The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America to Bangladesh Ms. Geeta Pasi called on President Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban on Monday.

Welcoming the Charge d'Affaires at Bangabhaban, the President appreciated her for her sincere endeavors in strengthening relations between the two countries.

The President stated that the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the USA are excellent and it would be further strengthened and deepened in the days to come.

The President apprised the envoy that the USA is one of the important development partners of Bangladesh. He stated that Bangladesh is committed to upholding the upcoming general election in a free, fair and credible manner within the time frame set by the Election Commission and he invites international observers to observe the election.

The President's forthcoming visit to the USA was also discussed in the meeting.

Geeta Pasi apprised the President that she is very happy to see the religious and communal harmony in Bangladesh. She said the people of Bangladesh have observed both Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja in a very peaceful manner. She hoped that Bangladesh would be able to achieve rapid development by exploring its immense potentials as well as the existing harmony and amity among the various communities.

She said that in the recent time she has visited different parts of the country and has enchanted by observing the co- existence and harmony among the people of different faiths.

Ms. Geeta Pasi hoped that the President's upcoming visit to the USA would be very successful and wished a very pleasant stay in the USA.

Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohd Aminul Karim, Secretary Md. Sirajul Islam, Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader and concerned officials of the embassy were present on the occasion.

AFP, Los Angeles

Wildfires sparked a state of emergency and mass evacuations in California Sunday, with Hollywood stars forced to flee their million-dollar homes and at least one person killed, authorities said.

Malibu,around 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of Los Angeles, is home to celebrities including Sting, Mel Gibson, Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand, Cher and Richard Gere.

Homes of director James Cameron and Australian singer Olivia Newton-John were among those evacuated, celebrity site TMZ.com reported. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared the emergency in seven of the state's southern counties late Sunday as firefighters battled the blazes, which started in the early morning and burned all day, fanned by strong winds.

"Throughout the region, more than 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) have already burned, and more areas are threatened. The wildfires have caused the loss of human life and serious injuries," his office said in a statement.

"The governor's emergency proclamation allows the state Office of Emergency Services to deploy emergency personnel, equipment and facilities and provide local government assistance," it added.

One person was killed and four firefighters were seriously injured while trying to protect a home from a wildfire in Potrero, near the Mexican border, 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of San Diego, the fire department said.

At least 13 people were injured elsewhere, according to reports, as the fast-moving flames devoured tree-lined hillsides and filled the area with choking thick smoke.

Staff Reporter

President of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Col (Retd) Oli Ahmed said the BNP and Awami League (AL) would be held responsible if democracy could not be restored in the country, as they were threatening to boycott the general election demanding the release of top two leaders of their respective parties.

He said 15 crore people could not be held hostage for the sake of two persons.

The LDP chief was speaking at a joining ceremony of different political leaders to his party and a view exchange meeting with Ganotantrik Palli Chikitshak Dal at its head office. Regarding the Chief Election Commissio-ner's comment on holding the election before October 2008 Col Oli said, "If possible the election should be held much earlier."

He also said not only the expatriates in Britain but also in the Middle East should be given the opportunity to exercise their franchise in the next general election.

About the present caretaker government's initiative to keep the price of essentials under control he said, "You are honest, capable and efficient but not experienced."

He also thanked Army Chief General Moin U Ahmed for his unwillingness to take over state power.

Earlier, 15 leaders of BNP and its affiliates and different organisations joined LDP yesterday.

Prof Jahanara Begum, Secretary General, Barrister Ziaur Rahman Khan, Presidium Member, Abul Kashem, Chashi Enamul Haque central leaders of LDP spoke in the meeting.

Staff reporter

Bikalpadhara Bangladesh President Prof AQM Badruduzza Chowdhury said that Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh would not be taken into the proposed national government, even if they have members in the next parliament. ''We will hold dialogue with all other political parties to exchange views on a proposed national consensus government'' he said.

"In this regard, we are going to send letters immediately to all political parties for clarifying the structure of a national consensus government," he disclosed at a press briefing at KC memorial.

B Chowdhury also former president of the republic said the proposed consensus government could be formed after the national election with the participation of all elected members of parliament.

UNB, Dhaka

M/s Monticore Technology Ltd, will set up a 50 mw Power Generation Plant in Ishwardi EPZ with a view to solve the power crisis of Ishwardi EPZ and its surrounding area involving US$45 ml.

