The New Nation - Internet Edition

DU Correspondent

This year 64.27per cent students have passed the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Examinations under seven education boards which is the highest pass percentage in the last five years.

The percentage was 63.92 in 2006, 59.16 in 2005, 47.74 in 2004, 38.43 in 2003, and 27.09 in 2002.

The average percentage of the nine boards including Madrasah and Technical Boards stood at 65.60 while the percentage was 65.65 last year. The number of GPA-5 recipients this year is 11,140 while the number was 9,864 in 2006.

A total of 431,835 students including 237,214 boys and 194,621 girls appeared at this year's examinations and 277,523 of them-154,085 boys and 123,438 girls--passed.

Some 10,205 examinees have obtained the highest Grade Point Average (GPA)-5 while the number was 9,450 last year and 5,509 in 2005, 3,036 in 2004. Of them, 5,254 are from Dhaka Board, 911 from Chitagong Board, 1818 from Rajshahi Board, 1,191 from Jessore Board, 506 from Comilla Board, 314 from Sylhet Board and 211 from Barisal Board.

Pass percentages for boys and girls are 64.96 and 63.42 against 64.23 and 63.52 of last year. The HSC results of the seven boards were published yesterday as per the grading system introduced in 2003.

Results of the Alim examinations under Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board and HSC (vocational), business management, and diploma-in-commerce examinations under Bangladesh Technical Education Board were also published yesterday--all under the grading system.

Additional Secretary of Education Ministry Abdul Awal Majumdar published the result at the Dhaka Education Board at 12:30pm yesterday while Joint Secretary Nazmul Islam Khan and the Chairmen of nine Education Boards were present

The students of Business Studies and Commerce passed the highest number of percentage 74.58 while Science students passed 68.17 percentage and Humanities students 56.14 percentage.

In Dhaka Board this year HSC students passed the highest number of percentage 70.77 and in Barisal Board the lowest number of percentage 55.63. Dhaka Board last year obtained the highest pass percentage of 74.76 and Jessore Board the lowest 54.40.

In Dhaka Board, 49,635 out of the 69,990 examinees passed the examinations with the pass percentage of 70.92. As many as 23,689 students appeared at the examinations under Barisal Board and 13,178 out of them passed which percentage is 54.40.

Among the 102,108 candidates under Rajshahi Board, 63,193 have been successful with a pass percentage of 61.89 against 56.76 last year.

Under Jessore Board, 78,134 students appeared at the examinations and 46,478 passed. The pass percentage is 59.48 against last year's 54.40.

Under Comilla Board, 30,295 examinees out of 46,073 passed. The pass percentage is 65.75 against 63.73 last year. Chitagong Board had 37,092 candidates and 22,759 out of them passed. The pass percentage is 61.36 against 61.50 last year.

Under Sylhet Board, 16,972 students appeared at the examinations and 11,198 passed which percentage is 65.98 against 65.45 last year.

A total of 51,623 students including 35,201 boys and 16,422 girls appeared this year`s Alim exam under Madrasah Board while 38363 at students…26,507 boys and 11,856 girls….passed. The percentage of the result is 74.31 against last year's 75.23.

The number of Alim examinees geting GPA-5 this year is 930 while only five from technical board have obtained GPA-5.

Some 49,700 students appeared at this year's HSC (Vocational) examination. Of them, 33,863 students passed which percentage is 68.13 against 69.74 last year.

Staff Reporter

Notre Dame College, Viqarunnisa Noon College Dhaka City College has secured the top three places respectively of the list of top ten colleges based on the number of securing GPA-5.

Notre Dame College gets 825 GPA-5s While Viqarunnisa Noon College gets 493 GPA-5s and Dhaka City College gets 348 GPA-5s.

The other colleges of the list respectively are Ideal School and College securing 276 GPA-5s, Holy Cross College securing 239 GPA-5s, Bir Shreshtha Noor Mohammad Rifles Public College securing 227 GPA-5s, Dhaka Commerce College with 224 GPA-5s, Dhaka College with 203 GPA-5s, RAJUK Utara Model School and College with 2000 GPA-5s and Agricultural University College with 117 GPA-5s.

