The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

In the country's biggest-ever haul of drugs, 1,30,000 pieces of contraband Yaaba tablets worth about Tk 15 crore, were recovered in the city and two persons, including the nephew of business magnet Aziz Mohammad Bhai, were arrested yesterday.

In the 24-hour drive, elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members also seized Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) equipment worth about Tk 5 crore, foreign currencies worth about Tk 50 lakhs and a huge quantity of foreign liquor and contraband phensidyl.

According to RAB sources, various kinds of stimulating Yaaba tablets were smuggled into the country for about five years. The price of each tablet varies between Tk 250 and 450.

Children of rich families, businessmen are the main buyers of the tablets.

RAB said, in their continuous drive for eight days, they succeeded in recovering such a huge quantity of the Yaaba tablets, along with Yaaba tablet making equipment, from two city houses in the posh residential area of Gulshan. This was beyond their imagination.

One of the arrested persons was identified as Amin Huda, 36. Huda is also the owner of MB Multicare Technology. Another arrested person was identified as Mohammad Ahsanul Huq Hasan, 34. Both Huda and Hasan are business partners.

The drugs recovered by RAB also included 5,000 Ice pills, alternative to Yaaba tablets, 1 Viagra tablet, 139 bottles of foreign liquor, 132 bottles of phensidyl and 150 Yaaba packets.

RAB said they also recovered Bangladeshi taka 46,01,422, US dollars 1,900, Euro 450, Thai baths 2,500, Hong Kong dollars 100, Saudi Riyals 3, Indian Rupees 125 and two passports.

The seized VoIP equipment, included 818 SIM cards of different mobile operator companies, 3 IPSs, 159 Telulars, 6 CPUs, 15 mobile phones, 1 laptop, 3 monitors, 1 Internet switch, 2 Channel Boxes and various others machineries.

Lt Col Mohammad Yusuf of the RAB Headquarters said they conducted the drives from Wednesday night to Thursday noon. Their operation was followed by the confessional statements of six other persons arrested from Gulshan and Baridhara areas with more than 450 Yaaba tablets in their possession.

He told journalists at the RAB Headquarters, "It was beyond our imagination that miscreants have been doing such big business in this kind of drugs."

Hasan Mahmud Khandakar, Director General (DG) of RAB, termed it as an ominous signal to the young generation and said, "Earlier, Yaaba tablets were smuggled into the country. We are investigating whether it is being made within the country."

The RAB-DG urged the Civil Society and the media to come forward in the fight against Yaaba and save the young generation.

A section of unscrupulous people used to exploit teenagers for making vulgar and pornographic films, he added.

At least nine persons, including three women, were arrested for possessing Yaaba tablets and a large number of pornographic CDs.

Staff Reporter

Demanding reinvestigation into the extortion case against Sheikh Rehana, top leaders of the Awami League yesterday said they would place a set of "realistic" recommendations on electoral reform to the Election Commission on November 4.

Acting President of Awami League (AL) Zillur Rahman yesterday demanded reinvestigation into the extortion case against Sheikh Rehana, for what he said, "the case is false, fabricated and malafide."

He said the investigation was "wrong" since the High Court, upon a writ petition, had stayed all further proceedings of the case pending with the lower court and the investigation officer of the case cannot proceed further.

Earlier on Wednesday, the lower court issued an arrest of warrant against Sheikh Rehana, sister of detained Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, along with an order to attach all her properties in connection with the Tk 2.99 crore-extortion case.

"The court issued the arrest of warrant to tarnish the image of the family of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and to hurt detained Sheikh

Hasina," Zillur told journalists at his Gulshan residence.

He said Sheikh Rehana was never involved in any political party though she is the daughter of Bangabandhu and never elected to any parliament, nor she did any government job. "How the extortion case could be filed against her?"

The Awami League (AL) Acting Chief sharply reacted to Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid's remark during their dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) that there are no war criminals in Bangladesh.

"If there was no war criminal in the country, how come 30 lakh people were killed and two lakh women raped?" he asked.

He requested the Caretaker government not to allow any war criminals to participate in any elections.

Zillur also demanded immediate release of detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He was critical of the government for the failure to control the price-hike of essentials and fertilizer crisis, he called for initiatives to control the price-hike and adequate supply of fertilizer to the farmers ahead of the Boro season.

