Gowher Rizvi asks reporters not to be myopic

Prime Minister's adviser for international affairs Gowher Rizvi on Saturday asked reporters not to be myopic on the issue of allowing transit to India through Bangladesh territory. 

'We need to widen our vision. Don't be myopic,' Rizvi told them at an iftar party hosted by Diplomatic Correspondents, Bangladesh.

He said, Bangladesh and India does not require a fresh agreement on transit as they had given their formal consent on the issue in the 1974 agreement on trade for mutual use of their waterways, roadways and railways for the transportation of goods between two places in one country through the territory of the other.

'Now, only operational modalities would be finalised by the two governments,' he said.

Rizvi said Bangladesh government would fix the charges for allowing the use of its waterways, roadways and railways for the passage of goods keeping in consideration the cost of infrastructure, their maintenance, electrification and environmental and other aspects.

'However, it is also important to keep the competitiveness of the charges,' he said.

He said that the two countries would sign several agreements, protocols and memorandums of understanding during the two-day visit of Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka beginning September 6.

He said that Bangladesh and India would also sign a framework agreement on various shared issues, including water, trade, education and culture.

Rizvi, however, evaded a question New Age asked whether the framework agreement would also include the issue of defense cooperation.

Asked whether the framework agreement will incorporate the provisions of the 30-year Bangladesh-India Friendship Treaty the two countries had signed in 1972, he said those elements 'would never come back'.

He said that Bangladesh government would make public the agreements it would sign with India during  Manmohan Singh's visit.

Some of the agreements would be placed in parliament, he said.

'Don't tell me what the traders say,' he said when asked about the concerns expressed by the business community that Bangladesh would lose its trade advantage or the market in the seven or eight north-eastern Indian states if Bangladesh gives transit through its territory between India and its northeastern states, which are not landlocked.

He said, 'the entire Indian market would be open for us.'

DCAB president Raheed Ejaz and general secretary Abdul Majid also spoke.

Source : New Age

Skeleton said to be of lawyer Shamsul found

The police on Saturday recovered a partial skeleton suspected to be of the former Sylhet district lawyers' association president Shamsul Islam Chowdhury, who went missing on July 17.

A police team, led by SMP deputy commissioner Ezaz Ahmad, launched a drive on Saturday and recovered the partial skeleton on the bank of the River Surma River near Brahmangaon in the Sunam-ganj district headquarters.

The drive was conducted based on the statement of the accused Ansar Ali, Ismail Hosen and Borhan in a case after their arrest on August 18. The arrested are now remanded in policy custody for five days, the police said.

The Sylhet Kotwali police officer-in-charge, Khandaker Nawroz Ahmed, said that a DNA test would be conducted on the skeleton to establish whether it was of Shamsul Islam.

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested Ansar, Ismail and Borhan on August 19 in connection with the case.

The battalion, quoting the arrested, said that Shamsul had been killed by his younger son Munna as Shamsul had refused to put the family's wealth in Munna's name.

Senior lawyer Shamsul went from his house at Mirbuxtula in Sylhet on July 17. Munna had filed a general diary with the Kotwali police in this connection two days after his father had gone missing.

Several days after the filing of the general diary, Munna went into hiding, said another general diary Munna's elder brother Mahmud Chowdhury filed with the police, the police added.

Source : New Age

SWACHIP concerned over doctors’ harassment

Leaders of Swadhinata Chickashak Parishad has expressed concerned over the harassment on doctors at the country's different places in a deliberate manner to tarnish the image of physicians.

In the joint statement of health minister and SWACHIP central committee president AFM Ruhal Haque and secretary general Iqbal Arslan said a vested quarter had been involved in tarnishing the image of doctors at a time when the country witnessed a huge success in health sector under prime minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership.

They favoured steps to end all forms of harassment on doctors for the sake of continuing the success in the health sector and ensuring healthcare facilities to all, the statement.

Source : New Age

Road blockade halts traffic movement

Traffic movement on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Sripur upazila remained halted for about one hour on Saturday due to road blockade by pack factory workers, who agitated for payment of their arrear wages.