Chitagong Board

Chitagong College is the top college of the board of the list securing 279 GPA-5s. The other colleges of the board respectively are Govt Haji Mohammad Mohsin College with 178 GPA-5s, Ispahani Public School and College with 106 GPA-5s, Govt Commerce College aith 92 GPA-5s, Chitagong Public School and College with 62 GPA-5s, Chitagong Govt City College with 37 GPA-5s, Fauzdarhat Cadet College with 27 GPA-5s, Chitagong University College with 18 percent, Nou Bahini College with 14 GPA-5s and Chitagong Govt Girl's College with 12 GPA-5s.

Rajshahi Board

The top ten colleges of the board based on the number of GPA-5s are New Govt Degree College with 308 GPA-5s, Cantonment Public School and College, Rangpur with 154 GPA-5s, Bogra Cantonment Public School and College with 129 GPA-5s, Govt A H College of Bogra with 79 GPA-5s, Saidpur Cantonment Public School and College with 67 GPA-5s, Dinajpur Govt College with 66 GPA-5s, Rangpur Govt College 64 GPA-5s, Shahid Bul Bul Govt College, Pabna with 51 GPA-5s, Rajshahi Govt College with 46 GPA-5s and Rajshhio Cadet College with 41 GPA-5s.

Comilla Board

The top ten colleges of Comilla board securing GPA-5 are Comilla Victoria College with 117 GPA-5s, Comilla Cadet College with 53 Gpa-5s, Ispahani Public School and College, Comilla with 44 GPA-5s, Adhyapak Abdul Mazid College, Comilla with 35 GPA-5s, Noakhali Govt College, with 28 GPA-5s, Hajiganj Model College with 22 GPA-5s, Brahmanbaria Govt College with 19 GPA-5s, Chandpur Govt Girl's College 18, Feni Govt College with 11 and Zia Sharkarkhana College with 10 GPA-5s.

Jessore Board

The top colleges of the Jessore Board are Cantonment College, Jessore with 175 GPA-5s, Govt Girls College, Khulna, with 84 GPA-5s, Govt M M City College, Khulna with 59 GPA-5s, Jhenaidah Cadet College with 48 GPA-5s, Kushtia Govt College with 40 GPA-5s, B A F Shaheen College Jessore, with 29 GPA-5s, Govt K C College Jhenaidah with 25 GPA-5s, Chuadanga Govt College, Chuadanga with 14 GPA-5s and Shiekh Aziz Uddin Higher Secondary School, Jessore with 14 GPA-5s.

Barisal Board

The top ten colleges of Barisal board are Amrita lal Dey College, Barisal with 40 GPA-5s, Barisal Cadet College with 37 GPA-5s, Barisal Govt Girl's College with 19 GPA-5s, Govt Syed Hatem hali College, Barisal with 15 GPA-5s, Pirojpur Govt Girl's College with 12 GPA-5s, Shahid Smrity College, Pirujpur with 8 GPA-5s, Betagi Degree College Barguna with 7 GPA-5s, Amtali College, Barguna with 6 GPA-5s, Galachipa Degree College, patuakhali with 5 GPA-5s, Patharghata College with 4 GPA-5s and Fazila Rahman Mahia College with 4 GPA-5s.

Sylhet Board

The top ten colleges of the Sylhet board are Sylhet M C College with 91 GPA-5sm Jalabad Cantonment Public School and College, Sylhet with 58 GPA-5s, Sylhet Cadet College with 44 GPA-5s, Sylhet Govt Women's College with 41 GPA-5s, The Bud's Residential Model School and College with 18 GPA-5s, Moulvi Bazar Govt College, with 13 GPA-5s, Brindaban Govt College, Habiganj with 5 GPA-5s, Kulaura Degree College, Moulvi Bazar with 4 GPA-5s, Scholarshome, Sylhet with 3 GPA-5s and Madan Mohan College, Sylhet with 3 GPA-5s.

