Today is the 23rd death anniversary of Advocate Chittaranjan Das.
He passed away due to cardiac arrest at Chittagong Medical College Hospital at the age of 63. His wife Putul Rani Das passed away last year, says a press release.
Advocate Das was an eminent lawyer and a member of the first law commission of the country. He was also active in different socio-cultural organisations including Rotary Club and Arjya Sangeet Samiti.
Source : The Daily Star
A High Court bench yesterday summoned former BNP State Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon charging him with contempt of court because he moved a writ petition before another bench concealing an order of this bench.
The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore directed Milon to appear before it on October 16 to explain whether he suppressed its order while submitting the petition to another bench.
Source : The Daily Star
Expressing grave concern over the recently passed "Vagabond and Shelterless Persons (Rehabilitation) Bill- 2011", different rights organisations yesterday requested the government to scrap it immediately and formulate another in sync with human rights.
In a joint statement, the organisations said the act will legalise indiscriminate apprehension of deprived people by law enforcers, violating people's basic rights.
The definition of a vagabond is not specified and there are chances of widespread misuse, said the statement.
Ain O Salish Kendra (Ask) Executive Director (acting) Nur Khan signed the statement on behalf of Ask, Brac and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust.
Source : The Daily Star
The Daily Star received a huge response to Wednesday's commentary headlined "Ashraf's great revelation". Here are some of those comments.
Jabed Iqbal
It is quite depressing to see the moral disintegration of our respected minister, son of one of our country's founding leaders and once a highly respected person himself, through such unsubstantiated comments which are puzzling at best.
Moniruzzaman Rony
Strong article. The politicians always try to pin the blame on the media in the hope of covering up their misdeeds. Our PM needs to read it to learn the truth.
Zashim
Some ministers blame the media to hide their personal incompetence and make the PM happy by saying that they are seriously concerned about her security. Our ministers, as you rightly pointed out, sir, should understand that if the PM cannot secure her own position, how can she make her people and the country secure? The government should not delay in removing those irresponsible ministers, otherwise the government's acceptability would sink.
Imon
Fantastic commentary! The reason people are annoyed at the government is that the government is annoying them. Media does sway public opinion. But only truth can sway it so much. Apparently, Ashraf badly wanted to join the league of ministers who clearly lack common sense.
Dr Islam
Mr Ashraf, we love our PM, we elected her. If you have any clear evidence about any particular media person trying to assassinate our PM, please expose him. You must correct your failure. There is no alternative to that. The general masses cannot bear suffering daily for an indefinite period. Instead of trying to address the issue properly, baselessly blaming the messenger will not bring about anything positive. Please do not think the nation is full of fools.
Dr A Chowdhury, Virginia
Please continue telling the truth. AL needs to grow up!
Dr Reza Khan
The think tank of Awami League must stop the unruly ministers and other leaders from making irresponsible comments on national, international or political issues. It must also stop its unruly student and labour wings from taking law into their own hands if it wants people to remember its good deeds and be re-elected for the second time. Otherwise it may face the 2001 situation.
Imrul Hassan
It shows that Awami League will stop at nothing to take its political power and agendas forward. Here they are implicating the media of conspiring to kill Hasina. How ridiculous is that? The question should be: what is the motive and plan behind this repulsive and odious strategy and libel?
Shamer Ahmed Chowdhury
Ashraf's statement is too cheap and ridiculous. His intentions are clear -- to flatter his big-boss, divert the attention to cover up AL government's failures, and admonish the media for projecting the bitter truth. If he discovers any plot by media to assassinate the PM, he should come forward with concrete evidence, not give such stupid statements.
Sadrul Ahsan
Our leaders should take lessons from what is happening in the Arab world. When the masses are fed up, regimes as old as 30-40 years crumble. Just look at Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. You cannot fool all the people, all the time.
Romel Ahmed
Do not make yourself silly. People voted for you after finding no alternative. You do not need to give sermons on which media are good and on which are not. People can judge that easily. It is the media that shows you the way towards correction.
Abdullah Zunaed 'Tito'
We all should know that the media is not for those 300 seats in parliament. Media is there for the 16 crore Bangladeshis and the same applies around the earth.
Md SI Bhuiyan
If the government is sure about the "ground", please take action as per law, as you are the government with absolute power and not an ordinary-middleclass or lower-middleclass person like us who are always under tension about coming back home safely every day, every night.
W Zaman Manik
Excellent rebuttal to the unsubstantiated allegations against the media!
M Saiful Hosyn
I appreciate this editorial from one of the country's eminent journalist. Please do stand up for Bangladesh whenever needed.
Elihan UK
The commentary is to the point. We all know the media is doing a wonderful job by pinpointing the loopholes in the administration when it remains ever scared of censorship by the government.
Robin
Ashraf has tried to cover up the AL government's failure in all areas. He needs to wake up from hallucinations. People who voted AL to power are watching. They want results and not excuses.
Tomal
An excellent and informative news analysis. It simply reflects the key problems of the traditional political culture in Bangladesh.
Source : The Daily Star
The High Court yesterday ordered an investigation into the death of Mridul Kanti Chakrabarty, a Dhaka University teacher, who allegedly died due to doctors' negligence at LabAid Cardiac Hospital in the capital.
The court directed the director general (DG) of the Directorate of Health to form a probe committee in this regard and submit the investigation report to it by October 10.
Mridul Kanti Chakrabarty, professor at the Music department, was rushed to LabAid Cardiac Hospital with acute dehydration at around 9:45am on August 15 and died there after around one hour.
An HC bench passed the order during hearing a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh's president Manzill Murshid.
Source : The Daily Star
Two judges of a High Court bench yesterday delivered dissenting orders on a bail petition filed by Fazlul Haque Amini, chairman of a faction of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), in connection with a sedition case.
Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury, senior judge of the HC bench, asked Amini to surrender before the trial court within four weeks, while Justice Anwarul Haque, the junior judge, summarily rejected the petition.
Amin's counsel Khandker Mahbub Hossain said the HC bench will send the bail petition to the chief justice for a decision.
Upon receiving the bail petition with the dissenting orders, Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain will constitute a third bench of the HC for disposal of the matter, he said.
Amini was sued over sedition with a Dhaka court on August 11, for making derogatory remarks about the country's constitution. On July 14, Amini told a meeting in the city's Lalbagh that he will throw the recently amended constitution into dustbin.
Earlier yesterday, Amini appeared before the HC bench, seeking anticipatory bail in the case. He recently filed the bail petition with the HC.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam opposed the bail petition.
Source : The Daily Star
The Supreme Court yesterday stayed for six weeks a High Court verdict that declared illegal the appointment of firms by the telecom regulator for two mobile phone operators -- Grameenphone and Banglalink.
The apex court also directed Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to file a regular leave-to-appeal petition with the court against the HC verdict in six weeks.
The full bench of Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain passed the order following a petition filed by the BTRC seeking stay on the HC verdict.
In March, the telecom regulator (BTRC) appointed two chartered accountant (CA) firms to audit the two mobile operators after short-listing six audit firms.
Later, KM Alam and Co, one of the short-listed firms that did not get the job, challenged the bidding process, saying there was anomaly.
Following a writ petition filed by KM Alam and Co, the HC on August 18 declared the appointment of the audit firms illegal.