The police said workers of the factory, Bangladesh Master Pack Limited, at Gilarchala in the upazila stopped work at 8:00am and blocked the highway demanding payment of their wages of the current month ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Later, the agitating workers also hurled brickbats at the workers of a nearby pack factory apparently in a bid to force them to join their programme.

Source : New Age

Nazrul’s death anniv observed

The 35th anniversary of the death of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was observed on Saturday in keeping with the Bangla calendar.

The revolutionary poet and lyricist died at the age of 77 on Bhadra 12, 1383, which fell on August 27, 1976.

Nazrul, born on May 25, 1899 at Churulia in Bardwan of West Bengal, was invited to the post-partition Bangladesh as the national poet. His work, which also includes about 3,000 songs, transcends sectarian boundaries.

He is often referred to as the rebel poet because of his most famous poem Bidrohi or the Rebel, and his strong sympathy and support for revolutionary activities leading to India's independence from the British rule. His songs and poems were frequently used during the independence war of Bangladesh as well.

Nazrul was also a writer, musician, journalist and philosopher. He was

sent to jail for his literary works against the then British rule. He had suffered from dementia and aphasia since 1942 till

his death.

In recognition of his contribution to the Bangla literature and culture, Dhaka University conferred on the poet the honorary Doctor of Literature degree at a special convocation in 1974. In January 1976, the Bangladesh government granted him citizenship of Bangladesh and awarded him Ekushey Padak.

Several government and non-government organisations and Nazrul enthusiasts marked the occasion with cultural programmes across the country.

Cultural organisations, educational institutions and others paid tribute to the poet by placing flowers on his grave by the Dhaka University mosque in the morning. The day started off with Nazrul's family placing flowers on the grave.

The Bangla Academy, Shilpakala Academy and Nazrul Institute, Nazrul Academy, Nazrul Abritti Parishad, Nazrul Sangeet Sangstha, Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts, Udichi

Shilpi Goshthi, Satyen Sen Shilpi Goshthi and

Banga held separate programmes.

Different agencies and organisations such as the cultural affairs ministry, Dhaka University, National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Nazrul Academy and Nazrul Institute paid respect by placing flowers on the poet's grave.

The University of Dhaka organised a discussion at its Nazrul Complex on the occasion.

The Nazrul Institute held a discussion in its office at 11:00am, which was followed by a cultural programme. Rafiqul Islam, the chairman of the institute trust, presided over the programme.

Ruling Awami League leaders placed wreaths on the poet's grave. The Bangla Academy held a discussion in its seminar room on August 25.

Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Radio and private television channels aired programmes portraying the rebel poet's life and works.

Source : New Age

Libyan rebels take control of Tripoli airport

Libyan rebels said they had complete control of Tripoli airport on Saturday and had cleared a nearby district of Muammar Gaddafi's forces but still feared isolated snipers at the airfield.

'We control the airport entirely,' rebel commander Bashir al-Taibi said.

Rebels said they had also taken the Qasr ben Gheshir district after a 'clean-up' operation around the international airport, launched that morning to push out remaining loyalist forces entrenched in the neighbourhood.

They added they were still being cautious after loyalist forces fired rockets and mortar rounds that destroyed three civilian aircraft on the tarmac.

At a roundabout in Qasr ben Gheshir, a cheering crowd celebrated the district's 'liberation,' singing, 'Hey, hey hey, Gaddafi is gone forever,' an AFP correspondent said.

'Last night (Friday), about 60-80 cars from the battalion of Khamis Gaddafi,' one of the fugitive dictator's sons, left the area and 'fled to Bani Walid,' a city near Sirte, Gaddafi's hometown, said Mokhtar Lakhtar, who commanded the operation.

'It was not a tactical withdrawal, but really a flight,' he added.

Many in the district confirmed the departure of the convoy of vehicles with Gaddafi loyalists, saying they included 4x4s and 'pick-ups with heavy weapons.'

Two residents said they had seen a pair of large missiles, which they identified as Scuds, going with the convoy, but the rebels did not confirm that.