Staff Reporter

Two photojournalists were injured severely as they fell down from the first floor corridor of the Supreme Court building when they were taking snaps yesterday noon.

The injured journalists were Shawkat Jamil of The Daily Star and Mizanur Rahman Khan of The Independent

Hearing the incident, Law and Information Adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein expressed his shock and took necessary initiatives instantly for the treatment of injured photojournalists at the Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka.

The Adviser also made necessary arrangements for their admission to the CMH.

Later, critically injured Mizanur Rahman Khan was shifted to the CMH from the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was undergoing treatment at the CMH till writing this report last night

Eyewitnesses said that the victims were taking snaps of lawyers standing upon a chair on the crowded corridor of the first floor of Supreme Court building. As the chair was displaced due to the rush of the crowd, they lost balance and fell on the ground.

Critically injured photojournalists were rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital where they were admited to the casualty department

Our Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) correspondent said both the journalists received wounds at different parts of their bodies.

As the condition of photojournalist Mizanur Rahman Khan was stated to be critical, he was admited to the DMCH, while photojournalist Shawkat Jamil left the hospital.

Later, Law and Information Adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein made all necessary arrangements for the treatment of injured photojournalists at the Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka.

Staff Reporter

The Supreme Court will deliver its judgement today (Monday) regarding the state's applications for leave to appeal against High Court orders granting bails to detained Awami League president

Sheikh Hasina in two extortion cases filed against her by two businessmen. Besides, the judgement will be delivered regarding the appeal against the stay on the Anti-Corruption Commission notice served on her.

The hearing on the government's appeals against the High Court

verdicts granting bails to Hasina concluded at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday.

The six-member Appellate Division bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Md Ruhul Amin, set today for delivering the verdicts on the four applications for leave to appeal.

Atorney General Fida M Kamal placed his arguments taking part in the hearing on behalf of the state, while Barrister Rafique-ul-Huque made his arguments on behalf of Hasina.

On August 16, four state applications seeking leave to appeal came up for hearing before the six-member full bench of the Supreme Court

But the court adjourned the proceedings after hearings on two of the applications relating to Hasina's bail granted by the High Court in two extortion cases filed under the Emergency Power Rules.

Of the rest two state applications, one seeks leave to appeal against another High Court order that halted the ACC notice asking Hasina to submit her wealth statement

But the court adjourned the proceedings after hearings on two of the applications relating to Hasina's bail granted by the High Court in two extortion cases filed under the Emergency Power Rules. The other prays for leave to appeal against HC-granted bail to former FBCCI chief Abdul Awal Mintoo.

Joint forces arrested Hasina on July 16 after businessmen Azam Jahangir Chowdhury and Noor Ali filed the extortion cases against the former prime minister with two police stations in the city.

On the other hand, the date of hearing on the Daily Dinkal

Publications Limited case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has been deferred to September 27 by a lower court in Dhaka yesterday as she did not appear in the court showing 'security reasons' and sought more time through her lawyers.

Metropolitan Magistrate AJM Abdullah Hel Baki accepted the appeal and re-fixed the date of hearing for September 27.

The Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms filed the case

against 13 persons, including Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman for not submiting the service return of the Daily Dinkal Publications Ltd for seven years.

Abdul Mannan, deputy registrar (current charge) of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSCF), filed the case under the Companies Act 1994 on June 12. If the complaint against Khaleda and others is proved, they will have to pay a total of Tk 5 lakh as fine at the rate of Tk 200 per day for seven years to the government

The nine other accused in the case are Tarique's business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun, Sheikh Razzak Ali, Barrister Nazmul Huda, Maj (Retd) MA Mannan, Manjurul Ahsan Munshi, Fazlul Azim, Ali Asgar Lobi, Rokonuddin Molla and AKM Mosharraf Hossain.

According to the complaint, the accused were the directors of the Daily Dinkal Publications Limited, registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, and they did not submit service return for as many as seven years.

