The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The severe cyclone-SIDR hit the country's coast yesterday evening with a windspeed from 140 to 165 killometres per hour (kph).

The cyclone originating in the Bay started pounding the entire south and southwestern coast from Cox's Bazar to Satkhira districts. The number of the vulnerable people living in the coastline are nearly 1 crore 20 lakh.

Officials engaged in evacuation from remote offshore islands said winds with a speed of 100 to 130 kph which was packing with gusty wind to 165 kph started lashing the areas ahead of impending attack by the super severe Cyclone "SIDR", a category four super storm.

"This cyclone has a devastating capacity like that of the November 12, 1970 cyclone and the US hurricane caterina," a senior meterolgist said.

Met Office officials said the SIDR is of 500 kilometres in radius. The eye of the SIDR, according to the satellite images, is 74 kilometers with a wind speed of 220-240 kph, is likely to cross the coastal belt of Khulna and Barisal by this morning. It was also expected to unleash tidal surges up to 20 feet in some areas, causing massive destruction of infrastructure and immovable property during the whole night.

There was no report of casualty from the affected areas till filing of this report at midnight last night.

Meanwhile, the whole country, including Dhaka city, experienced rains due to the influence of the cyclone.

Earlier, over 32 lakh people were evacuated to safe places from their respective homes on the vulnerable coast line in 15 coastal districts since Wednesday evening, when the Met Office issued 'great danger signal' No 10. Of the poeple evacuated 6,20,000 were taken to the cyclone shelters while others in the highlands.

The National Disaster Council at a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the afternoon ordered a massive rescue and relief operation in the affected areas. Members of the Council of Advisers and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed attended the meeting, among others.

Control rooms were opened in all districts and upazila headquarters. Tens of thousands of volunteers, including members of the Armed Forces, government officials, Red Crescent Society and NGOs, were readied for post-cyclone rescue and relief operations.

In Dhaka, the government opened four control rooms, including a central monitoring room at the Chief Adviser's Office.

Armed Forces set up a control room at the Armed Forces Division, the Red Crescent Society and major NGOs are also keeping round the clock vigil on their respective operation.

Relief and rescue operation items including dry foods, medicine, tents, cooking and lighting materials were also collected.

The Government cancelled weekly holidays-today and tomorrow-of its officials in all the 15 coastal districts. All martime ports, including the Chittagong and Mongla seaports, and educational institutions in this area were closed until further order. Air communications in the country were suspended and international airliners were asked not to land in Bangladesh territory yesterday evening.

The storm first hit the Hiron Point and part of the mangrove forest Sundarbans in Bagerhat and Dublar Char island in Barguna at about 2:00 PM with a windspeed from 120 kph to 140 kph.

Our Chittagong Correspondent reported that about 200 tourists, including children and women, were stranded at coral island-St. Martin's, one of the popular tourist destinations of the country, due to suspension of maritime communications. They were, however, taken to cyclone shelters.

Barisal Correspondent said thousands of people were taken to 2,400 cyclone shelters.

Correspondent said the western zone power company has delinked 95 per cent electricity supply from Bheramara in Kushtia district in the west to coastal Bhola district in the south, apprehending accident during the cyclone hours.

Similar measures have been taken in other vulnerable areas, according to reports received in the capital last night.

Staff Reporter

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed has said the government is determined to make sure that businessmen don't have to be victims of unjust harassment in any way.

Formally inaugurating the Batexpo 2007--country's biggest apparel show--he also said that the government is pursuing through diplomatic, business as well as legislative channels for the passage of a bill in the US Congress for market access of Bangladesh's ready-made garments to the United States.

The three-day Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition (Batexpo 2007) has started at Hotel Sonargaon under the auspices of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Advisers of the caretaker government, diplomats, representatives of international organizations, international buyers, owners of garment and textile industries and leaders of business community were present at the inaugural function.

Prior to delivering his inaugural speech, the Chief Adviser mentioned the prevailing top danger signal about a powerful cyclonic storm advancing towards the country's coast and said that the government has taken preparation to face the calamity.

He prayed for divine blessings to overcome the danger and sought cooperation of the countrymen in tackling the situation.