Meanwhile, the AL Sub-Committee to review the Election Commission's (ECs) draft on electoral reforms yesterday at a meeting decided to submit a "realistic" recommendations to the EC on behalf of the AL during the dialogue.

"We will place some realistic recommendations to the Election Commission during our talks with the Commission for holding a fair elections that would be free from black money and acceptable to all," Sub-Committee Convenor and AL Presidium member Tofail Ahmed told journalists after the meeting.

The recommendations will be based on the 31-point reforms proposal of the 14-party alliance, he added.

Tofail said the meeting has entrusted party leader Abul Mal Abdul Muhit to prepare the draft that would be placed at the meeting with the EC. His draft will be placed at the Sub-Committee meeting on October 28.

He said they would meet professional groups to have their opinions before the meeting with EC.

Tofail thought that the rules of registration of political parties as proposed by EC are not practical. This should be simplified. Prof Abu Sayed will place a report on the registration procedures, he added.

The adjourned meeting of the party central working committee will be held on November 1 when the recommendations to EC will be finalised.

Tofail informed that number of members of the sub-committee had been raised to 21 from 16.

Committee members include Suranjit Sengupta, Begum Matia Chowdhury, Abul Mal Abdul Muhith, Advocate Rahmat Ali, Mukul Bose, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Akhtaruzzaman, Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed, Abdur Rahman, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, AKM Jahangir Hossain, Prof Abu Sayeed, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Abdul Mannan Khan, Dr Hasan Mahamud and Raziuddin Raju.

In a related development, party Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, in a formal letter, requested the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to allow a 21-member AL delegation to participate in its November 4 dialogue.

Staff Reporter

Twelve Bangladeshi criminals who were arrested by West Bengal police in Kolkata would be deported to Bangladesh soon, said visiting Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Director-General Ashish Kumar Mitra yesterday.

"There are ten to twelve Bangladeshi criminals in Kolkata who were arrested by police. Cases are going on against these criminals in the courts. They will be deported soon, but the deportation is a process which takes some time," he told reporters after a courtesy call on Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday afternoon.

Sources at police headquarters said some 700 Bangladeshi criminals are now hiding in different countries, including India. They fled to India after the present caretaker government came to power in January this year. The government has been trying to bring these criminals back to the country through official level talks.

On October 7 last, the West Bengal police handed over three identified 'terrorists' of the capital Dhaka to the detective branch of Bangladesh

police through BSF at Benapole landport. They have already started disclosing sensational information about their crimes and their accomplices in police custody.

In reply to a question, the BSF Director-General said both sides decided to complete 27 development works within 150 yards from the zero-line considering the interest of the local people along the common borders.

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said border management is an important component of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India.

He expressed his satisfaction at the ongoing discussions between the BDR and the BSF and hoped that this would result in agreements that

would further strengthen bilateral relations between the two neighbours.

"We are pleased that we have been able to structuralise negotiations with regard to these through more frequent meetings," said the Foreign Adviser.

Earlier, a five-day border conference between Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) began at the BDR headquarters in Dhaka in the morning in a friendly atmosphere. .

BSF Director-General Ashish Kumar Mitra is leading an 18-member Indian delegation at the border conference, while the BDR Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed is leading a 22-member delegation.

BDR sources said Bangladesh and India agreed to exchange information about criminals and reached a consensus on completing development works within 150 yards of the zero-line considering the interest of the local people across the common border.

"The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and agreement and progress were made in a number of subjects," said a source.

The conference between the BDR and the BSF are discussing a host of outstanding issues, including the killing of innocent Bangladeshis by the Indian border guards.

The conference will conclude with the signing of Joint Records of Discussions on October 29.

Among the host of outstanding issues placed on the table for sorting out are the killing, kidnapping and detaining of Bangladeshi nationals, smuggling of illegal arms and ammo, explosives, drugs and phensidyl, trespasses and push-in of Bengali-speaking Indian nationals.

Besides, demarcation of land boundary, installation of border pillars at Berubari and Singpara-Khudipara in Panchagarh district, completion of survey at undermarcated Muhurir Char, Doikhata and Lathitila, hand-over of surveyed land at Naogaon after constructing border pillars, construction of defence infrastructures, roads, barbed-wire fencing and installations within 150 yards of the zero point will also come up.

BDR sources said BSF's obstruction to construction and repairing of roads and development works on Bangladesh side along the border as well as their obstruction to cultivation in adversely possessed lands in Uttarkul and Amalshid in Sylhet District will come up during the deliberations.