Of the accused, Tarique, Mamun, Huda, Manjurul, Lobi and Mosharraf were arrested earlier and they are now in different jails.

The two other accused--Barristers Nurul Amin Talukder and Abdus Salam Talukder--have died.

Staff Reporter

Adviser for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Information Barrister Mainul Hosein yesterday sought cooperation of journalists to overcome what he termed the difficult situation in the country.

"There is no doubt that we are passing through a difficult situation. We have to overcome the situation unitedly; otherwise, we have to face more difficulties," he said while talking to reporters after an opinion-exchange meeting with the editors of different dailies at the conference room of the Ministry of Information yesterday.

The Adviser said the relation between the government and the media people should be as close as possible as the situation would demand.

He referred to the untoward incidents during curfew hours that left a number of journalists injured and admited that there were genuine mistakes.

"The incidents were regretable. I frankly admit that we have commited mistakes," Barrister Mainul Hosein said adding, "Mistakes may occur during such a difficult situation."

He, however, said, we have to assess our mistakes and should be more careful.

The Law Adviser said the government is more dependent on media since it is an interim government

He emphasised the need for geting united to achieve the goal of corruption-free politics in the country. We must be successful in ataining the goal, he added.

Regarding meeting with the editors, the Information Adviser said that he heard the editors about the situation and shared opinion with them.

He said the discussion with the editors was held in an open and cordial manner.

The meeting that lasted for two hours was atended by Mahbubul Alam of the Independent, Rahat Khan of Itefaq, Mahfuz Anam of Daily Star, Alamgir Mohiuddin of Naya Diganta, Toyab Khan of Janakantha, Reaz Uddin Ahmed of News Today, Aman Ullah Kabir of Amar Desh, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury of Bangladesh Observer, Golam Sarwar of Jugantar, Motiur Rahman Chowdhury of Manab Jamin, Abed Khan of Samakal, Bazlur Rahman of Sangbad, Nurul Kabir of New Age and Shamol Data of Bhorer Kagoj.

Staff Reporter

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is contemplating further simplification of rules and regulations for payment of taxes on the basis of success of new system introduced this year, sources said.

NBR introduced self-assessment system and Unified Taxpayers Identification Number (UTIN) for the large taxpayers unit (LTU) this year with a plan of geting higher amount of taxes from more taxpayers.

The income tax return form has also been reduced to just one page for the convenience of the taxpayers.

"All these are a test case," said a senior official of NBR. "If these work well, we are thinking of further simplifying the procedures."

NBR Chairman Badiur Rahman recently said that lot of changes had been made in the system of income tax return and they would think of further simplification on good response from the taxpayers.

He gave a broad hint that the taxpayers need not come to the tax office to pay tax. "They can pay tax the way they pay utility bills in banks or such similar procedures," he said.

But everything depends on the atitude of the taxpayers---whether they are responding to the new simplified system or not, he added.

On UTIN the official said it can be extended to individual level in case of success of in LTU. "If we get a good response then it will be introduced in individual level in Dhaka and if we get good response then it will be further extended to the entire country."

The government set a target of revenue collection of Tk 43,850 crore in the current fiscal, which includes Tk 10,838 crore from income tax sub sector.

Staff Reporter

Though the low-and middle-income groups of people living in urban areas have shown tremendous interest in an easiest-ever housing loan scheme offered by Bangladesh Bank recently, the country's commercial banks and financial institutions have not been showing any positive response to the central bank's initiative.

Bangladesh Bank introduced the scheme, titled 'Refinancing Scheme in Housing Sector' through a circular on July 18 last under which a person with a monthly income of less than Tk 30,000 will be eligible to receive a maximum loan of Tk 15 lakh from commercial banks and financial institutions to buy or construct an apartment of highest floor area of 1,250 square feet The loan will be repayable in quarterly instalments over a period of 20 years with one-year grace period at the beginning.

The total amount of the three-year project is Tk 300 crore. The central bank will provide Tk 100 crore each year during the next three years to the eligible commercial banks and financial institutions for the home loan scheme.

