The New Nation - Internet Edition

Syed Zahirul Abedin

The sufferings of thousands of survivors of cyclone in southern districts mounted yesterday as rescuers struggled to get food and water to stricken villages in remote areas.

US Navy helicopters began delivering emergency supplies to survivors in a joint relief operation, officials said.

Helicopters from the US battleship USS Kearsarge delivered dry food and bottled water to thousands of hungry and exhausted families living in remote areas of Dublar Char, Bagherat and Barguna, the worst affected districts.

The US Marine Corps set up an air bridge between its makeshift operation base in Barisal city and the warship.

Communications Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) MA Matin, who has been coordinating the post-cyclone relief operations from Barisal, said foreign forces, including the US Marines came to serve distressed people in Bangladesh and would not stay a single more day than required for relief and rehabilitation work.

During a short briefing at Barisal Airport yesterday noon, he was in the Bangladesh Army during the devastating cyclone in 1991 and he witnessed how the US armed forces stood beside the affected people in Bangladesh at that time, our Barisal Correspondent reports.

"It could take many more days for us what the US forces had done in 10 to 12 days at that time," he said. "So, they are serving for the sake of us and there should not be any confusion or question about their noble objectives and humanitarian activities during their stay in Bangladesh," he added.

The Marines arrived in Bangladesh at the weekend on a humanitarian mission to help the people cope with the aftermath of the cyclone.

Four teams of US marines started work at Southkhali and Dublarchar in Bagerhat district, Bamna in Barguna district and Kalapara, Rangabali and Dashmina in Patuakhali district from yesterday.

They already made necessary arrangements for purifying and supplying of drinking water, along with relief items and medical supplies. Soon, they will open a 125-bed hospital at the worst-affected Mirzaganj upazila town to prevent and treat diarrhoea patients.

Besides, a total of 104 members of Pakistan Army medical team with ambulance, medicines and other medical equipment are working at Mathbaria, Zia Nagar and Patharghata upazilas and adjacent areas.

A 30-bed field-hospital, equipped with an operation theatre has also been opened by Pakistan Army at Bhandaria upazila town of Pirojpur district to serve the cyclone affected people.

In the cyclone-affected areas, 424 medical teams are now working. Besides, relief and rehabilitation work, including repairing and constructing houses and restoring road communications are going on in cooperation with the Bangladesh Armed Forces.

The distressed farmers and fishermen would be provided bank loans on easy terms. Steps would also be taken for their rehabilitation, said Adviser MA Matin.

The Communications Adviser also warned that any kind of indiscipline, mismanagement, misappropriation, corruption and black marketing of relief materials and cash, hoarding and price hike of essentials would not be tolerated in any way.

After the briefing, the Adviser flew over the cyclone-affected Barguna in a helicopter.

Major General Rafiqul Islam, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 55th Division of the Bangladesh Army was also present during the briefing.

Two US helicopters carrying 2,500 gallons of drinking water left Barisal Airport for cyclone-affected areas yesterday. Four planes of Bangladesh Army and Air Force offloaded 50 tons of relief items, medicines, blankets for the cyclone SIDR affected people.

The caretaker government put together a rescue and search operation of their own initially, but that needed more coordinated efforts.

U.S. troops will also deliver food and other supplies, help set up water purification plants, and provide medical care to victims in the coming days, Bangladesh Army officials said.

"Our first priority is get food, water and clothes to the survivors," said Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed after meeting the US officials.

Aid workers' attempts to deliver critical supplies and medical services have been hampered by blocked or dilapidated roads.

On Saturday, a section of a bridge collapsed and fell into a river under the weight of thousands of survivors stampeding for food in southern Patuakhali district, which left three people dead and dozens injured.

"We will fill the requirements as identified by the Bangladesh military," said U.S. Brig. Gen. Ronald L. Bailey, who is coordinating the relief operation.

Bangladesh has received pledges of international aid of more than $500 million, including $250 million from the World Bank.

Staff Reporter

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director Hua Du has said Bangladesh is going through a very difficult and challenging situation in its history after the country's independence in 1971 due to natural calamities and impact of the international market.

