The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is inquiring into allegations of corruption and irregularities against former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, ministers and bureaucrats during the two governments of BNP and Awami League in signing contract with Canadian company Niko.

"The issue of Niko is at inquiry stage. Two inquiry officers have been appointed for the periods of two previous governments," ACC secretary Mokhles ur Rahman said at a regular briefing of the Commission on Thursday He said: "The matters to inquire are why the lowest bidder was not awarded the deal and if the state incurred any financial loss because of declaring a gas field abandoned, if the contract was non-transparent and if anyone was personally benefited." He added: "If the inquiries proved the allegations (in the matter), next necessary measures will be taken."

Asked what would be next measures, Mokhles said that if corruption is proved, first information report (FIR) would be filed followed by investigation and then the case would go to court.

Replying to a query, he said the involvement of all-beginning from heads of state to ministers and bureaucrats -are being inquired. The inquiries have begun about 2-3 weeks ago, the ACC secretary told another questioner.

He said the inquiries are expected to be complete by November. Asked about two former Prime Ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina being accused in the same case, Mokhles said it would be decided after receiving inquiry report whether there would be one case or more. When his attention was drawn to media reports that former Prime Minister Khaleda's involvement was not found, he said: "We have not yet received the inquiry report. It's too early for me to comment." About the progress of investigation in the case filed against former Prime Minister Hasina on September 2, Mokhles said though the investigation has begun a bit late due to court intervention, the investigation would be completed within the stipulated time.

Asked if Khaleda's younger son Arafat Rahman Koko would be questioned, he said that if the investigation officer deems it necessary Koko could be questioned.

The ACC secretary informed that AL presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury's son Shahdat Akbar Chowdhury submitted his wealth statement to the Commission on October 16.

UNB, Dhaka

Manpower export hit an all-time high this year with 425,000 workers so far departing the country for abroad. The departed workers were from among the 630,000 who have so far been cleared for immigration, the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry said in a statement Thursday. "Many more are expected to leave over the remaining months of the year," the statement said. "This is an all-time record." The ministry said the number of departed workers last year was 384,000.

It said the ministry found problems in Malaysia, but the government has initiated a series of measures, including cancellation of licenses and supervision of responsible recruiting agencies. Other measures included appointment of lawyers to protect the rights of Bangladeshi labour and enhancing the capacity of the High Commission by increasing personnel and making changes. "The restriction imposed recently by the Malaysian authorities is purely temporary and provides both side time to take measures to improve the situation," said the statement, adding that despite the restrictions the flow still continued.

About Korean labour market, it said, Bangladesh and South Korea are expected to sign an implementation agreement soon for administration of Korean language tests. With regard to Canada, a process of recruiting 1,133 workers is underway. The ministry said the government is looking for new labour markets in other countries like Rumania, Poland, Nigeria, Angola and the Russian Federation.

"The Ministry will soon initiate an integrated policy whereby we will prepare for filling the gaps in Europe and America made by their aging population."

It said that improvement of workers' skills in English and European languages would be necessary to tap the market and stressed the need for cooperative endeavours of the public and private sectors.

Staff Reporter

Indian Banks are eyeing Bangladesh as one of the potential place to expand their market. One of the largest banks of neighbouring India, the Allahabad Bank, recently announced that it was looking abroad for further expansion and may set up new offices in Bangladesh and Kenya, The Statesman reported.

Bank of India, one of the largest nationalised bank of the country, is doing brisk business in Bangladesh for a long.

Bangladesh is being considered as one of the most potential market for banking business in the recent days and many foreign banks and financial institutions have expressed their keen interest to start business here.

For the second quarter ended 30 September, Allahabad Bank reported a 14.16 per cent increase in net profit at Rupees 239.78 crore compared to Rs 210.03 crore for the corresponding period of last year, AC Mahajan, Chairman and Managing Director of the bank, told reporters. For the six months during April-September 2007, the bank's net profit was Rs 440.18 crore as against Rs 338.28 crore in the corresponding period last year, registering a growth of 30.12 per cent.

AC Mahajan said the total deposit of the bank went up to Rs 65,896 crore as on 30th September 2007 from Rs 54,006 crore as on 30th September 2006 and Rs 59,544 crore as on 31st March 2007.

The bank's net NPA to net advances ratio was 0.75 per cent as at the end of September 2007 which was down from 1.07 per cent as at March-end 2007, but remained steady compared to 0.75 per cent as at the end of September 2006, AC Mahajan added.

During the year from September 2006 to September 2007, 114 more branches were opened throughout the country taking the total number of branches to 2,134 of which 982 (46 per cent) are rural, 397 (19 per cent) semi-urban, 449 (21 per cent) urban and 306 (14 per cent) metropolitan.