The BSF delegation raises issues of committing crimes by Bangladeshi nationals inside India, infiltration, border fencing, prevention of smuggling of drugs, cattle and Indian currency, Indian lands in Shilchar sector along the Surma river and activities of Bangladeshi "fundamentalists and terrorists" in Indian territory and suspected presence of Indian insurgents in Bangladesh territory.

Staff Reporter

Amid allegations of massive corruption in gas distribution, irregularities in revenue collection, harassment of customers and high-handedness of union leaders, a team of army-led special taskforce yesterday started investigation into the activities of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Limited at Titas Bhaban in the city.

The Task Force led by Lt Col Hasan also set up an office room and placed a complain box there to monitor the activities of Titas.

Witnesses said the Task Force troops, led by Lt Col Hasan and Major Kamrul, made a surprise appearance at the head office of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd in the morning. Officials, employees, contractors and outsiders looked worried at the sudden appearance of the troops, a witness said.

After going around the office, they set up a temporary office on the 2nd floor of the building to examine the allegations against Titas and ensure the smooth functioning of the state-owned company at Karwanbazar in the city. Lt Col Hasan also held a meeting with the Titas managing director and other high officials.

Titas incurs a loss amounting to Tk 120 crore every year for the so-called system loss. However, insiders said the state-owned Titas incurs huge amount of losses mainly due to massive corruption, irregularities and embezzlement of revenue earnings by the corrupt officials and employees of it.

Engineer Abdullah, Managing Director of Titas, told reporters that the Special Task Force members came to the office to monitor its function.

"The taskforce members would scrutinise service rules as well as how to improve Titas's services for its customers. They would also examine if there was any irregularity in the Titas Gas," he said.

He said the Special Task Force would be running office temporarily in the Titas Bhaban for the next one month starting from October 28.

The managing director also said some of the employees and CBA leaders of the office have been asked to submit their wealth information to the Task Force as they have got "allegations against them".

Under the ongoing drive launched by the interim regime against corruption and crime, troops of the taskforce are taking position in important public-service institutions mired in allegations of corruption.

Earlier, they made a makeshift office at RAJUK Bhaban, Nagar Bhaban of the City Corporation and the building of the National Housing Authority.

The Special Task Force members would submit their report to the Chief Adviser's office after the month-long monitoring of the gas company's activities.

Staff Reporter

In a major development in the BNP, about 32 former MPs, including a number of reformists, led by its Vice-Chairman MK Anwar yesterday expressed their allegiance to the leadership of party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

They made their stand public after meeting party Secretary General Khandkar Delwar Hossain at his NAM Building apartment.

The former MPs, who were present during the meeting, were MK Anwar, Mohammad Shahjahan, Moazzem Hossain Alal, Major (rtd) Akteruzzaman, Gazi Mohammad Shahjahan Jewel, Monirul Huq Chowdhury, Abul Kalam Azad, Kazi Rafiqul Islam, Abdul Momin Talukdar, Principal Sohrabuddin, Ashrafuddin Nizam, Selim Reza Habib, Fazlul Rahman Sultan, Shah Nurul Karim Shahin, Shahjahan Chowdhury, Dr Mohammad Ali, Selim Sultana, Helen Zerin Khan, Fahima Akter Jublee, Noorjahan Yasmin, Rehena Akter Banu, Bilqis Zahan, Ferdousi Akter, Rashida Begum Hira, Newaz Halima, Shahana Akter Rani, Chayan Ara, Rozina Islam, Jahan Panna and Saimon Begum and Helen Zerin Khan.

Welcoming former party legislators, Khandaker Delwar said, "The situation was a bit clouded recently. Your presence here today will remove the confusion and clear the situation."

"Your presence has also demonstrated that BNP remained united. There might be personal conflict but we are all united under the leadership of our Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia," he added.

Pointing his finger at Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and his associate, the BNP Secretary General said Begum Zia had expelled them from the party as a last resort to maintain unity in the party.

Replying to a question he said that those expelled from the party cannot be taken back without permission of the Chairperson. However, if anyone wants to return he has to apply in accordance with the party constitution.

He said he sought permission to meet with Khaleda Zia in the sub-jail. "I am waiting to see her. Those expelled from the party cannot be taken back without her permission. Equally, her permission is needed to take action against the associates of those expelled."

Khandaker Delwar told the former BNP MPs that he would always discuss with them and seek their advice in dealing with all affairs of the party. "I shall not take any decision on my own."

