The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Visiting World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick yesterday appreciated the government's reform measurers, specially in the financial sector, and suggested fixing up priority to make Bangladesh a mid-income group country by 2015.

"Bangladesh has to achieve development in human resources and infrastructure sectors to become a mid-income group country by 2015," the WB's president said when he paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at the latter's office in the city.

Robert Zoellick also expressed the bank's further support for human resources development and infrastructure sectors of the country to this end.

Putting emphasis on utilisation of the WB's funds within the stipulated time, he asked the government to identify the areas where the bank can help.

He assured the government of the bank's further support for the local government capacity-building project for strengthening the local government bodies, including the Union Parishad.

The World Bank chief also hinted the bank's support for the country's better business support plan. Referring to climate change, he said the bank can prepare an analytical study jointly with the government especially for adaptation and mitigation for climate change.

About the bank's 65m US dollars agricultural technology project, which is now at the

final stage, the World Bank President said if it is successful, the project will replicate for 15 years.

Regarding increase of the budgetary support, he said, "We will look into it."

Robert Zoellick also expressed the bank's willingness to assist the Bangladesh government for preparing an action plan to create a better business environment.

Among others, Finance Adviser Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam, finance secretary, ERD secretary, Bangladesh Bank Governor and Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser were present on the occasion.

Staff Reporter

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) yesterday afternoon arrested Mahbubur Rahman Joinal, country's biggest suspected peddler of yaaba tablets, and his mistress Yaaba Queen Jannatul Ferdous Nikita when they appeared before the court to surrender, sources said.

Besides being involved in yaaba trading, Hotel Purbani Managing Director (MD) Joinal and ramp model Nikita are also the suspected members of an international ring involved in smuggling precious diamond, gold, white gold and foreign currencies.

As the court did not grant their delayed surrender the RAB members arrested them.

According to eyewitnesses, the law-enforcers dragged away Nikita from the court premises in old Dhaka when she appeared there to surrender.

Talking to The New Nation, RAB-3 operation officer ASP Mahfuzur Rahman said Joinal and Nikita were taken under RAB-3 custody last night.

He, however, denied reports that they had arrested Joinal and Nikita before their surrender to the court.

Another RAB-3 official told The New Nation that the court handed over Joinal to RAB when he went to surrender before the court and Nikita was arrested earlier from the city.

The name of Joinal appeared in the headlines of the media following the recovery of an enormous amount of diamond, gold, white gold, and foreign liquor, along with share certificates, bond and credit cards worth about Tk 30 crore and firearms from his Dhanmondi residence on October 30 by RAB.

The RAB drive followed the confession of Amin Huda, who was arrested earlier with yaaba tablets worth Tk 15 crore.

RAB had conducted raids at Joinal's Dhanmondi residence to arrest him and his mistress Nikita.

Although they had managed to escape, RAB unearthed a treasure-trove.

Earlier, RAB had arrested Nikita's sister Pushpita along with her husband MNH Bulu. As no link to yaaba trading and jewel smuggling ring were found, they were released, RAB said.

At least 20 persons were so far arrested by the RAB in connection with the biggest ever haul of yaaba tablets.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs Sunday decided that Speedy Trial Tribunal (STT) will try cases related to Yaba tablet and Molam Party.

Talking to reporters after a meeting of the Home Ministry monitoring cell that deals with sensational cases, Home Secretary Abdul Karim said the meeting decided that STT will try cases concerning Yaba tablet and the Molam Party.

"Police will propose to try those cases under STT and we will take necessary steps," he said.

Chaired by the Home Secretary, the meeting reviewed progress of investigations in 10 sensational cases, including the killings of North South University teacher Dewan Rahat Karim Mukul, retired headmaster Loakman Ahmed of Chandpur district, Public Prosecutor Adv Hossain of Jhalukathi, grenade attacks on Sylhet Mayor Badar Uddin Kamran and on Awami League leader Surunjit Sen Gupta in Sunamganj and Journalist Belal Hossain in Satkhira.

The meeting decided to enlist two new cases of killing of Monir Hossain Khan and singer Nasir Sraban in Khilgaon.

Staff Reporter

Leaders of Bangladesh Awami League yesterday demanded release of its President and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, now in a sub-jail in a corruption case and withdrawal of the state of emergency immediately for holding a free and fair election.

They also demanded banning of politics of war criminals and anti-liberation forces and not allowing registration of political parties based on religion and involved with militancy and communalism.

The demand was made as the eight-member Awami League (AL) delegation led by party's Acting President Zillur Rahman held dialogue with the Election Commission on electoral reforms.

Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda presided over the meeting while Election Commissioners-Brig Gen (Retd) M Shakhawat Hossain and Sohul Hussain-also took part in the discussion.

"We demanded for holding trial of war criminals and anti-liberation forces. They cannot be allowed to contest the elections. The political parties based on religion cannot be registered", Zillur Rahman told reporters after the three-hour long meeting.

In his introductory speech, the acting AL president said the release of party leader (Sheikh Hasina) was essential to hold a free and fair election.

"It is time to withdraw the state of emergency to pave the way for creating a congenial atmosphere to hold the elections in a neutral manner," he added.

Earlier, the AL leaders discussed all the reform proposals one after another and made some suggestions in line with the AL-led 14-party combine's 31-point electoral reform proposals, which was unveiled during the BNP-led four-party alliance government.

"We have accepted most of the proposals made by the Election Commission. We have put some amendments for coordination," said AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed, who read out the party's proposals.

Demanding banning of the war criminals and anti-liberation forces to contest the elections, he told the election commissioners that the task will be easy to do so if the EC and political parties take a decision in this regard.

Justifying the demand, he referred to Article 20 of the Special Powers Act (SPA) that any political party would be banned if its does politics using religion.

On election expenditure for candidates the AL leaders agreed to keep the limit down. "You determine the expenditure practically, we will accept it-be it two or 20 lakh," Tofail Ahmed observed.

The AL delegation proposed providing fund to the political parties to meet their electoral expenses proportionate to the percentage of their acquired votes in the previous elections.

"It will help in reducing election expenses of the political parties and candidates and make them more transparent in this regard," said AL presidium member Suranjit Sengupta.

The leaders proposed using of transparent ballot boxes while the CEC said the commission would consider it if it enhanced the credibility of the EC and elections.

The AL delegation agreed with the EC proposal of not using founder of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's photograph on electoral posters as the commissioners opined that the founder of the nation cannot be any particular political party's property.

They, however, proposed to include it in the Representation of People Order (RPO) so that it becomes a law and is complied with by all.

The AL delegation also favoured relaxation of conditions as much as possible so that more political parties get registrations.

The AL leaders favoured providing judicial power to ensure resolution of the elections related disputes quickly.

The CEC sought all-out cooperation from the Awami League to hold the elections in a free and fair manner in accordance with the roadmap.

He said the present Election Commission is the fruit of the AL's movement and said the nation had great expectations from the party.

In response to the AL demand for using two portraits by the party the CEC said that the photograph of the father of the national cannot be used as the symbol of any party.

Election Commissioner Shakhawat Hossain said that the nation now is passing through a difficult time and sought AL's cooperation to overcome the situation.

"We want to hold a free and fair election as per our roadmap and we seek your cooperation. A situation should not be created for us that may derail the plan. Please try to understand and we want to get over this election," he said.

The members of the delegations also include AL presidium members-Abdur Razzak, Sajeda Chowdhury, Matia Chowdhury, Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser and acting general secretary Ashraf Hossain.

Syful Islam

Climate change poses a big threat to a total of 46 nations and 2.7 billion people putting them at high risk of being overwhelmed by armed conflict and war.

"A further 56 countries face political destabilisation, affecting another 1.2 billion individuals," this stark warning will be outlined by the peace group International Alert in a report, A Climate of Conflict, to be released this week.

The report reveals that much of Africa, Asia and South America will suffer outbreaks of war and social disruption as climate change erodes land, raises seas, melts glaciers and increases storms. "Even Europe is at risk."

The report states, "A different situation affects Bangladesh. Here climate-linked migration is already triggering violent conflict."

"Droughts in summer combined with worsening flooding in coastal zones, triggered by increasingly severe cyclones, are destroying farmland in Bangladesh. Millions have already migrated to India, causing increasingly serious conflicts that are destined to worsen."

"Climate change will compound the propensity for violent conflict, which in turn will leave communities poorer and less able to cope with the consequences of climate change," the report states.

The worst threats involve nations lacking resources and stability to deal with global warming, added the agency's secretary-general, Dan Smith.

"Holland will be affected by rising sea levels, but no one expects war or strife," he told The Observer in London.

"Holland has the resources and political structure to act effectively. But other countries that suffer loss of land and water and be buffeted by increasingly fierce storms will have no effective government to ensure corrective measures are taken. People will form defensive groups and battles will break out."

Peru's fresh water comes mostly from glacier melt water. But by 2015 nearly all Peru's glaciers will have been removed by global warming and its 27 million people will nearly all lack fresh water. In Africa, rivers such as the Niger and Monu are key freshwater resources passing through many nations. As droughts worsen and more water is extracted from them conflicts will be inevitable.