Barrister Khandaker Reza-E-Raquib, a lawyer for the BTRC, told The Daily Star that there was no bar for the audit firms to continue its audit functions for Grameenphone and Banglalink following the SC order.
Source : The Daily Star
The government yesterday signed a grant assistance deal with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) for $ 19.31 million or Tk 144.45 crore to strengthen the upazila parishads.
LGD Additional Secretary Syed Mahbub Hasan and UNDP Country Director Stefan Priesner inked the deal at NEC2 in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan was present on the occasion.
The grant will be used under the Upazila Governance Project (UZGP) to transform the upazila bodies into more functional, democratic, transparent, and accountable institutions. The Local Government Division (LGD) will implement and complete the project by May 2016.
The UZGP aims to strengthen planning and budgeting system at upazila parishads with MDG orientation and pro-poor service delivery mechanism as well as strengthening LGD's technical capacity for effective policy review, monitoring, and lesson learning for improved local governance.
The project will be implemented all over the country including direct fiscal support to 14 upazilas of seven districts. The European Union (EU) has committed to providing US $10 million and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for US $5 million, says a press release.
UNDP's Stefan Priesner said, 'We are excited to help the government empower the upazila parishads as key institutions for providing effective and efficient service delivery to the poor communities in Bangladesh".
The UZGP is part of the overall programmatic framework of UNDP and UNCDF support to Bangladesh in local governance reforms, assisted by the European Union and the governments of Switzerland (SDC) and Denmark (Danida).
Source : The Daily Star
The application process for the first year honours admission to Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) under the session 2011-12 will begin on September 15 and continue till October 15.
Aspirant students are required to send Short Message Service (SMS) from mobile phones with Teletalk network to obtain a personal identification number (PIN) during the period. The PIN will enable the aspirants to sit for the admission tests to be held on October 29.
Further detail related to admission can be found on the university website: www.sust.edu/admission or hotline: 01555555001-5.
The students who passed the Higher Secondary Certificate or equivalent examinations in 2010 and 2011 and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations in 2008 and 2009 are eligible for applying to sit admission tests under A and B units.
On October 29, the admission test under A Unit (social science and business faculty) will be held at 10:00am and the test under B and B1 Unit (science faculty) will be held at 3:00pm. B unit includes all subjects including architecture while B1 includes all subjects excluding architecture.
The aspirant students have to send the SMS to 16222, writing SUST, first three words of the name of the education board (like Dhk for Dhaka), HSC roll no, the year of passing, and the key word of the unit (A, B or B1). The PIN will be sent in return SMSs.
The fee for A and B1 unit is Tk 550 and for B unit Tk 600. The required minimum to apply for admission is GPA 6.5 SSC and HSC combined with GPA 3 separately.
Aspirant students have to vie against 1,395 seats in 25 subjects this year.
Source : The Daily Star
Hearing on charge framing against BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and 29 others in connection with the August 21 grenade attack cases will begin on September 11.
The Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court yesterday fixed the date after taking the charges against the 30 accused into cognisance.
The court rejected the bail petition of Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid after his lawyer moved the prayer saying his name was included in the charge sheets to harass him.
Earlier on July 3, Criminal Investigation Department submitted the supplementary charge sheets showing 12 of them as fugitives.
Eighteen of the accused including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and Mojahid were produced before the court.
Besides, former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) leader Mufti Abdul Hannan and 12 others of the 22 accused in the previous charge sheet were also produced.
Twenty-four people including Awami League leader Ivy Rahman were killed and around 200 others injured in the grisly grenade attack on an AL rally at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21 in 2004.
The then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack.
Source : The Daily Star
Bangladesh has presented its claim on the continental shelf in the Bay of Bengal at the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni along with members of the delegation led by her on Wednesday (Aug 24) made the presentation on Bangladesh's claim submitted to the United Nations earlier for delineation of its outer continental shelf in the Bay under the provisions of Article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
The delegation included AK Abdul Momen, Bangladesh ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshid Alam, additional foreign secretary (UNCLOS) and experts from home and abroad associated with the submission.
Bangladesh's claim on the continental shelf extends up to 400-460 nautical miles (850 km) southwards from its coastline. Dhaka says it has full rights over the undersea natural resources within this area.
Dhaka submitted its claim to the CLCS on February 25, four months ahead of the deadline for this.
Continental shelf is an undersea extension of a continent which can stretch many miles into the sea. Many nations have asserted mineral and land rights on their continental shelves since these are rich in natural resources.
According to the UN Convention, continental shelf of a coastal state comprises the submerged prolongation of its land territory -- the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance.
The continental margin consists of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope and the rise. It does not include the deep ocean floor with its oceanic ridges or the subsoil thereof.
According to a foreign ministry press release yesterday, the presentation was aimed at enlightening the CLCS about the critical legal and technical aspects of Bangladesh's rights over the outer continental shelf.
The CLCS, after examination of data submitted by Dhaka will give its recommendations on Bangladesh's rights.
According to officials concerned, it will take around five years to get the UN body's verdict as Bangladesh submitted its claim much delayed compared to Myanmar and India.
Myanmar submitted its claim on continental shelf in the Bay on December 16, 2008, and its serial number for the UN body's recommendation is 16. India submitted its claim on May 11, 2009, and its serial number is 48 while Bangladesh's serial number is 55.
The CLCS will make its recommendations under Article 76 of the UN Convention.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh also lodged two cases concerning maritime boundary claims of Myanmar and India in the Bay with two UN courts. The dispute with Myanmar is likely to be resolved by March next year while it will take 2-3 years to settle the dispute with India.
Source : The Daily Star
Rundown highways have increased safety risk for water transport passengers too, as the number of people using riverine routes for Eid travel may shoot up this year, increasing the chance of overloading of vessels.
Around 10 to 12 lakh people leave Dhaka in the seven days before Eid by launches through Sadarghat, the biggest launch terminal sending vessels out to over 50 destinations in the southern parts of the country every year.
This year the number is likely to shoot up. With the rivers full to the brim with monsoon water, the size of crowds at the terminal for launch tickets has increased as buses are unable to operate at some places and taking too long to reach destinations due to rundown condition of roads.
Sadarghat launch terminal is now full of newly painted vessels waiting to overload as usual up to double or triple their capacities to transport homebound passengers. Some of those are not even fit at all, said some launch repair workers who did not want to be identified.
Authorities of at least 50 faulty vessels received notices for repair in the last one month, said Shadat Hossain, a vessel surveyor of the Department of Shipping, claiming of increased vigilance ahead of Eid.
"Engines and hulls of many were faulty. I already issued notices to those for stopping operations until made fit," Shadat said.
Shipping department sources said MV Koko-2, Tipu-1, MV Panama, MV Mitali-2, Shuvoraj-2, Rajhangsha, Red Sun-2, Suresshor-2, MV New Sun, Dipraj-2 and MV Saikat-9 are among the faulty vessels which were served notices.
In reality, many of the faulty vessels had hurried patch-up jobs and new coats of paint instead of thorough repair before they queued at the passenger terminal for trips, according to the repair workers.
Launch owners operate unfit launches in collusion with officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and the shipping department (DOS) abusing the Inland Shipping Ordinance (ISO)-1976, said a terminal source.
The ordinance allows a ship surveyor to issue a "token approval for operation" for 45 days to a launch without an inspection, during which time the vessel has to be repaired.
"Availing the opportunity, some faulty vessels keep on operating for years without repair and get into accidents," said a source.
