The New Nation - Internet Edition

DU Correspondent

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed emphasised on imparting moral education to the students to turn them into efficient human resources for the development of the country.

Without morality, education alone couldn't make a man perfect and fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the nation, he said.

Bangladesh needs highly skilled and knowledgeable human resources for her rapid and sustained development, he said while addressing the 4th convocation of Asian University at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre yesterday.

"With the emergence of globalisation, it has created immense competition among the nation, which can be responded only by harnessing skilled and efficient human resources," the president said.

He said, 'this should be seen in a holistic way and would be a combination of morality and capability.'

A teacher is the guide, philosopher and a trusted friend of a students as rational human beings, he said adding, 'I believe teachers must have a commitment towards the nation, which inspire them to discharge duties with utmost sincerity and dedication.'

The president, also the Chancellor of the university, said it is important that the members of the society take care of each other sharing both sorrows and happiness.

I am happy to see that the nation stood besides the flood-affected people in the recent time.

Reminding the students, the Chancellor said that this life is not so easy rather it is highly challenging and 'therefore, I hope you would be competent enough to face it

Former chief justice Mostafa Kamal atended the convocation ceremony as Convocation Speaker while Vice-Chancellor of Asian University of Bangladesh (AUB) Prof Abul Hasan M Sadeq in the chair.

UGC chairman Prof Nazrul Islam, Members of Trustees Board of Governors of AUB, faculty members, graduate students and guardians atended the programme.

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed handed over the Chancellor Award to Mohammed Mainul Islam Chowdhury while Shamim Ahmed to VC Award.

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) will renew licenses for rickshaw- pullers for a five-year term this year, said DCC officials.

The renewed licenses will be computerised and a database of the license-holding rickshaw-pullers will also be preserved, they added.

In 2006-07, according to the DCC statistics, a total of 1.6 lakh rickshaw-pullers were given licenses against 79,616 legal rickshaws and the DCC took Tk 30 for each of the licence.

Meanwhile, the DCC in 2006 also renewed licenses for rickshaws for a two-year period.

Syed Jahangir Hossain, Deputy Taxation Officer of the DCC, said, "The process of making the computerised licenses has already begun and we will begin the license renewal on completion of the printing of the licenses."

But he did not mention the timeframe to start the license renewal.

Another official, however, said printing of the licence cards would be completed in a couple of months.

Although there was a rule that the pullers of rickshaws and vans should have licenses, it was of no use, and the DCC did not go for any action considering the poverty of the pullers, according to sources of the DCC.

But the DCC started implementing the rule as the number of unauthorised rickshaws and vans went up manifold, causing severe traffic congestions in the city, they added.

The DCC also added a provision for fines of Tk 200 for pulling rickshaws or vans without possessing licenses.

Although there is no official record, the number of rickshaw-pullers in the Dhaka city is estimated at about seven lakh and one lakh of them are regular, according to the Rickshaw Owners' Association.

According to the DCC, at least three lakh unauthorised rickshaws, 50,000 vans and 20,000 pushcarts ply the city streets

BSS, Savar

Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed on Sunday said the civil servants must constantly mould their thoughts and actions with integrity, honesty, neutrality and abhorrence to all forms of corruption.

"At all times you must remember that you are servants of the republic and functionaries of a democracy where people are passionate about their rights", he added.

The Chief Adviser said this while addressing the closing function of 39th foundation training course of the young officers in the auditorium of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) here.

Finance and Planning Adviser Dr. AB Mirza Azizul Islam and Education Adviser Ayub Quadri spoke on the occasion. The Cabinet Secretary, high civil and military officials were present on the occasion.

BPATC Rector Abu M Maniruzzaman Khan gave welcome address and administered the oath of the trained officers.

The Chief Adviser distributed certificates and medals among the officers placed as top-ten in the four-month course. BPATC Rector presented a crest to the Chief Adviser.

Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed said "Today, Bangladesh is in the cusp of great changes. The government is seeking through the reforms process to establish institutions that will strengthen the basis of pluralism in our ethos."

The Chief Adviser said civil servants must help alleviate poverty, empower women, educate the youth and take the nation forward along the path of progress.

