Rural-urban disparity continues

Results of the Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations show that no progress has been made to address the rural-urban inequity in education.

As in previous years, students of urban areas did well than the students in rural areas also this time although the government has always claimed that it is working to address the disparity.

The pass percentage is lower in all but the Rajshahi education board than the figure in the Dhaka board.

The pass rate is 76.89 in the Dhaka Board, 68.68 in the Comilla board, 63.37 in the Jessore board, 71.03 in the Chittagong board, 71.12 in the Barisal board, 75.68 in the Sylhet board and 66.18 in the Dinajpur board. The pass rate in the Rajshahi board is 79.01.

The number of GPA 5 scorers is also the highest in the Dhaka board. A total of, 17,786 students scored GPA 5 in the Dhaka board, 5,588 in the Rajshahi board, 1,389 in the Comilla board, 3,370 in the Jessore board, 1,795 in the Chittagong board, 1,310 in the Barisal board, 887 in the Sylhet board and 2,280 in the Dinajpur board.

The number of institutions with all their students coming out successful is also the highest in the Dhaka board.

The Dhaka board has 37 educational institutions where all the students became successful. The figure is 15 in the Rajshahi board, 7 in the Comilla board, 3 in the Jessore board, 7 in the Chittagong board, 3 in the Barisal board, 4 in the Sylhet board and 67 in the Dinajpur board.

Most of the Top Ten colleges in the Dhaka education board are in the capital city.

Rajuk Uttra Model College topped the list, followed by Mymensingh Girls' Cadet College, Mirzapur Cadet College, Viqarunnisa Noon College, Notre Dame College, Dhaka City College, Abdul Kadir Mollah College in Narsingdi, Holy Cross College, Residential Model College and Shamshul Haque Khan School and College at Demra in Dhaka.

Source : New Age

Magistracy back to DCs not possible: Ashraful

The LGRD and cooperatives minister, Syed Ashraful Islam, on Wednesday said that the government could not give back magistracy to deputy commissioners as they had exercised the judicial power before the separation of the judiciary from the executive.

'We cannot legally give back the total magistracy the deputy commissioners reserved before the separa- tion of the judiciary as there were directives from the Supreme Court in this regard,' Ashraful told reporters after a working session on the second day of the deputy commissioners' conference at the secretariat.

He said that the deputy commissioners had sought authority to conduct summary trial by executive magistrates which was not legally possible.

Before the separation of the judiciary on September 1, 2007, the deputy commissioners being district magistrates used to exercise the judicial power.

At the inauguration of the three-day annual conference on Tuesday, deputy commissioners sought authority to conduct summary trial by executive magistrates besides operation of mobile courts to keep law and order.

After the separation of the judiciary, the executive magistrates do not have the legal authority to hold summary trial in case an accused denies having committed the crime, officials said.

Source : New Age

Hasina invites Khaleda to iftar party

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Wednesday invited the leader of the opposition, Khaleda Zia, also the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, to an iftar party on August 6.

Hasina, also the Awami League president, is hosting the iftar party in honour of leaders of different political parties and eminent citizens at her Ganabhaban residence.

The AL president also invited acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to the iftar party.

AL deputy office secretary Mrinal Kanti Das handed over the invitation letters to BNP assistant office secretary Shamimul Islam Shamim at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office at about 9:15pm.

Mrinal said other BNP leaders might also be invited to the party.

Earlier on Tuesday, Khaleda invited Hasina and AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, also the LGRD and cooperatives minister, to an iftar

party she is scheduled to host on August 4 in honour of leaders of different political parties at the Bangabandhu International Convention Centre in the capital.

BNP assistant office secretary Abdul Latif Joni and agriculturist Shamimur Rahman Shamim went to Hasina's Dhanmondi office and handed over the invitations to Mrinal.

Source : New Age

Newton Murder Case: HC acquits six

The High Court yesterday acquitted three condemned accused and commuted seven others' death sentence to life-term imprisonment in the sensational Dhaka City Corporation ward commissioner Saidur Rahman Newton murder case.

The HC also acquitted three more accused who had earlier been sentenced to life in the same case.

A trial court in 2006, sentenced 10 accused to death and six others to life imprisonment after a lengthy hearing of Newton killing case.

Newton, the then commissioner of DCC ward No-8 (Mirpur), was gunned down by a gang near Rapa Plaza in the capital's Dhanmondi area on May 10, 2002. His mother Rabeya Begum filed a murder case with Dhanmondi Police Station the same day.