MV Bipasha that sank in Brahmanbaria on April 21, ML Nurussunnah that sank on December 3 last year in Kishoreganj, and MV Prince which sank in Patuakhali on April 15 in 2005 all operated using token approvals over and over again.
In previous years, many unfit and unregistered vessels operated ahead of Eid, many causing serious accidents.
A report of Safe Waterway Implementation Movement, a non-government organisation, published last year says capsizal of such overloaded faulty vessels killed over 6,000 passengers in 535 accidents in the last two decades.
BIWTA officials said a vessel can carry 800 to 1,500 passengers on an average. During Eid, each vessel carries two and half to three times of the capacity.
Talking about monitoring, shipping department's Shadat Hossain expressed his helplessness.
"People don't care whether the vessels are overloaded or not. We can fine a launch authority, but can't force the passengers to get off a launch, because that might create a confrontational situation," he said.
Another shipping department source said if they suspend a vessel's operation, the owner goes to BIWTA and gets trip schedule nonetheless through "managing" some officials, moor the faulty vessel at the terminal and load passengers. "Once passengers are loaded on a vessel, we can't do much in fear of a clash," he said.
Forty to 50 vessels operate everyday from Dhaka to different destinations, the number goes up to 110 to 120 during the last three days before Eid, said a BIWTA official.
Normally, a launch plies once in every three or four days due to a rotation system. But during Eid periods, the launches ply non-stop increasing the number of trips, he added.
Over 20,000 unregistered passenger and cargo vessels ply different routes across the country, a DOS source said.
Over 6,500 are registered with the department, DOS Chief Engineer AKM Fakhrul Islam said.
"We will deploy additional police force and coast guard members ahead of Eid to check plying of unfit vessels and to stop overloading," said Commodore Jobair Ahmad, DOS director general.
Source : The Daily Star
The High Court yesterday stayed for six months the government decision imposing tax on the incomes of prime minister, ministers, lawmakers, speaker and deputy speakers of Jatiya Sangsad, Supreme Court judges and other constitutional post holders.
The finance ministry on July 4 published two gazette notifications imposing tax on their incomes.
Following a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore issued a rule upon the government to explain within three weeks why the gazettes should not be declared illegal.
Supreme Court lawyer Idrisur Rahman filed the petition challenging the legality of the gazettes.
Source : The Daily Star
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ruled out a reshuffle of her cabinet, saying all the ministers are working hard to carry out their responsibilities.
"I'll make the changes in the cabinet whenever I feel it's necessary. But I'm not reshuffling it right now," the prime minister told a select group of journalists yesterday evening at the Jatiya Press Club after attending an iftar party hosted by Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and Dhaka Union of Journalists.
Hasina's comments came amid calls from critics, including lawmakers from her ruling alliance, for some ministers to resign for their alleged poor performances. Criticisms targeted mainly Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain and Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan.
The prime minister said she gets disappointed when the media fails to understand the perception of the government and the difficulties it faces.
"The media is always criticising us...the politicians," she said, "But whenever we politicians criticise the media the journalists are very upset. I don't understand this mentality of the journalists."
The prime minister defended the recent statement of her party's general secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam that the intense media criticism of the government is creating a situation for assassinating Sheikh Hasina.
"You must understand his perception of the situation," she said in reply to a question.
Source : The Daily Star
Six members of a family including two children were acid burnt Wednesday night at Balla Paschim Para village of the district in a family dispute over land.
The victims were identified as Abdus Salam, 60, his wife Alea Begum, 50, their son Mohammad Alauddin, 35, daughter-in-law Sohana Begum, 30, and granddaughters Dristee, 6, and two-month-old Tanzia.
Quoting the injured Kalihati upazila police said Salam's younger brother Rahmatullah threw acid on the victims at dinner around 8:30pm.
The victims were taken to Tangail General Hospital and then shifted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The condition of Alauddin, his wife Sohana and daughter Tanzia was stated to be critical.
They said both Salam and Rahmatullah's families live at their ancestral house and they have a feud over its ownership.
Injured Alauddin filed a case with Kalihati Police Station, said Officer-in-Charge Younus Ali.
Following the incident, Rahmatullah went into hiding, the OC added.
Earlier in February, another case was filed with the police station in connection with a family clash and was later settled through village arbitration.
Source : The Daily Star
Some 1,219 bullets were recovered yesterday in a village close to Indian border in Jhenaigati upazila of Sherpur.
A team of Detective Branch and Jhenaigati police led by Sub-Inspector Mostafizur Rahman seized the ammunition in Boro Gazni area around 4:50am.
Police said locals on Wednesday informed them that Saiful Islam, 35, of the area, has connections with United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa), the largest separatist outfit in the northeastern region of India. The police team that evening arrested Saiful.
On information extracted from the arrestee, the police conducted the raid and found a sack full of ammunition under a culvert on the Jhenaigati-Gazni road, said Belal Uddin Tarafder, officer-in-charge of Jhenaigati Police Station. The bullets are for Chinese rifles.
SI Mostafizur filed a case under the arms act with Jhenaigati Police Station accusing Saiful.
Meanwhile, the arrestee was produced in a Sherpur court yesterday afternoon with a remand prayer for seven days.
No hearing on the remand prayer was held and the court sent Saiful to jail.
Earlier in May and July, police recovered 1,285 bullets from two villages of Jhenaigati upazila.
Haluaghat police on May 18 recovered 395 bullets of LMG (light machinegun) and rifle from Bhoraghat.
On December 18 last year, 13,680 bullets were recovered from Bakakura village of Jhenaigati. After a week, Border Guard Bangladesh personnel seized bullets and fuses used for detonating mines and a grenade from the same village.
Source : The Daily Star
The High Court (HC) yesterday prohibited issuance of driving licences without tests till October 17, following a petition jointly filed by four rights organisations.
The court directed the authorities concerned of government to submit all the documents upon which licences were issued in the last five years.
An HC bench comprising Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Md Nuruzzaman passed the order, in response to the petition filed as a supplementary to a pending writ petition.
On August 23, Legal Aid and Human Rights Committee of Bangladesh Bar Council and three other organisations filed the petition seeking directives from the HC to impose restrictions on the issuance of driving licences.
The three others are Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Ain O Salish Kendra and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.
Earlier on August 16, the organisations filed the writ petition following the death of eminent filmmaker Tareque Masud and broadcast journalist Ashfaque Mishuk Munier in a road accident, seeking necessary orders from the HC in a bid to prevent road accidents.
Following the writ petition, the same HC bench on August 17 directed the government to submit to it by October 17 a comprehensive report on the measures taken in the last five years to repair and develop roads and highways, prevent road accidents and ensure road safety across the country.
Barrister Sara Hossain and Advocate Iqbal Kabir Lytton appeared for the petitioners.
On August 18, at a press conference Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said drivers do not need to be educated to qualify for a driving licence.
He said if a driver can sign his name, can differentiate between a cow and a goat and can understand traffic signals should be eligible for a licence.
His comments generated a lot of media outburst as eminent citizens observed that the minister is actually recommending to let loose potential killers on the roads.
Shahjahan is the president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation which recommended that 24,000 drivers be given Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) licences without holding written tests.
BRTA had already issued 10,000 driving licences in 2009 without tests on the minister's recommendation.
Source : The Daily Star
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged people to be patient as her government is trying relentlessly to solve their problems.
