Public universities to seek increase in budget: UGC chairman, members, VCs to meet PM today

Public universities are going to ask the government to increase their budgetary allocation for improving the quality of tertiary level education and making the country's universities up to international standard.

They will also propose to place the status of the VCs after parliament members and increase UGC's overseeing authority by making it into a "Commission for Higher Education".

University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman, its members and vice chancellors (VC) of public universities will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today to place the proposals.

UGC Chairman Prof Dr AK Azad Chowdhury told The Daily Star about the plans yesterday after a preparatory meeting was held at UGC with Azad in the chair. VCs of several public universities attended the meeting.

Meeting sources said the amount spent for research and quality education is not adequate as a bulk of the budget goes for salary and other infrastructural expenses.

The latest UGC report also termed the allocation for research inadequate and suggested an increase.

"Increasing the budget is crucial because overall development is largely related with the university education," said Azad.

Since a VC is the academic and administrative leader of a university, his status should be upgraded. "We would propose to put their place after the status of the parliament members in the warrant of precedence," he said.

About the Commission for Higher Education, Azad said the number of public universities were only six when UGC was formed and now the number increased significantly.

Though UGC is doing all the activities both for public and private universities, its terms of reference is narrow and its authority and freedom is also limited, he said.

Ministry for higher education or commission for higher education looks after the tertiary level education in many countries. Converting UGC into one would increase UGC's operational freedom, budget and manpower while accessing more authority to oversee the university activities, he added.

Source : The Daily Star

University student electrocuted

A university student was electrocuted in the Afghan Mosque area under Bakalia Police Station in the port city around 8:00am yesterday.

The deceased Rahul Rudra, 20, son of Barun Rudra of Pakni Kota under Anwara upazila in Chittagong, was a second-year student of BGC Trust University in Chittagong.

Sub-Inspector Manjur of Bakalia Police Station said Rahul was electrocuted when he switched on a light bulb in his house. He was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Source : The Daily Star 

11 injured as hizras clash with locals

Around 11 people were hurt in a clash between a group of hermaphrodites (commonly known as hizra) and residents of Malopara in the city yesterday.

Sources said some hizras went to the residence of Sekandor Ali, general secretary of Rajshahi Beneti Babosayi Samity, in the area on Friday to bless his newborn child and demanded Tk 10,000.

Hizras often turn up unannounced, in a group, at weddings or a house where a baby has been born to bless the family. They dance and sing, refusing to leave until they are given money.

After an altercation, the residents called police, who arrived and arrested four hizras. They were later released.

Over a hundred hizras laid siege to Boalia Police Station around 11:00am yesterday protesting alleged harassment by police. Police assured the hizras of providing security after they gave an undertaking that they would not extort people.

Around 50 hizras then went in front of Sekandor's house around 1:30pm and began taunting the residents. The residents came out wearing helmets and armed with sticks and began to beat the hizras, severely injuring six of them.

The hizras retaliated by throwing bricks and stones, injuring five of the residents.

Police rushed to the spot and detained six hizras. Officer-in-Charge Shahdat Hossain of Boalia Police Station said they would be released.

Source : The Daily Star

RDA Financial Adviser loses job on graft charge

The government yesterday cancelled the contractual appointment of the Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA) Financial Adviser Abdur Rab Joarder on charge of corruption.

The cancellation order signed by Lipika Bhadra, senior assistant secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, on Monday also asked the RDA to file departmental and criminal cases against Joarder.

Joarder, former RDA chief accounts officer, was given the contractual appointment after expiry of his job in 2009.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed three cases with Shah Makhdum police station in the city in July on charges of corruption.

Source : The Daily Star

Ship worker dies in fall

A worker died after he fell to the hatch of a ship at No-10 river mooring of Chittagong Port early yesterday.

The deceased was Manir Hossain, 25, hailing from Laldiar Char under Patenga Police Station in the port city.

Manir was injured seriously as he slipped down to the hatch while welding the retaining steel wall of Banglar Gaurav, a ship owned by Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), around 2:00am, said Nur Alam, a fellow worker of Manir.

He was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where the on-duty doctors declared him dead.

Source : The Daily Star 

Construction Site: Rajuk to explain safety measures

The High Court yesterday summoned the Rajuk chairman and all of its executive magistrates, authorised officers and inspectors in Dhaka metropolitan area to explain their functions in enforcing building safety rules.

The court passed the order while hearing a suo moto rule over the death of four workers in a lift collapse at an under-construction building, Iris Noorjehan, at the capital's Kakrail on July 21.

An HC bench issued the rule on July 24 following a report headlined "Construction Sites: Safety rules defied" published in The Daily Star on July 23.

In the rule, it also asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to take legal action against the persons responsible for the workers' death.

Nurul Huda, chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), its four executive magistrates, five authorised officers and around 34 inspectors will have to appear before the court on August 4.

The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore also ordered Tanvirul Hoque Probal, managing director of Building for Future Limited and former president of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), to appear before it the same day.

Probal have to explain the recommendations of REHAB for ensuring safety of construction workers.

His construction firm was building the 20-storey Iris Noorjehan.

Also yesterday, officer-in-charge of Ramna Police Station Rafiqul Islam, Building for Future Chairman Kazi Anisuddin Iqbal, Tanvirul Hoque Probal, its manager Md Aslam, deputy project director Shiekh Tanvirul Hassan, project coordinator Gazibur Rahman and construction worker Asgar Ali appeared before the bench.

The HC summoned them on July 24 while issuing the suo moto rule.

The court exempted all but Probal from personal appearance before it in this connection.

Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, counsel for the five officials of Building for Future, told the court they are not responsible for the death of the workers as the lift collapsed due to overloading.

The workers were carrying in the lift construction materials weighting over 1,000kg which was beyond its capacity, Taposh said, although they were prohibited to do that.

The Rajuk is responsible for ensuring safety of workers of under-construction buildings in Dhaka, he added.

Taposh prayed to the court to direct the Rajuk officials to submit reports on their monitoring activities and functions in implementing the safety rules at under-construction buildings in the last three months.

AM Aminuddin, counsel for OC Rafiqul, said his client has arrested the persons allegedly responsible for the lift collapse.

Yusuf Hossain, the lawyer for Asgar Ali, said his client has filed a criminal case with Ramna Police Station after the death of his colleagues.

Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain represented the government.

Source : The Daily Star

Nepal swears in 9 Maoist cabinet ministers

Nepal's prime minister yesterday swore in nine Maoist lawmakers to the cabinet, days after the former rebels threatened to withdraw support from the government and trigger its collapse.

Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal had earlier rejected Maoist demands to appoint its lawmakers as cabinet ministers.

But Khanal gave in yesterday after the Maoists reduced the number of cabinet seats they were demanding to nine from 19.

"The prime minister administered the oath of office to nine lawmakers from Maoist party and one from Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (party)," the prime minister's press adviser Surya Thapa said.

The withdrawal of Maoist backing would have meant the collapse of Khanal's administration.