Rebel fighters fired their guns into the air, with the rattle sometimes punctuated by a burst of anti-aircraft fire.

At the centre of the roundabout, some residents sacrificed a sheep, in the Muslim gesture of celebration.

'We have been freed today! I sacrificed a sheep, and I will sacrifice another tomorrow, when Gaddafi is caught,' said Saleh Belhaj, 42.

Nearby, the airport was under rebel control and calm.

Taibi said pro-Gaddafi forces had fired rockets and mortars at the airport on Friday, destroying three civilian aircraft and damaging several others. 'They specifically targeted the aircraft,' he said.

The charred carcasses of the planes were visible on the tarmac, and rebels were still nervous about being in the open, fearing isolated snipers.

Meanwhile, rebel leader Mustafa Ahmed Jalil promised Saturday that Gaddafi and officials of his regime would be given a fair trial.

'We call on Muammar Gaddafi and his associates to surrender so we can protect them and spare them illegal execution,' the head of the National Transitional Council told a news conference in Benghazi.

'We guarantee them a fair trial, whatever their position,' he said.

Asked about the International Criminal Court, which has issued indictments against Gaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam and his intelligence chief, Jalil said the ICC was complementary to Libyan justice.

The ICC handles serious cases where the courts of the defendant's own country cannot or will not act.

'We have issued appeal after appeal for them to appear, that we will protect them and that they will be tried,' Jalil said. 'Those who are afraid and do not respond will be alone responsible for their security.'

The rebels have offered a $1.7 million dollar reward for Gaddafi's capture, dead or alive.

Jalil added that officials of Gaddafi's regime who do not voice their support for the rebellion will not risk their lives or citizenship, but they will have no political role to play in the new Libya.

Source : New Age

Thousands in flood-hit Satkhira flock to roads for refuge

The queues of makeshift shelters on roadsides and high grounds in the severely flood-hit areas of Satkhira district are getting longer every day with fresh flocks of homeless people joining in, finding no refuge in already overcrowded shelter homes set up in schools, colleges, and other establishments.

As they reach the roads in relentless rain people do get out of the reach of the hungry floodwater but face new difficulties, starting with an acute lack of materials to make shelters with, especially polythene sheets and fencing goods.

According to Satkhira district relief office, 8,26,124 people of 1,95,562 families have been affected by the flooding in 66 unions and two municipalities under six upazilas of the district. Of them, 27,816 severely-affected families have taken refuge in 288 shelter homes.

The number of shelter homes in the district was 243 on August 18 but it increased to 280 on August 21 and then reached 288 on August 27.

As more houses continue to collapse every day, the number of people flocking to the roads and other high grounds also continues to increase, said relief office sources.

Besides, a number of people who took refuge in the shelter homes are also leaving them, unable to stand the over-crowding and the over-powering stench of human excrements coming from the adjacent areas. The inadequate toilet facilities in the shelter homes force the refugees to use the surrounding places to answer to the call of nature, said relief office sources as well as the flood-affected people.

The administration has distributed only 78 pieces of tarpaulin, 250 plastic sheets, and 250 blue sheets against a huge demand of thousands of families for polythene sheets, tarpaulin, plastic sheets, and blue sheets to prepare some sort of roofs as a protection against the rain and, when it stops, the sun, they said.

They, however, said some non-governmental organisations also had distributed polythene sheets among the people squatting at the roadsides but they were yet to get the details about that.

Parts of Keshobpur and Monirampur of Jessore and Paikgachha of Khulna have also been affected by the flood, according to the administration of the districts.

'I came to this lone high road in my village three days ago but am still getting drenched with the rainwater falling through the roof,' Gazi Mohiuddin of Kanaidia village under Tala upazila in Satkhira told New Age, sitting in a shelter made of walls of torn cloths and a roof of nut leaves.

'I am getting wet in the rain and drying in the sun under the open sky. I badly need a polythene sheet now,' he said.

Mohiuddin lost his house more than three weeks ago and took shelter in a nearby house. But, as the flood situation worsened, he took refuge in the local school turned shelter home, from where he has come to the road.