"The government and people of Bangladesh are really going through a difficult and challenging situation because of two severe floods and one devastating cyclone which never happened in one year together in recent years," she told reporters yesterday at the launching of ADB's Quarterly Economic Update (QEU) on Bangladesh at the ADB's Resident Mission in Dhaka.

"Now, the most urgent priority is to restore flood and cyclone damages, and reach fertilizers and seeds to farmers as quickly as possible," she suggested.

At the same time, the government must pay attention to ensure food security at any cost, she said.

Senior economists, including Dr Rezaul Karim, and the ADB's External Relations Officer Gobinda Bar were present.

Shifting from its previous stands, the ADB has suggested the government not to raise the prices of oil and gas despite the higher prices in international market.

The ADB report says that the natural calamities in Bangladesh will take their toll on the country's GDP growth bringing it down to below 6 per cent in the current fiscal (2007-'08) instead of its earlier predicted 6.5 percent.

It shows the country has incurred a loss of US$1.4 billion in economic terms, which is 1.1 percent of the GDP due to floods. The agricultural production loss because of flooding is estimated at 1.3 million tons, it said. "The losses could be offset by a bumper boro crop production."

On the other hand, the QEU observes that the recent cyclone has damaged 38 per cent of Aman crops in coastal areas. The ADB, however, is yet to assess the total loss of lives and crops caused by the cyclone.

Hua Du said the ADB and some other donor agencies are going to announce a soft loan of US$ 180 million for Bangladesh as assistance for the cyclone-hit areas.

"This is an emergency disaster rehabilitation loan and ADB's share is US$ 120 million while Japan, Sweden, Canada and the Netherlands will provide the rest," she said.

The ADB's Country Director said this is highly concessional loan and it would be disbursed by mid-January next. And besides this soft loan, a US$ 400 million loan is already in the pipeline, which would be utilised to develop flood-related infrastructures in flood-affected areas.

The ADB update presents a bleak picture of the country's economic situation as the key export-oriented garment industry, which had a robust growth over the past years, experienced a downtrend in recent months alongside a sharp fall in investment sector.

Besides, erosion in business confidence has affected the manufacturing sector while construction sector has seen a decreased growth because of the ongoing anti-corruption drives and rise in the prices of materials.

Growth of industry and services sectors is also declining because of a drop in external demand for exports, erosion in business confidence and vigorous anti-corruption drive.

Exports in July-September period of 2007-08 fell by 5.4 percent compared with the same period of the last fiscal year.

The report says pressures on fiscal balance are likely to heighten by a rise in spending for the post-cyclone relief operations, expansion of food-assisted safety nets and imports of food grains and fertiliser.

"The fiscal deficit of 4.2 per cent projected in the budget may exceed this year," Rezaul Karim Khan, Head of Economics in ADB, Dhaka office, said.

The ADB sees the rising inflation (9.6 per cent), staggering losses of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation and other state-owned enterprises, huge subsidy in fertiliser, and also rising trend in the prices of goods on the international market as the biggest challenge for the economy.

Tackling soaring inflation and the food shortage would make the challenges more difficult for the government, Hua Du said.

The ADB mentioned that the BPC's loss is US$ 794 million, which is 1.1 per cent of the GDP, but said they do not call the government to raise the fuel price, particularly of diesel, as it is directly linked with the poor people.

But, the ADB country chief parried a question when asked what measures should be taken immediately to address the BPC's loss. "We're working with the government to find out a way so that farmers are not affected," she said.

Replying to a question, Hua Du said they do not think the GDP growth will be 5.5 per cent as said by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"Because, we believe, after the floods and cyclone, huge activities will start in the affected areas to recover the losses."

The report hails the government's efforts to boost revenue earnings.

"The revenue collection increased by 21.8 per cent in July-October of FY 2007-08 over the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year."

The ADB report says that rising oil and food grain prices had been threatening the balance of payments outlook. But the workers' remittances continue to provide a cushion to the balance, it observes.