Khanal was chosen as premier by lawmakers in February after winning the support of the Maoists following a damaging seven-month-long leadership vacuum in the poverty-stricken nation.

He was tasked with drafting the country's new constitution and resolving the fate of 19,000 former Maoist soldiers confined to camps around the country since the end of the Maoist civil war in 2006.

Source : The Daily Star 

Amnesty Process For Workers in KL: Software glitch delays start

Biometric registration of irregular foreign workers in Malaysia could not be started yesterday due to software glitches.

The registration was scheduled to begin on the day as per Kuala Lumpur's earlier announced amnesty for about two million irregular foreign workers in the country.

Around five lakh Bangladeshi workers are in Malaysia with an estimated three lakh of them irregular.

Once registered, they will be allowed to stay there legally until they are given work permits. And those willing to return home can do so without any penalty.

Malaysian immigration officials were struggling to set the technical problems in the biometric system right.

The foreign workers including those from Bangladesh were seen in long queues at different registration centres at Kota Raya in the capital from yesterday morning till 9:00pm local time, looking somewhat frustrated.

Mantu Kumar Biswas, labour counsellor at Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, told The Daily Star some technical glitches might be there on the first day, but surely things will be alright in a day or two.

There are around two million regular foreign workers in the country. And they are already being registered.

Meanwhile, some employers and workers organisations suggested suspending the amnesty programme, arguing that the biometric system was incomplete and riddled with problems.

"To carry out both exercises at a time is a massive task which the authorities are unable to handle," Malaysian Employers Federation executive director Shamsuddin Bardan told the official news agency Bernama yesterday.

Source : The Daily Star

Belarus moves to ban 'silent' protests

The opposition in Belarus yesterday criticised a parliamentary bill that would give Alexander Lukashenko's regime the legal right to crack down on protesters engaging publicly in "non-actions".

The bill -- submitted by top ministers to the lower house of parliament last week -- proposes a ban on "previously-agreed actions or non-actions."

This is apparently aimed at the numerous "silent" protests the opposition has held in recent months, where protesters chanted no slogans and merely stood clapping their hands.

Under existing legislation, the regime can act against protesters engaged in "hooliganism", while the new bill also covers "the mass gathering of people at a previously-agreed location -- including in the open air -- at an agreed time to conduct previously-agreed actions or non-actions".

The opposition and activists said the law will give the government the full legal authority to arrest rally participants simply for standing in silence.

It will also formally let the authorities videotape crowds and intercept conversations of people suspected of planning banned rallies, according to the draft posted on the pravo.by official website that publishes bills and laws.

Source : The Daily Star

Good to All, Bad to Cops: Kadar bailed in carjacking case

Abdul Kadar, a Dhaka University student who was tortured in police custody, obtained bail yesterday in a carjacking case that was actually filed against three to four unknown people.

He is now awaiting bail in two other cases filed by Khilgaon police in connection with possessing sharp weapons and a robbery. The hearing in the cases will be held tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the law ministry has not yet formed a committee to probe Kadar's arrest, as it did not receive any copy of the High Court order in this regard, a high official of the ministry told The Daily Star requesting anonymity.

On July 16, Kadar was picked up by Khilgaon police from the capital's Segunbagicha area on his way back to his dormitory from his cousin's house around 1:30am, according to Kadar.

On the other hand, Khilgaon police are claiming that they arrested Kadar and one of his accomplices Mamun from near Khilgaon Police Outpost on July 16 around 3:30am. According to them, Kadar and Mamun sustained injuries from a mob beating when a team of Khilgaon patrol police intercepted a car carrying six robbers, including Kadar, and the gang tried to escape arrest.

Kadar is now undergoing treatment at the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). One of his doctors said his condition was improving and that Kadar will be released from the BSMMU prison cell today.

Kader was not produced before the court yesterday due to his injuries and illness.

During yesterday's hearing, his counsel Abdul Matin Khasru told the court that Kadar's name was not in the first information report (FIR). He claimed that the case was fabricated and appealed for his client's immediate bail along with cancellation of the prayer for his remand.

The prosecution opposed the bail petition and sought a seven-day remand for Kadar.

Hearing both the sides, the court granted bail to Kadar upon a Tk 5,000 bond with two guarantors.

After his arrest, Kadar was implicated in three cases--two were filed with Khilgaon Police Station while the other was with Mohammadpur Police Station.

The carjacking case was filed with Mohammadpur police by Monjur Uddin Bepari, the driver of the stolen car, on July 14.

The 26-year-old DU student was shown arrested in this case on July 19 following a petition submitted by Mohammad Bachchu Mia, sub-inspector of Mohammad Police Station and the investigation officer of the case.

Earlier, Officer-in-Charge Helal Uddin, Sub-Inspector Alam Badsha and ASI Shahidur Rahman of Khilgaon Police Station were suspended over the torture on Kadar.

Source : The Daily Star 

Ctg Arms Haul Cases: Bail prayers rejected

A special tribunal in Chittagong yesterday rejected bail to six people, including Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, in two cases relating to smuggling of 10-truck arms seven years ago.

The arms were loaded on the trucks at the jetty of the state-run Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Ltd (CUFL) under the cover of darkness before being seized by police on April 2, 2004.

The haul, largest ever in the country, was reportedly destined for rebels of Indian separatist group United Liberation Front of Assom (Ulfa).

On the first day of the hearing yesterday, pandemonium broke out as acting Judge Golum Sarwar of Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1 rejected the bail prayers amid shouts and protests by defence lawyers.

The five others whose bail petitions were rejected yesterday were Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim, former director general (DG) of National Security Intelligence (NSI); Mohsin Talukder, former managing director of CUFL; Enamul Hoque, former CUFL general manager (admin); Akbar Hossain Khan, former NSI field officer, and Deen Mohammad.

Motiur Rahman Nizami and another accused, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, were among those produced before the court yesterday. Babar did not seek bail.

The court fixed August 8 as the next date for hearing in the two cases.

It also asked the authorities to submit reports on the arrest warrant for two newly charge-sheeted accused--Ulfa leader Paresh Barua and former additional secretary of industries ministry Nurul Amin--both of whom are absconding.

The court asked the officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur Police Station in Dhaka to explain why he failed to submit report by the scheduled hearing yesterday on its previous order to arrest Nurul Amin.

On June 29, the same court took the two separate supplementary charge sheets into cognisance and ordered arrest of Barua and Amin. It also asked to attach their properties.

The court asked to produce before it all the accused in the cases and to submit report on the absconding two.

As no report on the previous order regarding the two accused was submitted till the hearing, the court fixed August 8 to submit the reports, said Chittagong court sources.

Public Prosecutor Kamal Uddin Ahmad told The Daily Star that they are not so much concerned about the police report on Paresh Barua since he is a foreigner.

But police should have submitted the report about Nurul Amin, said the PP. He put the blame on Mohammadpur Police Station OC.

"If the report was submitted by today [Monday], we could have taken another step of publishing the report on newspapers. The negligence of the OC caused delay in the trial since we have to wait for the report till the next hearing."