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Former BNP minister Nazmul Huda Thursday denied wrongdoing in allotting a railway plot to an organisation run by his wife at a token price.

In a deposition in the Special Judge's Court-5 of M Ashraf Hossain, the ex-communications minister in Khaleda administration pleaded not guilty.

"I have not committed any crime by allotting a plot of derelict railway land. The railway authorities were benefited through the deal," said Huda, a barrister, in a written statement.

Referring to the so-called 'minus-two formula', Huda said," This case has been filed just to neutralise me as I was a close colleague of [former prime minister] Khaleda Zia."

"Do you think my political career would depend on the whims of the chief adviser or my political opponents? Or will it depend upon the people's will?" the ex-lawmaker asked.

On March 21, Anticorruption Commission deputy director Shafiqul Islam filed the case against Huda, charging him with corruption in land allocation. The case details said he had abused his official authority as a communications minister to allot 14 katha of railway land to his wife Sigma Huda's organisation 'Manobadhikar Bastobayon Sangsthha' at a token price of Tk 5001.

It cost the government roughly Tk 7.84 crore in losses, the case said.

On July 23, ACC assistant director Mirza Jahidul Alam submitted charge sheet in the case in Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for Dhaka.

On Aug 12, a special judge's court framed charges and witnesses starting testifying on Aug 20. A total of 27 prosecution witnesses testified until Sept 12. On August 27, a court handed down seven years jail term to Huda and three years to his wife in a bribery case.

UNB, Dhaka

Like yesteryear, uncertainty still looms over hassles-free hajj performing by Bangladeshi pilgrims as the private hajj-facilitating agencies could not rent dormitories for them in Makka and Madina of Saudi Arabia.

A review meeting on this year's hajj management, convened by the Religious Affairs Ministry on Thursday, was apprised of this situation. Officials from different ministries and government departments attended the meeting.

Both the Religious Affairs officials and the representatives of private hajj agencies blamed each other for the problem and also cited the countrywide floods as an excuse for the delays in renting the requisite pilgrim dorms.

Under the circumstances, sources concerned aired doubt as to whether the Bangladeshi hajj agencies could get good and nearest houses for the devotees as the other countries have completed the house-renting procedures much before. Religious Affairs Secretary Ataur Rahman, who presided over the meeting, however, said he is hopeful about completing the house-renting work soon.

He said dormitories were rented in Makka for only those devotees who would go to hajj under government management, and their number is 5,583. But, houses were rented neither in Makka nor in Madina for as many as 41,363 devotees who will go to hajj under the management of private hajj agencies, he added. This year, a total of 47,946 people will go to perform hajj, about 2,000 less than last year's figure.

The Religious Affairs Secretary said, "As per National Hajj Policy adopted this year, the house-renting procedures were mandatory to be completed within the month of Ramadan."

Staff Reporter

Amidst a declining trend in foreign assistance recent years, Bangladesh is going to seek $1,623 million loan from the World Bank (WB) in the current fiscal year (FY) out of the bank's promised amount of $2.96 billion to lend in four years under its Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) paper.

The demand will be placed to the WB Headquarters before launching the annual meeting of WB and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, DC scheduled for October 22-23, sources in the Government said.

A high-level government delegation led by Finance and Planning Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam is now staying in Washington to join the meeting.

The government has prepared a report on the status of WB assistance for different projects, which will be placed before the meeting when the adviser raises the subject.

Although, according to CAS, the WB had pledged $1,590 million to Bangladesh for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 financial years, it gave the country only $819 million. Of which, $456 million was provided for 2005-2006 FY and $363 million for 2006-07 FY.

The Bangladesh team will ask the WB for the carry over from last two FYs, which is $771 million, along with WB's commitment for the current FY, which is $852 million. "We want the WB to follow the CAS and disburse the aid it has committed," additional secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) Shaheedul Haque told journalists yesterday. "We need the pledged funds to carry forward projects we failed to execute in the previous two years because of a funding crisis," he said.

Official record shows the share of grants in the external aid package declined to 31.9 per cent in 2005-06 from 88.2 per cent in 1972-73 fiscal year. The share of loan has swelled to 68.1 per cent in 2005-06 from 11.8 per cent in the fiscal year that coincided with the country's independence.

The share of grants, which was 89 per cent in the fiscal year 1971-73 declined to 53.2 per cent in FY1979-80, 55.4 per cent in FY1984-85 and 31.9 per cent in FY2005-06, said the report, prepared by ERD.

The decreasing volume of grants has resulted in a larger portion of loans in the total aid package and increased per capita debt by 21 times.

