Dhaka sends rejoinder to the Economist

The government on Thursday issued a rejoinder in protest against a write-up titled 'India and Bangladesh: Embraceable You', published in the Economist in its July 30-August 5 issue.

'We are disappointed as the report is less the well researched and contains elements of misinformation and misrepresentation of facts. What is more unfortunate is that the writer uses some words and sometimes draws analogies which lack decency and professional ethics,' said the foreign affairs ministry in a rejoinder signed by M Shameem Ahsan, director general of the External Publicity Wing of the ministry, and sent to the editor of the Economist on Thursday.

'Ever since 2008, when the Awami League, helped by bags of Indian cash and advice, triumphed in general elections in Bangladesh, relations with India have blossomed,' said the write-up.

The writer is of the view that the ruling Awami League came to power by using 'bags of Indian cash and advice', said the ministry. 'This is a blatant lie.'

'The new transit project may be about more than just development. Some in Dhaka, including military types, suspect it is intended to create an Indian security corridor,' said the Economist.

The writer's observation that the transit agreement between the two countries is to meet Indian security needs at the expense of the interest of Bangladesh is also misplaced, as both the countries are expected to benefit immensely from it, said the DG.

Referring to Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi's visit to Dhaka on July 25, the Economist said, 'Now the dynasts who rule each country are cementing political ties.'

'The head of India's ruling Congress Party heaped praise on her host, notably for helping the poor. A beaming Sheikh Hasina reciprocated with a golden gong, a posthumous award conferred on former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for sending India's army to help Bangladeshis throw off the brutal Pakistani rule,' said the Economist.

The writer has undermined both the 'Bangalees' struggle' to attain statehood through the glorious War of Liberation as well as the hand of friendship and support extended by India to Bangladesh when he refers to the Freedom Honour as 'a (golden) gong' in a negative manner, said Ahsan.

'For India, however, the risk is that it is betting too heavily on Sheikh Hasina, who is becoming increasingly autocratic. Opposition boycotts of Parliament and general strikes are run-of-the-mill,' said the Economist. This proves the writer's poor knowledge of the numerous initiatives taken by the government to institutionalize democracy in the country, said the DG.

Without giving any research-based statistics, the writer mentions that 'corruption flourishes at levels astonishing even by South Asian standards'. Neither any member of the present prime minister's family nor any Cabinet member bears the stigma of being corrupt though corruption remains a major challenge for the country, said Ahsan.

The allegation of building a 'personality cult around Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman', father of the prime minister, is 'just another example of poor judgment about the role of the great leader in the epic struggle of the country', said the foreign ministry.

As regards the 'vindictive' treatment meted out to Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Laureate, the write should have known that it was the prime minister herself who played a distinct role in patronizing and thus making micro-credit, Grameen Bank and Professor Yunus familiar globally, said the DG.

A closer look at the write-up will indicate that the writer is carrying out the agendum of a quarter which is out to wage a smear campaign against Bangladesh and its present government led by Sheikh Hasina, said the ministry.

Source : New Age

GTCL to procure materials for 3 gas pipelines without tender

The Gas Transmission Company Limited, without floating any tender, asked four foreign companies Thursday to offer prices by August 16 for supplying pipes and other necessary materials for a project under which three major gas pipelines would be installed.

Petrobangla chairman Hossain Monsur said the lowest bidder among the four companies would be awarded the contract and it would have to supply the materials within eight months from receiving the job. The decision of implementing the project in this way was taken in a meeting on Thursday between the Energy Division high officials and representatives the four foreign companies.

The GTCL, a subsidiary of the state-run Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Corporation or Petrobangla, has decided to implement the project under the Bangladesh Power and Energy Quick Supply (Special Provision) Act, 2010, said a Petrobangla official.

The three gas transmission lines to be installed are 138-kilometre Bibiyana-Dhanua pipeline of 36-inch diameter, 91-km Moheshkhali-Anowara pipeline of 30-inch diameter, and 61-km Ashuganj-Bakhrabad pipeline of 30-inch diameter.

The GTCL, out of 10 short-listed companies, has asked the four companies – the Jindal Saw Ltd and the Man Industries Ltd of India and the Panyuchu Steel Pipe Co Ltd and Liaoyang Steel Tube Co Ltd of China – to submit their financial offers for supplying the materials required to lay the pipelines.

Last week, the GTCL invited 10 companies to submit their expressions of interest for the contract.