Just before the court proceedings started, the 11 accused, including nine newly and two previously charge-sheeted, were produced before the court around 11:20am.

Around one hundred pro-BNP-Jamaat lawyers who entered the courtroom at the same time instantly started shouting to provide chairs for the accused to sit while the 11 sat on the benches kept for lawyers and audiences, said courtroom sources.

Especially, the pro-Jamaat lawyers several times shouted terming the case politically motivated and mockery, creating chaos during the hearing. They said pressing charges against Nizami in the case is political harassment.

The judge and senior lawyers several times tried to calm them as the proceedings were hampered.

Several Jamaat leaders including Jamaat lawmaker of Satkania constituency Shamsul Islam Chowdhury and former lawmaker Shahjahan Khan were seen standing beside Nizami and talking to him all the time during the hearing, said the sources.

Nizami was seen asking the Jamaat leaders to know when the next date for hearing would be fixed and whether they would be produced before the court again that day.

Former NSI field officer Akbar Hossain Khan, another accused, was seen talking over a mobile phone provided by a lawyer. After one minute or so, a policeman snatched the phone and returned it to the lawyer.

Public Prosecutor Kamal Uddin Ahmad told the court that the trial would be hampered if defence lawyers don't behave. He hoped the court would take steps to stop chaos.

HEARING
Defence lawyer Advocate Tarique Ahmed said the supplementary charge sheets were incomplete and inconsistent.

He argued that former Army Chief General (retd) Moin U Ahmed who was the then general commanding officer (GOC) of 24th Infantry Division should be the prime accused in the cases since he had the main control over the intelligence departments like NSI and DGFI.

"But Moin was not made an accused or witness and even he was not interrogated," argued the lawyer blaming the investigators for hiding his role in the charge sheet.

The court took the charge sheets into cognisance earlier without giving the defence lawyers any chance to argue against it.

The public prosecutor denied the allegations as irrelevant as the investigation was complete and the charge sheet was already taken into cognisance by the court.

The court then heard the bail petitions of six of the accused including Nizami, who was the industry minister when the sensational arms haul occurred.

Taking part in the argument, Nizami's lawyer Manjur Ahmad Ansary said his client was innocent and charged on political motive. He should be freed on bail, the lawyer said.

The state lawyer Kamal opposed the prayer arguing that the involvement of top officials of industries ministry including the then minister in unloading the huge cache of arms at a jetty of the ministry-run CUFL was found in the investigation.

He said the then additional secretary of the ministry Nurul Amin stayed at a CUFL rest house that night though he had no official purpose to visit the place.

Liakat Ali Noor, lawyer of Akbar Hossain, in his argument on the bail prayer alleged the investigators tortured his client on two-term remand and forced Akbar to give confessional statement.

Source : The Daily Star 

New International Airport: Govt eyes Arial Beel, 3 other sites

PRIMARY LOCATIONS
Bhanga (Faridpur)
Arial Beel (Munshiganj)
Sirajdikhan (Munshiganj)
Baghiar Beel (Madaripur-Gopalganj)

After a prolonged controversy and loss of a life over building a new mega international airport in Arial Beel area of Munshiganj, the government is still planning to go on with the project, although now it is considering three new locations along with the old one.

The three new sites under consideration are Bhanga of Faridpur, Baghiar Beel of Madaripur-Gopalganj, and Sirajdikhan of Munshiganj districts while Arial Beel is also still being considered. Bhanga is 62 kilometres from Zero Point in the capital, Baghiar Beel is 110 km, Sirajdikhan 18 km, and Arial Beel 28 km.

Yesterday a cabinet meeting discussed construction of the new international airport and the possible sites.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to submit a detailed proposal regarding site selection to her within a week.

The government has been planning to construct Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib International Airport, since last year. Initially it chose Trishal in Mymensingh as a possible site, but then it changed its mind and chose Arial Beel in Munshiganj as the site, giving rise to a huge outcry from the local people that led to a series of protests and loss of a life.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday one of the senior ministers said some cabinet members are giving priority to the Bhanga site, situated on the south side of the Padma river. The site is located 15 km off the proposed site for Padma Bridge.

The civil aviation ministry mentioned four sites at the weekly cabinet meeting in Bangladesh Secretariat, and the cabinet expressed its firm determination about constructing the new airport.

Sources in the ministry said a team, comprising the head of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib International Airport Construction Cell and experts from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab), and Bangladesh Air Force visited the sites a couple of months ago, conducted pre-feasibility studies and submitted survey reports to the ministry.

Talking to The Daily Star recently, Civil Aviation Minister GM Quader said after the premier and the cabinet select one site, the aviation ministry will appoint a consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study, and after that the ministry will float tender for possible contractors. The construction contract will be awarded on build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis, said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib International Airport Construction Cell chief Joynal Abedin Talukder.

Earlier, the government finalised the vast swamp of Arial Beel without any feasibility study.

Following the mass protest against selection of Arial Beel and the loss of life of a policeman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in February announced that no airport will be built in Arial Beel, "if people do not want". At that time she said possibly a new site will be chosen on the "other [south] side of the Padma river".

Back then many experts said the country does not need another international airport right now, rather the existing ones should be expanded, for which provisions also exist.

The premier back then said in the next 10 years, the number of flights at Shahjalal International Airport will be over one lakh a year. And that airport will not be able to handle such a large number of flights even after massive renovation.

She also said the concept of a new airport, which is a must for the next generation, had been developed during her party's previous tenure in 1996-2001.

Officials in Caab and the cell formed to construct the new airport recently said they selected the four sites south of Dhaka as all international air routes excepting only two go over those districts.

They are however giving priority to Sirajdikhan as the best possible site considering its proximity to the capital.

But some sources said some of the sycophants around the premier are pushing for Bhanga of Faridpur, and Baghiar Beel of Madaripur-Gopalganj because they believe giving the idea of building a mega airport with the name of Bangabandhu in the traditional bastion of support for ruling Awami League will carry points for them with the prime minister.

Caab officials however said no site was chosen in Tangail or Mymensingh because flight time of aircraft will increase, the flight path will come into conflict with the airspace used by Bangladesh Air Force for training purposes, and absence of river route there will increase carrying cost of aviation fuel.

Yesterday's cabinet meeting also decided in principle to expand the existing international airports and strengthen Caab so it may promote itself to Category 1 from Category 2, as it was downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Currently Bangladeshi airlines cannot operate flights to the US because of Caab's Category 2 status.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam told the cabinet meeting that Bangladesh needs a modern airport at any cost. "Besides, we need to expand the existing international airports and strengthen the civil aviation authority," he added.

MINISTERS SLAM PRIVATE AIRLINES
At the meeting some of the ministers seriously criticised the services of some private airlines operating both international and domestic flights. They said the services of those airlines are very poor. They also do not maintain flight schedules causing great sufferings for passengers, the ministers added.

Talking to reporters after the meeting one of the senior ministers said the air conditioners do not work on United and GMG aircraft. "What a miserable condition in their flights! We raised the matter at the meeting," he said preferring not to be named.

