The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Head of the caretaker government Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed Wednesday said his interim regime is working tirelessly for a government truly of the people, by the people and for the people.

"We no longer want to endure governments 'of the money, by the money and for the money'," the Chief Adviser told a function marking the United Nations Day at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre. Brought in the helm of power by the recent political crisis over electoral issues, his nine-month-old government is carrying out massive sociopolitical reforms to create an atmosphere congenial to holding the stalled general election in a free, fair and credible manner.

UN Resident office to Bangladesh organized the 62nd founding anniversary of the United Nations, which came into being in 1945 for maintaining peace and order in the world.

Bangladesh became 136th member of the UN on September 17, 1974. Now 192 countries are the members of the United Nations. Video footage of the historic moment of Bangladesh's membership of the global body was screened at the function.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and noted jurist Dr Kamal Hossain, who was present as Foreign Minister at the historical moment of Bangladesh joining in the UN through endorsement by the UN General Assembly in the UN headquarters in New York in 1974, also spoke on the occasion.

Staff Reporter

The owners of Nasa Garment yesterday closed the factory indefinitely in the wake of labour unrest arising out of arrest of their leaders and colleagues.

The workers of the factory found a notice of shutdown in the morning when they came to work at the factory at Tejgaon industrial area in the city.

The workers became sentimental while talking to this correspondent and alleged that the authorities of the factory bluffed them after assuring a peaceful solution to the problem. Aggrieved workers may take to street anytime and spread violence in other garments also, sources concerned said.

Tejgaon police chief Shafiqul Islam, however, said that security had been geared up in the area after the decision of the shutdown apprehending unrest. But no untoward incident had taken place there, he said over phone.

Police and law enforcing agency men swooped on the labour leaders during the Eid vacation as the owners sued the workers of the factory who took part in demonstrations demanding salaries and dues before Eid.

At night of August 13, on the eve of Eid, police arrested garment workers' leader Morjina Begum, a signatory to the agreement signed on September 23 between the owner and the workers of Nasa Group Ltd.

The law enforcers also raided the houses of scores of labour leaders at night and arrested Jahid and Kabita, workers of Nasa Garment and Hasina of Padma Poly Cotton Ltd. All the apparel workers were indicted under section of Emergency Powers Act that denies them the right to be free on bail.

Various labour organisations denounced the arrest of garment labour leaders sounding alert that it would further provoke unrest in the apparel industry.

The workers, however, did not join the factory after Eid and were observing work abstention demanding release of their detained colleagues. The factory owners could not be reached for comment.

BSS, Dhaka

The first Hajj flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited will leave here for Jeddah at 6.55am on November 12 next.

"Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited along with Saudi Airlines will carry about 45,000 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims to Jeddah this year," Managing Director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr M A Momen told BSS.

The National Flag-carrier, Biman, like the previous years, has embarked upon a programme to ferry some 35,000 pilgrims including 5,583 ballotee to and from Jeddah to perform the holy Hajj, he said adding that Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia, will carry 10,000 pilgrims.

Dr Momen said, this year's hajj-fare for both bellotee and non-bellottee pilgrims has been fixed at US $ 1,250.

The Hajj flights-2007 will be completed on December 14. The post-hajj operation will commence from December 23 to last till January 24, 2008 when the airline will bring the last Hajj pilgrims home.

Dr Momen said, we have applied to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation in Jeddah seeking 99 'flight slot' to ferry Hajj pilgrims but they approved 85 slots for us.

After getting the approval, hajj flight schedule was announced, he said adding, according to the schedule, the airline has procured one buoying- 707 from Ashbin Aeronautical Authority in Australia on lease while two wide-bodied DC-10 from Biman's own fleet will be used to operate 85 hajj flights to ensure smooth operation.

Biman will operate a total of six flights to and from Chittagong to Jeddah under the programme of Hajj Flight. The first flight from Chittagong will start on November 26 and the last flight on December 7. The post-hajj operation from Jeddah to Chittagong will commence from January 6, 2008 to last till January 17 when the airline will bring the last Hajj pilgrims home.