Referring to interaction with business community during a dialogue on Economy of Bangladesh on September 5, the Chief Adviser said he had informed the businessmen about some initiatives of the government for their benefit, including the formation of Regulatory Reforms Commission (RRC) for removing harassment and uncertainty in business arena. The government has already introduced it.

Besides, Better Business Forum (BBF) headed by the head of government is being formed to increase coordination between government and businesses.

About the initiative for duty-free access of Bangladesh RMG to the United States, the Chief Adviser said during his recent US visit, he strongly placed before the authorities concerned the necessity of allowing duty-free access of Bangladeshi apparels to the American market.

He mentioned that recently a Bill titled "The New Partnership for Development Act of 2007' has been placed in the US Congress. If the bill is passed, garment items of LDCs, including Bangladesh, will get duty-and quota-free entry into the American market.

He informed the function that necessary instruction has been given to the Bangladesh Embassy in the United States for carrying out effort to get the bill passed.

Dr Fakhruddin gave assurance to BGMEA of extending all-out cooperation in this regard.

The US is the single-largest market of RMG of Bangladesh, and if this Bill is passed, apparel export to America will increase to a large extent, the function was told.

About providing salary to garment workers, the Chief Adviser expressed his gladness knowing that BGMEA members are providing minimum wages to workers as per recommendation of the Minimum Wage Board.

He urged the BGMEA members to ensure "100 per cent compliance and give salary in time".

He further appreciated various pragmatic initiatives of BGMEA, including imparting training to unemployed youths in Monga-prone regions and arranging job in garment industry, and setting up of 10 medical centres to provide free treatment to workers.

He also mentioned the signing of MoU between BGMEA and BSCIC for setting up 'Garment Village' at Baushia in Gajaria upazila of Munshiganj district where 390 plots, including workers' dormitory, on 300 acres of land are being developed.

The garment sector earns about 76 per cent of export income of Bangladesh, amounting to about 9.2 billion US dollars.

Around 24 lakh people, 85 percent of them women, work in the garment industries to stitch world-class wears.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin formally opened the Apparel and Textile Exhibition by cutting ribbon and went around some stalls.

A total of 67 enterprises are participating in the exposition to showcase their products at 82 stalls set up at the annual fair.

Commerce and Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam and Labour and Employment Adviser Anwarul Iqbal also spoke at the function presided over by BGMEA president Anwarul Alam Chowdhury Pervez.

Court Correspondent

Two different courts of Dhaka yesterday, rejected two petitions to put BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General and former Premier Khaleda Zia's elder son Tarique Rahman on remand for 7 days each. However, if necessary, I0 was permitted to quiz Tarique at the jail gate.

In one case Tarique was accused of extortioning Taka one crore 32 lakh, while in another case he allegedly extorted Taka 5 crore. On March 27 this year, Khan Md Aftab Uddin, proprietor, Reza Construction filed the first case with Gulshan Thana accusing Gias Uddin Al-Mamun, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Obaidul Kader, Kamruzzaman, Hablu, Mahbub and Mota Tareque. In the case, Mamun made confessional statement and on April 21,

Tarique was shown arrested in the case. On November 14, I0 SI Imtiaz Bhuiyan sought 7-day remand to quiz accused Tarique.

Another I0 Meer Zahir Hossain filed the other case with Dhanmondi Thana of Dhaka accusing 7 persons. They are: Gias Uddin Al Mamun, Obaidul Kader Sohel, Kamruzzaman, Mahbub, Hablu, Mota Tarique and Manik. Tarique Rahman was also shown arrested in this case. I0 Sub-Inspector Moinul Islam had sought the 7-day remand to quiz Tarique Rahman.

The defence lawyers in presence of Tarique Rahman strongly opposed the remand prayer, while court Inspectors Abdul Haque pleaded for remand in the 2nd case.

Charge sheet was submitted yesterday to the CMM Court of Dhaka in the sensational case filed by former teacher of Dhaka University against 5 persons including JMB's top leader Sheikh Abdur Rahman and his brother Ataur Rahman Sani.

Investigation Officer (IO), CID inspector Abdul Maleque submitted the charge sheet to the court. Other accused are: Fugitive Noor Mohammad and Noor Alam alias Anwar Hossain MP, detained Mizanur Rahman Mizan. Sheikh Rahman and Sani were sentenced to death in the case in connection with the killing of two Judges in Jhalokathi, they were relieved from the charge.