When asked whether these kinds of airlines should be allowed to operate, some of the ministers emphasised on strengthening the civil aviation authority and said the authorities must act tough against these kinds of operators to ensure services, safety, and standards.

Source : The Daily Star

HSBC sheds 30,000 jobs

HSBC will shed 30,000 jobs as it retreats from countries where it is struggling to compete, Europe's biggest bank said on Monday after it reported a surprise rise in first-half profit.

Shares in HSBC rose over 4 per cent after it unveiled first-half pretax profits of $11.5 billion, up from $11.1 billion a year ago and better than the $10.8 billion average in a Reuters poll of analysts.

The bank also said it had cut 5,000 jobs following restructuring of operations in Latin America, the United States, Britain, France and the Middle East and that it would cut another 25,000 between now and 2013.

'There will be further job cuts,' chief executive Stuart Gulliver told reporters on a conference call. 'There will be something like 25,000 roles eliminated between now and the end of 2013.'

The cuts equate to roughly 10 per cent of HSBC's total workforce. They come on top of planned reductions in overall headcount in a program of disposals that also forms part of a plan to focus on HSBC's Asian operations.

The bank is reversing a strategy that had been criticized for 'planting flags' around the world.

Gulliver's far-reaching plan unveiled three months ago aims to slash costs and he intends to sell, shut or slim down retail banking in 39 countries.

HSBC said on Sunday it would sell 195 US branches to First Niagara Financial for about $1 billion in cash, and close another 13 of the 470 sites it had.

The bank also intends to sell HSBC's US credit card portfolio, which has more than $30 billion in assets, a move which would free up capital. Capital One Financial Corp and Wells Fargo are among the bidders, sources have said.

Another suitor could be Barclays.

HSBC is the first of Britain's big banks to report for the quarter.

Source : New Age

Europe, Asian factory growth stalls

Factories in Asia and Europe all but stagnated in July, according to business surveys that showed the weakest rates of growth since major industrial powers were struggling through the 2009 recession.
While stock markets rose on signs of a last minute solution that would avoid a US debt default, manufacturing purchasing managers indexes provided the latest evidence of a slowing global economy.
The eurozone manufacturing PMI, which gauges the activities of thousands of businesses, fell to 50.4 in July from 52.0 in June — its worst showing since September 2009 and barely above the 50 mark dividing growth and contraction.
Perhaps more worryingly, China's official government PMI dropped to 50.7 from 50.9 in June, its weakest in more than two years, while the HSBC PMI fell below the 50 mark for the first time in a year — to 49.3 in July from 51.6.
China was the main engine of growth as the developed world sank into recession after the 2008 financial crisis and signs of a slowdown there would worsen the global outlook at a time when both the US and European economies are struggling with debt crises.
All eyes will also be on the United States' ISM manufacturing survey, due at 1400 GMT, which is expected to dip as well but still show a more positive reading of 54.9 points.
In Germany, the euro zone's key growth engine in the recovery thus far, manufacturing growth fell to a 21-month low after new orders contracted for the first time in more than two years.
'If you're looking at Germany, and if you're looking at the trends over recent months, it does seem as though sentiment in the euro zone has turned down,' said Mark Miller, global economist at Lloyds Banking Group.
Miller outlined the difference between the slowdown in China — which he said was growth responding to a series of interest rate and bank reserve requirement hikes — and Europe, where economies are close to stall speed.
In some cases, like Greece, they are already contracting.
Even in the UK, which so far has been shielded from the crisis gripping the euro zone, the manufacturing PMI fell to 49.1 from 51.4 in June — the first time below the 50 mark since the country was in recession two years ago.
'The UK is going through more than just a little local difficulty,' said Peter Dixon, economist at Commerzbank.
'You've got a slowdown in global economy and a fall-off in domestic demand, and that's a pretty toxic combination.'
While the decline in the UK PMI was worrying, the likes of Spain and Ireland saw contraction among factories only deepening in July.
Emerging market are also taking a hit.
Indian manufacturing growth slowed in July for the third month in a row. The HSBC PMI dropped to 53.6, from 55.3 in June, the lowest level since November 2009.
New export order growth in China, the world's biggest exporter, hit its lowest level in 17 months, the official survey showed.
But HSBC said new export orders in India fell in July at their fastest pace in 29 months and in Taiwan, home to the world's two biggest contract computer chip makers, they fell markedly and for the first time in nine months.

Source : New Age

Bata launches over 400 new designer shoes for Eid shoppers

Bata Shoe Company on Monday launched more than 400 new designer shoes for Eid shoppers.

Bata Bangladesh managing director Muhammad Qayyum told a news conference at a city hotel that the company introduced the new designer shoes in all categories at its outlets across the country ahead of the great festival.

He said that he expects Bata's wide variety of designer shoes would enrich the shoe collection of the shoppers' families.

He said Bata designed a wide variety of leather shoes and sandals ahead of Eid keeping comfort in view.

Bata merchandising manager Omar Faisal Chowdhury said that genuine leather uppers are hygienically and scientifically processed at the company's own tannery.

He said Bata installed most modern effluent treatment plant at its tannery to ensure environmental safety.

In Bangladesh, he said, shoes are synonymous with the 'Bata brand.'

He said that as a pioneer footwear manufacturer and marketer Bata always made best efforts to design and develop new shoes to cater to the changing tastes of men, women and children.

Bata retail manager Bishwajit Roy, non retail sales manager Ruhul Amin, head of Human Resources Habibur Rahman were present at the news conference.

Source : New Age

Robi Axiata appoints adviser

Robi Axiata Limited on Monday announced that Waliur Rahman Bhuiyan OBE, former managing director of BOC Bangladesh, has been appointed adviser to the board of directors of the company.

Bhuiyan was the president of Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry for three times. He is currently an adviser to BOC Bangladesh, a member of the Board of Directors of ACI Limited, an executive board member of International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh chapter and was formerly director of Biman Bangladesh Limited and Chittagong Stock Exchange Limited, said a news release.

Source : New Age

Gallerie Apex includes over 300 new designs in Eid offers

Gallerie Apex, leading footwear manufacturer of Bangladesh, on Monday included 300 variations of shoes and sandals in its Eid-ul-Fitr offer for the consumers.

This collection includes 130 designs for men, 90 for ladies, 70 for children and 10 in the sports category, executive director of Gallerie Apex SAM Yousuf disclosed this in a press briefing at Apex building in the capital.

The new designs footwear will be found in 300 different apex outlets in the country         and the price range of the footwear are — men's shoes from Tk 1,450 to Tk 6,000, men's sandals Tk 450 to Tk 3,200, ladies' Tk 450 to Tk 3,000, children's Tk 390 to Tk 1,250 and sports Tk 550 to Tk 2,450.

The company chairman, Syed Manzur Elahi, managing director Syed Nasim Manzur, deputy managing director Syed Gias Hussain were also present at the briefing.