The Chief Adviser said "As civil servants you must perform your tasks without fear or favour, and in conformity with the values that are the atributes of an apolitical public administration system in a modern democracy".

Referring to good governance, Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed said it must not just be an aspiration but must be a regular feature of your daily life. No action of a public official must erode in any way of transgress the fundamental rights of a citizen, he added.

He said a sense of and obligation to human rights and rule of law must be guiding principle of the activities of the civil servants. You must resolutely implement policies that the government will set for the nation, he added.

Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed said "I would myself accord high priority to Information Technology. In this age of globalisation ICT has become an inalienable component of office management"

The Chief Adviser added "In our neighbouring countries, this skill is transforming the social, economic and even political landscape. We must use our vast intellectual potentials to develop this knowledge, and convert it into a key to open new doors of progress."

Dr. Fakhrudin Ahmed said that he is pleased to learn that the training system in the BPATC has been brought in line with the needs of a modern bureaucracy.

In addition to discourses on development administration some practical prerequisites of personal skill development such as driving, computing and English language learning have been included, he added.

The Chief Adviser hoped that the training will provide the public servants with desirable cohesiveness, transparency, accountability, discipline, efficiency and effectiveness.

Recalling the early days of his career, Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed said "This event fills me with an element of nostalgia. I, too, was once a young civil servant and cherished the training that I went through to equip me for my responsibilities."

He said the BPATC has been performing splendidly in discharging its responsibility in this respect For two decades it has been imparting a uniform perception among different cadres with regards to what is expected to them.

This is in regard to functions, structures, strategies processes and objectives of public administration, he added.

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a national seminar on 'Aid effectiveness and the role of CSOs' urged to ensure transparency and accountability for proper use of the foreign aid.

Development organisation Voice in association with international networking organisation Reality of Aid organised the seminar at the National Press Club yesterday.

The speakers also expressed anxiety over the interference of the donors in the country like the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about the policy making of the country.

Professor Anu Mohammad of Jahangirnagar University participated at the seminar as the main discussant, while Antonio Tujan Jr, President of Reality of Aid, Omar Tareque Chowdhury, Deputy Director of Proshika, Ashraful Alam Tutu, Coordinator of CDP and eminent journalist Zafarullah Chowdhury also discussed at the seminar.

Professor Anu Mohammad also said that donor agencies were pressuring the government not to cancel the Phulbari coal mine project of the Asia Energy, which was opoposed by the people last year and at least seven people died while protesting. He said this focusing on a column by a WB consultant in Bangladesh Forest Cookson in The daily Star on September 5.

Ownership, coordination, permutation, development result and bilateral accountability are the five points by which the effectiveness of the aid could be ensured, Antonio Tujan Jr said.

Zafarullah Chowdhury said that to protect the sovereignty of the country from the donors interference the civil society should together in a greater extent Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director of Voice moderated the seminar.

BSS, Barisal

One listed terrorist and an accused of 10 years imprisonment was killed in an encounter with police of Gournadi Thana of the district in the early hours of on Sunday, police said.

Gournadi Thana police arrested Habul Pyada, 32, a top listed terrorist and an accused of 10 years imprisonment of a dacoity case of Kalkini Thana of Madaripur district Habul, identified as son of Arshed Pyada of Barthi village of Gournadi upazila of the district He was arrested from Khondoker Barthi of Baurgati village of the Upazila at about 7-30 am on Saturday.

He was then interrogated at the Gournadi Thana for recovering arms and ammunition he possessed on the day.

Acting on his confessional statement, police was taking him to his village home at Barthi and when the police team reached at Batala areas of the village at around 2-15 am on Sunday, the close associates of Habul waiting there earlier fired on police and the police returned their fires.

In the mean time, Habul Pyada escaped from the hands of the police and during the exchange of fires Habul was seriously injured and died on the spot

Police recovered one gun, four rounds of ammunition and six botles of Indian Phensidyl left by his associates from the spot

At least 21 rounds of bullet were fired by the police during the encounter and one police personnel Chandan ,32, was injured during the encounter here yesterday, OC of Gournadi Thana Md. Abdul Hye Sarker said.

He was admited to hospital and was released yesterday morning after giving first aid.

His body was sent for autopsy this morning. SP visited the spot yesterday morning.