For the first time, Biman will operate two hajj flights to and from Sylhet to Jeddah. The two flights will starts for Jeddah on November 29 and 30 respectively and return flights from Jeddah will reach in Sylhet on January 9 and 10 respectively.

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Bank has started refinancing the commercial banks offering low cost home loans to their clients. Delta BRAC Housing Finance Limited was the first among the banks and financial institutions to get the refinancing facility of Tk 54,75,000 against their disbursements of Tk 73,00,000. Nine commercial banks and 13 non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) signed agreements with the Bangladesh Bank as of today (Wednesday) to avail of the refinance facility under the central bank's home loan scheme.

All of them are now ready to offer home loan at 10 percent interest, the lowest available rate in the country at present. "The prevailing stagnation in the housing industry will be removed with the start of disbursement of the loan," a senior Bangladesh Bank official told UNB.

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

The safety of hospital patients is at stake in the country. It is now believed that the situation is far more serious than normally expected, health experts warned.

According to the estimation of the World Health Organisation (WHO), everyday Bangladesh produces over 1,000 tonnes of health care wastes including injection-related wastes, which are not properly disposed off.

Dr Iqbal Kabir of the WHO said, "Patients' safety is not only a global problem but in Bangladesh it is alarming. Lapses in patients' safety are remarkably common and have been taking an enormous human and financial toll globally." People living in Bangladesh receive more than 5 injections per year and 50 per cent of the injections are 'unsafe'. The unsafe practices include re-use of syringes and needles in the absence of awareness among healthcare workers and the community as a whole to the risk of needle prick injuries, he added.

Neonatal infections in the hospitals and clinics in the country were found to be three to 20 times higher than in the industrialised countries, he claimed. In industrialised countries, one in 10 patients receiving hospital care experience some form of accidental harm such as illness, injury or death. In Bangladesh such unfavourable events are not limited to hospitals, they occur in all healthcare settings including physician's chambers, nursing homes, pharmacies, as well as in the informal, largely free sector where many people seek care from the unqualified health service providers, according to the WHO.

There are inherent risks to all health care products and services in the country. At least half of the adverse events are potentially preventable. Unfavourable events are primarily due to lack in system design, organisation and operation rather than due to individuals.

Dr Sultana Khanum, a health expert of the WHO, said, "Patients' safety is not only about statistics, but about harm to the lives of real people both patients and families and to the health professionals who provide the care. Patients, health professionals and policy makers should work together to make health care safe."

She said at the national level system improvements might include promoting the rational use of medicines and medical devices and monitoring their safety. In a hospital setting, the introduction of the procedures such as standardised treatment guidelines and essential drug lists, the creation of physical barriers such as the special handling and dispensing of potentially harmful drugs when they are delivered into clinical areas or the proper disposal of injection-related or other waste, ensuring ready access to relevant patient information such as a patient's known drug allergies and ensuring adequate training and supervision of health care employees to improve their decisions and clinical judgment.

Human error is not only part of the problem of lapses in patients' safety. Although a more careful approach by the health professionals and employees would prevent many medical errors, there are also chronic problems in health care systems that need to be corrected, said patient safety experts.

AP, Karachi

The senior detective leading the probe into the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto has withdrawn from the case after the opposition leader accused him of involvement in the alleged torture of her husband, a senior official said Wednesday. "The investigation team will be formed anew after Manzur Mughal disassociated himself from the investigation in view of the objections raised by Benazir Bhutto on the chief investigator's credentials," said Ghulam Muhammad Mohtarem, the home secretary of Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital. Last Thursday night, two suicide bombers attacked a truck carrying Bhutto, a former prime minister, through a sea of more than 150,000 supporters in Karachi who had welcomed her back from more than eight years in exile, killing at least 136 people. The government has promised a thorough investigation of the attack, which has raised doubts about Pakistan's stability as it heads toward crucial elections.

However, Bhutto has accused elements in the government and security services of complicity in the explosions and called for international experts to help in the investigation. She specifically objected to Mughal, claiming he had been present while her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, was allegedly tortured while in custody on corruption charges in 1999.