The GTCL plans to implement the project by December 2012.

The government along with the GTCL will provide the entire project funds.

Source : New Age

ConocoPhillips to conduct seismic surveys by year’s end

Petrobangla, the state-run oil, gas and mineral corporation, on Thursday approved the one-year work-plan of US oil company ConocoPhillips for conducting seismic surveys in the country's deep-sea hydrocarbon Blocks 10 and 11, said an official.

He said that ConocoPhillips would conduct 2,200 line kilometre two-dimensional seismic surveys in the Bay of Bengal, which will start by the end of this year. The US oil

company will invest above $2.5 million for conducting the first phase of the surveys.

Before the seismic surveys, ConocoPhillips

will carry out an environment impact assessment. It has awarded the job to a local consultancy firm, SMEC Bangladesh, out of four firms who were short-listed.

According to the work-plan, the SMEC is scheduled to submit the report on environmental impact by November.

The official also said that ConocoPhillips would submit its work-plan for the next year at another meeting of the joint review committee in November this year to get its approval.

According to the mandatory work programme in the model production sharing contract, the company will have to conduct a two-dimensional seismic survey in an area measuring 10 km x 10 km over the whole of the two blocks.

As per the work programme in the PSC, the contractor will have to conduct a 973 line kilometre seismic survey, and drill one exploration well, which is optional.

The government on June 16 this year signed the PSC with ConocoPhillips for oil and gas exploration and extraction in deep sea hydrocarbon Blocks 10 and 11 in spite of widespread protests by experts, civic forums and political organisations.

Source : New Age

5 Bangladeshis released by Taliban to reach Dhaka Tuesday

Five Bangladeshi nationals released Tuesday by Afghan Taliban kidnappers will return to Dhaka Sunday morning, according to foreign ministry.

All of them are safe and in good health in the Mazar-i-Sharif compound of Samwon, the South Korean company that employed them.

The five Bangladeshis are Md Aminul Islam and Md Shafiqul Alam from Kalihati and Md Lovelu Rahman from Chowdhury Malancho in Tangail district, Mahabub Ali from Charghat in Rajshahi, and Md Imam Uddin from Rangunia in Chittagong.

Foreign ministry external publicity wing director general Shamim Ahsan said Thursday that Bangladesh ambassador to Uzbekistan Muhammad Imran would see them off in Kabul.

They are expected to reach Dhaka by an Emirates flight at about 8:40am on Tuesday, he said.

In December 17 last, an armed group of the Taliban stormed a remote road construction camp of Samwon in Mazar-i-Sharif, shot dead a Bangladeshi engineer, and kidnapped seven of the 17 Bangladeshi workers employed there.

The kidnappers released two of the workers after two days.

Source : New Age

Judges’ remarks against Khaleda echo PM, says Fakhrul

BNP said Thursday the two judges only echoed the prime minister in making their remarks about the patriotism of the leader of the opposition.

'We are astonished and aggrieved by the behaviour of the two judges,' he said.

Khaleda Zia's patriotism is beyond doubt, he said.

Speaking at a news briefing at the central office of BNP, its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir demanded withdrawal of a case filed against 14 lawyers and the order debarring them from practising in any court in Bangladesh.

Fakhrul said that the Awami League led government has politicised the judiciary.

He said that following a scuffle that took place between two groups of lawyers no action was taken against the pro ruling party lawyers.

'Biased action taken unilaterally only against the opposition leaning lawyers indicates the extent of politicisation,' he said.

He said that he wondered whether the two judges took oath of impartiality and failed to conduct themselves accordingly.

He said that the system places a particular burden on the judges – an impartial judicial referee is essential to produce an appropriately just result.

Moreover, he said, the society expects not only that judges conduct themselves without actual bias toward the parties, but also that judges are viewed, both by the critical participants and third-party observers, as unbiased - in other words, they must avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

He said that every judge is duty bound by the oath of office.

Fakhrul said, 'Truth cannot be changed by a judge's ruling and one's patriotism cannot be questioned by a partisan judge's order.'

He said that the people of the country, not only the lawyers, felt aggrieved over the way the BNP chairperson's name was unduly dragged in a case she had nothing to do.

He said the government has put the people and the judiciary face to face by taking political issues to court.

Fakhrul said the entire country was shocked and astonished over the way the judges unduly dragged the name of Khaleda Zia in a writ petition filed against Mufti Amini.