The convicts who were yesterday awarded life term are Mohammad Khorshed, Shahdat Hossain alias Shahdat, Monir Hossain alias Kiran, Kala Jahangir, Kazi Mohammad Ismail, Towfiq Alam Khan alias Pial, Sadequl Islam Chowdhury alias Sagor, Mohammad Ayub, Sheikh Russell alias Baltu Russell and Rubel Hossain Howlader.

Only three of the convicted -- Ayub, Russell and Rubel -- are now in custody.

Most of the convicts are accused in numerous criminal cases including murder.

The accused acquitted are Shakhawat Hossain, Killer Abbas, Zakir Hossain, Kamal Hossain, Ibrahim Khalil and Nazmul Hossain alias Benga Babu. They are now in jail.

Deputy Attorney General Bhishmadev Chakraborty told The Daily Star that the HC acquitted the six accused as the allegations brought against them were not proved beyond doubt.

The HC bench of Justice Md Fazlur Rahman and Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha yesterday delivered the verdict after holding hearing for eight working days on the death reference and appeals filed by the accused against their convictions.

Newton's widow Ferdousi Ahmed Mishty told The Daily Star that she is upset with the verdict and that life will be at stake if killers are acquitted.

Mishty, now a DCC ward commissioner, is sister of former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, who is detained in jail in connection with Pilkhana headquarter carnage in 2009. She said her husband was also the assistant general secretary of BNP's youth front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal.

On May 24, 2006, the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 in Dhaka had awarded capital punishment to Khorshed, Shahadat, Kiran, Kala Jahangir, Abbas, Ibrahim, Ismail, Pial, Sagor and Zakir in connection with Newton murder case.

The tribunal had awarded Ayub, Russell, Rubel, Shawkat, Benga Babu and Kamal life term imprisonment and acquitted Ripon Khan and Raqibul Bari as the charges brought against them were not proved.

Source : The Daily Star

Norway Attacks: A 'cold, paranoid killer'

The lawyer for the gunman behind last week's attacks in Norway laid out his feelings about the case and his client yesterday, painting a picture of a cold and paranoid "warrior" who appears to be insane.

"This whole case indicates that he's insane," Geir Lippestad told journalists about Anders Behring Breivik, who has claimed responsibility for Friday's bomb attack on the Oslo government and subsequent shooting spree on a nearby island.

"He believes that he's in a war and he believes that when you're in a war you can do things like that without pleading guilty," the lawyer said of the 32-year-old Norwegian who wants to bring about an anti-Muslim revolution.

"He's in his bubble," Lippestad added.

If his client is adjudged medically insane after blowing up eight people in Oslo and shooting dead 68 mainly youth members of the Labour Party on Utoeya island, Lippestad said: "He can't be punished in a jail."

Paving the way for a defence that could see his client escape prison, after medical experts acceptable to the prosecution are found, Lippestad said Behring Breivik "has a view on reality that is very, very difficult to explain."

He said his client used unspecified drugs to make himself "strong, efficient, to keep him awake" going into Friday's rampage.

"He thought he'd be killed after the bombing, after the action on the island, and he also thought he'd be killed at trial," Lippestad said.

In fact, "he was a little bit surprised that he succeeded, that in his mind he succeeded," Lippestad added.

Asked whether Behring Breivik had shown any empathy for his mainly young victims, Lippestad said: "No."

Behring Breivik wrote and published a 1,500-page manifesto immediately before starting his bombing and shooting spree.

"He believes this war will continue for 60 years and in 60 years this war will be won," Lippestad said of the events he believes he has triggered, preparations for which are painstakingly chronicled in the tract.

Behring Breivik said he was part of an organisation that has two cells in Norway and several others abroad. "Where I don't know," Lippestad said.

"He looks on himself as a warrior and he has started this war," Lippestad said, adding that one of the reasons Behring Breivik's first court appearance on Monday was behind closed doors was for fear he would send coded signals to other cells.

His client was disappointed that the hearing was not open to the public, Lippestad said.

"In his mind he's at war and therefore he said this was necessary," and that's why while admitting responsibility he does not plead guilty.

"He says that he's sorry he had to do this but it was necessary to start the revolution... He hates anyone who believes in democracy."

"My point of view is that he's a very cold person."

Source : The Daily Star 

Lebanon Blast: Three French UN troops wounded

Three French soldiers serving with the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon were wounded yesterday in a roadside bomb attack in the southern city of Sidon, a security official told AFP.