In Europe, most countries are currently considered stable enough to cope with global warming, apart from the Balkans; wars have left countries such as Serbia and Montenegro politically weakened. As temperatures rise and farmland is reduced, population pressures will trigger violence that authorities will be unable to contain.

Some nations on the risk map, such as Russia, may cause surprise. "Moscow's control of Russia as a whole will not be undermined by global warming," said Smith. "But loss of farmland in some regions will lead to local rebellions like those already triggered in Chechnya."

Conflict triggered by climate change is not a vague threat for coming years, he added. "It is already upon us."

UNB, Dhaka

The investigation report on the container-handling case against Khaleda Zia and 12 others has been submitted to the Anti- Corruption Commission recommending inclusion of 18 more persons, including Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, in the charge sheet along with those initially accused.

The investigation officer in his report has recommended submission of charge sheet against 31 individuals, including the initially accused 13.

Of the additional 18 whose names recommended for inclusion into the charge sheet include former ministers Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and former Cabinet Secretary and incumbent Public Service Commission Dr Sa'dat Hossain.

"Yes, investigation officer ACC deputy director Jahirul Huda submitted the memo of evidence to the Commission. He recommended submission of charge sheet against 31 individuals," a competent source told UNB.

"The Commission will now examine the investigation report and after the Commission's approval the charge sheet will be submitted to the court," the source added.

About recommendation for including another 18 persons in the charge sheet, the source said it appears that during investigation involvement of all the members of the then purchase committee and some others have been found.

On September 2, the ACC deputy director filed the case with Tejgaon police station against Khaleda, Koko and 11 others for alleged irregularities and corruption in awarding a deal to GATCO, a little known company.

Khaleda was accused of awarding the contract by abusing power to the incompetent firm, Global Agro Trade Private Limited, in March 2003 for handling container cargoes at Chittagong Port and Kamalapur Inland Container Depot.

The 11 others who were also accused are Zulfiqar Ali, AN Sarwar Hossain, Shahdat Hossain, Ahmed Abul Kashem, Lutful Kabir, Ismail Hossain Saimon, Galib Ahmed, Tanvir Ahmed, AKM Musa Kajol, Mrs Jahanara Akbar and Ehsan Yusuf.

Following the filing of the case, the investigation team questioned a good number of individuals in this regard. They included Khaleda Zia, some former ministers, former and incumbent bureaucrats, Chittagong Port Authority officials and GATCO officials. Many files were also seized in connection with the high-profile case.

Staff Reporter

In the wake of stiff competition, a privately owned city transport service yesterday called upon the government to review the draft policy of the passenger bus fares and fix the reasonable fares taking greater interest of the owners into account.

The Bikalpa Paribahan Group made the call at a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity following the publishing of news reports on the draft policy for the passenger bus fare.

'If the Government executes the policy considering the interest of the bus owners and passengers, all will get rid of harassment,' said the group's secretary general Adv Belayet Hossain.

Presenting a comparative analysis between CNG-driven buses and diesel-driven buses, he claimed that the maintenance cost of the CNG-run buses is almost near to the maintenance cost of diesel-driven buses. "So the CNG-driven bus fares should not be lowered in the policy," he argued.

Besides, import price of the CNG-driven bus and its spare parts and depreciation are higher than that of diesel-driven bus. Moreover, the CNG-operated bus is to spend more time at the filling stations for taking gas, he added.

The draft of the proposed policy of the passenger bus now awaits the Communications Ministry's approval.

Commuters in different routes of the city often complain that CNG-driven buses and minibuses have been charging fares almost equal to those of diesel-driven buses and minibuses although the price of gas is much lower than diesel.

Bikalpa Paribahan operates both CNG and diesel driven direct bus services in the capital on four routes-between Mirpur and Motijheel, Mirpur-12 and Jatrabari, Mirpur-1 and Jatrabari, and Mirpur-12 and Dhakeswari Temple. It has been charging extra fares on passengers for long time without the permission of the authorities concerned. However, Bikalpa Paribahan is now facing stiff competition as several other private transport services have started operating their minibuses on the same routes. As a result, the income of Bikalpa Paribahan has fallen drastically.

Bikalpa Paribahan Group's leaders Adv Nur Mohammad, ASM Shafiqul Alam, Manotosh Kumar Shah, Jahirul Islam and Kamrul Islam Arju, among others, were present at the conference.

Staff Reporter

Body of a private bank official has been recovered by police from Sheraton Hotel in the city.

Police is investigating whether the official was murdered or he himself committed suicide. Ramna Police said they recovered the body of Riz Thakur, senior officer of Mohakhali branch of Prime Bank Ltd. His wife claimed the death as murder.