Source : New Age

Extra city buses for Ramadan

The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation will launch additional buses in the city streets during Ramadan while more compartments would be added to the Dhaka-Narayanganj commuter train, the communications minister has said.

'Even footpath hawkers won't be evicted during the fasting month,' Syed Abul Hossain told reporters on Monday, after a meeting with a delegation of the Asian Development Bank at the ministry.

'We've taken some initiatives to ease the city's gridlock during Ramadan, including closure of educational institutions,' he said.

About the meeting with the ADB representatives, he said there were discussions on launching a new bus service on the Airport-Gazipur route.

The minister also said that ADB has also agreed to help build rail tracks from Dhaka to Mawa.

Responding to a query, Hossain said, 'Compensation will be given for damage of property in the construction work of elevated expressway.'

Source : New Age

Demand for medical university in Rajshahi

Several hundred former and present leaders and activists of Bangladesh

Chhatra League on Monday formed a human chain in Rajshahi city in demand of declaring Rajshahi Medical College as a medical university.

Sources said more than two hundred BCL leaders and activists of Rajshahi University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi Medical College and Rajshahi College brought out separate processions and after parading several city points gathered at Shaheb Bazar Zero Point of the city.

Later, they formed a kilometre-long human chain also participated by activists of the ruling Awami League, Juba League, and freedom fighters.

Speakers from the human chain demanded upgrading the Rajshhai Medical College to a medical university and to rename it after the national martyred leader AHM Kamruzzaman.

The ruling party supporters vowed to continue their agitation and also threatened to launch a movement if their demand was not met.

They recalled the contribution of AHM Kamruz-zaman to the country and his pioneering role in the Liberation War.

The participants demanded setting up of an intensive care unit and casualty centre at the medical college.

Source : New Age

7 Ctg schools ordered to use school bus

The traffic police authorities have ordered seven schools of the Chittagong city to use school bus instead of allowing the students to use private cars in a bid to address traffic congestion on the city roads.

The traffic police have also given the schools authorities three months to manage own transportation system.

In this regard, the traffic police sent letters to the seven schools on Monday to buy school bus or to rent bus for the transportation of the students, sources in the schools told New Age.

Before that, the schools authorities in a meeting between the schools and the police at the Chittagong Metropolitan Police headquarters on July 27 were orally instructed.

Additional district commissioner, headmasters of the city corporations' schools and relevant officials were present in the meeting.

The seven schools which have been ordered to use school bus are Dr Khstogir Girls High School, Bangladesh Mahila Samity Girls High School and College, Ispahani Public School and College, William Kerry School, Chittagong Ideal School and College, Salima Siraz Mohila Madrassah and Radiant School and College —  all located beside the busy roads of the city.

Farooq Ahmed, deputy commissioner (traffic), CMP told New Age, 'Students of the seven schools use private transport in big number that cause traffic jam in the busy roads. So we have told the school authorities to buy school bus. I hope that traffic jam in the city will reduce to a great extent if this step is implemented.'

Source : New Age

School, house burnt in Ctg fire

A fire burned a school and a thatched house at Maijpara near Textile Gate under Baizeed police station in the Chittagong city early Monday.

The fire originated form a short circuit and burned a school, run by BRAC, and a four-room thatched house, owned by one Rasheda Begum, at Maijpara at around 1:00am.

Two units of fire fighters for the Baizeed fire station put out the fire after one hour's effort.

According to the officials of the Chittagong Fire Control Room, valuables worth about Tk 2.5 lakh was damaged in the fire.

Source : New Age

Rajshahi patients in grip of agents of clinics, physicians

Patients at public health centres, including Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, in the city are facing trouble because of the agents of physicians and clinics.

The agents take position at the entrance of public hospitals, bus stands, railway stations and other places to grab the patients and persuade them to go to their respective clinics or private chambers of physicians.

The first hurdle a patient has to cross to reach most physicians at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital are the agents who offer to fix appointments with the specialists — of course for a cut.

There have even been cases in which patients were not admitted to private clinics, run by unscrupulous physicians, because the patients did not approach through the agents, while regular patients burn a hole in their pockets paying the middlemen.

During a visit by the New Age correspondent on Monday, several dozens of these agents were seen at the main gate and other entrances to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, Rajshahi Tuberculosis Hospital and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital's dental unit.

Their modus operandi is simple: at the sight of patients, the agents surround them and 'advise' them against getting admitted to the hospital since healthcare was not a priority for the physicians there.

Thereafter, the agents 'suggest' many clinics with state-of-the-art facilities and 24-hour presence of specialist physicians and nurses at a 'reasonable cost', sources at several government hospitals said.

Since most patients, or their family members and attendants, are ignorant about medical details, the pressure tactic acts in many cases and the patients often approach the private clinics in desperation, many victimised patients' relatives confirmed.

Sources said many physicians of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and other government hospitals in Rajshahi carry on private practice at clinics, and the authorities at these clinics appoint the agents to get patients for a commission.

New Age has learnt that many government physicians with private practice and owners of the clinics they work in give the agents printed cards.

But sources said once a patient is admitted to a clinic or visits a doctor, the clinic authorities or the doctor takes away the agent's card to hide their association with the agent and also to pay the agent his/her commission.

A female agent can be seen sitting outside one doctor's chamber at RMCH near the outdoor patient's ward. Any patient approaching the woman would be told that the doctor is busy but the patient can consult him at his private chamber.

The woman was caught by the police on several occasions but to no avail — she still carries out the same business outside the same doctor's chamber. 

According to sources in the hospital, the woman is paid a commission of Tk 50 per patient. Some rickshaw pullers are also working in Rajshahi city as commission agents of physicians.

A rickshaw puller, residing at city Asam Colony, told New Age that he was working in favour of a well-known gynaecologist who has a chamber at Zilia Medicare in the city. 

`While a female patient with her attendants get down from a bus or trains, I reach to them and persuade them to go to Zilia Medicare,' he said.

Tariful Islam, from Mohadevpur in Naogaon with his ailing wife Afroza Khatun, on Monday told New Age that they had decided to go Rajshahi Medical College Hospital but the rickshaw puller, carrying them, influenced them to go a private clinic.

'The physician of the clinic, after visiting my wife, prescribed several "unnecessary" tests which were very expensive,' he added.

Some physicians including Rajshahi Medical College orthopaedic Professor BK Dam also admitted the problems.  

He told New Age that awareness among the patients and their guardians and also civil society men should be increased to check this malpractice.   

When contacted, Rajshahi Medical College Hospital director Brigadier General Abdus Sabur, admitting the presence of agents, told New Age that the hospital authorities had formed a joint committee to wipe out this illegal business.

He said vigilance team, police men, members of special branch, medical staff and also member of the Directorate General Force of Intelligence are also working to stop these kinds of illegal practices.

Source : New Age

Child dies due to wrong treatment in Beanibazar

A minor girl died due to alleged wrong treatment and negligence of physicians at Beanibazar Upazila Health Complex early Monday.

The deceased was Mahima, 7, daughter of Abdul Kuddus Majnu of Kosba village in the upazila headquarters.