Rise in international commodity prices (oil and non-oil) and shortfall in domestic food grain would continue to threaten the price pressure, it says.

UNB, Dhaka

A coordination meeting on conducting Bangladesh-US joint relief operation in the cyclone-hit areas was held Monday at the Army Headquarters, where the American side offered to extend all-out cooperation in the humanitarian task.

"During the meeting, U.S. and Bangladesh officials agreed on plans to increase delivery of aid to the cyclone-affected regions in the coming days," said a US embassy spokesman.

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed chaired the meeting, which discussed providing all-out cooperation to Bangladesh army, including transport facility, supplying pure drinking water in the cyclone-affected areas, sending medical team and medicine for free from the USA during the relief operation.

US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Geeta Pasi and 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade commander Brigadier General Ronald L. Bailey and other high army officials were present at the talks, ISPR said.

High officials of Bangladesh Army, including Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt General Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Chief of General Staff of Bangladesh Army Major General Sina Ibne Jamali, were also present.

Meanwhile, an American KC-130 aircraft arrived at Zia International Airport in Dhaka Monday to begin delivering more water-purification systems to affected areas.

In the coming days, the United States plans to assist in the airlifting of 160 tons of goods from existing Bangladesh government supplies, the US embassy said.

The US warship USS Kearsarge continued to reach more areas with much-needed fresh water. Troops from the Kearsarge today used helicopters to begin airlifting 5,000 refillable 5.5-gallon water containers to various locations, including Dublar Char, Bagherat and Barguna districts.

"In addition, a U.S. Army medical team which has been in-country since early November providing medical support as part of a separate program has deployed to the Pataukhali area along with medics from the Kearsarge to provide additional medical support to overstretched Bangladeshi resources there," said the American mission.

In the coming days, this medical team plans to visit four different locations in the affected area to provide medical assistance.

The USS Kearsarge, currently off the coast of Bangladesh, is playing a primary role in supporting the US assistance mission. "The USNS Concord is in the vicinity of Bangladesh and has re-supplied the Kearsarge, while the USS Essex, originally intended to support the Kearsarge, will instead continue with its scheduled plans," said the embassy in a release.

Shahidul Islam

The Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) are visibly absent from helping the millions of cyclone survivors in the storm battered districts of the south and southwestern coasts and in the mainland, although they have enough money and manpower to do so.

Journalists on the ground reported that the cyclone survivors were shocked at the absence of the NGO's (local development agencies) in rescue and relief operations although they brought foreign donations and grants in the name of the poor, the most affected by the severe storm, which shattered 12 districts and struck 34 of the country's 64 districts.

Bangladesh has the highest number of NGO's in the world, according to an estimate 47,182 of them all, operating with the pledge to bring about changes to the lot of the poor men and women. Of them 45,026 are registered with the Ministry of Social Welfare while, 2,156 with the NGO Bureau. Those registered with NGO Bureau are apparently big organisations and receive foreign funds as grants on a regular basis.

Besides, a few hundreds of NGOs are operating under the banner of Islam and receive funds from different Middle Eastern countries. These organisations are neither registered with Social Welfare Ministry nor with the NGO Bureau, while some of them allegedly finance militants and fundamentalist outfits in Bangladesh.

According to informed sources foreign fund receiving NGOs get more than double the amount of money that they obtained through the official channel. All of them have mandatory funds, which they receive on condition that this money would be distributed among the destitute during natural calamities like the one the nation is facing after the cyclone SIDR.

An updated government document shows-foreign grant receiving NGOs received a total of US 211,44,36,800.43 dollars or Tk 14,589,61,39,229.67 till October 31 of the current financial year from 2000-2001 fiscal through the NGO Bureau. The money received by these organisations through unofficial channel during the same period should be double the fund released through the NGO Bureau channel.

According to another report published by a widely read vernacular daily, these NGOs received through unofficial channel US 7,500 crore dollars and US 3,476 crore dollars from 1993 to 2002, which together stands at Tk 1,80,000 crore.