Habibur Rahman of Gangarampur village under the same upazila, who took shelter on the Khulna-Paikgachha Highway near his village home, said the queue of makeshift shelters on the highway was increasing day-by-day and the people badly needed polythene sheets and fencing materials to get some protection from the elements.

Like Mohiuddin and Habibur, thousands of people have made it to the roads including the Khulna-Paikgachha Highway, Khulna-Satkhira Highway, and Kanaidia-Jethua, Tala-Kumira, and Binirpota-Rajnagar WDB roads, while thousands more are heading for them.

'More than one thousand families of my union have taken shelter on the Khulna-Paikgachha Highway and most of them need polythene sheets and fencing materials,' Khalilnagar Union Parishad chairman Pronob Ghosh Bablu told New Age.

Satkhira deputy commissioner Md Abdus Samad said they were distributing polythene sheets among the flood-hit people and different NGOs were also doing the same.

He, however, claimed that the number of shelter homes and people taking refuge on the roads was on the decline as the 'situation was improving'.

Source : New Age

AG defends police

Attorney general Mahbubey Alam on Saturday defended the police, saying that they had tried to save the life of the late former deputy attorney general, Momtaj Uddin Ahmed, on August 11 by taking him to the hospital immediately after he began complaining of pain in his chest some time after his arrest.

He also said that the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party was trying to do politics with Ahmed's corpse by accusing the police of torturing Ahmed soon after his arrest, which caused his death.

'I have come to know after speaking with the police that MU Ahmed survived that heart attack as they had taken him to hospital as soon as pain began in his heart,' Mahbubey Alam told reporters in an impromptu press briefing at his government residence on Minto Road.

He had called the briefing to clear his position on the remark of the Supreme Court Bar Association's president, Khandker Mahbub Hossain, who had told reporters on Friday that Mahbubey Alam had gone to Square Hospitals to influence the executive magistrate and the police in the preparation of the report on the inquest of Ahmed's bead body.

The AG had stayed there when the examination was being carried on and no one else was allowed to witness it, not even Ahmed's family members.

'We suspect that he dictated the report and ensured that there was no mention of the marks of electric shocks on MU Ahmed's body,' Mahbub Hossain added.

Mahbubey Alam said that Mahbub Hossain had resorted to 'falsehood' by making these statements to reap political gains.

'I went to the hospital to see Ahmed's body as a former SCBA leader and the attorney general. But during my visit some pro-BNP lawyers, along with outsiders, hurled abusive words at me and chanted slogan against me at the hospital's entrance,' said Mahbubey Alam. 'I am angry and hurt at his remark.'

Mahbubey also said that he had seen nobody beside Ahmed's body when he went to the hospital.

Ahmed, who was admitted to the hospital on August 16, breathed his last at around 1:10pm on Friday. Before being admitted to Square Hospitals, he underwent treatment at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases.

Within hours after his arrest on August 11, Ahmed fell sick in the office of the Detective Branch and was taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, but physicians there referred him to the NICVD.

'If he was really tortured, why didn't the BNP lawyers demand investigation into the matter at that time?' asked Mahbubey.

He also said that it could be known after examining Ahmed's medical report whether he was tortured to death in police custody or died of heart attack.

Answering a query on whether Ahmed was in the police custody or not during his death, Mahbubey replied obliquely, 'Though I am not involved in the process, it can be said tat the police's statement is not unbelievable.'

Regarding the murder case lodged by Ahmed's wife against him and others, Mahbubey said, 'I have been implicated in the case to harass me and exert undue pressure on me.'

He also dismissed the BNP's allegation that Ahmed was arrested in a 'false case'. 'There is no scope to say now that the case was false as the concerned pro-BNP lawyers apologized to the court for the chaos created by them in a courtroom on August 2 after the judge had warned BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia not to make derogatory and disrespectful statements about the Constitution.'

Source : New Age

People cry for food in inundated south-west region

Thirty-five-year-old Monwara Begum had to steal vegetables from others farmland near his shelter house to feed her husband and the only son as her family has no other way to collect food.