The Australia-Bangladesh jointly owned company will install this 50 mw power plant on 3,752.32 square meters area within the zone. This plant will start providing the service within 15 months. The power plant will provide uninterrupted power supply to the operating enterprises of Ishwardi EPZ including adjacent area during peak and off peak hours. Out of developed 166 industrial plots in 28 sanctioned industrial units of the EPZ, three units are in operation at present and the rest are at various stages of implementation. Initially this power plant will meet the present requirement of Ishwardi EPZ and its future needs.

After fulfillment of the requirement of the investors, they may sell their excess power to PDB/REB or any other organization in their own arrangement. 32 Bangladeshi nationals will get employment opportunity in this company. An agreement to the effect has been signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and M/s Monticore Technology Ltd at BEPZA complex on Monday.

UNB, Dhaka

Japan-based 1st Marine Aircraft Wing of US Marines with the personnel of the Bangladesh Air Force will begin a weeklong training titled "Exercise Sumo Tiger" at Kurmitola Airfield here on Wednesday.

During the exercise, pilots and support personnel from Marine Fighter-Attack Squadron 314 will conduct bilateral training with their counterparts in the Bangladesh Air Force to share expertise and to improve the interoperability and the professional relationships between the United States and Bangladesh Armed Forces.

Court Correspondent

Dulal Mia arrested in connection with the killing of four persons in a procession of Bangladesh Nationalist Party at Malibagh of the capital in 2001 was yesterday placed on a 4-day remand.

Investigation Officer (I0) SI Ehsanul Haque produced the accused before Chief Metropolitan magistrate (CMM) Court and sought a 10-day remand, hearing the case Metropolitan Magistrate ABM Abdul Fattah granted remand for 4 days.

On February 13, 2001 during the hartal of the opposition BNP, their procession was allegedly attacked by another procession of the Awami League led by Doctor Iqbal causing the death of 4 persons on the spot. They were allegedly shot dead from another procession of the Awami League and Dulal was arrested after about 7 years.

AFP, United Nations

The UN Security Council on Monday strongly condemned last week's suicide bombings that targeted former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto in Karachi and urged all states to help bring the perpetrators to justice.

In a non-binding statement, the 15-member body "underlines the need to bring perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice and urges all states tto cooperate actively with the Pakistani authorities in this regard."

The council reiterated that "any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed," added the statement which was read out by the council's president for this month, Ghana's UN Ambassador Leslie Christian.

AP from Islamabad adds: A senior government official on Monday rejected a call from Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto for US and British experts to help investigate the suicide attack on her homecoming procession from overseas exile.

Bhutto said Sunday she wanted the foreign experts to assist in the inquiry into the Thursday night bombing in Karachi, which killed 136 people, wounded hundreds more, and raised the question of whether campaign rallies would be allowed ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections. But Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said foreigners would not be brought into the investigation.

"I would categorically reject this," he said. "We are conducting the investigation in a very objective manner." Bhutto, who escaped the blast because she had stepped into her armored bus minutes before the bomb went off, has called for an independent inquiry, questioning why many streetlights were not working as her convoy inched its way through the darkness, and noting the chief investigator is a police officer who had been present as her husband was allegedly tortured while in custody on corruption charges in 1999.

"The inquiry should be led by Pakistan, but the government should call on foreign experts so that the killers t can be brought to justice without any doubts," she said Monday at the Karachi tomb of Pakistan's founding father, Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

Her convoy had been heading to the tomb when the bombs went off. She also appealed to the militants, saying, "The terrorists should lay down their arms.

BSS, Dhaka

President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) Latifur Rahman yesterday reiterated the demand for immediate removal of ban on Bangladeshi investments in India.

He took up the issue with the visiting members of an investment delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) at a meeting at the MCCI conference room here, saying, "It should be two-way business." "In a similar meeting here a couple of months ago, the Indian High Commissioner assured that the issue was under review and the ban would be withdrawn shortly," he said adding, "We look forward to hearing the decision."

The Indian side led by Shreekant Somany laid emphasis on the easier connectivity of goods and passengers between the two countries and said many Indian investors are ready to put money in various productive sectors and services.