If the foreign fund received by the Grameen Bank, the NGO version of bank, were included then the total amount of money received by the NGOs would inflate even further.

Coalition of Local NGOs (CLNB), an apex body of over 850 non-government organisations, who do not accept foreign donations, claimed that eight major NGOs receive 90 per cent of all foreign funds both officially and unofficially.

Although there is no exact figure of the total workforce engaged in the NGO sector, it is presumed that about 4,50,000 people are involved with 47,182 or more NGOs operating in every nook and corner of the Republic.

Only a handful of NGOs have so far engaged themselves in relief work till the severe cyclone hit the country from November 15 evening to November 16 morning with a wind speed from 185 kmph to 240 kmph and whipping up 15 to 20 feet tidal surge in some areas of the four worst hit districts.

Most of those participating in relief activities are doing a face saving job and trying to have more press coverage than concentrating on the relief they were engaged in, journalists in the affected areas report.

However, some foreign NGOs are doing a commendable job, they added.

According to the official reports of different Government agencies, as of November 23, it is clear that more than 6.7 million people were affected by the cyclone with a confirmed death toll of 3,033 people, with further 1,828 missing and 34,511 injured. Material damage is severe, with over 3,63,346 homes totally and 8,15,628 houses partially destroyed. The Government estimates more than 1.6 million acres of crops were destroyed and over 4,62,815 livestock killed.

Besides, massive damaged was done to household assets, including food stocks.

An economist said the NGOs have to respond to the call of the distressed humanity with utmost sincerity since they receive funds from donors in the name of these people.

Had the NGOs engaged 10 per cent of their workforce in relief work, the number of volunteers from the sector alone would be something around 45,000, he said, adding that the NGO participation in relief activities was near to nil during the two successive floods, which inundated 40 per cent of the country this year.

He posed the question as to when the NGOs would do their chartered duty, if not at this juncture of national calamity.

UNB, Dhaka

The presence of a US ship in the Bay of Bengal is purely for relief activities for the cyclone-affected people and the Bangladesh government would be in charge of the whole process, said Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury.

"The presence of them (US ship) is only for relief activities. We've announced before and we're doing now that the Bangladesh government will be in the driver's seat and lead the process," he told reporters replying to a volley of questions about the US ship at a press briefing at his ministry on Monday.

The press briefing was organised to brief the reporters about the just concluded Commonwealth Summit in the Ugandan capital of Kampala where the Foreign Adviser represented Bangladesh.

As the pressmen wanted to know whether the purpose of arrival of the ship is humanitarian or intervention, and how long it is going to stay here, Iftekhar said, "I can only share with you the information I'm aware of. I was told that this capacity (of the US ship) has added to our capacity to transport relief to needy people."

The question also included if the ship came under any agreement between the two states and if the ship came at the invitation of Bangladesh government.

Iftekhar said the US cooperation would reduce the sufferings of the affected people and help reach relief the impenetrable areas.

"In international arena, there are innumerable examples of such types of assistance following natural disasters," the Foreign Adviser said adding that similar nature of humanitarian help was provided to Tsunami and earthquake devastated Indonesia.

He went on: "This type of friendly cooperation is generally acknowledged as normal and positive in the sphere of friendly relations between states. It's considered as a normal process of international diplomacy."

Narrating the huge capability of the ship, Iftekhar said the ship with helicopters on board would facilitate transportation of relief, purified drinking water and medicines.

About the arrival of second such ship, he said he is not informed about the navigation of the second ship.

He said the helicopters on board today gave five sorties distributing 2,500 gallons of purified water in the affected areas and the capacity of using the helicopters would gradually increase.

About international aid, Iftekhar said so far the country has received aid worth US$ 450 million. In addition, the South Korean Ambassador in Dhaka today handed over to him a cheque for Tk US$ 500,000 and pledged to send relief worth US$ 200,000, he said. The Sri Lankan Ambassador also pledged to provide US$ 25,000.

Huge relief has come and more to follow, he said adding, "We're coordinating the matter in the best possible manner."

