The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Candidates would have to quit their party posts if elected as mayor in the coming city- corporation elections, the Chief Election Commissioner said Tuesday CEC Dr ATM Shamsul Huda also said that the voter list preparation is likely to complete by June 2008, implying that the general election could be held much earlier

He made the observations at the EC dialogue with Liberal Democratic Party on electoral reforms, as part of the ongoing series of talks with political parties in the interim period. The CEC expected that making the photo voter list would complete by June 2008, which was scheduled by October 2008, since the task got such a momentum in last one week that around 4 lakh voters are getting registered daily.

"No party post can be held if elected mayor… We've already prepared the law," he stated in reply to an apprehension of LDP leaders that elected mayors would influence the national elections if city corporation elections were held beforehand.

A 12-member LDP delegation led by its chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmed today (Tuesday) sat with the Election Commission to discuss draft reform proposals on electoral laws as well as dos and don'ts for the political parties.

About delimitating the voter areas CEC Huda said they would complete the task before holding national elections and consult all before finalizing the task since they do not want to create any new controversy.

"We're are ready (for delimitating) at the places where voter list is prepared… But, prior to parliamentary elections, we'll just hold city corporation elections, not Union Parishad or municipality elections," he said.

The EC would hold the city corporation elections just to gain experience of holding election under a new voter list, he noted, adding that parliamentary elections are most important where mistake should not be done and they could not put the national elections in risk.

According to the EC-announced 18-month roadmap towards elections, CEC Huda said registering political party to the EC by June 2008 is a must.

"Because, we're expecting that the voter-listing task will be completed by June… Our estimate was to register around 3 lakh voters per day, but the task got such a momentum in the last one week that daily around 4 lakh voters are getting registered," he said.

The EC calculated that there might be 90 million (9 crore) voters. But, he said, the figure of voters would be much less, around 70 to 70.5 million (7 to 7.5 crore).

"The less number of voters as well as speed of the task will save time," he stated, which indicates election much earlier.

About the LDP demand of announcing a cutup date for national elections, CEC Huda said it has already been said in the election roadmap, that is, completing the voter list by October and holding elections by December 2008.

"Now it seems it'll (election) happen earlier… But we don't want to tell the time at this moment," he said, claiming that the election roadmap didn't yet face any hindrance.

At the dialogue, the LDP delegation demanded of the EC not to register the political parties who, in 1971, did not want Bangladesh and supported Pakistan as well as actively assisted Pakistani army. But, they did not clearly mention the party names.

"They (anti-liberation elements) are still doing politics under the same banner (name used during 1971)… Why they'll be parliament member who didn't want Bangladesh to be born?… You've the power to bar them as per the Constitution and under the Special Powers act," LDP chairman Oli told the EC.

He said still there are apprehensions as to whether the election would be held or not.

"Announce election schedule immediately… The whole nation is suffering from lack of confidence… The confidence will come back if election schedule is announced just now," he told the EC.

About the reason behind the apprehension, Oli, emerging from the dialogue, told reporters that there are such statements coming from such places and personalities that are creating suspicion.

"The Election Commission will tell when the election will be held, not the government… Sometimes it has been saying that the election will be held in June, sometimes in September and sometimes in October, which is creating confusion," he said.

The LDP delegation suggested canceling party registration if it does not acquire at least 3 seats in parliamentary elections, banning public meetings and processions, reserving election symbol, using candidates' photograph instead of symbol in ballot papers, introducing transparent ballot box in elections and determining educational qualifications to contest elections.

They also recommended not keeping the option of 'no vote' in ballot paper, holding national and upazila elections on same day, single poster for all contesting candidates in a constituency, having party office in 25 districts and upazilas, not allowing one candidate to contest in more than two constituencies and ceiling party-registration fee to TK 5,000.

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said Tuesday Bangladesh could be a strategic partner of Oman in terms of a great source of skilled and semi-skilled workforce, as the gulf country lifted a bar on recruitment.

He expressed the view when visiting Manpower Minister of Oman Juma Bin Ali Bin Juma Al Juma made a courtesy call on the Chief Adviser at his office. They discussed recruitment of manpower and exploring potential of trade, commerce and investment between the two countries. The Oman Minister apprised that they would soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bangladesh in Oman on recruitment of manpower.

At present, a huge number of Bangladeshi people are working in that country. The Chief Adviser thanked and expressed gratitude for lifting the ban on visa of Oman for Bangladeshi workers in all categories. The Oman Minister appreciated Bangladeshi workers' performance in his country, and said they need skilled manpower in various professions, like teacher, physician, engineer and technician.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin welcomed the opportunity, saying that it would be a "win-win situation for both the countries in terms of employment and economy".

He said the level of skill of Bangladeshi people is rising through various training-and capacity-building programmes and the country has very high-quality professionals in various fields, including teaching, medical, engineering, IT, and nursing.

AFP, Bali

The battle over whether to include greenhouse gas emissions targets in the "roadmap" for a new climate accord intensified Tuesday, with the Europeans and environmentalists clamoring for the targets against opposition by the U.S. and others.