UNB, Dhaka

Russia is willing to extend cooperation to Bangladesh in seting up a nuclear power plant for production of nuclear energy to meet an insatiate demand for electricity, said the Foreign Advisor.

Talking to the press on his recent visit to Moscow, Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Sunday said he had detailed discussions with Russian Deputy Minister for Energy and Industry Ivan Materver on possible Russian cooperation in production of nuclear energy.

"Russia is positive and it could be an important partner of us in seting up nuclear power plant," he said.

However, the Advisor told the reporters that since the nuclear power technology is a complex issue, the mater should be discussed at national level to arrive at a final decision.

He said, " If we want to produce nuclear energy, the time has come to start primary negotiations with our possible partners who might help us in establishing the nuclear project since it takes a long time for its implementation."

Bangladesh earlier got the nod from IAEA to move ahead with its plan for peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The Advisor said since Bangladesh is a signatory to CTBT and NPTC, " We are commited to peaceful use of nuclear energy… we will not go for nuclear weapons."

In reply to a question, he said Bangladesh has already contacted

Russia at technical level for seting up the proposed nuclear power plant while he was the first to contact Russia at political level. Asked why the government is puting emphasis on cooperation from Russia in seting up the nuclear power plant, the Advisor said all countries do not like to extend nuclear cooperation. Russia has appropriate technology for it

Moreover, he pointed out, the people of Bangladesh and Russia are closely linked intellectually and culturally. Russia had enough contribution to the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. He said China, India, Pakistan and South Korea have already undertaken nuclear power-expansion projects. Although the Advisor could not tell about estimated cost of nuclear power plant, but said " since we have adequate technical know-how, we will be able to set up it with cooperation from our partners." Asked if it would cast any adverse impact on Bangladesh-US relations if Dhaka received nuclear cooperation from Moscow, he replied in the negative.

"Bangladesh looks to the East, West, South and North, and for a long time Bangladesh has not looked to the Russian Federation after the demise of the Soviet Union," the foreign advisor of the caretaker government said, on a note of criticism.

During the visit, Bangladesh and the Russian Federation signed Consular Convention, first deal between the two countries, to ease visa regime and ensure Bangladeshis' welfare in Russia. And the Advisor said Dhaka and Moscow are likely to sign several accords concerning avoidance of double taxation, investment and trade cooperation.

He further disclosed that Bangladesh wants to import 300,000 tons of wheat to build up a buffer stock and 4,00 tons of fertilizer from Russia.

Besides, he said, there is enough opportunity for Bangladeshi students to study medical science in Russia, particularly in medical institutions in St Petersburg. Presently, 40 students are studying over there.

The Advisor observed that his visit to Russia unveiled a new chapter of bilateral relations, saying that effective follow-ups would be made to strengthen political and economic ties between the two countries.

Foreign Secretary-in-charge Touhid Hossain and senior Foreign Ministry officers were present at the briefing.

Staff Reporter

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is rapidly focusing its food assistance on the Northern part of the country due to a second wave of flash flood over the last few days, said a press release.

Bangladesh is still reeling under the first wave of floods in July and August that affected over 10.6 million people.

Douglas Broderick, WFP Representative in Bangladesh, said, "WFP has already redirected its food assistance to the Northern part of the country and started planning to address the food and nutritional needs of the affected people, WFP and its partners has already sent their assessment teams to monitor the situation in close partnership with the Government"

Heavy monsoon rains in the upstream Indian areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, upper West Bengal and Sikkim have caused renewed flooding in North-East Bangladesh.

Since flood began in mid July, WFP has distributed over 2858 metric tonnes of food assistance to 1.2 million people. A further 496,475 people are currently being given food assistance under the WFP's 4th round food distribution. WFP distributed over 15,000 metric tonnes of food to 4 million people, many of whom are living in flooded areas, through its development programmes.

Broderick said, "WFP is concerned about the recent localized flood situation that affects the flood security situation. WFP will continue to monitor the flood situation to ensure that the food assistance reaches the people most in need."

WFP emergency distribution is being funded by the generous donations from Australia (US dollar 1.3 million), Germany (US dollar 0.64 million), Spain (US dollar 0.64 million), CERF (US dollar 4 million) and Canada (US dollar 25,000).