The judges' remarks against Khaleda Zia were uncalled for and clearly against the scope of the writ petition, he said.

'It makes one thing clear that some judges having blind loyalty to the ruling party are implementing the prime minister's vengeance by issuing court ruling,' he said.

He said, 'Political statements should be dealt with politically.'

He said that by taking the issue to the court an unnecessary controversy has been created.

BNP vice-chairman Abdullah Al Noman, joint secretaries general Amanullah Aman and Rizvi Ahmed and lawyer Masud Ahmed Taluker were also present at the news briefing.

Source : New Age

Health services in Sunamganj limp for want of docs, staffs

Medical services for 26 lakh people in the district is limping due to acute shortage of doctors and staff at hospitals and health complexes.

There are 193 posts of doctors for the people of the district, of which, 129 posts have been lying vacant and only 64 doctors are working.

At present, there are 15 doctors in 250-bed Sadar hospital against 26 posts there. Besides, there are only two consultants at the Hospital against 13 posts.

There are no consultant doctors at gynecology, medicine, surgery and ENT and anesthesia departments for long, hampering treatment of the patients.

Sources said, there are only 32 nurses against 120 posts, one assistant nurse against 19 posts and three nursing supervisors against 11 posts.

Many posts of laboratory technicians are also lying vacant for long.

Sometimes, critical patients have to go to Sylhet amid risk as electro-cardiogram (ECG) cannot be done on time for absence of technicians.

The chief laboratory technician of civil surgeon office is now working at Sadar Hospital.

But many patients from remote areas, especially the poor ones, can hardly afford to go to Sylhet for treatment.

Source : The Daily Star

Clinic vandalised, doc assaulted in Natore

Agitated relatives and locals assaulted an on-duty doctor and ransacked a private clinic in the town, following the death of a woman in post-natal complication at the clinic in the early hours of yesterday.

Shahida Banu, wife of Abul Hossain of the district town, died nearly 12 hours after giving birth to twins at Shefa Clinic.

Relatives of the deceased claimed that the doctor was responsible for the death. They said that the doctor injected Shahida a date expired medicine leading to her death.

The victim was admitted to hospital around 5:00pm Wednesday with labour pains. She gave birth to twins and her condition was fine until about 1:00am. However Shahida began convulsing allegedly after the doctor pushed the medicine from the date-expired ampule. She died around 5:00am, the relatives added.

The agitating relatives and locals later ransacked the clinic and assaulted Khalilur Rahman, the on-duty doctor of the hospital.

Contacted, Khalilur however denied the allegation of pushing date expired medicine.

Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further untoward incidents.

Source : The Daily Star

Collection of Toll from Gambling: 20 hurt as BCL, Jubo League clash

Activists of Jubo league and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Palashbari upazila units clashed over toll collection from gambling sheds in a union under the upazila on Wednesday night, leaving at least 20 people from both sides injured.

Police and locals said a group of BCL activists went to Tekani area in Kishoregari Union on Tuesday night to collect toll from gambling sheds erected there. But Jubo League men prevented them from collecting toll and scuffled with BCL activists.

As a sequel to the incident, the Jubo League and BCL activists equipped with lethal weapons locked in a fierce clash at cross-road point on the Rangpur-Bogra highway at around 10:00pm on Wednesday.

Three buses and several shops were vandalised and vehicular movement on the highway remained suspended for two hours. Several hundred vehicles, including night coaches and goods-laden trucks, were stranded on both sides of the road until 12:30am.

Being informed, police rushed to the spot, dispersed the clashing groups and brought the situation under control. Police had to open 10 blank shots as they also came under attack during the clash, said Matiur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Palashbari Police Station.

Police filed a case yesterday morning against 22 Jubo League and BCL men for attack on them during Wednesday night's clash. Soon after filing of the case, they raided the area and arrested two of the accused.

The arrestees are BCL activist Lebu Mia Jubo League man Jenarul Haque. Police said they are looking for the rest of the accused.

Contacted, Mokshed Chowdhury Bidyut, Palashbari Upazila Parishad Chairman and also the organising secretary of Awami League upazila unit, said the upazila law and order committee will soon take necessary steps to stop gambling at different points in Kishorgari Union.

Source : The Daily Star

Just for Want of a School: 400 kids on char growing up sans education

About 400 children at a char of Jamuna River in Shibalaya upazila are being deprived of education due to absence of any educational institution in the area.