Leaving his house that collapsed about three weeks ago in worst-affected Kanaidia Tala in Satkhira that became inundated because of flash flood, the family took shelter at Rathkhola Girls' High School shelter house.

Because of heavy rainfall and accompanied inundation, 8,26,124 people of 1,95,562 families have been affected in 66 unions and two municipalities of six upazilas in the district where 528 kilometres of road stretches - 144 kilometres metalled road stretch and 384 kilometres of dirt track) - were destroyed and 1,018 kilometres of road stretches - 280 kilometres of metalled road and 738 kilometres of dirt track - were damaged, the district relief office said.

'I could not but steal green vegetables from the farmland of others as we have no other way to meet our hunger,' Monwara told New Age.

'They [local government representatives and non-governmental organisations] provide us with rice that is almost less than a third of our demand and we often need to starve,' she said.

She said that her family had received only seven kilograms of rice after he had taken shelter in the school and her husband, who pulls a rickshaw-van and also works as a day labourer, could not earn much as the areas had a very few road stretches above water rickshaw-vans could ply van.

There are also no other jobs available as the neighbouring villages are also still under water, she added.

Like the Monwara's, 69 other families, including the Jalalpur union council member Sakhina Begum, are staying in the shelter house.

Another woman, Marufa Begum, aged about 40, wife of Minaj Uddin, who is staying in the same shelter house, said that almost all the families in the shelter house had to do it to feed the families. 'If we can get more vegetables, we need to eat less rice.'

She said that they had often been scolded and even threatened by the owners of the farmland for stealing vegetables.

Union council member Sakhina said that they could provide the people with rice much less than the demand and added that the people living in the shelter house sometimes could 'collect' green vegetables from farmland owned by others.

Forty-year-old Abeda Begum, who is staying in another shelter house at the Government Kanaidia Primary School, said that they had to eat curry prepared with arum leaves 'collected from other people's farmland' which are still available in areas less inundated. The shelter house has 34 families living in six rooms.

'We often run away when we can see owners coming to see their farmland. Some of them even chase us out,' she said She added that they had often been starving for want of food.

'We sometimes get rice, although the amount is not adequate. But how can we eat them without curry,' said Mir Ekram Ali, 60, who also stays in the shelter house.

The situation is worse for Rahima Khatun, a 55-year-old widow of Binerpota in the district headquarters, who had taken shelter on the Binirpota-Rajnagar WDB Road.

'I have no opportunity to collect any vegetable from nearby villages as all all of them were under water. I received only three kilograms of rice in about three weeks,' Rahima said.

She said that she had to keep fasting on Saturday by eating rice with red chilli and  broke fast with only water.

A number of people who had taken shelter at Kashimnagar and Ghoshnagar of Paikgachha in Khulna and at Rajendrapur, Khalilnagar, Nalta and Gonali at Tala in Satkhira on the Khulna-Paikgachha Road, at Kapasdanga, Ashanagar and Nagarghata at Tala and Binirpota in the district headquarters on the Khulna-Satkhira Highway, different spots on the Kanaidia-Jethua Road and on the Tala-Kumira Road had similar stories.

'The situation is almost same in all the shelter houses and the people who have taken shelter in makeshift houses on highways, roads and high land as the relief supplies were not adequate to meet the demand,' the Tala upazila counicl chairman, Ghosh Sanat Kumar, said.

The district relief office said that 5.08 kilometres of embankment was destroyed  and 82 kilometres of embankment was damaged in the district where worst-hit 27,816 families have taken shelter in 288 shelter houses.

The officials said that they had already distributed 1243 tonnes of rice in relief supplies, Tk 13,30,000 in cash and 410 tonnes of rice under the government's vulnerable group feeding programme.

The Satkhira deputy commissioner, Md Abdus Samad, said that they had received 920 tonnes of rice to give to the affected people under the VGF programme. He said that they would provide each of the 1000 families in each affected union with 10 kilograms of rice.

Source : New Age

BNP threatens to avenge MU Ahmed’s death

The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Saturday threatened to dislodge the government to 'avenge' the 'killing' of Supreme Court lawyer MU Ahmed.