I0 submitted separate charge sheet against the accused in another case filed in connection with bomb explosion aiming at the teacher. On April 27, 2004 accused militants exploded bomb in front of Atomic Energy centre near Bangla Academy of the capital, while Professor Azad was going back home at night.

Staff Reporter

Fixing the value of each share at Tk 100 three nationalized commercial banks (NCBs)--Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks-were formally made public limited companies (PLC) through the signing of separate "vendor" agreements to this effect yesterday.

The NCBs, after necessary gazette notification, will be operated by independent management and board of directors in accordance with the Banking Companies Act of 1994.

Having 100 per cent share of the PLCs, the government earlier appointed chairmen of the board of directors for the three banks.

The shares of the banks have already distributed among the directors. In order to appoint the chief executives to these banks, examinations of 10 managing directors working at different banks were held at the Ministry of Finance. It is learnt that appointment of new managing directors to Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks will be given in a day or two. However, the present managing directors (in charge) will perform the responsibilities until the appointment of new MDs. The salary structures of the persons who are going to get appointment to these banks as new MDs have been fixed at Tk 5 lakh to 7 lakh per month.

Besides, steps have been taken to make these banks sustainable competing with other private banks of the country. The issues of modernizing and appointing skilled and eligible manpower for these banks have been finalized. The officials and employees working in these banks and crossed 50 years of age will be retrenched through golden handshake.

The newly-appointed board of directors will run the banking companies independently, but the government will hold the right to appoint directors whose number will range between minimum seven and maximum 13.

On October 13, the Council of Advisers gave approval to the vendors' agreement after reviewing the corporatisation process.

The state-run Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks have already obtained separate licences from the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms to operate as PLCs.

"With the signing of the agreements, these banks should run (professionally) as banks. It lies on the management and boards of the respective banks," Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam said at the signing ceremony at Finance Division.

Sonali Bank chairman Ali Imam Majumdar, also the Cabinet Secretary, Janata Bank chairman Sohel Ahmed Chowdhury and Agrani Bank chairman Siddiqur Rahman Chowdhury signed the agreements on behalf of their respective banks, while deputy secretary of Finance Ministry Quamrunnahar Ahmed signed for the government.

Witnessing the signing ceremony along with senior officials and bankers, the Finance Adviser said: "Unfortunately, if we look at the performances of these banks, they could not perform at desired level, particularly for political intervention."

The agreement was to convert the NCBs into incorporated companies, giving them real autonomy, he said.

He expected that the banks' management and the boards would utilize their autonomy to enhance the efficiency of the banks through working out their respective operation plans.

Dr Aziz said the agreements would free the banks from political intervention, help them to recover overburdened classified loans and run the banks more professionally.

As the banks run on depositors' money, he advised the newly incorporated PLCs to look into the interest of the depositors so that they don't get poor return on deposits and devise a lending plan so the cost of production does not go high deterring industrialisation.

"The banks should not be guided by profit maximisation… the role should be improving services so they can regain lost reputation," the Adviser said and expected their progressive role having no more monopoly in the banking industry.

Speaking on behalf of the Banks' Boards, Janata Bank chairman Sohel Ahmed said the banks would be able to become competitive with the authority given to them through their incorporation as PLCs.

Earlier, immediately after the country's independence, the banks had been nationalised through the Bangladesh Bank (Nationalisation) Order 1972.

The government gave green signal to convert the banks into PLCs on March 3 this year and the Council of Advisers at its meeting on October 31 approved the proposal to make the banks as PLCs through the vendor agreements.

UNB, Dhaka

The one-man Judicial Inquiry Commission, formed to investigate the August 20-22 incidents on the Dhaka University campus, in its report emphasized strict maintaining of institutional rules by law-enforcing agencies to avert further such troubles. The Justice Habibur Rahman Inquiry Commission submitted the report with 30 recommendations to the Chief Adviser at 3pm today (Thursday). Talking to journalists at his Circuit House office in the afternoon, the head of the Commission said the student agitation on August 20 was spontaneous, but the incidents were diverted to a different way later in the afternoon of August 21.

"The fighting between DU student Mehedi and army member Mustafa Kamal at the university playground was just an accident. Then the students brought out a procession protesting the incident, which was spontaneous. But, the incident turned into a provocation from August 21 afternoon as many vested groups got involved in the campus incidents," he said.