According to police, Riz Thakur got into the Suite No. 507 of Dhaka Sheraton Hotel at night on November 1. He was a resident of Green Villa, Flat No. B-3, House No. 41, Road No. 123, Gulshan. Earlier, he booked the suite for three days. He was scheduled to be checked out at 12:00 noon on Saturday. As the guest did not leave out of his room, an employee of the hotel knocked the door in the evening. Receiving no response from inside the room, the Sheraton Hotel authorities informed the Ramna police about the matter. Later, police went to the Sheraton Hotel. The lock of the room was broken in presence of police at about 11:30pm and the body of the bank official was recovered from the room. At that time some pathedrine injections and sleeping pills along with disposable syringes were recovered from the room.

The body was later sent to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for postmortem.

Victim's wife Jesmine Ara Huque filed a murder case with the Ramna Police Station at about 10:00am yesterday. Riz Thakur's father Dr Shahjahan Thakur, younger brother Rubayat Thakur and relative Ishtiaque Ahmed were present.

Riz's father claimed that his son was "killed in a pre-planned way."

Sub-Inspector Mehedi Masud of Ramna Police Station said police was yet to confirm whether it was a case of murder or suicide.

He said a diary was also recovered from the spot. "After examining these evidences we will decide how we will conduct investigations," he said.

Staff Reporter

The World Bank has asked Bangladesh to develop more special industrial zones in order to achieve the millennium development goal to halve the poverty level by the end of 2015.

"The government should focus further on developing more special economic zones to create jobs," Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam quoted World Bank President Robert Zoellick as saying.

The WB president visited the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) at Savar yesterday.

He was accompanied by Praful C. Patel, the World Bank Vice President for South Asia, and country director Xian Zhu.

"He seemed impressed by the contribution of the zones (to the country's economy) and agreed that economic activities at the EPZs have an important impact on the poverty reduction initiatives of the government," said Brigadier-General Ashraf Abdullah Yussuf, executive chairman of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA).

"We have told him that Bangladesh expects to draw US$4 billion in investment in the EPZs over the next three years," Yussuf told reporters.

He informed the team that the country's eight EPZs were contributing 18 per cent to the national export earnings and offering employment to more than 200,000 people. Presently a total of 264 enterprises are operating in the zones with an investment of US$1.8 billion.

Asraf Abdullah said country's EPZs need to be expanded as many foreign investors, being pleased with the friendly policy and efficient performances of EPZs, have shown their keen interest in investing in the EPZs.

The WB chief expressed his satisfaction over the performance of BEPZA and its operating enterprises, saying that economic activities of the zones have "important impact on the poverty-reduction initiatives of the government".

During his visit to DEPZ Robert Zoellick had a discussion with Youngone's chairman, Kihak Sung, and a firsthand view of various aspects of operation of the factory, including the Effluent Treatment Plant.

They discussed important matters pertaining to investment climate, trade and labour issues facing the foreign investors in the country's main export-earning industry, which has long been striving for duty-and quota-free access to the coveted market in Zoellick's native country, the United States.

South Korea-based Youngone so far has invested more than US$300 million in EPZs in Dhaka and Chittagong and created employment opportunity for 34,000 people.

Agencies, Islamabad

Fifteen judges of the Supreme Court and more than 60 of the four high courts refused allegiance to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and did not take the new oath as required under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).

According to the state-run Pakistan Television, six judges of the Supreme Court were administered oath on Saturday night including the new Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar who is from Sindh.

The lawyers in Pakistan have called for a countrywide strike on Monday in token protest against the imposition of emergency rule by President Pervez Musharraf.

"We are launching our struggle from tomorrow. Lawyers will be observing a strike tomorrow," former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Hamid Ali Kha, was quoted as saying by a foreign new agency. "We will be holding protests and boycotting courts," Khan added.

Earlier, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Aitzaz Ahsan, and other legal leaders including Munir A. Malik, Ali Ahmad Kurd and Tariq Mehmood were also taken into custody immediately after emergency rule was imposed.

Police rounded up hundreds of opposition leaders and rights activists Sunday after Pakistan's military ruler suspended the constitution, ousted the top judge and deployed troops to fight what he called rising Islamic extremism.

In the lawless Afghan border region, militants freed 211 Pakistani soldiers captured two months ago, the army's top spokesman said.

Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a 1999 coup leader and U.S. ally who had promised to relinquish his army post and become a civilian president this year, declared a state of emergency Saturday night, dashing hopes of a smooth transition to democracy for the nuclear-armed nation.