He requested them to take care that none exert undue influence in the process of trial of party leaders and workers. Fair and just trial should be ensured so that people are convinced that their trial was unbiased and fair.

Khandaker Delwar reiterated the demand for opening the party office to carry out activities like the other political parties.

Party Spokesman and Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan also addressed the former MPs of the party.

Court Correspondent

Anti-Corruption Commission's Investigagion Officer yesterday submitted charge sheets against Awami League leader Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, his wife, two sons and a daughter in graft case for having property beyond their known sources of income and concealing facts about their wealth.

IO of the case, Assistant Director of ACC Toufiqul Islam completed inquiry and submitted the charge sheets Thursday to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court against Maya, his wife Pervin Chowdhury, sons Sajedul Hossain and Rashedul Hossain and daughter Subarna Chowdhury.

In the case, ACC has accused Maya of having property worth Taka 2,97,09,641 from unknown sources of income and concealing facts about his wealth with the help of other 4 members of his family.

On June 13, Md Nurul Alam, Assistant Director of ACC, filed the case against the accused.

Forty persons were made witnesses in the case.

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will hold its three-day apparel and textile exhibition BATEXPO on November 15 with an aim of attaining export target of Readymade Garment (RMG) worth US$ 15-18 billion in next three years.

BGMEA President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez disclosed this yesterday at a press conference with the members of the Overseas Correspondents Association (OCAB) at his office.

The sector earned US$ 9.2 billion during the last fiscal of 2006-07.

Parvez said BATEXPO-07, the largest textile fair in the Asia Pacific region, would facilitate foreign buyers to see Bangladeshi textiles, clothing and accessories.

Producers from Pakistan, India, China, Japan, Hong Kong and Bangladesh will display their products in the exposition for which 41different companies have already registered, he said.

Referring the previous BATEXPO the BGMEA President said a significant number of buyers particularly from USA, Canada, UK, Middle East, Southeast Asia and many other countries of the world participated in the fair.

Replying to a question Parvez said this year buyers would feel more confident in participating in the exposition because of political stability.

According to him the last year's BATEXPO obtained spot order of US$ 68.61 million, about 12 million higher than the previous year. He expected more spot orders this year.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the exposition as chief guest at Hotel Sonargaon on November 15 and Army Chief General

Moeen U Ahmed will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony.

Parvez said a good number of seminars and fashion shows spotlighting the country's vibrant and burgeoning RMG sector will be held on the sidelines of the 3-day exposition.

The BGMEA president hailed US Congressman Jim McDermott for introducing a bill, "New Partnership for Development Act 2007", in the US House of Representatives on October 18 to facilitate more market access of RMG products from the LDCs, including Bangladesh, to the US market.

"BGMEA would send an 11-member delegation to USA to discuss with the US Congressmen, including Congressman McDermott, and officials of USTR and labour organisations so the bill is passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate," Parvez said.

Although China, India and Sri Lanka are major competitors of Bangladeshi garment products, Bangladesh would be the main source of RMG export in the ultimate analyses, mainly in low and medium price garments, the BGMEA President said expressing his hope.

Replying to another question, Chowdhury said export of garment worth US$ 8 million to India is a starter, saying that in the near future India could be the third largest destination of Bangladeshi RMG after USA and Europe.

He dismissed campaigns in UK against Bangladeshi garments for alleged child labour and low wages, saying that the campaigners could not produce any evidence in support of their allegations.

The BGMEA President said Bangladesh's RMG sector is competitive enough in terms of quality, prices and skilled workforce and it is possible to raise the level of exports to US$ 18 billion a year.

Staff Reporter

The Government has taken a move to trim workers in public sector jute mills by 50 per cent to make the state-owned mills, now reeling under perennial losses, commercially viable.

Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) sacked a total of 5908 workers from its jute mills on October 1 under the government's "jute sector reform" plan, sources concerned said. The number of total retrenched workers reached 13,000 during the last 10 months as some 9000 workers were forced to retire under a new trade rule, they added.

Sector insiders say that the government move, if implemented, would render more than 20,000 workers and employees jobless. They will be sent into voluntary retirement under a scheme to be implemented by December this year.

Jute workers and trade union leaders termed the decision suicidal for the country's industries. "It is nothing but a conspiracy, orchestrated by the international lending agencies, against Bangladeshi industries," said Shahidullah Chowdhury, a veteran trade union leader and expert in the sector.