The interest rate for the housing scheme will be the lowest-ever in the country. Now, the interest rates of home loan schemes offered by commercial banks and financial institutions range between 14 per cent and 18 per cent

The BB will give the money to commercial banks and financial institutions for disbursing as loans under the scheme.

As per the circular, the borrower can utilise the money for buying or constructing apartments in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Chitagong, Khulna and Barisal City Corporation and Savar, Tongi, Gazipur and Narayanganj municipal areas.

But the borrower will not be entitled to receive the loan if he/she already possesses a house or a flat in his/her name or in the name of spouse or children. Also those who have already taken housing loans from any bank or financial institution will not be able to avail of this opportunity under the scheme.

Besides, people working with companies, which have housing loan scheme for their employees, will not get the loan.

BB will give 75 per cent of the loan and rest 25 per cent will have to be given by the banks concerned, the circular said.

The BB will give the money to the commercial banks and financial institutions at 5 per cent rate of interest, while the borrower will have to pay the installments at 10 per cent rate of interest The borrower will not have to pay any other fee or he will not be charged any amount other than 10 per cent interest

The circular said only the banks or financial institutions whose volume of classified loan is less than 10 per cent of the total outstanding loans will get the central bank money for disbursement

The loan providers as per their own rules and regulations will handle all activities, including selecting eligible customer, documentations, debt-equity ratios and recovery monitoring.

The scheme is especially designed for low and middle-income people who have very limited scope to get loans from existing schemes.

"We have estimated that the monthly installment against the loan will be not more than of a service holder's monthly house rent allowance," the source said.

According to the central bank's conditions, the state-owned banks are not eligible to receive this loan as they have already disbursed more than 10 per cent of their total loan as housing loan.

On the other hand, the private commercial banks and the foreign commercial banks which are eligible to receive this loan from the Bangladesh Bank, have not been showing any interest to this offer. Though the Bangladesh Bank issued a circular in this regard over a month ago, only four financial institutions have so far applied for the loan.

Sources said two conditions mentioned in the circular have kept the state-owned banks and other financing institutions away to avail of this scheme.

One of the conditions says that the financial institutions, including the state-owned commercial banks which have already provided 10 per cent of their total loan in housing sector, will not come under the scheme.

On the other hand, the financial institutions whose defaulted amount of loan is less than 10 per cent of total classified loan will get the opportunity under the scheme. Since the state-owned banks and other financial institutions which have already provided more than 10 per cent of their total loan in housing sector and their defaulted amount of loan is also higher, they have been kept out of this scheme.

Under the conditions, all the foreign banks operating in Bangladesh have got the opportunity to come under this scheme. But the foreign banks have no interest about this scheme since they provide loans comparatively at higher rates of interest

On the other hand, major private commercial banks which are able to fulfil the conditions of the Bangladesh Bank have not been showing any interest to this scheme. Since the issuance of the circular by the central bank on July 18 last only four financial institutions have so far applied to the Bangladesh Bank seeking the loan/fund. The applicants are Trust Bank, Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, IDLC and National Housing Ltd. Of these four institutions, only one bank and one housing financing institution are eligible to get loan, a senior official of the department concerned of Bangladesh Bank told The New Nation.

Sources concerned said under the scheme Bangladesh Bank would provide Tk 300 crore in three years to the interested commercial banks and financial institutions at five per cent rate of interest It was mentioned in the circular that the interested banks and financial institutions would be able to realise loan at 10 per cent rate of interest from borrowers.

Recently, a change has been made to this rate of interest Instead of specifying the rate of interest, the central bank in a circular said the borrowing banks and other financial institutions would realise five per cent interest in addition to the Bangladesh Bank's interest

Besides, the Bangladesh Bank in its circular issued on July 19 did not mention whether the interest would be simple or complex although it mentioned about the interest to be charged. In the amended rule, it has been simple interest The central bank will soon inform the commercial banks and other financial institutions about this change.