The police quoting family said Mahima was admitted to Beanibazar Upazila Health Complex with fever Sunday noon.

The physical condition of Mahima deteriorated when a nurse of the health complex pushed an injection into her body at around 4:30am Monday. Later, she died at around 5:00am.

Mahima's relatives alleged that they tried to wake the on-duty doctors up from sleep but they did not come.

A high level investigation of the health ministry on irregularities and corruptions of upazila health officer  Abdus Salam, doctors' wrong treatment and negligence of duty in the health complex was held last week.

Source : New Age

Businesses for stringent law to check fraud MNL cos

Business leaders and trade analysts have favoured stringent law to check multinational companies making hefty profit by alluring common people to have quick and fabulous return of their investments.

Tens of thousands of innocent people are being cheated by the unscrupulous practices of the companies due to absence of a legal basis to oversee their presence and functioning.

They were speaking at a seminar on 'Draft Direct Sales Act- 2011', jointly arranged by Bangladesh Tariff Commission and Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the conference room of the latter in the city on Monday.

The commerce minister, Faruk Khan, addressed the seminar as the chief guest while chairman of parliamentary standing committee on the ministry ABM Abul Qasem Khan addressed as special guest.

Commerce secretary Ghulam Hossain, MCCI president Amjad Khan Chowdhury, Tariff Commission chairman  Mujibur Rahman, vice-chairman of Export Promotion Bureau Jalal Ahmed, editor of The Financial Express AHM Moazzem Hossain former commerce secretary Feroz Ahmed and representatives from different trade bodies also spoke on the occasion.

Amjad said although a large number of people were involved in various business practices for their living, self-employment but, the fact remained that many of them had fallen victim to fraudulent practices of the companies.

Appreciating the government for taking steps to make a direct sales law, the MCCI chief said penalties for possible violation for fraudulent practices should be included in the draft.

Feroz said there should be a clear understanding whether the government could play an important role in fixing the prices at retail level for protecting the consumers as well as businessmen.

'Some multinational companies will make limitless profit .  it cannot be accepted, and any company wants to do such business must submit statement to the government before it starts,' said Golam Hosain.

Source : New Age

20,000MW needed to ensure power for all by 2020: Tawfiq

The country is to generate a total of 20,000 mega watts of electricity to ensure power for all within the year 2020, prime minister's energy advisor Tawfiq-E_Elahi Chowdhury said Monday.

'Our per capita energy consumption is the least in the region — one-eighth against China and one-thirtieth against developed countries. So, we would be requiring an additional 15,000MW of electricity by 2020 to ensure the service for all,' the adviser said at a seminar on energy development and management.

Tawfiq Elahi said the energy regulations need to be strengthened and more investments from public and private sectors should be poured into the energy sector so the trend of development could be retained in future. He said present government had achieved its target for 5,000MW by 2011, much ahead of the time.

The state minister for energy, Muhammad Enamul Huq, supplemented the Adviser and said, the government would provide all-out supports to the Energy Regulatory Commission to protect consumer rights. He said, the people of the country had been experiencing a better condition on power supply and hoped that it would be improved further next year.

According to the energy ministry, the country has been producing between 4,500MW and 4,900MW in peak hours and load shedding is much more less than that of the last year. The power generation on Sunday was 4,500MW. However, the government has set a target to generate 7,000 MW of electricity by 2013.

Chairman of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Syed Yousuf Hossain, USAID mission director Richard Greene, BERC member Salim Mahmud, chief of party of ICEA project Saeed G Barhaghi, among others spoke on the occasion, co-organised by BERC and USAID.

Source : New Age

Hafiz asks govt to shed secrecy over water talks with India

Opposition BNP leader and former water resources minister M Hafizuddin Ahmed   on Monday asked the government to boldly raise the river water issue with Indian prime minister next month to realise Bangladesh's due share.

Speaking at a news conference at the central office of the party at Naya Paltan he said that the Awami League led government was maintaining secrecy in signing various deals with India including for sharing of the Teesta waters.

He said that there could be no justification to play hide and seek over the water issue as it affects the life and livelihood of millions of farmers of Bangladesh.

He said that following a submissive approach with neighbouring India, the Awami League led government would not be able to ensure Bangladesh's due share in the waters of seven common rivers, Teesta, Dharla, Matamuhuri, Dudhkumar, Feni and Kushiyara.

He urged the Awami League led government to pull up the courage to demand Bangladesh's due share in the waters of Teesta at the talks with India.

He said that he would be happy if the Awami League led government negotiates the water issue with India better than BNP government did.

Hafiz said that when in office, BNP government had, at the joint rivers commission talks, asked for keeping 20 per cent of Teesta waters reserved and for splitting the remaining 80 per cent into equal shares for the two riparian countries.

'We would expect that the AL led government would ask for a greater share of the Teesta waters to protect the interests of lower riparian Bangladesh,' he said.

Hafiz said dams or barrage built by India on common rivers dried up the rivers in Bangladesh.

He said that none of the deals Awami League government signed, in its two terms of office since 1996, with India served the interests of the people of Bangladesh.

He said that the people of Bangladesh wondered whether the country at all has a minister for water resources.

He said that the people were puzzled by indifference of the government to the water crisis suffered by lower riparian Bangladesh.

He called it quite intriguing that the Awami League led government was maintaining silence though Indian water experts said last month that they had finalised the plan for the construction Tipaimukh Dam on the river Barak though it would dry up Surma- Kushiyara-Meghna in Bangladesh.

Hafiz said that in 1972 too the then Awami League government did not object when India had informed it about its plan to build the Tipaimukh Dam.

He said, 'Ziaur Rahman had first objected to India about its Tipaimukh Dam.

Since then, he said, BNP opposed the dam at Tipaimukh as it would dry up lower riparian Bangladesh.

BNP chairperson's adviser Shamsuzzaman Dudu, joint secretary genera Rizvi Ahmed were present.

Source : New Age

Lynching, crimes against women mark sharp rise

Lynching and crimes against women have marked a sharp rise in July compared the previous months, with 20 people lynched and 70 incidents of rape, 60 of sexual harassment, and 55 of dowry-related violence taking place in the month.

The rights group Odhikar also recorded seven people being killed and 1,247 injured in political violence and five incidents of acid violence taking place between July 1 and July 31. 

According to Odhikar, there were eight incidents of lynching, 51 of rape, 34 of sexual harassment, and another 34 of dowry-related violence in the previous month.

The number of extrajudicial killings marked a significant fall in July, with one incident of death in 'cross-fire'.

The month saw nine prisoners dying in jails.

Three Bangladeshis were killed and one was injured by Indian border guards at frontiers in July, an Odhikar report said. 

The statistics of July show 13 newspersons were injured, three received threats, and three were assaulted in the month.

The Odhikar in its report also condemned the arrest of Ekramul Huq, editor of sheershanews.com, an online news agency, on July 31.

The report specially decried the arrest of Dhaka University student Abdul Kader, torturing him in police custody, and lodging three 'false' cases against him.