Replying to a question, the Foreign Adviser said the state of emergency in Pakistan and Bangladesh is not the same. "It's totally different and everyone can realise that. And, the matter has been treated that way (in the Commonwealth summit)."

He said that in the Commonwealth summit he discussed export of manpower to Cyprus and Singapore.

Staff Reporter

The Supreme Court yesterday stayed the High Court order granting bail to former Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in a corruption case involving the deal on a barge-mounted power plant, while former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's eldest son Tarique Rahman was placed on a five-day police remand in two extortion cases by a lower court.

On the other hand, charge sheet was submitted to a court in Khulna city against detained Khulna City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Taiyebur Rahman in two separate cases.

Besides, two special anti-graft courts yesterday awarded former Additional IGP M Shahidullah Khan six years of jail sentence and former prime minister Khaleda Zia's assignment officer Dr Firoz Mahmood Iqbal for three years of jail sentence.

Backing the Anti-Corruption Commission plea, a seven-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice M Ruhul Amin, passed orders of stay on the bail to Sheikh Hasina as well as on the case proceedings.

The court also directed both the litigants to get the rule resolved in the High Court.

On November 4, the HC, following a writ petition, had granted bail to Sheikh Hasina and stayed the case proceedings against Sheikh Hasina.

The High Court also had issued rule on the ACC and the government to explain why placing the case under the ambit of the Emergency Powers Rules 'should not be declared illegal'.

On September 2, the ACC filed the case against Sheikh Hasina and six others on charge of their involvement in Tk 3 crore kickbacks on the deal.

ACC deputy director Sabbir Hassan filed the case with Tejgaon police station.

The complainants mentioned that Hasina, while in power, and six others, through mutual understanding and use of influence, had helped a foreign company and its local partners win a deal for setting up a 100-mw barge-mounted power plant in Khulna.

Hasina, arrested on July 16 under a political purge in the interim period, is facing a litany of litigation, including graft cases involving MIG-29 warplane and frigate purchases, Meghnaghat power plant, and appoint of consultant for BEPZA.

Barrister Rafique-ul-Huq appeared for Sheikh Hasina while Habibul Islam Bhuiyan stood for the ACC and Attorney General Fida M Kamal represented government.

Yesterday's Supreme Court orders armed the anti-graft watchdog with legal instruments to go ahead conducting the case-proceedings against the former ruler, as part of the caretaker regime's crusade against corruption.

Barrister Fazle Noor Tapash, a counsel for Hasina, expressed his disappointments over the Supreme Court orders. "But," he said, "we'll fight to the last."

On the other hand, BNP joint secretary general Tarique Rahman was yesterday given to police remand for five days for interrogation in two extortion cases.

Businessman Sohel and construction contractor Aftabuddin had filed two separate cases against Tarique, his business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun and others with Gulshan and Kafrul police stations accusing them of extorting about Tk 3.20 crore in the name of Hawa Bhaban during the previous BNP government.

Hearing of the remand petitions were heard in presence of Tarique in the dock, who was brought to the court from the Dhaka Central Jail at noon.

Opposing the remand his lawyers submitted that police had been investigating into the cases for the last nine months. But they failed to submit any progress report to the court. Taking Tarique again to the interrogation cell is intended to harass him when he is suffering from pain in the waist and high temperature.

The prosecutor contended that the information available during the remand might go in favour of Tarique.

After hearing both sides, additional CMM Ehsanul Haq granted three days remand in Gulshan case while metropolitan magistrate Habibur Rahman granted two days remand of Tarique in Kafrul thana case.

Tarique was earlier in police remand for five days in connection with to other extortion cases.

Our Khulna Correspondent reports: Police yesterday submitted separate charge sheets against Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Mayor Sheikh Tayebur Rahman in two cases.

Investigation officers Shibu Prasad and Tipu Sultan submitted the charge sheets to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman's Court in connection with the cases filed under the arms and narcotic control acts.

Police filed the cases against the KCC boss after the law enforcers recovered a pipe gun along with some bullets and few bottles of liquor from his city residence on the night of November 3.