Rafiqul Islam Azad

The government has expressed concern over the fresh flood that has marooned thousands of people in different districts of the country recently.

The government apprehends that the fresh flood would be a prolonged one and would cause more losses to the already flood affected countrymen.

Adviser for the Water Resources Ministry Maj Gen (Retd) Motiur Rahman yesterday told journalists that the government would face huge difficulties due to the fresh flood, as the Government was yet to recover the losses caused by the previous flood.

Briefing journalists at his office the Adviser informed that India had cautioned Bangladesh about the severity of the fresh spell of flood.

According to sources, previously flood had occurred only in the rivers of the Brahmaputra basin; but this time, all the major rivers of Brahmaputra, Ganges, Meghna and Hill basins continued to swell due to heavy rains and onrush of waters from across the border for the last few days.

Waters in all the rivers are increasing simultaneously, while onrush of waters from across the border was threatening flood protection dams, bridges and culverts, he said.

Motiur Rahman said the safety fuse of the Teesta Barrage has been washed away by strong currents of the fresh flood. The flood has caused huge damages over large area of the Teesta basin, resulting in the destruction of huge quantity of crops, houses and washing away of hatcheries in the affected areas, he added.

He informed that the pressure of water at Kaptai Dam was so strong that all the 16 sluice gates of the dam had to be opened to avoid damages to the country's only hydroelectric power plant

Floodwater has been entering Bangladesh through the Brahmaputra, Ganges, Surma and Kushiara rivers, he said.

The flood situation in Sirajganj was worse than the previous time, he said.

Motiur Rahman said floodwater could not recede due to the rise in the sea level.

Replying to a question, he said there was no lack of coordination among the ministries concerned to deal with the flood situation.

He hoped that Bangladesh would be able to face the deluge utilizing its past experiences.

Water Secretary Syed Mohammad Zobaer told journalists that the flood situation would worsen if the situation in India deteriorates.

He said the flood situation has been worsening due to onrush of water from India and continuous rainfall across the country.

Director General of Water Development Board Mojaddad Al Faruq said the country incurred a loss of over Tk 551 crore due to damages to the dams and embankments by the previous flood. The fresh flood would increase the amount, he apprehended.

UNB, Rajshahi

A court on Sunday dismissed a case against three detained teachers of the Rajshahi University. Rabiul Alam of Metropolitan Magistrate's Court dismissed the case which was filed by Matihar thana sub-inspector Faruk Hossain on August 25 for damaging RU properties and for campus clashes. Joint forces arrested former Vice-Chancellor Prof Saidur Rahman Khan and Progatishil Sikhkhak Samaj convenor Prof Abdus Sobhan from their residences on August 23 and Associate Professor Moloy Kumer Bhoumick on August 25 following student unrest across the country. Two cases were filed against the three RU teachers following the campus violence on August 20-22.

Later, they were taken on a 10-day police remand on August 25, but sent to jail hajat after a week.

Staff Reporter

Inhabitants of Mirpur Section No-12 have demanded of the government not to demolish Baitul Azmat Jame Mosque complex located at Shekher Kalsee Mawza in the city.

A leter signed by 300 dignitaries was submited to the Chairman of the National Housing Authority requesting him not to demolish the structures of the complex.

The Superintending Engineer (Dhaka Circle) ordered earlier on July 29 to demolish a part of the complex.

Late Nurul Haque, owner of the land, built a mosque on the same before 1946. It is one of the old mosques in the city, the inhabitants of the area said in the leter.

Later, the government acquired the land earmarking 45000 square feet for the mosque during the rule of Aiyub Khan. Even the Master Plan for Mirpur Section No-12, prepared by then government, showed the land as the property of the mosque.

The Hifzul Qur'an Madrasah and Moktab (institution of teaching holy Qur'an) were established in the mosque complex in 1964.

Besides, a modern Islamic educational institution named "Darur Rashad" has been functioning here since 1985. The students of the Madrasah obtain good results in public examinations under Bangladesh Kowmi Madrasah Board.

The inhabitants of the area had demanded allotment of the land permanently in favour of the mosque according the Master Plan. The demand is, however, yet to be fulfilled.