At present, there are 22 jute mills under BJMC with over 43,000 workers and employees on its pay roll.

The Government also shut four out of 22 mills in the public sector recently in a bid to reduce public sector losses. The previous government shut down the country's largest Adamjee Jute Mills following financially it collapsed due to mismanagement and corruption.

Earlier, the textile and jute ministry submitted a comprehensive plan to the chief adviser seeking reforms in the sector against the backdrop of fund crunch and mismanagement.

The mills now owe Tk 136 crore to jute sellers as the Finance Ministry was not giving them any funds and they were suffering from liquidity crisis for three years, said Ministry sources.

Meanwhile, authorities sacked all the staff of state-owned People's Jute Mills in Khulna to close four mills under BJMC - People's Jute Mill, Karnaphuli Jute Mill and Furat Karnaphuli Carpet Factory in Chittagong and Qaumi Jute Mills in Sirajganj.

The Jute Ministry has already sought Tk 382 crore from the Finance Ministry to terminate around 9,000 workers and employees of these four mills through golden handshakes, said an official.

UNB, Dhaka

Primary inquiries of the Anti-Corruption Commission found nothing to prove allegations of corruption against detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia involving Magurchara gas field and Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation, and lease of Phulbari coal mine to Asia Energy.

"The inquiry officer mentioned in his report that no information was found in the primary inquiry to prove the allegations against honourable former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia about Magurchara gas field and Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation," ACC secretary Mokhles ur Rahman said during the Commission's regular briefing Thursday afternoon.

Similarly, he said another report by inquiry officer Farid Uddin Ahmed mentioned that no information was found in the primary inquiry to prove the allegation against Khaleda Zia about the lease of Phulbari coal mine to Asia Energy.

Asked what were the allegations against the former Prime Minister, Mokhles said he would have look at the files before he could specify the allegations.

There is no merit for the time being to file first information reports, as necessary evidence and proofs were not found, he said adding that therefore, the inquiries have been suspended.

The issue of compensation for the Magurchhara blowout was inquired, he added.

On allegation of impropriety about the lease of Phulbari coal mine, the ACC secretary said the agreement is still under process. Facing a volley of questions from reporters, who suggested that agreements have already been signed, he did not provide any clear answer.

Replying to a query, Mokhles said that although primary inquiries officially began on 11 of the Commission's list of 35 suspected corrupts, informal inquiries were going on about all of them. Asked if the ACC is involved with the search in the residences of some of the graft suspects, he said ACC is not working alone, rather the taskforces are the combination of many government agencies. Replying to a query, Mokhles acknowledged that the ACC chairman went to the Chief Adviser today to discuss the autonomy of the Commission. He said that at present, for any change or recruitment the process involve the Advisory Council, Head of the Government, Law Ministry, etc., which is lengthy. Given the autonomy, he said these could be done easily and the organisation would run in a better way. The ACC secretary said a meeting to review the Commission's activities was held today with ACC chairman Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury in the chair. The meeting was attended by the ACC commissioners, secretary and about 150 officials including directors general, divisional and regional directors, directors, deputy directors, assistant directors and deputy assistant directors. In the meeting, the chairman and the commissioners gave their observations how to increase the quality of work by the inquiry and investigating officers.

Mokhles informed that former Bangladesh Chhatra League president Liakat Sikder submitted his wealth statement today disclosing a bank balance of only Tk 5 and all the property he possessed is paternal.

UNB, Dhaka

Task force Wednesday night raided and searched Pallabi house of Proshika chief Dr Kazi Faruq Ahmed, Gulshan house of Awami League leader AKM Rahmatullah and Bashundhara home of LDP secretary general Prof. Zahanara Begum.

Rahmatullah's family said the task force came at about 11pm, conducted search and left after 45 minutes.

Rahmatulla is now away from the country. Nothing was seized from his house.

Task force picked up Proshika chief Dr Kazi Faruq Ahmed and his son Kazi Rubayet Ahmed from their Pallabi residence in the city and released them after sometime.

Preferring anonymity, a Proshika official said the task force raided the house of Kazi Faruq late at night and asked the family members to call him, as he was not present at home.

A passport and some documents were also seized from the house during the raid.

When Kazi Faruk returned to his residence, the task force took him and his son to the Proshika office at Mirpur at about 2am and searched the office. Later, they released them.