The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Foreign Advisor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Thursday said Bangladeshi think-tanks can help identify pragmatic new priorities for the foreign policy, which has been traditionally focused on defensive interests.

"There is a need to change the paradigm. We need to pursue our offensive interests more vigorously," he said speaking on " Our Foreign Policy and the Contribution of Think Tanks" at the BEI auditorium.

Citing example he said, "In the climate-change debate, mitigation is our defensive interests while adaptation support and technology transfer represent offensive interests." The Centre for Foreign Affairs Studies (CFAS), a new thin-tank outfit, organized the function. CFAS chairman Amb Ashfaqur Rahman also spoke at the function.

The Advisor said policy research and advocacy groups should be able to preempt national interests and induce and encourage policymakers to act on time.

"They must be endowed with agility and flexibility. They cannot afford to be supertankers and take-forever to take a new angle," he told the function.

Dr Chowdhury said pursuing an optimal foreign policy requires coordination and collaboration among all stakeholders. Think-tanks are one such stakeholder. They, however, have the added responsibility to help synthesize consensus that takes into account the primacy of national interest. Achieving the foreign policy objectives also requires cross-border cooperation, be it bilateral or multilateral. "We can no longer consider the counterparts in our foreign policy as monoliths or unitary entities," the Advisor said, adding the counterparts also have multiple stakeholders, their think-tanks among them.

Dr Chowdhury said it is imperative that think-tanks across national borders, across interests, form alliances to further enlightened national interests. There, too, one can reap the first mover's advantage.

He noted that think-tanks often face the challenging task of striking a balance between objectivity and public expectation. They cannot just remain confined to thinking. They must also know how best to communicate their thoughts, without succumbing to populist pressure.

representative to the UN said, "We have a number of policy challenges, in domestic, as well as in regional and international contexts. Some of these are daunting - resolving them will require not only groundbreaking research but also consensus building."

He viewed that the national efforts to fight the threat of extremism and religious fundamentalism would require a broad political consensus and an "egalitarian social policy to address their root causes".

"We will have to think how our different educational systems, while meeting our varying professional and spiritual needs, can remain compatible with each other," the Advisor told the function. He said think-tanks could contribute to enhancing understanding on the need for an inclusive education system that is necessary to fight poverty, inequality and fundamentalism.

Dr Chowdhury, however, reminded that credibility of a think-tank largely depends on the quality of its research, its objectivity and professionalism. "A research institution should not be a shop, delivering 'made-to-order thoughts'. It should not be prescriptive either," he said, adding that intellectual independence is absolutely essential for a think-tank to do its job right.

UNB, Dhaka

BNP leaders Khondoker Delwar Hossain and Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed Friday expressed profound shock at the loss of lives and property in the cyclone that hit the country's south and southwestern regions Thursday midnight.

BNP secretary general Khondoker Delwar Hossain conveyed sympathy to the bereaved families of the deceased and those injured during the storm, according to a telephonic message by Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, acting office secretary of BNP loyal to party chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Delwar also urged the government to arrange proper treatment for the injured and provide adequate relief to those injured.

He also called upon the party leaders and activists to stand beside the cyclone-affected people and extend a helping hand to mitigate their sufferings.

BNP standing committee-nominated acting secretary general Maj (retd) Hafiuzuddin, in an impromptu press briefing at his Banani residence today, demanded of the government to provide interest- free loan to the cyclone-affected people for rebuilding their damaged houses. He also urged the government to immediately provide relief to the affected families.

The reformist BNP leader asked the party leaders and workers to stand by the cyclone-hit people. Replying to a query, he said: "We'll try provide relief to the affected people from our personal resources and the party fund."

UNB, Dhaka

On behalf of the American people, the US Embassy in Dhaka expressed its deepest sympathy to the families of those who perished and others affected by the cyclone that hit Bangladesh late Thursday night.

The US Government has worked closely with partners in disaster relief mitigation in Bangladesh for many years.

USAID funds construction and maintenance of multi-purpose flood and cyclone shelters throughout the country as well as wave protection walls and earthen embankments to reduce flood damage.

In addition to building nearly 4,000 such structures since 2005, USAID trained local disaster management committees to oversee emergency response activities and provided cyclone preparedness training.

We distributed Emergency Survival Packets to 59,779 households displaced by 2007 flooding, said a US Embassy release. Even before the cyclone hit, the US Embassy in Bangladesh and partners pre-positioned supplies and equipment, including sixteen zodiac boats, six water treatment systems and ten water ambulances.