Talks at the U.N. climate change conference, now in its second week, stepped up with the scheduled arrival of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Australia's new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, who signed onto the Kyoto Protocol on global warming just last week. Delegates from 190 nations have been trying to hammer out a roadmap for negotiations for a pact to succeed Kyoto when it expires in 2012 but have struggled with the wording for the text.

A draft of the final document notes - in a nonbinding way - a widely accepted view that reductions of 25 percent to 40 percent in industrialized nations' overall emissions would be required by 2020, calling for even deeper cuts later.

The United States is resisting inclusion of the language. But Stavros Dimas, the European commissioner for environment, said it was crucial toward preventing global temperatures from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over preindustrial levels. "We need this range of reductions by developed countries," he told reporters Tuesday. "Science tells us that these reductions are necessary. Logic requires that we listen to science."

The European Union has itself committed to 20 percent to 30 percent reductions below 1990 levels by 2020.

Chief U.S. negotiator Harlan Watson has argued against including the targets, saying it would be premature to set goals - even non-binding ones - at the opening of what is expected to be at least two years of negotiation toward a post-Kyoto agreement.

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League presidium member Suranjit Sengupta yesterday said the government wants to 'fish in troubled water' by setting free four teachers of Rajshahi University through unsolicited clemency.

"It's a blessing in disguise but the government seems want to fish in troubled water," Suranjit told reporters at his residence. He said the action proved that the Government is suffering from indecision. "This has eroded the image of the government."

AL leader said the teachers detained on charge of provoking August 20-21 campus unrest had sought release and withdrawal of cases against them. They or their families did not seek clemency from the President.

Suranjit said the government claimed the teachers were set free upon mercy petition, which the teachers denied.

About AL's position of joining the Victory Day function at Bangabhaban he said they would boycott it as war criminals were invited.

Replying to a question Suranjit admitted that Awami League had attended such functions along with the Jamaat leaders in the past. "But the issue of war criminals came in the forefront now," he said.

"Awami League will boycott not only the function at Bangabhaban but also social and political programmes that would be participated by the war criminals," he added.

Staff Reporter

The loss in rice production caused by the floods and the devastating cyclone Sidr this year in Bangladesh was estimated at Tk 26,000 crore (about US 3.7 billion dollars), said CPD and BRAC at a joint press briefing in Dhaka on Monday.

This was disclosed in a joint survey report titled "Post-Sidr Agriculture Rehabilitation" conducted by the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and BRAC.

The loss of rice is estimated at 1.1 million tons and as per the market price its value is roughly about Tk 26,000 crore (about US 3.7 billion dollars), the report said.

Disclosing this, Mahbub Hossain, Senior Research Fellow of the CPD, said a comprehensive agriculture rehabilitation program was essential to make up the loss in the agri-production. He noted that by taking proper steps, challenges of the food security which emerged due to the cyclone Sidr could be addressed.

"An agriculture rehabilitation program needs to be initiated immediately to generate employment and increase food production, to minimise the effect on rising food prices and household level food insecurity," he said. The report recommended that to make an agricultural rehabilitation program successful in the area, a package program should be planned, rather than only supply of seeds and fertilizers.

"The package should include supply of seed, tillage equipment, low lift pump for irrigation, supply of fertilizer, and agricultural loans for purchased inputs," said the report.

"Irrigation facilities are almost absent, and there is inadequate supply of tilling equipment. Timely tillage has become a critical constraint in view of huge loss of livestock," it said.

Two successive floods hit the country from late July to September, inundating more than 46 out of the 64 districts and killing over 1000 people.

The deadly cyclone Sidr battered the country's southern and southwestern coastal areas on November 15 night, killing over 3,200 people.

Staff Reporter

"Try them or shoot me," said a crying Hasna Banu, a Birangana, a war heroine, demanding the trial of war criminals. "I had sacrificed my chastity in 1971 and now I will sacrifice my life for another war to try the war criminals," she declared.

She was speaking at a Reunion of Female Freedom Fighters jointly organised by Mahila Muktijoddha Sangsad, BNPS and IED at the Chhayanot Culture Building in the city yesterday.

The trial of war criminals is the responsibility of the state as they had committed war crimes against the state and the Liberation War.

Speakers said the crimes that the war criminals committed against any individual was a part of their war against the state and for that it was the duty of the government to try them and provide the aggrieved people justice.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Liberation Army Air Vice Marshal (Retd) AK Khandoker was chief guest at the reunion.

At the gathering of the female freedom fighters and Biranganas everybody demanded the trial of those who had committed crime against humanity.

They urged the Chief Adviser to constitute a special tribunal and try the war criminals saying it was the duty of the state and the government was also inclined to do so.

The women who fought in the Liberation War also demanded of the Chief Election Commissioner to bar the war criminals from taking part in the election and diplomatic missions not to give them any visa and invite them to any party thrown by the mission.