Habibur Rahman said all the law-enforcing agencies, teachers and students will have to strictly maintain their respective institutional rules and regulations to avoid further such incidents. In his report, Rahman also recommended forming own security forces of the Dhaka University to maintain law and order on the campus. Justice Habibur said the DU student demonstration had turned violent due to sentimental involvement of the students and the army men. The inquiry commission report also recommended resumption of activities of all hall unions and DUCSU units to increase the participation of general students in realizing their own demands and needs.

It recommended the government to consider the matter of detained DU teachers and students sympathetically in the larger interest of academic atmosphere in the university.

The report also blamed direct involvement of teachers and students in politics for the Dhaka University violent agitation. "The teachers and students cannot be directly involved in party politics. Some politicians and student leaders had instigated the DU students to divert the spontaneous student protest," he said. In the report, he also recommended amendments to the "Commission of Inquiry Act 1956" as inquiry commission formed to probe any incidents cannot make any judgement.

Staff Reporter

GrameenPhone Ltd, the leading mobile-phone company said it may buy other operators as competition intensifies from rivals, including Orascom Telecom Holding SAE, in order to maximise profit.

The compnay may complete a share listing on the Dhaka stock exchange next year. The proposed stock offering will be the biggest in Bangladesh, Chief Executive Officer Anders Jensen said in Macau in an interview with Boomberg Com Asia yesterday.

"We are always seeking to extend our footprint," he said, adding, "The six wireless carriers are operating in the country." He opined that "two to three mobile operators are too many for Bangladeh," he said.

Acquiring other operators will give Grameenphone, controlled by Norway's Telenor ASA, more airwave spectrum to accommodate its target of adding 70 lakh users a year. The company has a 61 per cent share of the market where over 19 per cent of the 15 crore million people own a mobile phone.

Bangladesh is "attractive because it has low penetration and a high growth rate,"' said Paul Budde, Managing Director of telecommunications researcher Paul Budde Communication Pty. in Bucketty, New South Wales. "In a fast-growing market, there's room for four to six competitors," he said.

The country had 2 crore 85 lakh mobile users at the end of June, compared with 1 crore 54 lakh a year earlier and about 10 lakh in 2002, Budde said. Bangladesh is expected to have 5 crore mobile subscribers by the end of 2008, he said.

Grameen Telecom Corp, a subsidiary of the Grameen Bank founded by Nobel Peace Prize winier Dr Mohammad Yunus, owns 38 per cent in GrameemPhone, while Telenor, the largest phone company in the Nordic region, owns 62 per cent. The company has almost 1 crore 60 lakh users.

Closely held GrameenPhone faces rising competition as Cairo-based Orascom, the Middle East's largest wireless operator, and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. invested in mobile-phone operations to tap demand in Bangladesh.

In the nation, mobile-phone calling rates may fall to about Tk 0.69 or US 1 cent a minute as operators offer discounts to lure users, GrameenPhone CEO Jensen said.

GrameenPhone plans to encourage users to make more calls and introduce services such as Research in Motion Ltd.'s Blackberry device to increase average spending from less than Tk 344 or US $5 a month, he said.

GrameenPhone invested about Tk 207 crore or US $300 million in each of the past three years to meet demand, Jensen said, adding, "If we get additional spectrum, we will be more willing to invest."

The company may otherwise slow capital spending as equipment purchases alone can't create enough new capacity.

About enlistment in the Dhaka stock exchange, Jensen said, "There is strong interest from the owners for the IPO. There are practical things such as to whether the Dhaka Stock Exchange can handle a deal of this size."'

GrameenPhone has about 260,000 subscribers on its Village Phone Program, which it runs jointly with Grameen Telecom and Grameen Bank, according to the carrier's Web site. The 10-year-old project offers loans to villagers to buy handsets, which are then used in the community as pay phones, earning the operators income.

B'baria Correspondent

Four people, including three of a family, were killed and 30 others injured in an accident on Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria district yesterday.

The dead were identified as Mominul Maizdin, 50, Chairman of Sunamganj Pourasava, his wife Tahera Chowdhury, 45, son Khalil Jibran Chowdhury and his car driver Kabir Mia, 25. Police said, the accident took place at about 1:00 pm when a Dhaka-bound bus of Shyamoli Paribahan from Sylhet collided head-on with a Sunamganj-bound private car carrying Chairman Mominul Maizuddin and his three family members from Dhaka.