Our partners CARE and Save the Children pre-positioned 30,000 Emergency Survival Packages and food commodities in coastal areas.

We are currently exploring other ways in which we can assist in the recovery process, the release added.

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition-BATEXPO'07 partly lost its glamour yesterday, the second day of the three-day gala trade-show, due to the catastrophic cyclone, Sidr.

The organisers, however, hope the annual function will become lively with the improvement in the weather today. The presence of visitors was not upto expectation, as the city life was paralysed due to day-long foul weather as well as power outage.

The show, organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at Sonargaon Hotel, is exposing the latest advancement in production capacities of Bangladeshi manufacturers, who are among the top three suppliers to the US and EU markets.

Top Bangladeshi suppliers are participating in the event and displaying their products in 75 stalls at the exposition. More than 50 companies, including suppliers from India, China, Japan and Hong-Kong who usually come to market fabrics and accessories, have registered their participations.

Buyers from USA, Germany, U.K. Canada, Middle East, Southeast Asia and other parts in the world wait every year for the BATEXPO and it was visited by 3000 industrial units including 500 from aboard last year.

Also varied categories of woven and knitted garments, denim wears and formal wears, textiles and accessories are being displayed at the single venue of the fair.

With nearly $10 billion annual exports and 5000 plus exports' manufacturers, the Bangladesh apparel industry is an admired source for numerous global retailers and importers. Local manufacturers are famed globally for executing large volume of orders and to be competitive in terms of quality, prices and skills of workers. Their capacity regarding speedy shipments has improved a lot in recent months.

Bangladesh to be hit hard by global climate change

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh is going to bear the brunt of global climate changes as 50 million people are apprehended to be affected annually by floods and 20 million by droughts in addition to losing 6 percent of low-lying lands due to sea level rise by 2050.

Bangladesh is recognized as one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of global warming and climate changes due to its unique geographical location, dominance of floodplains, low elevation from the sea, high population density, high levels of poverty and overwhelming dependence on nature.

Sources at the Ministry of Environment and Forests said 93 major natural disasters were recorded in Bangladesh between 1991 and 2000, resulting in nearly 200,000 deaths and causing US $ 5.9 billion in damages with colossal losses in agriculture and infrastructures.

A sea level rise of .5 meter over the last 100 years has already eroded 65 percent landmass of 250 square kilometers in Kutubdia, 227 square kilometers in Bhola and 180 square KM of Sandwip Islands, the sources said.

They said over the last 10 years, Bangladesh has been ravaged by floods of catastrophic proportion in 1998, 2004 and 2007 in two phases. Heavy downpour over a short period of time resulted in landslides and cold spell claimed human lives and damaged crops.

Drought often affects even coastal districts, bad weather keeps the coastal waters risky for fishing expeditions. Damages and losses due to climate extremes like flood, cyclones, tornado, droughts are phenomenal to the victims as well as the state.

Sea level rise in the coming decades will create over 25 million climate refugees in the country, according to official statistics. Experts said Bangladesh must formulate a comprehensive action plan to protect the country from disastrous consequences of the global climate changes.

They said the country's aspiration to become a middle income country by 2030 will be threatened unless a comprehensive plan is developed and acted upon right now on climate changes.

Chris Austin, head of DFID, Bangladesh, addressing a discussion here on Nov 13, said though Bangladesh has contributed little to changes in the global climate, the low-lying delta nation is one of the countries that will be severely affected.

"The social and economic costs of these impacts will be staggering unless a comprehensive plan is developed and acted upon right now. Climate changes may seriously undermine Bangladesh's aspiration to become a middle-income country by 2030," he said.

Former Director General of Meteorological Department Akram Hossain Khan on Thursday told the media that from now Bangladesh would have to remain ready to face devastating natural calamities, including cyclone, flood and tsunami.

"Hurricane like Sidr is not unlikely in the future. As the global climate continues to change, Bangladesh is going to be the worst sufferer. Now the country must have preparations to face such calamities, which are highly likely in the future," he said.

UNB, Patuakhali

At least 61 people were killed and an unspecified number of people injured in the fierce storms in the coastal district on Thursday midnight.

Acting police super of the district Abu Saleh M Raihan confirmed the death figure. "The death toll may rise further rapidly," he said.

Besides, thousands of houses were damaged and tress and electric poles blew down under the lashes of the severe cyclonic storm.