As there is no opportunity for studies, the children are now growing up playing and grazing cattle head.

Local sources said human settlement began at Char Kanaidia, 3 km north-west off the upazila headquarters, about 15 year back. Most the residents are fishermen by profession.

At least 250 families have school going kids now at the char. But lack of educational institution in the area has deprived them of education.

There are schools more than three km away for the char. The children have to wade through water and cross the Jamuna River for which they feel reluctant to go to school.

While talking to UNB, Sohel, Masud, Priya, Tania and a few other children expressed their desire to take education, but lack of school stands as an obstacle to that desire.

They demanded setting up of a school in their area so that they can have easy access to education.

Guardians said that they built a tin-shed school with the assistance of char people and local lawmaker and upazila Jubo League president.

But the activities of the school could not start due to lack of teachers and necessary furniture, they said.

Contacted, Shibalaya upazila assistant education officer Selima Akhter said her office recently sent a proposal to the higher authorities for setting up a government primary school in the area.

Source : The Daily Star

Rain-fed Betrabati River Overflows in Satkhira: 20 riverside villages remain waterlogged for two weeks

Over 25, 000 people at 20 villages along the silted Betrabati River in Satkhira Sadar upazila have remained marooned since July 24 as water that entered the villages overflowing the banks of the rain-fed river has not yet receded.

Due to heavy downpour in the last couple of days, suffering of the affected villagers has increased manifolds.

The affected villages are Damarpota, Bagdangi, Ziala, Bardal, Shalley, Machchkhola, Dahakula, Baldepara, Rajbari, Hajipur, Tujalpur, Hasimpur, Devnagar, Akhrakhola, Amtala, Gharchala, Rajnagar, Duttabag, Shibnagar and Devnagar in Sadar upazila.

Satkhira-Akhrakhola road, Jhhowdanga-Rajbari road, and Damarpota-Satkhira road are still under water, causing immense trouble to the commuters.

Farmers in the areas said they will suffer a big loss as standing second block boro on about 2000 acres of land in the villages has gone under water.

Under heavy pressure of water during rainy season, the silted river Betrabati overflows its banks and inundates the areas. Water logging in most parts of the area persists for over a month. Stagnant water pollutes environment, causes health hazards and damage to crops.

While visiting the affected areas yesterday, Samsur Rahman of Damarpota village told this correspondent that he cultivated second block boro on eight bighas of land that is still under water. "I have to incur huge loss as I took lease of the land from other villagers," he said.

Balli union Parishad (UP) Chairman Habibur Rahman and some other villagers said there is no scope to cultivate aman and other crops as water will remain stagnant in the affected villages for over a month.

They said local administration is yet to take necessary measures to mitigate their sufferings.

Meanwhile, incessant rain caused the silted Kobadak River to overflow its banks on Monday and flood Tala upazila headquarters.

Around 20,000 townspeople face immense trouble as most of the roads have gone under three to four feet water.

Smooth functioning at the government offices, banks and educational institutions is being hampered as those have been inundated. Tala upazila Bhaban has gone under three to four feet water.

People living in the low lying areas of the town also face immense trouble as water entered their houses.

Source : The Daily Star

Mirsarai Tragedy: Another student dies

A boy who survived the Mirsarai tragedy succumbed to his injuries at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) yesterday morning, bringing the death toll to 41.

The deceased Kajal Devnath, a student of class eight of Abu Torab Bahumukhi High School, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of BSMMU on July 23 with breathing complications.

The loss of lives occurred in an accident when a truck loaded with football fans turned turtle in a roadside water-filled ditch in Mirsarai of Chittagong on July 11.

Kajal's father Shibu Nath yesterday expressed his anger against Dr Ikbal Hossain Chowdhury for alleged negligence of duty. He also alleged that nurses used to perform the duties at the ICU as doctors were absent most of the time. "Nurses used to misbehave with us frequently," he said.

Another survivor, Nayan Shil, is still undergoing treatment in the ICU as his left retina was damaged.

On contact, Dr Ikbal rejected the allegations, saying the condition of Kajal was already critical when he was admitted to BSMMU and they "tried their best to save the boy". He also said doctors are on duty round the clock and so there is no question of negligence.

Source : The Daily Star

Audit report submission: BNP, 15 other parties given more time

The Election Commission yesterday granted BNP and 15 other political parties one and a half months more for submitting reports on their financial transactions.