Prof Sanjida Khatun, chief of Muktisangrami Shilpi Sanstha, was special guest at the reunion presided over by Dr Magduma Khanam Ratna, General Secretary of Mahila Muktijoddha Sangsad.

Mili Rahman, wife of Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman, Advocate Sahara Khatunm, Ayesha Khanam, General Secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and Krishna Rahman a freedom fighter, among others, spoke on the occasion.

AK Khandoker said initiative was taken to try the war criminal by the Bangabadhu Government and 572 war criminals were convicted but after the death of Bangabadhu former president Zia cancelled the collaborators act and freed all the detained war criminals.

"From now on our one and only demand is the trial of war criminals," he said, "The increase in crimes in the society is because we did not try the war criminals"

Mili Rahman urged all to be united in the demand for the trial of the war criminals and take oath that the trial would take place in this very land.

Sanjida Khatun said the war criminals could escape the trial and establish themselves in the society because of the distortion of the history of the Liberation war, which was started after the killing of Bangabadhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a roundtable in the city demanded restoration of democracy for helping achieve the benefits of independence cherished by the people.

They felt that the ideal for the valiant freedom fighters who let down their lives for the cause of the motherland would remain unfulfilled in the absence of democracy.

The ideals of the Liberation War were democracy, economic emancipation, freedom of thoughts and expressions and flourishment of national culture.

Mahmudur Rahman, former energy adviser and former executive chairman of the Board of Investment, said this as chief guest at the roundtable organised by Chirantan Bangladesh at the National Press Club yesterday.

Gias Kamal Chowdhury, Editor of daily Khabarpatra, presided over the meeting, while Alamgir Mohiuddin, Editor of Naya Diganta, Ismail Hossain Bengal, freedom fighter, Maj (Retd) Akhteruzzamn, former MP and Convener of Khaleda Zia Mukti Parishad, Shawkat Hossain Nilu, Chief of NPP, Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Editor of The New Nation, among others, spoke on the occasion. Dr Rezwan Siddiqui, former director general of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB), presented key-note paper.

Mahmudur Rahman said that a robust economy that the present government started with was getting ruined. Democracy and political leadership will be impossible to arrest this trend.

Alamgir Mohiuddin said the performance of the economy always remain good under the political government.

He called for stopping the trends of divisiveness in the society with a view to uphold national unity.

Maj Akhteruzzaman said political leaders always run the country. Cabinets of the elected governments are accountable to the Parliament, he said.

Ismail Hossain Bengal called for upholding the causes that the valiant freedom fighters cherished.

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Mobile-phone Businessmen Association (BMBA) urged the government to form a unified mobile phone business policy to bring order in the business and generate more revenue.

"Mobile phone sector is one of the most rapidly growing business sector in Bangladesh for last couple of years. This business expansion is generating a huge amount of revenue for the government," said BMBA President Engineer Muhammad Nezamuddin Zeetu.

According to him, as there is no concrete policy yet to control business in this sector, unregulated involvement and business expansion are harming this potential sector. The government is also deprived of huge revenues, he explained.

"So it is the high time to form a well defined business and expansion policy for the mobile phone sector, covering both the phone operators and the set importers," he added.

He was addressing the formal inauguration of the 2nd International Mobile Phone Fair-2007 held yesterday at the China Bangladesh Friendship Conference Center in the city.

Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) administrator Syed Manzur Elahi formally inaugurate the fair as chief guest.

In his address he predicts a bright future for telecommunication business in Bangladesh.

"Mobile Phone sector has brought huge foreign investment in the country and provided employment to millions of our youths," Elahi said.

"As this sector is expending with time, a telecommunication revolution is to come and is likely to change our entire life patterns for the better," he added.

However, FBCCI Administrator appreciated all efforts to involve telecommunication companies in the capital market. He expected more such contributions to our national economy would take place from all concerned companies in near future.

Later all the guests visited different stalls of the fair.

WASHINGTON: Despite funding uncertainty, NASA is on track to return humans to the moon by 2020 and set up a lunar outpost to serve as a springboard to explore Mars, officials said Monday. "Our job is to build towns on the moon and eventually put tire prints on Mars," NASA's Rick Gilbrech told reporters here, one year after the US space agency unveiled an ambitious plan to site a solar-powered, manned outpost on the south pole of the moon.

Weather disasters on rise

NUSA DUA (Indonesia): The death toll from storms, floods and other extreme weather events rose in 2006, although the economic cost was just a fraction of that in 2005, the year of Hurricane Katrina, a report issued here Tuesday said. A total of 953 such events occurred in 2006, after 716 in 2005 and 718 in 2004, according to the document issued by German environment group Germanwatch based on data supplied by reinsurance giant Munich Re.

Fujimori claims innocence

LIMA: Peru's former president Alberto Fujimori shouted his innocence on charges he ordered killings in a "dirty war" against rebels during his rule in the 1990s, as his trial for alleged human rights violations began Monday. "I declare myself innocent," he said in a fiery outburst in court. "I don't accept the charges against met..I never ordered the death of anybody," he said.