"Problems will be... but there is no reason for frustration. We will solve them," Hasina said in her concluding speech for the 10th session of this parliament.
She said her government is working to fulfil the ruling alliance's electoral pledges to ensure Bangladesh's speedy transition into a developed country by 2021.
In the run up to the ninth parliamentary elections held in December, 2008, her party announced the polls pledges styled "A charter for change". People extended their wholehearted support to the Awami League for the pledges, she said. She claimed that the government is carrying out development activities one after another in all key sectors in line with the electoral pledges.
"We are very much hopeful that we would be able to fulfil all our election pledges during our tenure," Hasina said.
In her around one-hour speech, the prime minister narrated before the House the reasons behind price hike of essentials, the sorry state of roads, horrifying traffic jams, shortage of power and deterioration of law and order.
She said the last governments--the BNP-led government and the caretaker government--did not do anything to improve power generation, reduce traffic jams or stop price spiral of essentials.
"We are trying to bring discipline in all the sectors by improving the situation," the premier said.
"No repair or maintenance work took place since 2001 causing poor condition of roads. Now, the situation is so bad that it needs an allocation of the entire national budget of a year for repairs," Hasina said, adding that her government spent a limited amount of money for repairing roads as it had to spend more to ensure food security.
"Now the government has taken up a project of Tk 1,400 crore to repair the roads," she said.
She said movement of overloaded trucks was one of the major reasons for damaged roads, and bridges and urged the owners of trucks and transport agencies not to overload vehicles. "They should keep in mind that the roads were built with public money," Hasina said, adding, "We have a lack of civic sense." She urged the finance minister to allocate funds for purchasing at least eight weighing machines for vehicles to monitor the nuisance of overloading.
On driving licences she said many educated and gentlemen took driving licences without taking tests.
She blamed some well-off families for traffic jams. She said in other countries people drive to work and come back home but here some families use multiple vehicles for doing the school runs, going to work, going shopping etc. She said those chauffeur-driven cars run around in the city all day causing congestion.
"Use of vehicles should be limited. Blaming the government alone for traffic jams will not do," she said.
The premier suggested that the finance minister impose higher tariff on car imports in the next fiscal year.
Hasina strongly criticised the main opposition BNP for boycotting the House proceedings.
Source : The Daily Star
A parliamentary body yesterday asked the communications ministry not to allow Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan to meddle in its affairs.
Meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the standing committee on the communications ministry also blasted Shajahan for advocating issuing driving licence to uneducated drivers.
"The parliamentary body has recommended taking necessary measures so the shipping minister does not say anything about the communications ministry's business," says a press release issued from the parliament secretariat after the meeting.
Golam Maula Rony, a member of committee, said the committee members believe the shipping minister's unwarranted interference and remarks are tarnishing the communications ministry's image.
The committee decided not to invite Shajahan Khan at its meetings as he speaks as a labour leader despite holding the shipping portfolio, he added.
In the past, the shipping minister joined the committee meetings and spoke grossly as executive president of Bangladesh Road Transport Labour Federation.
On August 17, he attended a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the labour and employment ministry as labour leader.
"If he wants to attend the meetings, he can do so as a labour leader. The committee in that case will not entertain him as a minister," said Rony, an AL lawmaker.
The standing committee will complain to the prime minister if the shipping minister interferes again in the communications ministry's business, he added.
At the meeting, the parliamentary body directed the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to place a report on the allegations of issuing over 1.75 lakh fake driving licences under political pressure in the past.
It also asked BRTA to explain why those fake licences will not be cancelled.
The committee also decided to thoroughly investigate the allegations of corruption and irregularities in the Roads and Highways Department.
A three-member sub-committee led by Golam Maula Rony will probe corruption in the RHD. It has been asked to come up with a report as soon as possible, said Omar Faruk Chowdhury, a member of the committee.
The probe body will also examine claims and counter-claims by the finance minister and the communications minister over allocation and disbursement of funds for repairing the roads.
BNP lawmaker Nazrul Islam Manju demanded that Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain quit for his failure to repair the roads.
In reply, Abul Hossain said his ministry could not do the repair job in time due to lack of funds.
The ruling party lawmakers said resignation is not a solution. Besides, they observed, the minister now seems much sincere about resolving the problems.
Source : The Daily Star
Bangladeshis in the Libyan capital Tripoli are facing difficulty in leaving the North African country as they have become apparently confined to their houses amid battles between rebels and Gaddafi diehards.
Around 2,000 Bangladeshis have contacted Bangladesh embassy in the city, seeking a way out of the war-torn country. But they find it hard even to come out their residences, said Jemini Pandya, spokesperson of International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva.
A chartered ship docked at Tripoli port yesterday morning to take the foreigners to the port city of Benghazi.
The ship has a capacity of carrying up to 300 people but there is no Bangladeshi in the first batch of evacuees, she told The Daily Star over the phone.
"The problem is getting people out of their houses. They cannot travel from the city to the port. The situation is very dangerous," Jemini Pandya quoted IOM officials in Libya as saying.
Another ship chartered by IOM was scheduled to arrive in a few hours, she said at 7:30pm yesterday. "We are trying to get those people out of Tripoli, but logistically it is not feasible until now. There is serious insecurity."
Dr Abdul Mazid, a Bangladeshi who teaches in a Libyan university, told The Daily Star over the phone yesterday evening that he has been in a room for the last five days.
Food and water he earlier bought as per Bangladesh embassy's advice will run only for another week, he said.
"There are shootings all around. I can neither go out of my house nor can contact the embassy," he said, adding that he has been psychologically very upset. "I don't know what to do."
Bangladesh mission in Tripoli could not be contacted for disruption in mobile phone network.
The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment in Dhaka, however, said they are in contacts with Bangladeshi officials in Tripoli and bracing themselves for any situation.
"Preparations are there to repatriate the Bangladeshis with support of the IOM, International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organisations," said the statement.
Meanwhile, IOM spokesperson Asif Munier in Dhaka said they will repatriate the Bangladeshis after they reach the border in Egypt or Tunisia.
Since the beginning of Libyan war late February this year, IOM with support from Bangladesh government repatriated over 36,000 Bangladeshis. An estimated 7,000 Bangladeshis are still in Libya.
IOM will keep on standby a ship off the Tripoli coast until security is improved and the safety of its staff and migrants is guaranteed.
"We urgently call on all parties to allow IOM to carry out its humanitarian work in safety and begin evacuating thousands of migrants who want to leave Tripoli," says IOM Director General William Lacy Swing in a press statement posted in its website.
Source : The Daily Star
Mercantile Insurance Co
M Kamal Uddin, one of the sponsors/directors of the company, has reported his intention to sell 78,400 shares out of his total holdings of 1,48,400 shares (in the block market) of the company at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.
Beximco
Normal trading of the shares of the company will resume on September 4 after record date for EGM.
Popular Life Insurance Co
Syed Zahurul Huq, one of the sponsors of the company, has reported his intention to sell 1,000 shares out of his total holdings of 26,879 shares of the company at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.
DBH First Mutual Fund
Normal trading of the units of the fund will resume on September 4 after record date.
Pragati Life Insurance
Normal trading of the shares of the company will resume on September 4 after record date.
One Bank
Manzia Jamil, one of the sponsors of the bank, has reported her intention to sell 50,000 shares out of her total holdings of 7,58,526 shares of the bank at prevailing market price through the stock exchange within next 30 working days.