Mohtarem said the provincial government had no doubt about Mughal's competency and professionalism, but that he had decided to withdraw to protect the investigation from accusations of bias. Government officials insist Pakistani authorities can handle the investigation without outside help.

Staff Reporter

Expressing grab concern over the climate change former adviser to the caretaker government Dr Akbar Ali Khan urged all concerned to combat against the global warming to save the next generation from the certain destruction.

Accusing the developed countries responsible for the increasing global climate changes, he observed that these countries must take responsibilities for it.

''Since the concept of security has been changed in the present global context, the environment and economic security are very important,'' he said, adding the poverty reduction across the globe is a must to face the challenges of the climate change. They were speaking at a seminar on 'Role of United Nation in Global Climate Change' organised by Lions Club of Dhaka Central in the city yesterday marking UN Day.

Presided over by Lion Mohammad Alamgir Haque, president, Lions Club of Dhaka Central, Lion PK Roy, district governor, Lion District 315B-Bangladesh, Lion Kazi Akram Hossain, former Council Chairperson and International Director( Endorsee), Dr Atique Rahman, Executive Director, Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies, Abdur Rob Khan, Research Director , Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dr Mizan R Khan, Chairman, Department of Environment Science and Management, North South University, Lion Eng M Shajahan Kadem, chairman , UN Day Observance Committee 2007 and Lion Abu Daraj Bhuyian, Secretary , Lions Club of Dhaka Central, among others, addressed the seminar.

Masud Mannan, Director General , Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the keynote paper .

Eminent Scientist Dr Atique Rahman also member of Inter-Governmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), which won Nobel Peace Prize this year, warned about the deadly impact of the global climate change in the country.

According to the IPCC expert , the productivity of country's lands will be significantly decreased due to the green house affects.

Duration of flood would be increased as the sea level is rising day by day, Atique said.

At least 200 million people will be displaced and the bio-diversity , ecosystem would be fall under danger circumstance , he alarmed.

He suggested the government to take multi-dimensional policy to decreased the bad effects of the global climate change.

BSS, Dhaka

Finance Adviser Dr. A B Mirza Md. Azizul Islam called upon the developed and developing countries in a position to do so to provide duty-free and quota-free market access for all products from all least developing countries.

He was speaking on behalf of the 50 least developed countries at the high -level dialogue on financing for development in the General Assembly of the United Nations, on Tuesday, a message received here yesterday said. Finance Adviser stated that the Doha negotiations should be concluded at the earliest and the special needs and interests of the LDCs should be placed at the heart of the Doha Round and its final outcome. He underscored the need to operationalise the 'Aid for Trade' initiative immediately with sufficient additional funding. He stressed that the initiative should particularly support the LDCs in addressing their supply-side constraints and compensating the erosion of preferences that result from the MFN tariff reduction.

Outlining the potentials of free movement of labour forces, Dr. Azizul Islam called upon the developed countries to liberalise their markets for all categories of service providers of the LDCs under mode 4 of GATS, which he said would contribute to earning foreign exchange and alleviating the huge unemployment problem in the LDCs. Finance Adviser expressed deep concern over the recent trend in declining ODA from developed countries. He strongly urged developed countries to fulfill their commitment of 0.2% of their GNP to LDCs immediately, as they agreed in Monterrey.

He also proposed to establish an effective partnership and mutual accountability between donors and recipient countries. Dr. Azizul Islam underscored the importance of exploring innovative sources of financing, particularly to meet the resources gap in the LDCs.

Bangladesh Adviser stated that overall external debt situation of the LDCs remained a source of concern and called for full cancellation of all outstanding debt, both bilateral and multilateral, of all LDCs forthwith.

UNB, Dhaka

The government is likely to appoint an international audit firm to scrutinize the price quoting of the Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) companies by next month, against the backdrop of suspected import-inspection scam.

Three international audit firms, two from the USA and one from the EU countries, submitted tenders following tender call from the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

"A committee is examining the tenders and hope that all processes will be complete by next month," NBR Member (Customs) Dr Dr. Rashidul Ahsan Chowdhury told UNB.