The Mayor was arrested from his Gulshan house in the capital on November 2 following an extortion case filed against him by a KCC officer on November 1.

Meanwhile, a special court, trying high-profile corrupt suspects, yesterday sentenced ex-additional IGP M Shahidullah Khan to six years' imprisonment in absentia for evading income tax and concealing his wealth information.

Judge M Ashraf Hossain sentenced him to five years' in jail for evading tax and one year for concealing information in his wealth statement.

The court also fined him Tk 7 lakh.

However, the convict will have to suffer in jail for five years after his arrest or surrender, as the sentences would run concurrently, court sources said.

The former additional IGP was charged with concealing his income of Tk 76,53,020 in the tax return and thus evaded income tax of Tk 16,54,832.

Assistant Commissioner of Taxes Nahid Nawshad filed the case with CMM Court for submitting false income statement and concealing real income.

Earlier, the special court jailed Shahidullah's wife Masuda Khanam tried in absentia for six years on the same charges.

Another special anti-graft court yesterday jailed Dr Firoz Mahmood Iqbal, assignment officer of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, for three years for non-submission of his wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

After examining eight prosecution witnesses and records, Judge M Firoz Alam delivered the verdict. Firoz was tried in absentia.

According to the case statement, the ACC had served a notice upon Firoz asking him to submit his wealth statement in seven working days, a time extended by seven more days. But, Firoz did not comply with the ACC directive.

Staff Reporter

With an aim to boost country's economic growth and maintain institutional relations with the private sector, the government Monday formed a 38-member high-profile business forum named 'Bangladesh Better Business Forum (BBBF)' with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed as its chairperson.

The public-private forum comprises representatives from both the government and the private sector.

A government notification issued Sunday declaring the formation of the BBBF said that against the backdrop of the present international and domestic economic and trade situations it is essential to maintain "favourable" and suitable relations" between the government and private sectors to achieve sustainable economic growth, especially in the interest of maintaining an investment and business-friendly atmosphere in the country.

The notification said, "With this view in mind it has been necessary to maintain institutional communication and relations between the government and the representatives of private investors and businessmen."

The Adviser to the Finance and Planning and Commerce Ministries has been made the executive chairperson of the BBBF while the executive chairman of Board of Investment (BOI) will act as the member secretary of the Forum.

The other members of the Forum are the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser, Industries Adviser, Communications Adviser, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser, Foreign Affairs Adviser, Army Chief, Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary or Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Bangladesh Bank Governor, Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division, Chairman of National Board of Revenue, Finance Secretary, Commerce Secretary, Industry Secretary, Law Secretary, FBCCI president, DCCI president, CCCI president, MCCI president, BGMEA president, president of Bankers Association of Bangladesh, president of Consumers' Association of Bangladesh, former Professor of Economics of Dhaka University's IBA Mozaffar Ahmed, founder and chairperson of BRAC Dr Fazle Hasan Abed, BKMEA president, BTMA president, former president of Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters' Association Syed Mahmudul Huq, Managing Director of Reneta Ltd Syed S Kaisar Kabir, director of Kazi Farms Ltd Kazi Zisan Hasan, group chief executive officer of Rahim Afroz Bangladesh Ltd Samir Asaf, MD of Information Solution Ltd Syed Shapir Khasru, chairman of AKTEL, Bangladesh Salahuddin Kashem Khan, chairperson of Bangladesh Tea Association Laila Rahman Kabir and Professors of Dhaka University's Economics Department Dr Md Ali Taslim and Dr SM Asikuzzaman.

According to the release, the objectives of the BBBF are: Holding fruitful discussions between government and private investors and businessmen on investment in the country and business-related affairs, improving the country's investment atmosphere through identifying impediments, limitations and problems of investment, giving acceptable solutions to problems related to trade and investment through discussions and, if necessary, making recommendations for development of business and investment and providing assistance by government and other concerned organizations or institutions for their implementation.

Secretaries of the concerned ministries and divisions, noted representatives of businessmen will attend the Forum's meeting on special invitations.