They said some investment proposals are already on the table and delaying decisions is only giving wrong signals. It is time to move ahead with investment projects and expansion of economic relations in all fields, they said.

Past presidents of MCCI, its directors and Indian High Commissioner Pinak R Chakrabarty were present.

The members of the delegation also had one-to-one meetings with Bangladeshi businessmen to explore common ground of investment interest.

Latifur Rahman urged the Indian delegation for taking effective steps to remove the staggering trade imbalance and said removal of non-tariff barriers would alone serve the purpose more than anything else. He hoped that the duty free access to 8 million garment pieces to the Indian market would contribute a lot to this effect. It may be the first of many steps, he said, that may reduce the trade imbalance.

The MCCI president said Bangladesh has already developed a competitive production base and India should support it for the mutual benefit of both sides.

BSS, Dhaka

Adviser for Education, Primary and Mass Education and Cultural Affairs Ayub Quadri said though the significant progress has been made in achieving E-9 goals, eradication of illiteracy remains a major challenge in Bangladesh.

"At the same time, technical literacy, vocational training and quality of education are also pressing priorities, the adviser said while addressing the 34th general conference of the UNESCO in Paris yesterday, according to a message received here.

He said the UNESCO needs to make itself relevant to these basic needs through a concrete action. The adviser underscored the need for more effective involvement of the UNESCO in common country assessment, UN development assistance framework and poverty reeducation strategy processes from a developing country perspective.

"The UN's common country programmes should include UNESCO both in programming exercise and funding," he added.

Quadri noted with satisfaction the emphasis given to 'best practices' throughout the draft programme and budget for the biennium. He said every member state has something to offer others in terms of expertise, experience, innovations and successful models and institutions.

"It seems to us that without proper institutional support, collection, collation and dissemination of best practices in different areas of UNESCO's competence may not be carried out effectively," the adviser said.

AP, Munbai

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt returned to prison Monday, just two months after he was released on bail, to resume serving a six-year sentence for illegal weapons possession. Judge Pramod Kode issued sentencing papers to Dutt, who handed himself over to authorities immediately.

"The Supreme Court said I should surrender after I get a copy of the court order, so I am surrendering," Dutt told a special court in Mumbai that was set up to deal with cases connected to a 1993 bombing that killed 257 people in the western India city.

Dutt was sentenced to six years in prison on July 31 for possessing three automatic rifles and a pistol that had been supplied to him by men subsequently convicted in the 1993 bombing.

BSS, Chittagong

The registration of voters to prepare voter list with photographs and national ID card began here at all 41 wards under Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) yesterday.

District Election Office (DEO) with cooperation of Bangladesh Army is conducting the tasks, DEO sources said. On the inaugural day of the process, a procession to motivate voters for registration was brought out in the city yesterday morning.

It started from Laldighi Maidan and ended at Shaheed Miner after parading different city streets. Led by Deputy Commissioner Chittagong, Mohammad Ashraf Shamim, officials from DEO, district administration, CCC ward commissioners and development activists joined the procession. Addressing a rally after the procession, Ashraf Shamim said the present government has taken initiative to prepare an accurate voter list to ensure a free and fair poll.

Staff Reporter

Six youths of wealthy families who were arrested along with banned drug Yaba from the city's posh Gulshan and Banani areas were placed on a three-day remand by a court yesterday.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mizanur Rahman placed them under three-day remand for interrogation after the Gulshan police pleaded to grant seven-day remand.

A team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested these six youths along with Yaba tablets and porno CDs from the Gulshan and Banani areas after Wednesday midnight keeping a vigilance on them for a week.

Later, RAB and a young woman filed two separate cases against them with the Gulshan police station. On Friday, they were produced before a court by police. Police pleaded to the court to place them under a seven-day remand. However, instead of placing them under remand, the court ordered to send them to jail.

They were brought to court again yesterday and police pleaded to the court to place them under a seven-day remand. The court placed them on three-day remand.

Meanwhile, three notorious terrorists-Taj, Sohel and Lambu Selim who were brought back from India were taken to a five-day remand by Paltan police yesterday.

Judge Hasan Sarwar of the Court No. 13 of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Dhaka placed them on a five-day remand after the Paltan police station sub-inspector Azizul Huq pleaded to the court to place them on a ten-day remand.