'The per capita debt obligation of the country has increased from $6.59 in FY 1973-74 to $139.91 in FY 2005-2006,' said the report that compiled data up to June 30, 2006.

Donors, particularly the bilateral ones, during the last decade have been concentrating more on central Asian countries, gradually washing their hands of poor Asian countries, including Bangladesh, ERD officials said.

According to the statistics, the total aid package comprising grants and loans in 1972-73 was $551.4 million. Of the total, $65 million or 11.8 per cent was available in the form of loan, while the remaining $486 million or 89 per cent was grant.

Bilateral donors were then more inclined to help the war-ravaged newborn nation to rebuild its infrastructures and feed its population, officials said.

ERD figures gave a chronology showing how loan overtook the share of grants in external assistance.

Total aid package in the 1980-81 fiscal year was $1,146.40 million, of which loan was $552.7 million or 48.2 per cent and grant $593.7 million.

External funds totaled $1,732.6 million in 1990-91, including $901.1 million or 52 per cent loan and $ 831.5 million grant.

In 2003-04, Bangladesh received $1,033 million in foreign funds, of which $695 million or 67.2 per cent came as loan, while the remaining $338.5 million or 32.8 per cent was grant.

During the period, project aid has leaped from 1.3 per cent to 96.9 per cent, while both food and commodity supports have been slashed from 98.7 per cent to 3.1 per cent, said the report.

The total aid package in the 2005-2006 was $1.56 billion, of which $1.06 billion or 68.1 per cent was given in the form of loan.

The remaining $500.5 million or 31.9 per cent was given as grant.

According to the report, since independence until June 30, 2006, a total amount of about $44.82 billion of foreign aid was disbursed, of which 44.7 per cent was grants and 55.3 per cent loans.

Staff Reporter

A private car driver was killed when a speedy public bus of Monjil Paribahan rammed his vehicle at the city's busy Motijheel area yesterday morning.

Witnesses and police said Mohammad Abdul Mazid, driver of a car (Dhaka Metro-Ga 11-5085), was critically injured when the speedy bus (Dhaka Metro-Ja 11-3112) belonging to Monjil Paribahan crashed his car at a place, opposite to the Dhaka Chamber building and Motijheel branch of Arab Bangladesh Bank Ltd at about 11:15am.

At that time, the 60-year-old Mazid was returning back to his house at 459 Kazipara under the Kafrul Police Station to attend his ailing wife after dropping his employer's wife at Sonali Bank head office premises.

Immediately after the accident, critically injured Mazid was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries later. Mazid left behind his wife and two daughters to mourn his death.

Police said the driver of the Monjil Paribahan bus was driving his vehicle recklessly and rammed the private car at the front side. Instantly, the steering of the private car hit Mazid's chest and he fell unconscious. Later, he died on his way to the hospital.

The bus driver Majnu, 28, son of Sadeque Ali, of village Madarpur under Sribardi of Sherpur district and his helper were caught red-handed by Motijheel police. They were later taken to the police custody. The affected private car and the bus were taken to the Shahbagh police control room.

Witnesses said they became surprised witnessing such a tragic road accident in the city's busy commercial hub in broad-daylight. They blamed reckless driving by the drivers of Monjil Paribahan.

Mazid's brother Mohammad Abdul Alim filed a case (No. 51) with the Motijheel Police Station under Section 279/504 (Kha) of the Bangladesh Penal Code.

Talking to The New Nation, Awal, Director of Monjil Paribahan, admitted that the drivers of his company drive the vehicles recklessly.

He said he wanted to negotiate the matter sitting inside the Motijheel Police Station, but could not do so after a senior police official ordered to file a case.

"We have resolved eight to ten such cases negotiating with the respective family members. Each of the family members was given Tk 8,000-10,000. But, this time the victim's family wanted to resolve the matter through court," he said.

Staff Reporter

Foreign exchange reserve is expected to touch 5.5 billion U.S. dollars by early November for the first time due to higher inflows of remittances from Bangladeshis working abroad, increased export earnings and aid disbursement by the World Bank.

The WB is likely to release the International Development Association (IDA) credit worth 75 million U.S. dollars shortly, sources in the Bangladesh Bank said.

The government has already signed a loan agreement for 75 million U.S. dollars with the IDA of the World Bank to help finance part of the fiscal 2007-08 (July 2007-June 2008) resource gap incurred as a result of the floods.

A review of Bangladesh Bank statistics showed that the reserves continued to increase as remittance inflows and export earnings have increased in the last two years and a half.

The foreign exchange reserve rose to 5.206 billion U.S. dollars Wednesday following increased flow of remittances, reasonable export growth and a normal import trend, official sources said.

Expatriate Bangladeshis remitted about $6 billion in fiscal 2006-07, a rise of about 22 percent from the previous fiscal year. Export earnings grew by about 20 percent.