Grameen One : Scheme Two
The trustee committee of the fund has resolved to distribute 10 per cent cash dividend and 10 per cent stock dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2011. Record date for the purpose will be declared by the asset management company upon receipt of approval on the proposal or otherwise from the SEC.
Grameen Mutual Fund One
The trustee committee of the fund has resolved to distribute 25 per cent cash dividend and 50 per cent stock dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2011. Record date for the purpose will be declared by the asset management company upon receipt of approval on the proposal or otherwise from the SEC.
Source: DSE
Source : New Age
Shamsuddin Ahmed has recently been promoted to the post of accounting director of Orascom Telecom Bangladesh (Banglalink).
Prior to the assignment, he was accounting controller of the company, said a news release.
He has been with the company for last four years. Prior to joining Banglalink, he had worked with a number of multinational companies in senior management role. He is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Bangladesh.
Source : New Age
Ershad Hossain recently joined City Bank Capital Resources Limited, a subsidiary of The City Bank Limited, as managing director and chief executive officer.
Prior to the joining City Bank Capital Resources, Ershad was investment adviser in Equity Derivatives of Hong Leong Bank, Singapore, said a news release.
He also worked as director, foreign exchange of Standard Chartered Bank and director, financial institutions and margin trading sales of American Express Bank Limited in Singapore.
Source : New Age
UBS and Citigroup lowered their forecast for global growth, with sharp reductions to its euro zone view and more modest cuts for China, but ruled out the likelihood of a recession for now.
The cuts are the latest in a series of downgrades to global growth forecasts by major securities firms. Last week, Morgan Stanley cut its global growth view and said the United States and the euro zone are 'dangerously close to recession.'
UBS slashed its global gross domestic product growth forecast for 2012 to 3.3 per cent, while Citigroup cut its global GDP growth view for 2011 to 3.1 per cent from 3.4 per cent, and for 2012, to 3.2 per cent from 3.7 per cent.
Citigroup, however, said it does not currently expect recessions in the major economies as this slowdown in economic growth is not enough to reverse global profits.
For advanced economies, Citigroup cut its growth forecast to 1.4 per cent from 1.8 per cent for 2011, and to 1.7 per cent from 2.2 per cent for 2012.
'We do expect advanced economy growth will remain sluggish to end-2012 at least, with rising unemployment,' the brokerage said in a note to clients dated August 24.
UBS maintained its 2011 GDP growth view for the euro zone at 1.8 per cent, but lowered its forecast for 2012 by a full percentage point to 1 per cent.
The brokerage said its 2012 growth forecast cut for the euro zone was based on lower expected growth for the United States, Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as the impact of the latest market turmoil on sentiment and credit availability.
In a separate note, Credit Suisse said it saw a 50 per cent likelihood of avoiding a global recession as emerging markets account for 49 per cent of the global GDP, global monetary policy remains 'exceptionally loose' and corporate balance sheets are strong.
Source : New Age
India's central bank on Thursday warned of a rocky road for the country's economy in the months ahead due to high inflation, predicting a slowdown in growth amid increasing global uncertainty.
'The Indian economy needs to brace up for a difficult year from a macro-economic perspective,' the Reserve Bank of India said in its annual report.
The main concern for India's growth story was inflation, which the bank said was likely to stay high but fall to about seven per cent by March next year, despite a recent weakening of global commodity and oil prices.
Inflation was running at 9.22 per cent in July, according to official government data.
'Growth prospects for the (fiscal) year 2011-12 seem subdued compared to the previous year,' the RBI said in the 190-page document, predicting growth to be about 8.0 per cent.
India's government forecasts growth of around 8.5 per cent but economists have lowered their estimates to between 7.0 and 8.0 per cent.
The RBI has raised rates 11 times in 18 months — the longest stretch of monetary tightening in a decade — to tame inflation, which is the fastest among major world economies.
Growth has slowed under the brunt of the hikes, as borrowing costs have surged for everything from consumer appliances to cars and plant equipment.
The RBI said global uncertainties have increased after the recent sovereign debt downgrade of the United States and warned that it would place a downward bias on growth projections.
The bank's monetary policy stance of tightening has been centred around inflation and global commodity prices like steel, rubber and plastics.
Source : New Age
It is all fragrance wafting in the area if anybody ever steps into the premises of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque where sellers of attar of different flavours and kohl (surma) have set up their makeshift shops on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Shafiq, who was selling attar near the mosque, however, said, 'People usually prefer attar prepared from herbal extracts to perfume having mixture of alcohol or spirit.'
Display of bright-coloured bottles of attar in front of the national mosque catches the viewers' eye and people hardly hesitate to spend on such fancy items.
Popular brand 'Beli' in a 3ml phial sells at Tk 30, 6ml Tk 50, while one ounce of 'Jasmine' and 'Fantasia' sells at Tk 150.
Saudi 'Dalal' attar in 3ml phial costs Tk 150, 'Lord' 6ml Tk 150 and 'Silver' Tk 180.
Traditional cosmetic item surma is another attraction for many.
School teacher Marjana bought one tola of surma at Tk 600 and said, 'Surma is good for our eyes'.
Stone surma which costs Tk 50 per tola is also available at Baitul Mukarram.
But for exclusive Ismat Surma, people need to go to Basundhara city, another centre where both attar and surma are available. 20ml of Ismat Surma here costs Tk 500.
Azad, who was buying attar from a shop Al-Musk at Basundhara City, said, 'Attar is alcohol-free and that's why people still prefer attar on holy occasions like Eid.'
For exclusive attar items, Basundhara City's level 1 and 6 shops are very famous.
The most expensive Oud attar, 6ml of which costs Tk 8,000 and 12ml Tk 16,000.
3ml Jannatul Ferdaus costs Tk 4,000, 12ml Musk-amber Tk 1,600, Sultan Tk 1,200-1600 and Kiswatul Kaaba Tk 800.
A 12ml phial of non-alcoholic perfumes Azzaro, Boss, Armani, Hugo, Richi and CK-1 costs Tk 800.
Here is a shop which is also famous for gorgeous and fancy attar container costs Tk 600-3,000.
People like White Oud attar very much which comes from Madina and a 12ml phial costs Tk 4800 and its floral extracts fragrance mesmerises the senses, said shop owner.
'Using attar of elegant fragrance on Eid day has religious significance more than a traditional appeal,' said owner Abdul Kader, who worked 20 years in an attar shop of Madina.
'All are imported from Saudi Arabia,' he said, adding they had three shops — one each in Zedda, Mecca and Bangladesh.
Source : New Age
Frequent burglary at Jahangirnagar University has become a growing concern among the students, but whether the university's present security capacity can ensure students' property is open to question.
Residential students have complained that the intensity of such crimes have been increased recently as the university is now on a 15-day Eid holidays that will continue till September 6.
Students have complained that burglars are taking away computers, laptops, mobiles and cash from the hall rooms.
They have also alleged that the university authorities could not take steps against such crimes in the past and at present as the factions of ruling party's students' bodies are always involved in the matters.
They have referred to a pilferage incident at Shahid Salam Barkat Hall about three months ago in which some members of Chhatra League pilfered some mobile i-top cards form a shop inside the hall, but the hall authorities did not take any punitive action against the accused.