The EC reached the decision going beyond the rules on party registration as it did in the last year.

The commission decided this following petitions from the 16 political parties, Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain told newsmen emerging from a meeting at his office.

The parties now will have to file their reports on or before September 15, he added.

According to Political Parties Registration Rules, 2008, a party must get audited its financial transactions in a calendar year by a chartered accountant firm and submit a copy of the audit report to the EC by July 31 of the following year.

All the 38 political parties registered with the EC were supposed to submit their reports of calendar year 2010 last Sunday. But the 16 parties failed to meet the deadline.

Last year the EC granted Awami League and 16 other parties two months' extension for filing their reports.

Source : The Daily Star

Steps taken to dev CHT: PM tells UNDP resident representative

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government has taken numerous steps for the development of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

She said this when UNDP resident representative in Bangladesh Neal Walker met her at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Hasina mentioned the peace agreement they signed during her previous government to restore normalcy in the CHT areas.

"We had been able to reach the position without help from any third country and the rebels laid down their arms at once. This was a unique event in the world," she told the UNDP representative.

Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad briefed reporters after the meeting.

The prime minister also said her government wants to put democracy on a solid ground.

She said the government is working relentlessly to spur economic activities in rural Bangladesh.

In the last two and a half years, she said, the government has taken various projects for the country's economic progress, including creation of new jobs in rural areas.

"Due to these projects, economic activities in rural areas have got a momentum," she said.

Hasina said the present government, like her previous one, put immense importance on the IT sector and announced to make 'Digital Bangladesh'.

Neal Walker praised the leadership of Hasina.

Source : The Daily Star

Three CU asst proctors withdraw resignation

The three assistant proctors of Chittagong University withdrew their resignation letters yesterday upon request of the vice-chancellor.

Proctor Dr Mohammad Akter Hossain, however, still stood firm to his decision of quitting.

The assistant proctors are Monjur Morshed, Mainul Islam, and Shipok Krishna Devnath.

CU Acting Registrar Prof Dr Mohammad Shafiul Alam confirmed the assistant proctors withdrew their resignation letters and said talks were underway with Dr Akter in this regard.

Assistant Proctor Shipok Krishna Devnath said Prof Md Anwarul Azim Arif, the vice-chancellor, requested them to withdraw the resignation letters, and so they did. Moreover, the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League also begged pardon to them, he added.

Source : The Daily Star

Road crashes kill 4

Four people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed in separate road accidents in Dhaka, Chittagong, Dinajpur and Bhola yesterday.

Staff correspondent reports: A minor boy was killed under wheels of a truck while he was crossing road with his father in Jatrabari area of the city yesterday morning.

The deceased is Sakib, 6, son of Shah Alam, of Rayerbagh in the city.

His father, a vegetable vendor, said he was crossing the Dhaka-Chittagong highway with his son in front of their house on the way to Jatrabari. When they were in the middle of the road, suddenly Sakib ran to the other side of the road and a Kanchpur-bound speedy truck ran over him, Shah Alam said with tears.

Police sent the body to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy but they could not identify the truck and its driver.

Staff correspondent from Chittagong adds: A readymade garment worker was killed as a city bus crushed her while she was going to her workplace at Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) intersection under Bandar Police Station in the port city yesterday morning.

The deceased is Anichha Begum, 25, daughter of Zafar Alam, of South Dhudhang, of Kutubdia in Cox's Bazar. She worked at Siyam Superior Limited Garment in CEPZ.

Our Dinajpur correspondent says: A retired primary school headmaster was killed as a Dinajpur-bound speedy truck hit his rickshaw van from behind while he was going for withdrawing his pension money on Dinajpur-Bogra highway at Kasigari village in Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur yesterday morning.

The deceased is Md Alhaj Joynal Abedin, 62, of South Devipur village, of Ghoraghat upazila and also a retired headmaster of Ghoraghat Govt Primary School.

UNB from Bhola adds: A madrasa teacher was killed when a bus hit his motorcycle at Kaimuddin intersection in Charfashion upazila yesterday afternoon.

The deceased is Mofizul Islam, 28, a teacher of A Jabbar Dakhil Madrasa in Charfashion.

Source : The Daily Star

Power, Water: PM warns culprits over iftar, sehri time crisis

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the 'culprits' who are behind load shedding and water crisis during iftar and sehri will be identified and given exemplary punishment.