"The blast took place as the vehicle was travelling along the coastal road, near the southern entrance of the city," said the official, who did not wish to be identified.

An AFP correspondent at the scene said the soldiers sustained wounds to their faces and hands and that one of them was transported to hospital.

An army spokesman told AFP the bomb was placed on the side of the road and was triggered as the vehicle -- a troop carrier -- drove by.

The front of the vehicle was badly damaged and several parts were blown 20 to 30 metres (yard) by the force of the blast.

Members of the French contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) rushed to the site along with Lebanese troops, who cordoned off the area and began gathering evidence.

In May, six Italian peacekeepers were wounded in Sidon in a similar roadside bombing.

Source : The Daily Star

Fake cosmetics factories busted

A mobile court aided by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday busted four fake cosmetics factories in Keraniganj on the city's outskirts and fined them a total of Tk 8 lakh.

They also arrested the owners and confiscated inferior quality products including oil, shampoo and perfume wrapped in labels of reputed companies, worth around Tk 25 lakh, in the market, Rab officials claimed.

The arrestees Md Kamal Hossain, 29, Md Nasir Uddin, 45, Md Nazim Uddin, 50, Md Shahid, 35, were sentenced to two years of imprisonment and fined Tk 2 lakh each, in default of which they will have to serve three more months in prison.

A team of Rab-10 conducted the drives at Muslimabad and Borishoor area around 8:30am, he said.

The factories were located in the owners' houses, where the arrestees used to fill up old empty containers with impure elements and resell them, said Rab Executive Magistrate Anwar Pasha, who led the drive.

Shahid confessed to have made hair oil by mixing coconut's essence with palm oil while Nasir Uddin said, he made fake shampoo using coloured liquid soap and cheap frangrance, Anwar Pasha said.

They also filled empty perfume bottles with rectified spirit and fragrance, he added.

Source : The Daily Star 

Critics of microcredit chastised: Experts hail role of microcredit in poverty reduction

Experts and politicians yesterday came down heavily on the critics of microcredit for being too ruthless about the economic concept.

Microfinance has both positives and negatives and the authorities should fix the anomalies, they said.

The call came at a dialogue--Microfinance for Poverty Alleviation: What's Right and What's Wrong--at the Cirdap auditorium in Dhaka.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a think-tank, organised the event with Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori, in the chair.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman said microfinance has grown globally over the years as a major financial tool to combat poverty.

The relatively higher interest rates and charges or fees have attracted criticism, albeit more from populist political authorities than from the borrowers.

"Regulators and government authorities can however encourage and support MFIs in minimising supervision costs, to the extent possible, adopting remote loan delivery and recovery mechanisms in partnership with mobile phone companies and IT platforms offering card based financial service delivery," said Rahman.

He said authorities would use anti-money laundering regulations to check anomalies in the microfinance sector.

Rahman also said the country's microfinance institutions should go beyond their financial services and adopt more human and social visions for the greater benefit of society.

Prof David Hulme, head of Institute of Development Policy and Management at the University of Manchester, UK, said MFIs need to be more honest and humble about their products to overcome the current impasse.

"They should be more transparent about their charges, terms and conditions."

He urged the MFIs to introduce low cost systems to reduce the likelihood of client abuse and improve social performance.

He also said microfinance is one small part of a national strategy for poverty reduction. "So we need to get it into perspective and keep it working effectively."

Prof Syed M Hashemi, executive director of Brac Development Institute, said the MFIs in the country have both positive and negative sides. "But we should not look at it as a financial tool only."

He said both academics and politicians have labelled MFIs as blood-suckers, without understanding the financial lives of the poor.

"It is quite difficult for banks to go and operate in the rural areas with such a low interest rate," said Hashemi.

Prof MA Baqui Khalily of Dhaka University finance department said MFIs have to be efficient and competitive to survive.

He also ruled out claims that micro-loans are only used for unintended purposes. "We have found that two-thirds of the loans are used to expand economic activities."

He urged the government to sit with the MFIs regularly to sort out differences and fix anomalies.

Former Education Minister Osman Faruque said the government should conduct a study to know whether microcredit has any impact on alleviating poverty.

He bashed the critics of microcredit. "In Bangladesh, the critics were more ruthless and were driven by personal or political reasons. But they were among politicians not the real borrowers."

"There is also no scope to brand MFIs as blood-suckers when the break even is 23 percent," said Faruque.