Musharraf's leadership is threatened by the reemergence of political rival and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, an increasingly defiant Supreme Court set to rule on the validity of his recent presidential election win, and an Islamic militant movement that has spread from border regions to the capital.

South Waziristan, the tribal border region where the government is struggling to assert control, has seen a surge in violence, including the capture of the soldiers two months ago. The group was freed Sunday through the efforts of a jirga or a tribal council of elders in South Waziristan, said Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad.

Police wielding assault rifles rounded up opposition leaders and rights activists Sunday after Pakistan's military ruler suspended the constitution, ousted the top justice and deployed troops to fight what he called rising Islamic extremism.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the extraordinary measures would remain in place "as long as it is necessary." He also said parliamentary elections could be postponed up to a year, but no such decision had been made.

Aziz also said that up to 500 opposition activists had been arrested in the last 24 hours.

Among those detained were Javed Hashmi, the acting president of the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif; cricket star-turned politician, Imran Khan; Asma Jehangir, chairman of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; and Hamid Gul, former chief of the main intelligence agency and a staunch critic of Musharraf's support for the U.S.-led war on terror.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan escaped from his home in Lahore on Sunday hours after police put him under house arrest following the imposition of emergency rule by President Pervez Musharraf.

"He was detained along with eight supporters at the house. The supporters are at home but he has slipped away," a close relative told Reuters. "Police are still outside the house."

Some 200 armed police stormed the rights commission office in Lahore on Sunday and arrested about 50 activists, said Mehbood Ahmed Khan, a legal officer for the body.

"They dragged us out, including the women," he said from the police station in the eastern city. "It's inhuman, undemocratic and a violation of human rights to enter a room and arrest people gathering peacefully there."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday the United States would review billions of dollars of aid to Pakistan after President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule.

"Obviously we are going to have to review the situation with aid, in part because we have to see what may be triggered by certain statutes," Rice told reporters traveling with her in Jerusalem.

Pakistan has received about $10 billion in U.S. aid since 2001, with much of that in counter-terrorism assistance.

Rice did not say which aid would be reviewed but she made clear that there were ongoing counter-terrorism concerns in and around Pakistan that must be faced.

"We have to be very cognizant of the fact that some of the assistance that has been going directly to Pakistan is directly related to counter-terrorism missions. This is a complicated matter," she said.

Pakistan this year is receiving about $700 million in U.S. economic and military assistance and in 2008 is expected to receive more than $800 million. It also receives billions of dollars in counter-terrorism assistance.

Musharraf's leadership is threatened by an Islamic militant movement that has spread from border regions to the capital, the reemergence of political rival and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and an increasingly defiant Supreme Court, which was expected to rule soon on the validity of his recent presidential election win. Hearings scheduled for next week were postponed, with no new date set.

Attorney General Malik Mohammed Qayyum denied claims by Bhutto and others that Musharraf had imposed martial law - direct rule by the army - under the guise of a state of emergency. He noted the prime minister was still in place and that parliament would complete its term, ending Nov. 15.

In Islamabad, phone service that was cut Saturday evening appeared to have been restored by Sunday morning. But transmissions by television news networks other than state-controlled Pakistan TV remained off the air.

Scores of paramilitary troops blocked access to the Supreme Court and parliament. Otherwise streets in the capital appeared calm, with only a handful of demonstrations. But one, attended by 40 people at the Marriott Hotel, was broken up by baton-wielding police.

"Shame on You! Go Musharraf Go!" the protesters shouted as officers dragged some out of the crowd and forced them to the ground. Eight were taken away in a van.

Western allies had urged Musharraf not to take authoritarian measures despite recent his country's recent turmoil.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for a return to democracy, as the American embassy urged citizens in Pakistan to remain at home and defer all nonessential travel. But Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the emergency declaration "does not impact our military support" of the Muslim nation or its efforts in the war on terror.

In his televised address late Saturday, Musharraf, looking somber and composed, said Pakistan was at a "dangerous" juncture, and that its government was threatened by Islamic extremists who were "imposing their obsolete ideas on moderates."

The military ruler, wearing a black button-down tunic rather than his army uniform, also blamed the Supreme Court for tying the hands of the government by postponing the validation of his recent election. The court was expected to rule soon on opponents' claims that Musharraf's Oct. 6 victory was unconstitutional because he contested while army chief. He was elected by a Musharraf-led legislature.

Bhutto, who had traveled abroad following an Oct. 18 suicide bombing that narrowly missed her but killed 145 others, immediately returned to the southern city of Karachi declared Saturday the "blackest day" in Pakistan's history. "Judicial decisions have to be accepted even if they don't suit you," she said.