She also asked the officials concerned not to raise power tariff during Ramadan.

"We do not have that much power and water shortage which may cause sufferings to people during iftar and sehri," Hasina said during a meeting with Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) officials at her office in the capital.

The premier came up with the warning as reports have it that some 'culprits' are causing sufferings to people through repeated power cuts and disruption in water supply during iftar and sehri.

PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed newsmen after the meeting.

"We found the same problem last year. We will identify the culprits and punish them. We will not tolerate any such problem that inflicts sufferings on people during Ramadan," Hasina said.

The premier mentioned that the government has increased power generation from 4,100 megawatt to 5,052 MW after it assumed office.

Hasina blamed the BNP-Jamaat alliance government for the present deplorable condition of power situation.

The present demand for electricity is 7,000 MW while the power generation stands at 5,052 MW, she said.

"We have to exercise austerity to save power," she added.

BERC Chairman Syed Yusuf Hossain gave a power-point presentation on its activities.

PM's Adviser Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Ambassador at-large M Ziauddin, among others, were present at the meeting.

Source : The Daily Star 

Earth had 2 moons!

A new theory suggests the Earth once had a small second moon that perished in a slow motion collision with its "big sister".

Researchers suggest the collision may explain the mysterious mountains on the far side of our Moon.

The scientists say the relatively slow speed of the crash was crucial in adding material to the rarely-seen lunar hemisphere.

Details have been published in the journal Nature.

The researchers involved hope that data from two US space agency (Nasa) lunar missions will substantiate or challenge their theory within the next year.

For decades, scientists have been trying to understand why the near side of the Moon -- the one visible from Earth -- is flat and cratered while the rarely-seen far side is heavily cratered and has mountain ranges higher than 3,000m.

Various theories have been proposed to explain what's termed the lunar dichotomy. One suggests that tidal heating, caused by the pull of the Earth on the ocean of liquid rock that once flowed under the lunar crust, may have been the cause.

But this latest paper proposes a different solution: a long-term series of cosmic collisions.

The researchers argue that the Earth was struck about four billion years ago by another planet about the size of Mars. This is known as the global-impact hypothesis. The resulting debris eventually coalesced to form our Moon.

But the scientists say that another, smaller lunar body may have formed from the same material and become stuck in a gravitational tug of war between the Earth and the Moon.

Dr Martin Jutzi from the University of Bern, Switzerland, is one of the authors of the paper. He explained: "When we look at the current theory there is no real reason why there was only one moon."

After spending millions of years "stuck", the smaller moon embarked on a collision course with its big sister, slowly crashing into it at a velocity of less than three kilometres per second - slower than the speed of sound in rocks.

Dr Jutzi says it was a low velocity crash: "It was a rather gentle collision at around 2.4km per second; lower than the speed of sound -- that's important because it means no huge shocks or melting was produced.

At the time of the smash, the bigger moon would have had a "magma ocean" with a thin crust on top.

The scientists argue that the impact would have led to the build-up of material on the lunar crust and would also have redistributed the underlying magma to the near side of the moon, an idea backed up by observations from Nasa's Lunar Prospector spacecraft.

In a commentary, Dr Maria Zuber from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, US, suggests that while the new study "demonstrates plausibility rather than proof", the authors "raise the legitimate possibility that after the giant impact our Earth perhaps fleetingly possessed more than one moon".

Source : The Daily Star

Compensate families of lift collapse victims: HC asks builders

The High Court (HC) yesterday directed Building for Future Ltd to pay Tk 10 lakh in compensation to each of the families of four construction workers killed in a recent lift collapse in the capital.

It also asked the developer company to submit a report on compliance with its directives within two weeks.

On July 21, four workers--Zahidul Islam, 26, Delwar Hossain, 28, and his two nephews Rubel, 20, and Abdur Rahman, 18,--died as a makeshift lift carrying them plunged to the ground in a terrifying free-fall at a building being constructed by the developer in Kakrail.

The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore passed the order during a hearing on a suo moto rule.

Building for Future Ltd has already given Tk 3 lakh to each of the victim's family.

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

Barrister Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury appeared for the developer company, while Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain stood for the government.

Source : The Daily Star 

Turn in wealth info in 30 days: HC asks Rajuk boss to examine graft by his officials

The High Court yesterday directed the officials of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) to submit their wealth statements to the Rajuk chairman in 30 days.