Odhikar expressed concern at the clauses of the 15th amendment to the constitution, particularly at what it termed the biased changes made to the constitution in an imposing and non-transparent manner, disregarding the need for any democratic consensus or referendum.

'The engagement and opinions of the opposition and those who were called on by the constitution amendment committee were neglected as well. Odhikar believes that the amendment will push the country into a legal and constitutional crisis and trigger severe political instability,' the report said.

The organisation urged all the political parties to take initiative to resolve the present constitutional crisis through discussions and to ensure people's mandate for any resolution of the crisis.

It also demanded that the gas exploration and extraction agreements signed with Conoco-Philips should be made public.

'The state-owned company BAPEX should be strengthened and engaged in lifting oil [and] gas. Parliament discussions are vital before the signing of any kind of agreement and a complete draft agreement should be uploaded [on] the government website for [gathering] public opinion,' it said.

In order to put an end to lynching, Odhikar recommended strengthening the police and the judiciary and making them free of political influence, so that people get back their confidence in the police and the administration of justice.

Source : New Age

Housewife hacked to death in Chuadanga

Housewife was hacked to death by unidentified assailants at Barogangni village in Alamdanga upazila of Chuadanga early Monday.

The deceased was Shaheda Khatun, 35, wife of late Nabisuddin Mandal of Sardarpara of Barogangni village.

Source : New Age

Libya rebels round up Gaddafi militia, lose village

Rebels said they arrested dozens of militiamen loyal to Muammar Gaddafi in their eastern bastion but suffered a blow Monday in Libya's west, losing a village at the foot of a key mountain range.

At least 63 people were rounded up in an ongoing bid to tighten security in the eastern city of Benghazi, following an hours-long battle with Gaddafi loyalists in the opposition stronghold.

But in western Libya, pro-Gaddafi forces wrested back control of the village of Josh at the foot of the strategic Nafusa mountains, AFP journalists at the scene said.

Josh had been emptied of its residents, the rebels said.

The rebels captured the village on Sunday but said they were forced to retreat to the east, half-way along the road to the town of Shakshuka, after several hours of fighting.

The Nafusa region has seen heavy fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Gaddafi since the insurgents launched a major offensive this month in a drive on the capital Tripoli.

An AFP correspondent in Tripoli, meanwhile, said at least eight powerful explosions rocked the eastern suburbs of the Libyan capital on Monday, sending up a plume of black smoke over the Tajura district.

In Benghazi, opposition forces patrolled the streets overnight in a bid to track down more members of the pro-Gaddafi group, a rebel spokesman said, as shoppers stocked up for Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.

'We caught about 38 and later today more than 25,' the spokesman, Mustafa al-Sagazly, said late on Sunday.

'Some of them ran away and we are trying to catch them all over the city,' he said. 'We are arresting them.'

The arrests came hot on the heels of a five-hour raid by the rebel-backed February 17 brigade on a Benghazi factory, leaving four rebels and five Gaddafi loyalists dead.

The fierce shootout erupted at around dawn on Sunday during a raid on the cell holed up inside a licence plate-making factory.

Rebel spokesman Mahmud Shammam said the group had been rounded up for its role in organising a prison break in Benghazi last week when about 300 prisoners escaped, including high ranking prisoners of war.

The rebels' National Transition Council vice chairman Abdel Hafiz Ghoga said 'only a minority' of the prisoners remained at large and that they 'posed no serious threat.'

But the pro-Gaddafi cell was found in possession of explosives and had 'plans to plant car bombs in Benghazi,' according to Sagazly, deputy chief of the February 17 brigade.

He added the 'very same group' — the Katiba Yussef Shakir — was suspected in the assassination of General Abdel Fatah Yunis, a right-hand man to Gaddafi before his defection to rebel ranks.

NTC member Ali Tarhuni has said that those who killed Yunis after he was summoned back to Benghazi from the front by the council for questioning over military issues were members of another shadowy group with suspected Islamist tendencies, Obaidah ibn al-Jarah.

Source : New Age

Three-wheelers still running on highways

Three-wheelers are still operating on the highways throughout the country, and the police feel helpless to enforce the instructions of the government or the inspector general of the police to stop them from doing so.

The government on February 9 ordered law enforcement agencies not to allow unregistered three-wheelers on national highways to lower the level of fatal accidents.

Inspector General of Police Hasan Mahmud Khandaker told New Age on Monday that there was a tendency in the owners of the three-wheelers, including the Nasimon and Karimon vehicles which use shallow tube-well engines, to operate them on highways despite the police's stringent orders not to do so.

He said that he had again asked the superintendents of police of concerned districts to arrest the owners of the vehicles who allow them to operate on the highways in violation of the government's directive.

Police and other sources told New Age that the owners were able to operate such vehicles on highways as they had 'managed' the local police administration and leaders of the ruling party.

Visits to southern districts such as Barisal, Jhalakathi, Faridpur and Patuakhali showed that non-motorised vehicles were running on highways with the full knowledge of the police.

The superintendent of police in Barisal, Devdas Bhattacharya, told New Age that all the police could do was to seize the manpowered vehicles and hold them for a few days.

'The police cannot prevent the running of such non-motorised vehicles on highways as the number of policemen is too limited to cope with the large highway network. We can only seize the vehicles, but once they are released the owners again start running them on the highways,' he told New Age.

He also said that police cannot even file cases against the vehicle owners as these vehicles are made locally and are completely unregistered. 'Our only option is to destroy them but we can't do that on humanitarian grounds,' he added.

Habibur Rahman, a resident of Gournadi in Barisal who owns a battery-run three-wheeler, said that they ran the vehicles on highways by 'managing' the local administration.

Such vehicles are plying the highways in the south-west part of the country, especially on the Jhenaidah-Kushtia, Jhenaidah-Jessore, Jhenaidah-Magura and Jhenaidah-Chuadanga routes.

The superintendent of police in Jhenaidah, Rezaul Karim, said that the police were conducting enforcement operations every day and were seizing a large number of non-motorised vehicles.

They will gear up their activities in keeping with the government's instruction, said the police superintendent. 'When we seize such vehicles, ruling party leaders order us to release them by giving us undertakings that the owners of those vehicles will not run them on highways,' he said.

He said that highway police should take the responsibility of compelling the owners of the vehicles not to run them on highways in order to curb fatal road accidents.

Source : New Age

Press charges against Jamaat quartet by Nov 1: ICT

The International Crimes Tribunal on Monday ordered the prosecution to submit the formal charges against the four detained leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami by November 1.

The tribunal of Justice Nizamul Huq, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir and Judge AKM Zahir Ahmed asked the prosecution to submit by October 4 the report of the investigation against the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's standing committee member, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury MP, on charge of committing war crimes.

In case of failure to complete the investigation against Salauddin, the prosecution will have to submit a report detailing the progress of the investigation on October 4, ordered the tribunal.

As Salauddin was not produced before the tribunal, it ordered its office to send him the copy of the order and the report submitted by the prosecution detailing the progress of the investigation.