They have also said that the burglars and pilfers have got a great opportunity now as two-third students left the halls on Eid occasions.
Third year pharmacy student Walid, also a resident of Shahid Salam Barkat Hall, has said, 'Pilfers took away three mobiles and a cheque for Tk 70,000 from my room on August 20 while I was in sleep.'
Responding a question whether the hall authorities will take any steps to investigate the incident, the hall provost, Farid Ahmed, has said that they are mulling over forming a probe body and taking steps to recover the stolen objects.
The students of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall have further said that they now feel insecure about staying in halls during holidays.
They have alleged that a laptop was stolen from a room of the hall, but the hall security personnel failed to catch anybody responsible or recover the device.
They have feared that more burglary can take place if the authorities concerned fail to ensure adequate security measures during seven-day hall vacancy from August 29.
Mawlana Bhashani Hall students have said that they cannot rely on the hall security measures during holidays as more than five computers and other precious objects were stolen by breaking into several rooms during last long-holiday.
Referring to various theft incidents at Bhashani Hall during holidays, a resident Tausif Hasnain have said that the burglars get an easy opportunity during vacation as in this time the hall remains almost vacant.
He has also said that a group of burglars have been conducting their activities in holidays.
Some other students have observed that restriction should be imposed on outsiders' entering the halls.
University security officer Azim Uddin said on Wednesday that they had beefed up security measures during holidays with additional police force and guards.
Mir Mossaraf Hossain Hall provost Emdadul Haque told New Age that the university authorities had already restricted outsiders' movement on the campus during Eid holidays.
Proctor Arzu Mia has asked the students to be aware of their security and should take measures of their own to stop burglary while the vice-chancellor Shariff Enamul Kabir has expressed his hope that they will be able to stop theft and pilferage this time at any cost.
Source : New Age
Thirteen prisoners convicted for life term were released from Barisal central jail on Wednesday night after president of the republic pardoned ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Of the 13 freed prisoners 10 were convicted in murder cases while three for Kidnapping and other offenses.
It was the second largest mass release in the history of this jail and highest 49 were released from this jail on same occasion August 20, 2010 last year.
Md Sagir Mia, senior deputy jailor of Barisal Central Jail, said, 'The convicted are being released under section 569 of the first part of prison code, which grants amnesty to prisoners who are elderly or have showed good conduct and spent at least 20 years in jail.'
The released pensioner are Motaleb Majhi, Noore Alam Shikder and Jamal Haolader of Nalcity upazila under Jhalakathi, Alam Kabir Mahbub, Mazid Sarder, Sarfuddin Haolader of Muladi upazila, Samsul Haque Khalifa and Hossen Khan of Bakerganj upazila, Fazlul Haque Khan of Banaripara upazila in Barisal, Babul Sikdar and Harun Haolader of Vandaria upazila in Pirojpur, Abu Haolader of Betagi upazila in Barguna and Ahmmed Ullah of Charfession upazila in Bhola.
Source : New Age
The police seized 60 bottles of phensidyl from a bus in Magura town on Thursday.
On a tip-off, a team of DB police raided a Dhaka-bound bus from Benapole in Vina More area of the town and seized 60 bottles of phensidyl from a bag into the locker of the bus.
The police also arrested bus supervisor Jahangir Alam and helper Habibur Rahman.
A case was filed.
Source : New Age
At least 10 shops were burnt in a fire in Kurigram ideal municipality market on Thursday morning.
The fire fighters sources said that the fire originated from electric short circuit in an electric shop at the market at about 9:30am.
Being informed, the fire fighters went to the spot and brought the fire under control after one hour of frantic efforts.
The affected businessmen of the shops estimated that the loss could go up to Tk 20 lakh.
Kurigram deputy commissioner, Md Habibur Rahman and mayor Noor Islam Nuru visited the spot.
Source : New Age
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, invited constructive criticisms from media to help her government running the country on right track.
'Your constructive criticisms would help us know about our flaws,' she said at an iftar party jointly hosted by Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and Dhaka Union of Journalists at the National Press Club on Thursday.
The prime minister also requested the media to refrain from making false propaganda against the government.
'Please do not do yellow journalism. When a false story is told repeatedly, the people also start believing it as true,' she said.
Hasina said the present improved status of the private television channels was the outcome of the contributions of the last Awami league government that had issued licences to the channels leading to a revolution.
'Unfortunately, it now seems the nation has to pay for this revolution. I regularly watch television news and programmes. I have to listen to harsh criticisms of the government, though we are working sincerely for people's development,' she said.
The prime minister said the media can criticise anything for larger interests, but if her sincerity and commitment towards people is questioned, it will be shocking.
Without naming anyone, Hasina said like the changing in the six seasons, minds of some people in society are also changing.
She compared the changes in the present day politics with the flow of water of the Buriganga.
'35 years ago, Buriganga's water was very clean. Now it is polluted,' she said.
The prime minister urged the people not to be frustrated, rather work hand in hand with government for national development.
She also called for remaining alert so that democracy is not harmed anymore.
'If democracy could run uninterruptedly in Bangladesh, we would certainly fulfil all development targets,' she said.
The prime minister said the government was sincerely working to form the 8th wage board for journalists.
A nine-member committee has already been formed to formulate the 8th wage board, she said.
Hasina said the government had allocated seed money of Tk 1 crore to set up a welfare fund for journalists under the information minister.
The prime minister said Tk 30 lakh committed by her for the welfare fund of BFUJ would be given in phases.
Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, information minister Abul Kalam Azad, journalist ABM Musa, Jatiya Party (Manju) president Anwar Hossain Manju, CPB president Manjurul Ahsan Khan and general secretary Mujahedul Islam Selim, among others, attended the iftar.
Acting BFUJ president Utpal Sarkar, secretary general Jalil Bhuiyan, former BFUJ leaders Habibur Rahman Milon, Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, DUJ president Shah Alamgir, general secretary Abu Jafar Surja, PM's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad were on the stage with the prime minister.
Source : New Age
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and visiting former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga have emphasised on concerted efforts among the South Asian nations to alleviate poverty and eradicate terrorism from the region.
The two leaders expressed the view when the former Sri Lankan president paid a courtesy call on Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday morning, said PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad.
The two leaders termed poverty the biggest enemy of the region, saying that all the countries need to work more unitedly to free the peoples of the region from poverty.
Hasina informed the former Sri Lankan president about various development activities taken up in the country for attaining economic emancipation of the people.
She also vowed to work for further strengthening the democracy and parliamentary system in Bangladesh.
The premier listed measures taken up by the present government to ensure food security through boosting production as well as expanding social safety net.
She expressed her strong commitment for the empowerment of women and protecting human rights of every citizen.
Hasina said her government had formulated a time-befitting education policy and set a target to free the country from illiteracy by 2014.
Source : New Age
The High Court has asked nine private television stations for video footage of a discussion where BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Moudud Ahmed alleged that the court is calling the shots.
The bench of justices AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Gobinda Chandra Tagore on Thursday asked the channels to produce CDs of the programme held at National Press Club on Wednesday.
ATN News, ATN Bangla, Channel I, Mohana TV, Diganta TV, Desh TV, NTV, Independent TV and My TV were asked to hand
over the CDs in seven
days after getting the
copy of the order.
Acting secretary general Fakhrul at the discussion said, 'Former chief justice [ABM] Khairul Haque has taken courts to such level that they are deciding whether or not everything in the country including clubs, playgrounds, rivers will remain. Now, the court is running the country.'