A senior official of the Bangladesh Bank told The New Nation that the circular was issued within a very short period of time under the pressure of the government As a result, there were some ambiguities in the circular.

Besides, the official opined that no scheme could be introduced by fixing the rate of interest in such a manner, because changes the rate of interest of Bangladesh Bank might take place at any time. The loan disbursing banks and financial institutions will have no other way but to realise interest at the rate of 10 per cent Taking all these things into account, the Bangladesh Bank is going to bring some changes in its circular soon.

Staff Reporter

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP Commissioner Naim Ahmed yesterday said, the actual figure of miscreants involved in three-day rioting might not exceed more than 10,000 although, 76,106 persons were implicated in 35 cases lodged with different thanas in the city.

The number of accused became so high as each of the miscreants was involved in rioting at many places, he said adding the cases filed in connection with the violence will be setled within two weeks after the investigation under Emergency Power Rules.

So far, police arrested 25 persons, including two professors of Dhaka University (DU) and the president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), from the capital city on the basis of proof and evidence about their involvement in the rioting, he said.

The Police Commissioner said this while briefing the journalists at the DMP Headquarters in the afternoon adding that the law-enforcers and the intelligences have already identified all the persons who were the masterminds and also played role staying behind the scene.

Replying to a question, the DMP Commissioner said that the interrogation to the detained two teachers was going on.

Naim assured that no innocent person would be harassed in connection with the cases. "None will be harassed unnecessarily. Action will be taken after having sufficient evidences," he said.

He said police functions are to identify the accused. " We are trying to find out actual reasons behind the incidents, those were involved and see whether there is any involvement of money behind it

The government imposed curfew and shut down all universities and colleges in six divisional cities including Dhaka, following the incidents originated from the DU.

UNB, Dhaka

British High Commissioner Anwar Chowdhury on Sunday observed the first few hours of recent student movement was genuine and spontaneous but afterwards it was coordinated and a lot of money was thrown into that

"Our assessment is from what we have heard that it was initially spontaneous and then it was not It became much more than the incident It soon became something much bigger, something much sinister," he told reporters after atending a briefing for foreign diplomats on the current situation by Foreign Advisor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury.

In support of his contention, he said the army camp was withdrawn in accordance with students' demand, a retired High Court judge initiated judicial inquiry and the government perhaps apologized for the incident

"Most neutral people could not understand why the escalation went into that dimension and that has caused a lot of question marks in the people," he told replying to a correspondent's query whether he felt it was a spontaneous student movement

Chowdhury said, "We understood that it was a serious disturbance which has strategic consequences and we saw the government take 'quite concise and quite decisive' action very quickly to try to bring the situation under control."

Asked if last week's agitation was a resentment against the government, the envoy said price hike is a problem and people do feel unhappy about that but there are a lot of new progress and good news which perhaps do not reach the press.

Chowdhury said he has heard that Rajshahi voters' list is going to be complete ahead of the time schedule and there are many progress on the roadmap for holding the election before December 2008 or hopefully earlier.

Asked about the detention of five university teachers, he said the mater was not raised at the briefing. He said it is a judicial process and they were told if people are found unconnected with it must be released but if they are connected in someway law will take it course.

About beating of journalists despite showing ID cards during the curfew hours, the High Commissioner said he is sorry to hear it and hoped the authorities will certainly look into it and take action.

On censorship on media, he said the country is under a state of emergency but the government has not imposed censorship in strict sense. In fact, he said, the press is free. There is a request for self-censorship as there is responsibility on all sides to lead the nation towards cherished goals.

Asked about the U.K. government's position on the whole situation, Chowdhury said U.K. has asked for calm on all sides, respect for human rights and "we will be pleased that government will not be detracted from the main goals of geting to the election."

The High Commissioner came up with a firm optimism that the country is going to have election as every major component of the government is saying that the election will be held before the end of December 2008.

"They are making a lot of progress on critical path, lot of reforms…but 18 months are a long time and you would expect some bumps on the road."