Maizuddin's wife Tahera and his car driver Kabir died on the spot, while Chairman Maizuddin and his two sons--Nahian, 25, and Khalil Jibran, 11--were injured in the fatal accident.

Chairman Maizuddin and his younger son Khalil Jibran were then admitted to local Noor Hospital where doctors declared them dead.

It is learnt that Mominul was going to Sunamganj from Dhaka along with his family members yesterday morning.

At least 30 passengers of the bus were also injured in the accident.

Nahian, another son of the deceased chairman, was admitted to Sadar hospital, while five others to Sarail Health Complex.

All the bodies were recovered from the car, which got twisted in the accident.

ASP Khondaker Faridul Islam and Sarail UNO Zahidul Islam visited the spot.

UNB, Dhaka

A special court trying high-profile corruption suspects Thursday sentenced detained former state minister for power Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku for nine years in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

He was sentenced to 2 years simple imprisonment for concealing his wealth and 7 years rigorous imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally through "abuse of power".

Convict Tuku will have to serve seven years in jail, as both the sentences run "concurrently", court sources said. Handing down the sentences, Judge M Ashraf Hossain also fined him Tk 50 lakh, in default, to suffer one year more in prison. The court also ordered confiscation of his property worth about Tk 3 crore to the state coffer.

The court could not try Tuku's family members implicated in the case-his wife, son and daughter-on charges of aiding and abetting the family head in protecting the ill-gotten wealth worth about Tk 5 crore, as the High Court, following petition in August, stayed the case proceedings against them.

On March 21, the ACC filed the case accusing Tuku and his family of making wealth over Tk 5 crore beyond their known sources of income and concealing information about their actual assets.

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh will join the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units (FIU), an international network of FIUs of 106 countries, to recover funds that were illegally deposited in foreign banks by politicians, officials and businessmen suspected of corruption.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the government taskforce on the repatriation of money siphoned off by corruption suspects. Salehuddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Bank Governor and also convener of the taskforce chaired the meeting.

The Government recently formed the 10-member task force to bring back the money siphoned off from the country in coordination with the efforts of different government wings.

The decision was learnt to have taken according to suggestions made by World Bank and IMF. The World Bank recently offered the government to cooperate in bringing back the money.

The Egmont Group is the international organisation for stimulating cooperation amongst FIUs across the globe. It's main task is to collect information on suspicious or unusual financial activity from the financial industry, to analyse the data, and to make it available to appropriate national authorities and other Financial Intelligence Units for use in combating terrorist funding and other financial crime.

Membership of the Egmont Group will facilitate and enhance exchange of information by the Bangladeshi financial intelligence unit with its counterpart FIUs of the world, Dr Salehuddin told journalists after the meeting.

Admission of Bangladesh as a member of the Egmont Group will be a major step forward in joining the international community in its fight against money laundering and terrorism financing, meeting sources said.

The present caretaker government after assuming office in January this year asked the central bank to sign agreements with the authorities concerned of Malaysia, the Philippines, England, Singapore, and Indonesia to bring back an unspecified amount funds, allegedly, siphoned off from the country.

The government reportedly has information that allies of politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen stole several billion dollars and laundered abroad during five years of the last BNP regime.

The interim government has pledged to clean up the country's notoriously corrupt politics before reinstating democracy with elections by late next year.

In a drive against corruption during which it has detained over 200,00 people, the Caretaker Government had earlier sought to engage the central banks of these countries.

Draft agreements had been sent to Bank Negara of Malaysia and to the central banks of Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore.

The central bank has been in touch with the central banks of some countries examining the possibility of getting back the funds taken out of the country by the corrupt elements.

However, in a change of plans under legal advice that cites The Anti Money Laundering Act 2002, Dhaka is to approach the governments in these and other countries.

It is suspected that Malaysia, Singapore, Britain and the US are among the major destinations of money siphoned off from the country.

Sources claim that people like Tareque Rahman, Arafat Rahman Koko, Mosaddak Ali Falu, Gius Uddin Al Mamun and Noor Ali siphoned off their illegally earned money to foreign countries.