The flow of inward remittance jumped by around 26 percent in September over August due to the advent of the holy month of Ramadan as well as Eid-ul-Fitr festival.

The remittances from Bangladesh nationals working abroad were estimated at 592.78 million U.S. dollars in September, up 25.86 percent from August.

UNB, Dhaka

Liberal Democratic Party president Dr Col (retd) Oli Ahmed said there is no basis for his return to BNP, but hastened to add that it is nothing new for any party making proposal to another on any issue.

"Despite being a founding-member, I was compelled to quit BNP and float LDP protesting against corruption, terrorism and extortion by some BNP ministers, MPs and leaders," he told UNB in an interview at his New DOH residence Thursday.

Oli said, "It is our priority to consolidate LDP and prepare it for the next election. Some tried to misinterpret my remarks to create a smokescreen. I have protested whenever I saw wrongs and injustice. It does not mean I have sided with any party." He categorically said any political party could offer proposal to his party, which is not new in political culture. "If any proposal comes, we will take decision after a threadbare consultation and examination in our party presidium and the executive committee."

During an hour-long interview, Col Oli spoke candidly about party reform, ban on politics and lifting state of emergency, expatriate voters and anti-corruption drive in the interim period. Asked about Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan's moves for reforms in BNP, he recounted that the LGRD Ministry headed by Bhuiyan as Minister was dubbed most corrupt ministry during the 5-year rule of the BNP government. "A question lurks in public mind as to how a ministry could be so corrupt if its minister was not corrupt," he said, trying to underpin his observations about his former party colleague.

Besides, Oli observed that Bhuiyan, expelled from the party for his defiant move, had been BNP secretary general for the longest time, nearly 12 years, and was the hardcore supporter of Begum Khaleda Zia. He also pointed out that "The Prime Minister's Office, Hawa Bhana and BNP office were controlled by Bhuiyan cohorts". "When we had spoken against corruption and terrorism in the last four years, Bhuiyan and his colleagues kept mum. And, being blinded by power, they were busy enjoying bread and butter," he said. Carrying on his tirade against the immediate-past ruling party affairs, an outspoken Oli said, "Once Bhuiyan faithfully carried out Begum Zia's instructions. Now suddenly he became revolutionary. Such an opportunist leader who can betray his party cannot be trusted." The LDP leader said most corrupt persons are facing trial and punishment, but he reminded that a few corrupt ones are trying to hide by giving lip service to reforms. "I don't call them reformists, they are opportunists. The government must take action against them." Oli believes that if the Anti-Corruption Commission is allowed to function freely, the level of corruption in the country would come down to the lowest level in next 2 to 3 years.

Asked about Bikalpadhara president Prof Badruddoza Chowdhury's proposition on national consensus government, he said a party that would secure majority seats through next parliamentary elections should decide how the country would be ruled.

"It does not depend on any one's wish to fulfil one's personal ambition," he said, taking a swipe at his another former party colleague.

Oli, however, noted that it would be good for the country if there be consensus on important national issues.

Asked his opinion about reconciliation between government and major parties, as being seen in the political scene of Pakistan, the LDP leader said there is a gulf of difference between Bangladesh and Pakistan politics.

He said Pakistan witnessed corruption but Bangladesh witnessed plunder. "Under any circumstance the corrupt cannot be pardoned, and the people will not accept it as well."

But, Oli noted, people would not like to see any revenge on any individual out of suspicion. Every act should be done with transparency and accountability and due process must be followed. Replying to a question, he said the ban on political activities and the state of emergency should be relaxed by December for restoration of healthy politics, as he said "controlled democracy cannot bring good for the country".

He said, "As the Election Commission had stated it would require minimum 18 months for election preparation, similarly I feel minimum 12 months will be required for political parties for election preparations."

Criticizing the EC's move to register Bangladeshi expatriates in the UK as voters, he said why the EC did not think of other 20 lakh working in Middle-Eastern countries to make them voter. As a matter of fact, he said, 60 percent development works in the country are done with the remittances sent by these people. Oli said that instead of giving voter ID cards to the expatriates, their passports could be recognized as ID cards in becoming voter. This will reduce the cost of the Election Commission as well as the burden of frequent foreign trips by EC officials.

He said making the expatriates of one country voter and depriving 70 percent others living in other countries would be contrary to the existing laws.

Asked about government's new strategy to punish corrupt businessmen instead of throwing them into jail, Oli said the way the law is being applied against corrupt politicians similar method should not be applied against corrupt businessmen for the sake of the national economy.

"But it must be looked into that the businessmen are not siphoning off money, depriving government of taxes and their money is invested in the country."