The officials will have to do so, so that the chairman can asses whether they are performing their duties honestly or are involved in any corruption, the court said.

The directives came after Rajuk Chairman Nurul Huda and its 51 officials appeared before the bench yesterday, as per the court's earlier order, to explain their functions in enforcing building safety rules.

During the hearing of a suo moto rule, the HC bench of Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore ordered the Rajuk chief to supervise the safety measures taken at construction sites all over the capital.

The Rajuk chief will have to monitor whether there is any lacking or violation of safety measures and have to take necessary actions through mobile courts against the person(s) responsible for defying safety rules.

The court also ordered the Rajuk chief to investigate the allegation of land grabbing by real estate companies.

He will call the developer companies against whom the allegation was brought and cancel their plan permission for construction sites, if the allegation against them is found to be true, the court said.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who was present at the court during the hearing, then sought necessary orders from the bench for Rajuk officials to prevent them from alleged corruption and compel them to ensure safety at construction sites.

The HC bench on August 1 summoned the Rajuk chairman and its officials while hearing the suo moto rules over the death of four workers in a lift collapse at an under-construction building in the capital's Kakrail area on July 21 this year, and the death of college student Habibur Rahman Munna.

On July 16, Munna died when a brick from an under-construction building of Sagufta Group on Panthapath fell on his head.

The bench yesterday also asked the Rajuk chairman to conduct an investigation on Aminur Rahman, a Rajuk official for Dhanmondi area, to find out whether there was negligence on his part in ensuring safety measures at the under-construction Sagufta building.

Aminur Rahman yesterday told the court that he had issued a notice on Sagufta Group in February last year so that the realtor company adopts adequate safety measures at its construction site on Panthapath; but they did not comply with that. Aminur reasoned lack of manpower for not taking any action against Sagufta Group.

Earlier in the day, Rajuk chairman Nurul Huda told the court that he has been suffering from lack of manpower and that there are loopholes in the construction law and in the rules to ensure safety measures.

Deputy attorney general ABM Altaf Hossain, who was also present in the court, however, opposed the Rajuk chief's claim saying that as a government official he cannot place such statement.

The HC said it will refer the relevant laws and rules for scrutiny to the parliamentary standing committee concerned.

The bench, however, exempted Rajuk officials from personal appearance before it.

Advocate AFM Mesbahuddin appeared for Rajuk officials.

Source : The Daily Star  

Dipu Moni's statement draws flak

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni's recent statements about the country's indigenous people betray the spirit of the Liberation War and insult those who believe in diversity and plurality, 15 noted rights activists said yesterday.

In a statement, they said the spirit of the Liberation War was of democracy, pluralism and secularism. While recognising Bengali national identity, it calls, in its fullest sense, for full constitutional recognition of the diversity of communities including the Adibashis.

"We the undersigned believe that the constitution must reflect the plurality of our citizens. Belated recognition of the Adibashis will further equality and tolerance," they added.

On July 26, Dipu Moni said the demand for constitutional recognition for Adibashis was about getting "privileged status" for them at the "expense of national identity, image and territorial integrity of Bangladesh".

Describing her remarks as "callous, irresponsible and racist", the 15 signatories said indigenous people have never claimed any privileged status at the expense of national identity, image and territorial integrity.

"They have demanded their basic rights and protection under ILO Convention 107, which had been ratified by Bangladesh Government in 1972."

They also said the foreign minister is wrong to deny the identity of the Adibashis on historical and legal grounds. Further, by doing so, she contradicts her own past positions and solemn commitments by her leader and her party.

The statement was signed by human rights defender Dr Hameeda Hossain, Kamal Lohani of Arpito Sampatti Ain Protirodh Andolan, Khushi Kabir of Nijera Kori, Tobarak Hossain of Sammilito Samajik Andolan, Shaheen Anam of Manusher Jonno Foundation, Subrata Chowdhury, Supreme Court lawyer, Shamsul Huda of Association for Land Reform and Development, Prof Mesbah Kamal of Bangladesh Adibashi Odhikar Andolan, Sanjeeb Drong of Bangladesh Adibashi Forum, Robindranath Soren of Jatiya Adibashi Parisad, Goutam Dewan of CHT Citizens Committee, Philip Gain of Society for Environment and Human Development, Sara Hossain of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Syeda Rizwana Hasan of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, and Zannat-E-Ferdousi of Research and Development Collective.

Source : The Daily Star