protect consumers' rights.

Source : New Age

AL move to mollify oil-gas committee Moloy Saha and

Two leaders of the Awami League, including a state minister, on Sunday held a meeting with the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports in a move to make the committee understand the 'necessity' of the deal signed between the government and US oil company ConocoPhillips for oil and gas exploration in two deep-sea blocks.

AL presidium member Obaidul Quader and state

minister for housing and public works Abdul Mannan Khan initiated the preliminary talks with the committee leaders at the Farmgate office of its convener Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah and conveyed the prime minister's desire to hold a dialogue with the committee on the deal.

Both the AL delegation and the committee leaders said that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and a dialogue could take place with the prime minister later.

'We just held preliminary talks with the committee leaders and discussed the issue in a cordial atmosphere' Obaidul Quader told New Age after the two- hour meeting that ended at 9:00 pm. He said that the committee had responded positively to the prime minister's call for a dialogue.

Quader, however, said that the discussion would continue in phases and 'we hope a final dialogue will be held with the prime minister.'

'The delegation wanted to know about our demands and we explained it in detail,' member-secretary of the committee Anu Muhammad told New Age after the meeting, adding that they had demanded scrapping of the deals with ConocoPhillips, implementation of Phulbari agreement and passing a bill with a provision for banning export of mineral resources.

He said that the delegation told the committee that they had come to convey the desire of the prime minister for holding a dialogue with the committee leaders and the issue would be finalised after informing the prime minister about the outcome of the preliminary talks.

The national committee leaders also told the AL team that the government should invite them formally for the proposed dialogue giving it time.

The AL leaders said that the objective of the committee and the government was the same as both wanted to safeguard the interest of the country and the differences could be resolved through dialogue, meeting sources said.

The convener of the national committee, Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah, member-secretary Anu Muhammad, leaders Justice Golam Rabbani, MM Akash, Akmal Hossain and Nur Mohammad attended the meeting, among others.

Last week, Obaidul Quader made a phone call to Khalequzzaman, general secretary of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, and wanted to know the stand of the committee on the idea of talks with the government.

The AL leader also talked to the committee leaders over phone on July 2 and urged them to hold talks with the government instead of waging street movement.

On the same day, a representative from the Prime Minister's Office also met the member-secretary of the committee, Anu Muhammad at the office of the Communist Party of Bangladesh and told him that the prime minister had expressed her interest to talk to the committee.

Source : New Age

Future commissioners to decide fate of EVM: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda on Sunday said that the Election Commission's next panel of commissioners would decide whether the much-talked-about electronic voting machine would be used in the next general elections.

The last military-backed interim regime, soon after taking office, reconstituted the Election Commission in February 2007 with Shamsul Huda as its head for a five-year tenure.

The CEC, however, said the EC would go ahead with its EVM project as they would be used in the upcoming local government polls.

Over three lakh EVMs, costing about Tk 700 crore, will be needed if they are used in the general elections, said EC officials.

Admitting that the EVM would not guarantee the prevention of electoral manipulation, Huda said that the only objective of introducing it was to reduce the various inconveniences faced by election officials as well as diminish voting time.

He was exchanging views with media personalities in the auditorium of the National Executive Council as part of the EC's programme of holding a series of dialogues with stakeholders.

Professor SM Lutful Kabir, director of the Institute of Information and Communication Technology of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, demonstrated how the EVM works.

The EC vested the responsibility of manufacturing the EVMs jointly on the BUET and Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory for some its pilot projects.

Senior journalist ABM Musa, Manabjamin's editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, Boishakhi TV's editor-in-chief Manjurul Islam Bulbul, Bdnews24.com's editor Toufique Imrose Khalidi, Channel i's director (news) Shykh Siraj, Bhorer Kagaj's editor Shyamal Dutt and ABC Radio's head of news Sanaullah Lablu participated in the dialogue, along with others.

When Huda was asked why the EC was adamant to introduce the EVMs in the next general polls in spite of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's objection, he replied, 'We never said that we would use the EVMs in the next general elections.'

'But for the time being we will use the EVMs in the local government polls and by-polls to gradually get the electorate used to the new technology,' he said.

'The EVM should be used in the general polls only when all the stakeholders gain confidence in this technology,' he added.

Replying to a question as to why the EC was going ahead with its project, which involves crores of takas, if EVMs will not be used in the parliamentary polls, Huda said, 'Manufacturing EVMs will not be misuse of money as the machines will be used for the local government polls.'

'In fact,' he said, 'we have undertaken the project at the request of the election officials who face massive hassle in conducting the entire process of polling.'

'The EVM will be used in the general polls only if all the political parties reach a consensus on it,' he added.

He, however, said that the EC would launch a widespread campaign to popularize the EVMs.

When his attention was drawn to a proposal of the EC that it wants to have control over four ministries, including the home affairs ministry, during elections, Huda said, 'We do not want to have control over the ministries. We rather proposed that the government create a provision so that the ministries concerned do have prior consultations with the commission before taking any decision during the time of election.'

'We have seen that the then chief adviser, Latifur Rahman, made a massive reshuffle in the administration on the basis of only his assumption before the 2001 parliament polls,' he said.

Replying to the queries of the senior journalists, Professor Lutful Kabir said, 'Introduction of the EVM will not be able to curb the manipulation that now mars the electoral process.'

When asked whether a voter would be able to cast more than one vote, Lutful Kabir replied in the positive.

'If the polling officer wants, one can vote more than once. But the polling agents will be there to stop it,' he said.

Most of the journalists asked the EC not to be in a hurry to introduce the EVMs.

Lutful Kabir told New Age that it would cost over Tk 22,000 to manufacture a single EVM.

The EC later sat for the scheduled dialogue with the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party of Shafiul Alam Pradhan in the EC secretariat.

Source : New Age