Eight people, including four of a family, were killed and many more injured in severe cyclonic storms in the district Thursday midnight.

District administration officials said four members of a family died in Rupsa upazila and one each in Batiaghata, Koira, Dumuria and Dacop upazilas when trees collapsed on their houses during the storms at night.

The four family members were identified as Hirok Malakar, 35, Golak Sarker, 30, Golak's wife Kamini Sarker, 25, and Kumod Sarker, 85.

Three of the four other deceased were identified as Maulana Azizur Rahman, 60, of Bedkashi village in Koira upazila, Habu Bala, 45, of Suvana village in Dumuria upazila, and Hasina Begum, 15, of Batiaghata upazila headquarter. The name of a 35-year old man could not be known immediately.

Telecommunications in Paikgachha, Koira and Dacop upazilas of the district remained snapped as the storm caused a large-scale havoc in the coastal district.

Thousands of houses were razed to the ground, trees uprooted and standing crops on vast tracts of land damaged due to the storms.

Reports reaching UNB newsroom said 21 people died in Barisal while 33 in Patuakhali, 17 in Bagerhat, 13 each in Shariatpur and Madaripur, 11 in Khulna and six in Bhola district. The casualties mostly occurred in tree or house collapse as the hurricane pounded heavily with all its fury on the night and early hours of Friday.

Low-lying areas of many coastal districts, even in towns, were inundated as storm surge whipped by raging winds washed the areas.

Thousands of people were injured in the south and southwestern region and most of the dwelling houses were either fully or partially damaged in the devastation caused by the cyclonic storm, one of the worst in the country.

In Bagerhat, the fate of the people in backwater Dublarchar, including thousands of fishermen, could not be unknown as local administration failed to contact them. A team of the coastguard from Mongla set out for the offshore island in the morning.

Sundarban DFO SM Shohidulla told UNB that a colossal damage was done to the Sundaban mangrove forests at the "first hit" by the hurricane core of the powerful cyclone. "Our offices were damaged, boats capsized or washed away," he said.

Rescue and relief operations by district and police administrations, coastguard, army and Red Crescent started.

Deputy Commissioner Shahidul Islam and police super AKM Shahidur Rahman told UNB correspondent Bishnu Chakravorty that the total casualty in the district could not be known immediately.

Hurricane SIDR that lashed the coastal districts on Thursday night left over 100 people dead and some 300 missing in Bagerhat as the district in the vicinity of Sundarbans fell under the eye of the sea storm.

Besides, hundreds of people were wounded and thousands of houses flattened in the district.

Police confirmed UNB that over 100 people were killed, about 300 went missing, of them 200 in Swarankhola upazila alone, during the severe cyclone at night.

Among the deceased identified so far are Hazera Begum, 17, Shukran, 12, and Jonaki, 8, of a family of Shibpur village and Moni Sheikh, 28, of Patdumuria, Mukunda Majumdar, 65, of Faridpur village, one unidentified woman of Charchingori village and another unidentified young man of Tranpur village in Chitalmari upazila.

The other deceased are Dilu Khan of Debargachhi village and Sufiya Begum, 60, of PC College area in Sadar upazila and Ruhul Kazi, 22, of Kachua upazila and Mamun, 10, Sathi, 6, Motaleb, 70, Manna, 2, Jabbar, 60 and Saleha, 18, of Morelganj upazila and one unidentified woman of Mithakhali village in Mongla upazila.

Sources said they were killed as trees and houses crashed on them under the lashes of the severe tropical storm.

Witnesses said thousands of houses were damaged, trees uprooted and electricity snapped in the district.

Road communications with all upazilas, including Swarankhola, Mongla and Morelganj, remained disrupted.

What happened to the people in backwater Dublarchar, including thousands of fishermen, could not be unknown as local administration failed to contact them. A team of the coastguard from Mongla set out for the offshore island in the morning.

One trawler, some passenger-and fishing-boats sank in the Mongla port channel, officials said.

Sundarban DFO SM Shohidulla told UNB that a colossal damage was done to the Sundaban mangrove forests at the "first hit" by the hurricane core of the powerful cyclone. "Our offices were damaged, boats capsized or washed away," he said.

Rescue and relief operations by district and police administrations, coastguard, army and Red Crescent got off to an urgent start.

Deputy Commissioner Shahidul Islam and police super AKM Shahidur Rahman told UNB correspondent Bishnu Prasad Chakravorty that the total casualty in the district could not be known yet.