The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Strengthening local governments and involvement of local people in disaster management planning, and creating a disaster management fund are needed to cope with the disasters.

Speakers said this yesterday at a roundtable organised by the Bangladesh Awami League on ' Super Cyclone Sidr 2007: Environmental Stresses and Measures to be Taken' at the National Press Club.

The speakers urged for early weather forecast to take pre-disaster plans in the coastal areas, easy and soft loans for farmers, establish seed bank and introduction of crop insurance so that the farmers could not be harmed by natural disasters.

Awami League presidium member MA Mannan presided over the meeting moderated by Forest and Environment Secretary of AL Dr Hasan Mahmud.

Awami League presidium members Tofail Ahmed, Matia Chowdhury, member of AL working committee Prof Abu Saeed, Agriculture Secretary of AL Dr Abdur Razzak, Labour Secretary Habibur Rahman and former army chief Gen (Retd) Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman, Bir Bikram, among others spoke at the meeting.

The speakers urged the Government to adopt the new way of disaster management of awareness, preparation and risk reduction strategy rather than the old one of relief and rehabilitation work.

They also urged the government to build high-rise Kellas to save livestock and let the nature to restore forest ecology and stop commercial activities within the Sundarbans for several years.

Staff Reporter

Japan has donated US$ 1.5 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for providing immediate assistance to the cyclone-hit people of Bangladesh.

The WFP would use the Japanese donation to distribute some 1,400 tonnes of high-energy biscuits to the cyclone victims, a WFP press release said.

So far, the WFP has distributed over 400 tonnes of biscuits and over 750 tonnes of rice to more than 1.2 million people in the worst-affected areas through land, water and airways, it said.

The UN agency plans to provide over 71,000 metric tons of food for 2.2 million people at a cost of 52 million US dollars over the next six months.

"It is important to maintain food supplies to the cyclone-stricken areas and WFP is continuing delivery of fortified biscuits to give much-needed help to the people in the affected areas," WFP Bangladesh Representative Douglas Broderick said.

"Based on the outcome of a comprehensive UN assessment conducted immediately after the cyclone, WFP started its support to the victims with nutritious food," he said.

Globally, Japan is the fifth largest donor of the WFP and has contributed over 70 million US dollars to the WFP in 2007, the release added.

UNB, Dhaka

Charge sheet was submitted to the Metropolitan Magistrate Court against Anwar Hossain Manju, his wife and two daughters in a corruption case, yesterday.

ACC filed the case accusing them of taking Tk 1 crore as bribe from Al Amin Construction when Manju was communication minister during the Awami League regime. The minister, his wife and daughters received the bribe in exchange of favour of awarding the contract for construction of a bridge on Dharala river in Kurigram.

The case was filed on May 27 with Dhanmondi thana.

The accused are away from the country and trial will be held in absentia.

UNB, Dhaka

A tailor was stabbed to death by his colleague while settling a brawl at a local readymade garments factory in the city's Green Road area Wednesday afternoon.

The deceased was identified as Qamrul Hasan, 35, a tailor of Karnafuli Fabric Fashion Ltd and a resident of Lalbagh area.

Witness said Qamrul went to settle a quarrel between two of his colleagues-Sujan and Rubel - at the factory in Shapla Plaza at about 4pm.

At one stage, angry Sujan hit Qamrul with scissors, leaving him seriously injured.

Qamrul was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in critical condition where he died later. The body was sent to the DMCH morgue for autopsy.

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh has been elected chairman of South Asia Telecommunication Regulators' Council (SATRC) for the year 2008. Representatives of the member countries, in the concluding session of a meeting held here Wednesday, unanimously elected Bangladesh to the Chair of SATRC.

BTRC Chairman Major General (retd) Manzurul Alam will represent Bangladesh as the Chairman of SATRC.

The 9th SATRC meeting that began on December 10 concluded yesterday with members' appreciation for Bangladesh's contribution in hosting and conducting the council in Dhaka. The SATRC members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

A two-day workshop on "Licensing for Convergence" will begin here On Thursday in concurrence with the SATRC meeting.

Staff Reporter

A loan agreement of US 200 million dollars was signed in Dhaka yesterday between Bangladesh Government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance Dhaka Water Supply Sector Development Programme.

M Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Hua Du, Country Director of the ADB, signed the deal on behalf of their respective sides.

Senior officials of the concerned Ministries and agencies of the Government and the ADB were present at the signing ceremony.