The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Work on preparing voters' list with photograph and national ID card will begin in the capital on November 10 as the Election Commission undertakes the toughest task under a countrywide voter-roll scheme.

"All preparations in this regard are already complete," said an official announcement Monday.

In the first phase of preparing the voter list with photographs, information collectors on November 10 will embark on door-to-door visit to collect information in a large number of areas. The areas are Kotwali, Sutrapur, Jatrabari, Shyampur, Paltan, Sabujbagh, Motijheel, Kafrul, Airport, Uttara, Cantonment (including Cantonment Board), Khilkhet, Pallabi, Mohammadpur, Adabor, Dhanmondi, New Market, Lalbagh, Khilgaon, Tejgaon industrial area and Ramna thana area.

The armies of enumerators will visit Mirpur thana area on November 22, Badda thana on December 6, Gulshan, Shah Ali and Shahbagh thana areas on December 9, and Tejgaon thana area on December 24. Works for taking photographs and data entry will begin on December 1. People of the respective areas have been requested to assist the information collectors for enlisting their names in the voter list.

UNB, Dhaka

The journalists, press workers and all employees of The Bangladesh Observer and weekly Chitrali Monday observed a token hunger strike to press their demand for payment of arrear salary.

Among others, BFUJ leaders Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Ruhul Amin Gazi and Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan, DUJ leaders Altaf Mahmood and Omor Farooq, Fazle Imam and Abul Hashem of Press Workers Federation, and Motiur Rahman Talukdar of Employees Federation were present at Observer Bhavan during the hunger strike programme from 10 am to 5 pm, said a press release.

Journalists of different newspaper and TV Channels also came to extend their solidarity with the strikers.

The union leaders urged the government to compel the Observer management under the law of the country to pay 60-month arrear salary and other dues to the employees of the paper.

UNB, Dhaka

The government has appointed former Secretary Golam Rahman chairman of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission to a three-year contractual term.

An official announcement Monday said, "The appointment was given as per Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act 2003." He replaced acting chairman Khalilur Rahman, who was a member of the Rural Electrification Board (REB).

Khalil was made acting chairman following the resignation of the commission chairman, Mujibur Rahman Khan. He stood down after the present caretaker government took office.

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh will receive around 1.2 lakh metric tons of rice worth US$ 50 million for flood victims under an order given by Saudi King Abdullah while the country was awash. A Saudi delegation led by Mohammad Bin Abdur Rahman Al-Muqalib, Director General of Public Expenditure under their Finance Ministry, on Monday held a meeting with Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain discussing the procurement and distribution of the rice. The Saudi government has already provided 60,000 metric tons of rice, which will be distributed in 41 flood-affected districts during November and December.

The distribution starts today (Tuesday) and is expected to supplement government efforts for activating various food-distribution schemes in the wake of price hike. Touhid told reporters that 60,000 metric tons of rice would be distributed among 21 lakh families in the flood-hit districts. "The Saudi King pledged US$ 50 million, the highest donation from any single country for this year's flood victims. Bangladesh decided to receive rice worth the amount," he said.

Discussions are on regarding supply of another 60,000 metric tons of rice from the Saudi government.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia had dispatched five cargo planes carrying 7000 cartoons of foodstuff, 10,000 pieces of blankets, 10,000 pieces of general bed sheets, 9,852 pieces of carpet-type bed sheets, 15,456 pieces of tents, 2036 cartoons of medicine and 5,700 tons of powdered milk.

UNB, Dhaka

Australian High Commissioner Douglas Foskett in Dhaka has called for building a counter-terrorism framework across the Asia-Pacific region for safety of all citizens in the region, saying terrorist events and funding occur through cyberspace. Speaking at a 3-day seminar on Cybercrime at Hotel Sheraton on (Monday), he said cybercrime has become an issue of increasing concern all over the world and there is no reason to think that Bangladesh will be spared its curse.

Foskett said internet users are growing rapidly in Bangladesh especially in the metropolitan areas. In 2000, the number of internet users was 100,000 and it shot up to 450,000 in 2007. He said the potential for further rapid growth of internet users and the need for proper use of IT in all sectors, the Bangladesh government adopted a law on ICT last year that addressed some major issues including cybercrime.

The detective branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) also set up a Cybercrime Unit in July this year, he noted.

"The high tech crime knows no boundaries," Foskett said adding that the Australian High Tech Crime Center (AHTCC) is reaching out to other countries to strengthen cooperation and build a network of international links.

He said the AHTCC and other international participants bring to the workshop a willingness to provide guidance, infrastructure development and technical assistance to assist Bangladesh combat cybercrime.

"This will be a good opportunity to share your views and develop a strong network of expertise and personal contacts."

Staff Reporter

The European Union has provided a strategic support to PRIP Trust with a project titled Small Initiatives by Local Innovative NGOs (SMILING) to work in the disaster prone areas by the rivers Padma and Jamuna.

Under the project, PRIP Trust will provide capacity building support to the selected local community-based NGOs for better service delivery to the grassroots disadvantaged communities, particularly in the areas of strengthening local governance, disaster management, arsenic mitigation, safe drinking water and sanitation.

The project covering the worst affected and vulnerable 108 Upazilas of 15 disaster-prone Districts will be implemented in four phases from 2007 to 2011 period.

Former adviser of the Caretaker Government Dr Akbar Khan will formally inaugurate the project at a function today. Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh Ambassador Dr Stefan Frowein will attend the launching ceremony, to be held at the IDB Bhaban auditorium, as the guest of honour, says a press release.

UNB, Dhaka

Some 114 Dhaka University teachers Monday demanded a ban on Jamaat-e-Islam as a political party. In a statement, the DU teachers also urged the government to bring the Jamaat leaders to justice for their crimes during the 1971 liberation.

The signatories to the statement included Mohammad Samad Nurur Rahman Khan, Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, Prof Akhtaruzzaman, Sheikh Abdus Salam, Amol Krishna Halder, Pradip Roy, Dr Sharif Akhter Zaman and Dr M Nurul Islam and Dr Aminur Rashid.