The BBBF will have a Secretariat and it will be attached with the Board of Investment under the supervision of the Chief Adviser's Office.

Two representatives from civil society would be nominated by the Chief Adviser as members of the Forum and nine representatives, including one woman entrepreneur, from among noted business leaders and two economists would be nominated by the executive chairman of the forum.

The tenure of the nominated members would be one year.

The Forum will sit in meetings at least thrice a year with the Chief Adviser in the chair and at least once in every two months with the forum's executive chairman in the chair.

Besides, necessary Working Groups would be formed to cooperate with the BBBF in carrying out its works. The Working Groups will work in various thematic areas like business entry and operation, business financing, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and investment promotion, sectoral development, tax policy, import, export (including readymade garments), infrastructure for private sector development, privatisation, ICT and human resource development, domestic industries-small and medium enterprise and women entrepreneurship, World Trade Organisation, and international trade negotiation.

Besides, committees or taskforces based on various issues, affairs or sectors can be constituted.

The working groups will frame activities and recommendations within specific timeframes given by the Forum and place those to the BBBF for implementation.

The working groups will be formed with two co-chairpersons, one government secretary-level official and another high-level representative of the private sector.

There would be five members in one working group-two government representatives and three private sector representatives. Members can also be co-opted in the working group, if necessary.

The co-chairpersons and members of the working groups would be nominated by BBBF executive chairman. The co-chairpersons of the working groups will attend any BBBF meeting on invitation.

The working areas of the working group include evaluation of investment and trade-related non-regulatory matters and formulation of necessary recommendations for the development of those, identifying investment and trade-related regulatory matters for reforms of those and sending those to the Regulatory Reform Commission and formulating working plans accordingly, identification of impediments and problems in investment and providing suggestion to BBBF about those matters, and carrying out other tasks as per the BBBF directives.

Staff Reporter

Three prison guards were suspended yesterday on charge of negligence of duty as five convicted JMB activists tried to escape from the Comilla jail Sunday night. The chastised jail guards are Anwar Hossain, Ramzan Ali and Abdus Sobhan.

DIG (Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui yesterday said that the security has been beefed up in all jails of the country following the incident.Five activists of JMB, including the detained son of its executed chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman, made a violent attempt to escape from the jail Sunday night, leaving five prison policemen seriously wounded.

Nabil Rahman and Minhaj managed to scale over the eastern wall of the jail at about 8:25pm Sunday. But local people and jail police chased and caught them shortly after the jailbreak.

The jail guards nabbed the three other militants-Rangila, Redwan and Shamim Ahmed Chhoton alias Aminul Islam-during their attempt to vault over the jail wall after the first two escaped.

The militants beat up five jail police indiscriminately in a bid to make their way out of the jail.

Two of the injured JMB activists-Mizanur Rahman Minhaj and Rongila-were shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital from Comilla

Medical College Hospital yesterday morning.

A two-member committee, comprising Joint secretary of the Home Ministry Mostafizur Rahman and Comilla ADM Rafiqul Islam, was formed to investigate the incident.

The Prison Directorate has formed another inquiry committee to probe the incident.

Staff Reporter

Decades of development in many countries including Bangladesh will be reversed by climate change, threatening the lives of millions of people, environmentalists and civil society organisations warned yesterday.

Developed countries are responsible for this and they must compensate the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) an amount of $50 billion a year for adaptation to climate change, they said.

The demand was raised at the inaugural function of the Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL), a platform of Oxfam International and its partner organisations, at Sheraton Hotel in the city yesterday.

Environment and Forest, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser of the Caretaker Government Dr Chowdhury Sajjadul Karim attended the function as chief guest. Chairperson of the campaign Dr Khusi Kabir presided over the functions.

The participants viewed that mere adaptation will not protect the people of LDC countries if there is no remarkable progress in mitigation including reduction of green house gases by the developed countries immediately.

They demanded implementation of Kyoto Protocol and a cap on the emission of green house gases. Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to climate change in the form of flooding and droughts they said, adding, Sidr is a specimen of it.