He called for effective regulation. "But we cannot forget that in Bangladesh, many regulatory bodies have killed the baby."

Lawmaker Hasanul Haque Inu urged political and social activists in Bangladesh not to say "no" to microcredit. "Rather, they should cheer them up to perform better."

Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, chairman of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation, said: "We need to get answers on how do we can isolate the impacts of microcredit. What is the borrowers' employment status, although MFIs have created huge jobs within themselves? How long will the borrowers remain borrowers?"

"We need answers. Otherwise, the MFIs will not be sustainable, and we will not be able to measure the impact," he said.

The economist said there are many MFIs who are charging 40 to 60 percent as interest. "We have to address it."

CPD Executive Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman also spoke.

Source : The Daily Star

PM asks DCs to check price hike in Ramadan

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the deputy commissioners (DCs) to step up vigilance to contain price hike of commodities and maintain law and order during Ramadan beginning next week.

Addressing the inaugural session of a three-day DC conference at the Prime Minister's Office, she cautioned that vested quarters may become active during Ramadan to make extra profit by hoarding essentials or by other means.

"They want to fill their pockets by increasing the prices of essentials and fleecing people. This is very unfortunate. So you [DCs] will have to take action against such unscrupulous people," said Hasina, also president of ruling Awami League.

The PM, however, asked the DCs to be careful while dealing with the sensitive matter of market.

"If you go too tough on them [businessmen], they will become inactive and that will create another problem," said the premier, adding, "We have to keep the prices of essentials within the reach of the common people."

Hasina asked them to work as public servants, not as rulers, and be more pro-people sice the colonial ways were long gone. "We renamed the Establishment Ministry as Public Administration Ministry to ensure public service."

She said the priorities of her government are to develop the overall situation of the country and improve the living standard of people.

"As field-level top officers, you will have to implement the development programmes for the people as your salaries and allowances come from the taxpayers."

Commissioners from seven divisions and DCs from 64 districts are attending the conference to discuss their performance and receive directives from the government high-ups.

A total of 20 working sessions will be held at the cabinet division of Bangladesh Secretariat where activities of 36 ministries and their associate departments and divisions would be evaluated.

This is the second conference of the DCs since the Awami League-led grand alliance assumed office in January, 2009.

Source : The Daily Star 

DCs want judicial clout back

The deputy commissioners yesterday demanded the authority to conduct summary trial, the power they had enjoyed before separation of the judiciary from the executive in November 2007.

They made the demand at the inaugural session of a three-day DC conference at the Prime Minister's Office.

The DCs said they want the authority back because without it they cannot try anyone while operating mobile courts in their districts, said sources who were present at the session, held behind closed doors with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Those held by mobile courts do not admit to crime, and it leaves no alternative but to send them to court, which is a lengthy process, said the DCs.

The offenders later come out as innocent; and for this, the victims do not appreciate mobile-court drives, they added.

Contacted, noted jurist Shahdeen Malik said the demand is unacceptable, as the Supreme Court has revoked judicial powers of the executive magistrates.

"Such demand can only stem from misunderstanding and lack of knowledge about the rule of law, constitutionalism and separation of power. It is totally unacceptable," he added.

Calling for immediate passage of the Contempt of Court Act-2011, the DCs said they often face contempt charges while discharging duties and have to appoint lawyers to stand for them in the proceedings. They urged the government to appoint public prosecutors to move for them.

In response, the prime minister said her cabinet has already approved in principle the draft of the Contempt of Court Act-2011. Parliament will soon pass the law.

About their demand for power to hold summary trial, she said everything will be done through discussion.

Making the information service centre of union parishads more functional and devising specific policy to allocate government lands among the landless were the other demands raised in the conference.

Seventeen DCs took part in the discussion.

At the session on the education ministry, some DCs alleged that a section of teachers at the MPO-listed educational institutions and members of their governing committees are involved in various irregularities, but no action could be taken against them.

Though the government is paying full salary to the teachers of these institutions, there is no mechanism to ensure their accountability and transparency in the use of the funds, they said.

Many teachers and employees resort to irregular practices with the connivance of the governing bodies, which are headed by local lawmakers or their nominees.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid assured the DCs of necessary steps to resolve the problems they face.

He sought their cooperation in implementing the projects undertaken for development of the education sector.

On the first day of the conference, discussions were held also on finance, science, information and technology, primary education, home, liberation war affairs, land, housing and public works, planning and environment and forest ministries.

Source : The Daily Star