After examining the papers, the NBR will tell them how much they (NBR) could offer the audit firm for the audit of each inspection certificate. "Or we may ask them to submit their price for auditing each certificate," he said.

The government's revenue authority has tried to appoint an audit firm to ensure checks and balances in the function of the PSI companies for a couple of years now. But due to some legal complications and tight procurement system of the government, the NBR failed to appoint an auditor, NBR sources said.

About the payments for the audit firm, he said that as the firm is international so their remuneration would be obviously high. "NBR will bear the cost. We are taking one percent of the total import duties from the importers as PSI charge. From that charge we will cover the audit cost," the NBR official said. The government has taken the move considering the importers' complaints about harassment and delays in getting their consignments after import valuation by the PSI companies.

BSS, Dhaka

The Ambassador of the European Commission and Delegation Head Dr. Stefan Frowein made a courtesy call on President Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban on Wednesday.

Welcoming the ambassador to Bangabhaban, the President appreciated him for his sincere cooperation in strengthening Bangladesh's relations with the European countries.

The President stated that Bangladesh attaches great importance of its bilateral relations with the countries of European Union. He hoped that the existing relations would be further strengthened and deepened in the days to come.

The President apprised the envoy that the European countries are the important development partners of Bangladesh. Expressing satisfaction, the President hoped that European Commission would play its due role in fostering our export market to the European Union. He stated that Bangladesh is committed to holding the upcoming general election in a free, fair and credible manner within the time frame set by the Election Commission and he invited European Observers to observe the election.

The Ambassador of European Commission officially handed over an invitation letter to the President of Bangladesh, which is sent by the President of the European Commission Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso to attend the second edition of the European Development Days to be held in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, on 7-9 November 2007. hoped that European Commission would play its due role in fostering our export market to the European Union. He stated that Bangladesh is committed to holding the upcoming general election in a free, fair and credible manner within the time frame set by the Election Commission and he invited European Observers to observe the election.

The Ambassador of European Commission officially handed over an invitation letter to the President of Bangladesh, which is sent by the President of the European Commission Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso to attend the second edition of the European Development Days to be held in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, on 7-9 November 2007.

Staff Reporter

Cultural activists and media personnel at a symposium in the city hoped that the United Nations (UN) would play a vital role to establish democracy and human rights, ensure rights of women and workers and remove poverty from the globe.

This optimism was expressed by speakers in the symposium on 'UN: My Expectations' at a city hotel yesterday organised by the United Nations Association of Bangladesh (UNAB) to mark the 62nd UN Day.

Abed Khan, Editor of daily Shomokal, poet Nirmalendu Goon, film actress Kobori Sarwar, artiste Samina Chowdhury, TV actress Sumaya Shimu, Syed Mohammad Shahed, Secretary General of UNAB, among others, spoke at the symposium.

Abed Khan said, "The UN could not give us peace. There is not a single day without war after the establishment of the UN. It cannot protect the third world from the super power of the world."

Kabori Sarwar said, "We can't think the UN as our own. It plays a silent role during any war, terrorism and economic imbalance in the world."

She expected the UN would not only throw food from the sky by helicopters on the ground in Somalia, it could play a vital and effective role to remove poverty.

BSS, Dhaka

Four officials of Bangladesh Railway (BR) were temporarily suspended as per the recommendations of the probe committee formed by the communication ministry earlier.

The committee investigated the causes of the accident of Mahanagar Prabhati at Bartakia-Mirersarai section on October 13 last, a press release of Bangladesh railway said here yesterday.

The suspended officials are: BR Chittagong Divisional Engineer-1 Mohammad Abdul Jalil, Assistant Engineer Mohammad Ayet Ali at Feni, Head Train Examiner Golam Mostafa at Chittagong and Senior Sub Assistant Engineer Abdul Halim at Chinkiastana.

According to the press release, they were suspended because as they had provided fitness certificate for train movement without properly maintaining and observing the railway tracks.