'In such a situation,
it appears there's no need for a government,' he added.
Standing committee member Moudud said, '[Today] the government is controlling the administration and the judiciary. It has declared a war against the media and is obstructing people from speaking the truth.'
Attorney general Mahbubey Alam brought the issue to the court's notice.
At the hearing, he said, 'A programme at the National Press Club was told that the court runs the country. It'd not be proper to speak about it now.
You'll know if that amounts to contempt of court after watching the video footage.'
The BNP chief, Khaleda Zia, had to leave her cantonment house upon orders by the highest court of the country.
The top constitutional court also threw out the fifth, seventh and 13th amendments to the constitution and annulled the caretaker government provision. All these verdicts were presided over by Justice Khairul Haque.
Source : New Age
Oxfam GB, a UK-based charity organisation, has alleged that the government has failed to rein in errant traders although they had pledged to keep the food prices within the affordable level of the middle-and lower-income groups.
'A section of traders in Bangladesh has acted against humanity by shooting up the prices of food items during this Ramadan even though they had committed to keeping the food prices within the means of the middle- and lower-income groups,' Ziaul Hoque Mukta, Policy and Advocacy Manager of Oxfam in Bangladesh, said in a statement released on Thursday.
He said, 'The Bangladesh government must take the responsibility of such failure.'
Mukta said food inflation was recorded 13.40 per cent in July, 2011 in Bangladesh whereas the figure was expected to be 11.34 per cent for the last fiscal year (2010-11).
Oxfam observed the prices of all staples except rice had increased significantly since the beginning of Ramadan. Millions of people across the country fail to have adequate food during the Ramadan due to the price hike, it said.
About the global food price hike, the Oxfam said the rising prices and lack of political would affect millions of people across the world.
Muslims around the world are finding it hard to run their family food expenditures during this holy month of fasting.
Oxfam has been speaking to the people of the United Kingdom, Palestine, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh as families get together for iftar (Fast breaking) during sunset.
In other countries, Oxfam says, the rising food prices, depleting natural resources and the gathering pace of climate change are all factors which are contributing to hunger and the deterioration of the planet and casting impact on how Muslims have been breaking their fasts.
One of the starkest examples is East Africa, where more than 12 million people are now facing desperate food shortage following the worst drought situation in some regions in 60 years, according to the Oxfam statement.
'For many people around the world Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection and remembering those that are less fortunate and hungry. We must ensure that people always have enough to eat, especially at the end of a fast when people need to replenish themselves.' said Penny Lawrence, international director for Oxfam.
Source : New Age
The Minister for Food and Disaster Management, Abdur Razzaque, on Thursday said the government had imported more than 13 lakh tonnes of rice from four countries at the cost of Tk 4,773 crore in the last two and a half year.
Responding to a question by Jainal Abedin in the Parliament, the minister said that a total of 13,15,223 tonnes of rice was imported from Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Pakistan.
He also said the government had imported 20,42,000 tonnes of various food items in the last fiscal year.
Answering a question by Tajul Islam, he said that the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation runs 19 cold storages just for preserving seeds, but it has plans to set up 10 more cold storages for storing potatoes.
The minister said that 47 flood shelters were built in the last fiscal year in areas that are prone to flood and river erosion.
Besides, the government has plans to establish educational institution-based flood shelters at 157 institutes in 43 districts.
In response to a query by Molla Jalaluddin, the minister said that Tk 57 lakh and 3,000 tonnes of rice have been allocated as general relief for 32 districts, sections of which have been flooded, and Tk 7 lakh for rebuilding houses that have collapsed.
The minister, replying to another question by Sadhana Haldar, said the government has taken initiatives to involve the people in disaster management and plans to train 30 thousand volunteers. Already six thousand volunteers have been trained, he added.
Source : New Age
President Zillur Rahman prorogued the 10th session of parliament Thursday afternoon.
It was the briefest session of parliament with only four working days.
The curtain fell abruptly on the 10th session of the 9th parliament, as speaker Abdul Hamid read out the president's prorogation order.
The session witnessed heated discussions over the failures of the Awami League led government particularly in the road communication and power sector and in reining essential prices.
The communications minister Abul Hossain came under fire from the ruling alliance lawmakers, in absence of the opposition, for the dilapidated roads and highways causing disruption of inter district communication and deaths of a number of school children and two famous media personalities.
Lawmakers demanded his removal.
The finance minister and the shipping minister4 also came under fire in the session.
Hamid called upon the opposition to return to the House in the next session.
'We had expected that the opposition would join parliament to make it vibrant by raising constructive criticisms,' he said.
'I expect them to join the next session,' he said.
The speaker described the just concluded session, though very short in terms of working days, as very significant in terms of performance with the members raising important issues of interests.
The brief session was convened after an interval of 60 days to meet the constitutional obligation.
The session passed two bills, while 11 others came up for discussion and 19 new bills were placed before it.
Of 146 notices the members gave under Rule 71 of the Rules of Procedure, six were accepted and the speaker allowed discussion on three.
Besides, 30 other notices were not accepted but the speakers allowed the movers to speak for two minutes under rule 71 of the Rules of Procedure.
The prime minister replied to 13, out of 54, questions of lawmakers in her question time.
Other ministers replied to only 170, out of 670,926, questions of lawmakers in the session.
Source : New Age
Bangladesh made its submission to the United Nations in New York on Wednesday on the country's legitimate authority over 450 nautical miles of marine area from its coastline in the Bay of Bengal, said an official of the foreign affairs ministry.
Foreign affairs minister Dipu Moni, who is also the 'agent' authorized to represent Bangladesh in the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, presented the country's 'position paper' for demarcating the outer limits of the country's continental shelf. She made the presentation at the twenty-eighth session of the UNCLCS at the UN Headquarters in New York in pursuance of the submission of Bangladesh that was lodged with the UN on February 25 for delineation of its outer continental shelf in the Bay of Bengal under the provisions of Article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, according to a press release of the foreign ministry.
The presentation was aimed at enlightening the UNCLCS commissioners of the critical legal and technical aspects of Bangladesh's right to the outer continental shelf, said the ministry.
The area, for which Bangladesh has submitted the data, ranges from 390-460 nautical miles southwards from the coastline of Bangladesh.
The ministry hoped that the commission, after examination of the data submitted by Bangladesh, would give recommendations in Bangladesh's favour.
Additional foreign secretary M Khurshed Alam, who is 'deputy agent' for the country, assisted the minister in the proceedings.
Bangladesh's permanent representative to the UN, AK Abdul Momen, and other external and local experts associated with the submission were present during the presentation.
The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf was established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
On February 2 the Cabinet, at a meeting, approved the 'position paper' prepared by the UNCLOS wing of the foreign ministry. The UN Convention allows a country to enjoy its rights to fishing and exploring and extracting other marine resources in 12-24 nautical miles of territorial sea from its coastline, 200 nautical miles of exclusive economic zone and a maximum of 350 nautical miles of continental shelf from the baseline.
Bangladesh, the 53rd country in the world to submit its claim, submitted its proposal five months ahead of the schedule.
Bangladesh has, however, long-standing disputes with India and Myanmar on the issue of the 'starting point' and on how to mark the coastline to draw its marine boundary, with apparently overlapping claims of the three neighbouring countries due to the funnel-like shape of the Bay of Bengal.