The tribunal also rejected for the fourth time the applications filed by the four top Jamaat leaders — its amir Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and assistant secretaries general Mohammad Kamruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla — to seek bail.

On July 12 the tribunal, instituted on 25 March, 2010 for the trial of war crimes committed during the War of Independence in 1971, ordered the prosecution to submit the report of the investigation against the four detained Jamaat-e-Islami leaders by August 1.

The chief prosecutor, Golam Arif Tipu, on Monday submitted a report to the tribunal, detailing the progress of the investigation, and sought 90 more days for the submission of formal charges after completing the investigation.

'The investigation is at the fag end but we need some more time to complete it and prepare the formal charges after examining the documents and evidences,' Tipu told the court.

The tribunal asked him whether the prosecution would submit one formal charge against the four Jamaat leaders or four separate formal charges against each of them.

The chief prosecutor replied that separate formal charges would be submitted against each of the four.

Defence counsels Tajul Islam, Munshi Ahsanul Kabir and Fariduddin Ahmed moved the application filed by the four Jamaat leaders to seek bail.

They argued that the accused should be granted bail as the prosecution has failed to submit the formal charges against them even one year after their detention.

They referred to Rule 9 of the International Crimes Tribunal's Rules of Procedure, which says, 'If an accused is in custody during the investigation period, the investigation officer shall conclude the investigation within one year of his arrest under the rules. In case of failure to complete the investigation as specified above, the accused may be released on bail, subject to fulfilment of some conditions imposed by the tribunal. But, in exceptional circumstances, the tribunal, by showing reasons to be recorded in writing, may extend the period of investigation and also the order detaining the accused in custody for a further period of six months.'

The prosecution has also failed to point out and substantiate any 'exceptional circumstances' that may require the continued detention of the accused persons, argued the defence counsels.

They also argued that the accused were religious people and they should be granted bail to facilitate them to fast and perform 'itteqaf' (a religious ritual for which a Muslim devotee sits isolated in prayers) in the Ramadan, which begins today.

They also argued that the accused persons were aged people and needed regular treatment, which is not possible in the prisons.

Opposing the bail prayers, prosecutor Syed Hyder Ali argued that they should not be granted bail as the investigation was at the fag end and as the tribunal had already extended the time for the completion of the investigation.

The investigator has found that a number of people had gone into hiding after the liberation of the country, and the accused persons might do the same if they were granted bail, he argued.

He also argued that the tribunal had earlier rejected their bail prayers and ordered proper medical treatment for them, which can be ensured in jail.

They can also fast and perform itteqaf in the prison, argued the counsel.

Rejecting the bail prayers, the tribunal asked the prison authorities to accord every facility to the four Jamaat leader to enable them to fast and perform itteqaf, if possible.

It also asked the defence counsels to take the help of the prosecutors for ensuring the proper treatment of the accused persons, if necessary.

Source : New Age

Ramadan begins today

The month of Ramadan begins in Bangladesh today as the Ramadan moon was sighted in the country Monday.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee held in the conference room of the Islamic Foundation in Dhaka Monday evening.  The state minister for religious affairs and president of the committee, Md Shahjahan Mian, chaired the meeting.

The president, M Zillur Rahman, and the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, greeted the countrymen and all Muslims across the world on the advent of the month of Ramadan.

In separate messages on the eve of the fasting month, the president and the prime minister prayed for continued peace and progress of the country and welfare of the Muslim nations.

The president, in his message, said the Ramadan was the greatest gift for mankind as it comes every year with the opportunity of self-rectification and forgiveness.

'This month is open for all to get closer to Allah and attain His mercy, blessings and forgiveness,' he added.

The president wished that the teachings of the holy month be reflected in the lives of all.

In her message, the prime minister said Ramadan was the month of self-restraint, compassion and forgiveness. 'This month is for purification of souls through sacrifices and it creates the scope for getting closer to Allah,' she said.

Hasina called upon all to be inspired with the teachings of Ramadan and establish peace, amity and fraternity in personal and social lives, shunning luxury, malice, violence and conflicts.

'Let us help one another to establish peace by shunning all ills,' she said and called for maintaining sanctity of Ramadan by exhibiting a sense of proportion, patience and restraint in all spheres.

The opposition leader, Khaleda Zia, in a similar message, greeted the countrymen and the Muslims across the world on the occasion of Ramadan and prayed for peace and prosperity of them.

Source : New Age

Fakhrul’s motorcade attacked

Unknown miscreants attacked a motorcade carrying Bangladesh Nationalist Party's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and party activists in Laxmipur town on Monday afternoon leaving at least 15 injured. Fakhrul escaped unhurt as the car carrying him was not damaged but several others, including three journalists, were injured in the attack which took place in front of the house of Awami League leader Abu Taher.

The BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, has condemned the attack. BNP and its associate bodies staged protests in Dhaka.

The BNP accused goons of Awami League for the attack and said the incident proved that local 'crime bosses' backed by AL had unleashed a reign of terror.

Witnesses said Fakhrul was going to meet BNP lawmaker Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie after attending a rally at a local community centre, when a group of youths attacked the motorcade and smashed the windshields of a microbus.

They also dragged some of its passengers out and beat them up, they said.

Tareq Salman, a reporter of Dhaka daily Amader Somoy, who was in the motorcade said the youths had forced them out of the car and started striking them with sticks. 'When I gave them my identity, they spared me after striking me twice,' he said.

A senior reporter of Radio Today, Shahabuddin Chowdhury, and Mohammad Mohsin of barta24.com also sustained injuries in the attack.

The attackers vandalised five vehicles – two cars and three motorbikes – during the attack.

Earlier at the conference at the community centre, Mirz Fakhrul said the movement to topple the government would begin from Laxmipur claiming that the Awami goons had killed 32 leaders and activists of BNP there.  

He said the president had created the worst instance of politicisation by awarding clemency to a convicted killer of BNP leader Nurul Islam. 'The people of Laxmipur have been denied justice by the president's act,' he said.

Fakhrul said the BNP would wage a vigorous movement after Eid to unseat the government.

He asked the president to withdraw the clemency to the killers of Nurul Islam.

Source : New Age

Cabinet gives Russia deal go-ahead

The cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for signing a cooperation treaty with the Russian government for construction of Rooppur nuclear power plant.

The science and ICT ministry placed the proposal at the weekly cabinet meeting with the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in the chair.

'The cabinet has approved the proposal for signing a cooperation treaty with the Russian government to set up the Rooppur nuclear power plant,' the prime minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after the meeting.

He said the initiative was originally taken by the country's founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1974. 

The meeting also approved in principle the draft of the Bangabandhu Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development Academy Bill, 2011.

The academy, to be operated under the Bangladesh Rural Development Board, would be established in Gopalganj, Abul Kalam added.

On February 24, Bangladesh signed a framework agreement with Russia for setting up a 2,000megawatts power plant at Rooppur in Pabna, after parliament approved it on December 9, 2010. The work on the project is expected to start by 2012.

Source : New Age