'We do not know how lawyers would take the death of MU Ahmed or whether they would take revenge, but we must avenge the killing by ousting the fascist government,' BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a protest rally in front of the party's Naya Paltan central office before the namaj-e-janaza of the lawyer.

The rally was organised as part of BNP's countrywide demonstrations in protest at the 'killing' of MU Ahmed in 'police custody'. Party leaders Moudud Ahmed, Nazrul Islam Khan, Mirza Abbas, Moyeen Khan, Hannan Shah and Abdullah Al Noman, among others, spoke at the rally presided over by its city unit convener and mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

MU Ahmed, a former deputy attorney general, died at Square Hospital in the capital in 'police custody' on Friday.

After the janaza, the party activists brought out a procession carrying the coffin that ended in front of the National Press Club.

'MU Ahmed was brutally killed by the government. Such death in police custody cannot be thought of in a civilised country,' Mirza Fakhrul said.

District units of the BNP also brought out processions and held rallies in protest against MU Ahmed's 'death in custody'.

New Age correspondent in Natore reported that BNP's district unit staged a demonstration and held a protest rally in the town. District BNP senior vice-president Kazi Golum Morshed chaired the rally.

New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that local unit of BNP brought out a procession and held a rally in the town in the morning.

Source : New Age

Most pvt univs fail to move to permanent campuses

Most private universities have failed to move to their permanent campuses with only a few days left before the ministry deadline for the universities to do so.

Only nine of the 54 private universities could move to their permanent campus as of Saturday, according to University Grants Commission.

The education minister, Nurul Islam Nahid, in December 2010 said that the government would not allow after September 2011 admission of students to private universities which would fail to shift to permanent campuses by the stipulated time of five years after the universities started operation.

The UGC report said that eight universities did not take any step to move to their permanent campuses although the deadline is about to expire.

Some universities started constructing buildings and the remaining universities have just bought the land but are not running their campuses on their own land. And they have also submitted related papers to the commission.

The UGC chair, AK Azad Chowdhury, said that universities failing to go by the government decision would not be allowed to enrol new students after September.

But the university authorities will get time to complete the academic life of the existing students, he said.

Nahid later said that the government would consider the matter if universities could show that they were trying to move to permanent campuses.

The education ministry then decided that if universities could submit documents of the land they bought for the permanent campuses, the government would not stop the enrolment.

According to the latest UGC report, the eight universities that could not submit any papers to the commission regarding the move till August 25 are Darul Ihasan University, Prime University, World University of Bangladesh, Prime Asia University, Royal University of Dhaka, Presidency University, Victoria University of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Islami University.

Some of these eight universities submitted their documents of land purchase after the submission of the UGC report.

UGC officials said that there were problems with the papers of the land ownership of some of the universities.

They said that some universities had bought land outside Dhaka but they will run their campuses in Dhaka. And there are also problems with papers for some owners.

When asked, the UGC chairman said that they had a committee to check whether the documents of the land were up to the mark.

The nine universities that have moved to their permanent campuses are North South University, University of Science and Technology, International Islamic University, Chittagong, Ahsanullah Science and Technology University, International University of Business, Agriculture and Technology, BGC Trust University of Bangladesh, Bangladesh University of Business and Technology, Independent University Bangladesh and Stamford University Bangladesh. BRAC University moved to its campus at Savar but was yet to start its academic activities there, UGC officials said.

The seven universities that are constructing buildings on their land are East West University, Ganabishwabidyalay, South East University, City University, University of Asia Pacific, Daffodil International University and Eastern University.

The vice-chancellor of the World University of Bangladesh, Abdul Mannan Choudhury, however, told New Age that they had been trying to move to their permanent campus since 2004.

'There is a miscommunication between the

commission and universities. We have already submitted our documents to the commission,' he said.

The UGC chair said that private universities must abide by the Private University Act 2010.

'We do not want to be unusually harsh on private universities but we will not compromise with the quality of higher education. Private universities must abide by the Private University Act 2010,' he said.

Source : New Age