Over 3 million people in Bangladesh live near the coast, putting them in danger from sea-level rise, while more extreme weather patterns threaten the whole country.

The main impacts of global warming that scientists predict in Bangladesh include: rising sea levels, leading to salination of the soil; rising temperatures; changing rainfall (becoming more intense during the monsoon season); more droughts and floods; and more intense storms.

The function was organised in preparation for Bali Conference of Parties (COP-13) under the United Nations Framework Convention Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held on December 3-14.

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League leadership on Monday called for declaring the post-cyclone situation as 'national disaster' and forming an all-party relief committee to overcome what they apprehend as a grim scenario arising out of the calamity.

Addressing a press conference at the party's Dhanmondi office, AL presidium member Suranjit Sengupta called for supplying relief materials to victims considering it a "warlike' situation.

He also suggested that headquarters of the "temporary' government be shifted to Barisal to ensure effective coordination of the relief operation.

Sengupta, who led a relief team that visited the cyclone-affected Barguna district, suggested that a Secretary should be appointed to each cyclone-affected district and a joint secretary to each upazila so they could take instant decision to tackle the situation averting bureaucratic tangles.

" It would not be so useful by bureaucratic committee, rather there should be a committee representing local citizens to deal with the situation," he said.

Suranjit noted that the November 15 cyclone 'Sidr' was fallout of climate change for which developed nations are responsible and asked the government to realize compensation through negotiations with them for the damages suffered by Bangladesh.

AL leader Abdul Mannan, in a written statement, said over 4,000 people were killed, 2000 injured and 500 went missing alone in Barguna district. He said at least 40,000 cattle heads perished in the storm.

The party statement said it is not possible for the government alone to tackle the situation and called for formation of an all-party relief committee for reaching relief goods to the victims. The Awami League demanded that NGOs should waive all interest on loans and sanction new loans, supplying 20kg food-grain to each VGF card holder a month, starting Food for Work Program immediately and 15-year moratorium on recovering interest on loans in the cyclone-hit districts.

The party also demanded exemption of interest on all agricultural credits and sanctioning long-term loans. Besides, the AL called for supplying books and paper to students free of cost, immediate restoration of electricity supply and installation of tubewells. Mannan said people were misled for wrong storm-signaling system and requested the authority to develop the existing signaling system and make it more simple so that people can understand the pre-storm signal easily.

The AL also demanded strengthening afforestation programme in the coastal areas of the country.

Party leaders Tofail Ahmed, Syed Ashraful Islam, Aktaruzzaman, Dr Mostafa Jalal Mahiuddin, vice-principal Abdus Shahid, Nazma Rahman, Maj Gen (Retd) Subid Ali Bhuiyan, Dr Abdur Razzak, Dr Dipu Moni and Asim Kumar Ukil, among others, were present at the briefing.

UNB, Dhaka

The government will have to import about 10 lakh metric tons of rice as the current food stock will shrink from March, the Food and Disaster Management Secretary said Monday, against the backdrop of huge crop losses in calamities.

Briefing reporters on the cyclone 'Sidr' and its aftermath at the ministry, Secretary Mohammad Ayub Mia said that, under the circumstances, it would be useful for Bangladesh if donor countries offered aid in terms of food.

He requested donor countries which want to donate rice to Bangladesh in aid of the calamity victims to buy it from outside market.

'If they (donors) buy rice from local market, it would affect government food stock," he said, adding that the current stock is 7.35 metric tons against 6.29 metric tons of the corresponding period of last year.

Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakraborty today met the Food Secretary to inform that the Indian government removed restrictions on import of 50,000 metric tons of Indian rice by Bangladesh.

He said India would donate 40,000 metric tons of rice and 10,000 metric tons of wheat worth $ 22 million. Besides, New Delhi will give 1000 metric tons of milk powder and relief goods, including ready-to-eat food, worth one million US dollars.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the leveler 'Sidr' rose today to 3,243 from 3,161 with the compilation of new casualties from Barguna, one of the worst-hit districts.

Mia said 880 people were still missing following the cyclone that battered country's 15 coastal districts.