India and Myanmar have already submitted their positions papers on their claims to the outer limits of the continental shelf in the Bay of Bengal.
However, the UNCLOS is yet to appoint two sub-commissions to resolve the disputes after Bangladesh registered its objections to the claims of India and Myanmar.
The UN Convention on Law of the Sea spelt out a legal framework for the oceans by creating maritime zones like the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone and a country's share of the continental shelf.
Under the stipulations of the UN Convention, no claims submitted by a country should be taken into final consideration before settling the objections raised by a neighbouring country which might have overlapping claims.
The UNCLCS is expected to resolve Bangladesh's claim on the continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal in five years, the official said.
A well-defined legal maritime boundary of Bangladesh would enable it to undertake systematic programmes for exploiting and utilising its resources in the Bay, said experts.
Source : New Age
The prime minister and ruling Awami League chief, Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday advised main opposition BNP secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir 'not to lie too much' as it would cut his longevity.
She also took on all the previous BNP secretary generals saying that they too told lies and spoke too much and died early.
Hasina advised Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir not to tell lies or speak too much.
In her winding up speech in the 10th session of parliament, Hasina took on the BNP secretaries general, past and present, dead or alive.
She said 'The previous secretaries general of BNP also used to speak too much and all of them died.'
She mentioned the previous BNP secretaries general Abdus Salam Talukder, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Khandaker Delwar Hossain for what she said that they all spoke too much and died early for this.
She said Mashiur Rahman Jadu Mia too died for speaking too much.
But Jadu Mia was never the secretary general of BNP.
'I caution him (Fakhrul) not to tell lies too much,' said Hasina.
She said that they all accused Awami League of selling the country but did not take the initiative to demarcate the territorial boundary of the country during their rule.
She said that there should be a limit to telling lies.
She accused BNP secretaries general of telling lies frequently to mislead the people regarding the performance of Awami League led governments.
Hasina said, 'All the previous BNP secretaries general died for speaking too many lies. She said lying reduces longevity.'
She also criticised the opposition for attending only 51 out of 261 working days of parliament.
She said that the
leader of the opposition, Khaleda Zia attended only 6 days of the present parliament.
Hasina said that when in power BNP did not allow the then opposition Awami League to speak in parliament on the August 21 grenade attacks on an AL rally in 2004.
She said that proper investigation into the carnage was not allowed.
'They tried to suppress all the facts about the heinous crime by implicating poor Joj Mia with the case to stage a fake drama,' she said.
Source : New Age
The Border Security Force of India has allegedly killed a Bangladeshi by stoning on him along the Haripur border in Thakurgaon, witnesses said.
However, Border Guard Bangladesh officials are not sure of BSF's involvement in the death.
The body of Abul Hossain, 28, was recovered from the Nagor river in Dabri area in the afternoon on Wednesday, BGB Molani camp company commander Sirajuddin told reporters on Thursday.
'Babul's body floated into the area near the border. On information from the local people, BGB members recovered the body,' he said.
The father of the deceased 'Shukuruddin' of Geduadangi village claimed, 'BSF killed my son by throwing stones at him.'
'Rabiul Alam' and 'Ali', who survived the incident, echoed Shukuruddin's claims.
Quoting witnesses, Haripur police chief Humayun Kabir said, 'Babul went fishing with some others when BSF members of the Fulbari camp started throwing stones when they entered the Indian portion of the river. Babul drowned when his head was fractured with a stone.'
Kabir said Babul's father had filed a case detailing the incident. The police documented it as an unnatural death case, he added.
The body was sent to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital for autopsy.
BGB Thakurgaon battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Abdur Rahman told the news agency that it could not be surely claimed whether the BSF had killed Babul.
The incident has taken place just 10 days ahead of Indian premier Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka, amidst calls for the BSF to stop killing of Bangladeshis along the border.
Indian home minister during his recent visit to Dhaka had said the BSF had been provided with weapons that could not be used to kill anyone.
Earlier, BSF men, from the Khonsal Danga camp, had killed a Bangladeshi cattle trader by dropping large stones on him from a bridge. Mizanur Rahman, 25, had been returning to Bangladesh with some cattle from India by crossing the Burimari border on June 30
Source : New Age
The High Court on Thursday prohibited till October 17 the issuance of driving licences without making the aspirant drivers undergo the proper tests and due process of law.
The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Md Nuruzzaman asked the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to produce before it on October 17 all the documents pertaining to the driving licences issued in the last five years.
The court passed the order after hearing a supplementary petition filed on August 23, seeking imposition of restrictions on the issuance of driving licences without proper tests in order to prevent road accidents.
Petitioners' counsel Iqbal Kabir, while moving the supplementary petition, told the court that despite the unabated continuation of road accidents, mostly caused by unskilled drivers, shipping minister Shahjahan Khan has continued his campaign for the issuance of driving licences without proper tests. Therefore the court should
immediately impose a restriction on issuance of driving licences, he argued.
The Bangladesh Bar Council's Legal Aid and Human Rights Committee's chairman ZI Khan, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust and Supreme Court lawyer Abantee Nurul jointly filed the supplementary petition in the furtherance of the writ petition they had filed on August 14.
In the earlier petition, the same High Court bench on August 23 had asked the government to explain its failure to ensure safety on the roads and to repair the damaged highways throughout the country.
It had asked the government to submit a report to it by October 17 on the steps taken to ensure road safety and repair the country's roads, and posted October 18 for the hearing of the government's reply to the rule.
The court had also asked the communications secretary, Roads and Highways Department's chief engineer and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority's chairman to explain what action they had taken in connection with the reported issuance of licences to aspiring drivers without making them undergo the necessary tests.
They were also asked to submit a report on the driving licences issued in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
The BRTA's chairman was also asked to submit a report detailing the road accidents that had occurred till 2010.
The petition was filed a day after internationally acclaimed film director Tareque Masud, ATN News' chief executive officer Ashfaque Mishuk Munier and three others were killed in a road accident at Ghior in Manikganj on August 13.
The court had asked the government to provide several more items of information, including the measures taken to prevent road accidents at the 216 'black spots' on major highways identified by the Roads and Highways Department, the accidents that had occurred till 2010 and the steps taken for investigating them.
The government was asked to report to the court about how many licences had been issued for heavy and light vehicles in the last five years and whether any tests had been conducted to ascertain the fitness of the licence-holders.
The court also wanted to know whether any medical tests of the drivers had been conducted to ascertain their physical fitness and whether any tests had been conducted to examine the fitness of the vehicles.
The government will also need to explain the criteria followed for renewal of the licences.
It was asked to detail the measures taken against the running of unfit vehicles, drivers having no valid licences or those guilty of talking over mobile phones while driving.
It will also need to detail the measures taken against the drivers and people in the front seats for not fastening their seatbelts.
The government was also asked to detail the latest situation of the implementation of the recommendations made by the road safety committees.
The court had also wanted to know whether any investigation was conducted or any action taken against the people engaged in ensuring road safety for their failure.
The government will also need to detail the budgetary allocations for the Roads and Highways Department in the last five years, and its expenditure and the programmes taken up or implemented for development of the roads.
The court asked the Accident Research Institute of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology to submit a report by October 17, detailing the causes of road accidents and making recommendations for their prevention.
Source : New Age