The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Islamic Council Bangladesh has urged people to donate religious books for the people in the Cyclone SIDR-hit areas so that students can continue their religious education.

Council Convener Moulana Abdur Rouf Yusufi said supplying of religious books in the cyclone-hit areas became essential as the natural calamity has damaged Masques and Madrassas in that areas and destroyed the books.

The Council has decided to supply all religious books Al-Quran, Ampara, and Qaida one-lakh each to the affected areas.

Moulana Rouf has requested all concerned to donate religious books or cash money in the fund of the Council at Bubus Slam Madrasah, Zia Airport Bus Stand, Ashkona Road, Dhaka, Phone: 01712888007.

Staff Reporter

Akij Food and Beverage Limited (AFBL) launched two new food products in the market yesterday.

Clear lemon soft drink 'Clemon' and 'Farm Fresh' UHT milk were formally launched in a ceremony at the National Press Club in the capital.

"Following the successful business and high consumers acceptance of other AFBL food products, the company is introducing these two products, with high food quality and latest production technology," said Director of AFBL Sheikh Shamim Uddin.

In his address, he also elaborated the difference of these two products as compare to other similar products available in market.

"Tetra-packed Farm Fresh UHT milk using the latest technology to preserve all natural ingredents from external contaminations. As its name, consumers will test the milk as fresh as his own farm," he added.

He also said that these two products would get consumer acceptance as like as other AKBL products.

On the occasion, Milk Adviser of AFBL A Z M Saem, GM Refaet Ullah, GM (Sales) Musharraf Hussain, Brand Manager Shafiqul Islam Tushar were also present.

Staff Reporter

A three-day Photo Exhibition started for raising fund for the Sidr victims at the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel yesterday.

A group of 50 renowned photographers in cooperation with Sheraton Hotel authorities organised the exhibition by displaying the best pictures of the famous photographers in the country.

Eminent Artist Mustafa Monwar inaugurated the exhibition and addressed the inaugural session as chief guest.

The session was chaired by photographer Golam Mostafa, while Mahfuzur Rahman, Director (sales and marketing) of the hotel spoke.

The sale proceeds of photographs will be donated to Sidr affected people.

The exhibition venue sponsored by the hotel up to 15 December between 3:00pm to 9:00 pm is at the hotel lobby. A total of 145 photos are on display. The price of the photographs is between Tk 5000 to 10,000.

A young photographer Jahid Pintu, also singer and lyricist, said the artistic standards of the photos being displayed in the exhibition are very high, as these are the best pictures of the skilled photographers. The values of the displayed pictures are reasonable.

Staff Reporter

Country's leading child specialists yesterday laid emphasis on administering infants rotavirus vaccine to save their lives from the deadly rotavirus gastroenteritis.

They said that worldwide rotavirus is one of the most common causes of severe gastroenteritis among children. It is estimated that some 6,10,000 children die of rotavirus gastroenteritis each year. In Bangladesh, an estimated 24 lakh gastroenteritis occur each year, of which, 3 lakh cases are severe rotavirus gastroenteritis. Of them, 20,000 die every year.

Speaking at a launching symposium of Rotarix, a new rotavirus vaccine, at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city, they also called for administering two doses of oral Rotarix vaccine to infants between 6 weeks and 6 months of age to have protection against rotavirus infection.

Rotarix vaccine is manufactured in Belgium by globally renowned pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. It is imported and marketed in Bangladesh by GlaxoSmithKline Bangladesh Limited.

Officials of the GlaxoSmithKline Bangladesh Limited said two doses of Rotarix vaccine costs around Tk 2,700. The Directorate of Drug Administration has given approval of the price of the vaccine. The vaccine will be available in the country's vaccination centers from the next week. The vaccine is provided as a powder and solution for reconstitution as an oral suspension. It is administered to infants twice-first dose is given from the age of 6 weeks and the second dose must be completed by 24 weeks of life. Minimum interval between two doses is at least 4 weeks.

GlaxoSmithKline Bangladesh expects that some 30,000 infants would be vaccinated by Rotarix in the country in the launching year.

With National Professor MR Khan in the chair, Professor Phua Kong Boo, a professor of KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore

Was present at the symposium as keynote speaker.

Director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital Professor Salim Shakur and renowned gynaecologist Professor TA Chowdhury were present.

Noted child specialists from all over the country attended the symposium and laid emphasis on preventing the rotavirus gastroenteritis disease by vaccination.

Rotarix vaccine is manufactured in a research center of GlaxoSmithkline in Belgium.

Professor Salim Shakur said Rotavirus is everywhere and infants are at the greatest risk of infection. "As infected infants suffer from fever and vomiting along with 10 to 20 episodes of diarrhoea per day, rotavirus gastroenteritis can suddenly become very serious and lead to dehydration and hospitalization," he said.

Prof MR Khan said the availability of the rotavirus vaccine is an important milestone, as vaccination is the most effective way to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis.

Staff Reporter

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and parivate TV channel ETV yesterday have signed an agreement, allowing live share market report broadcast everyday.

Chairman ETV Abdus Salam and President DSE Muhammad Abdullah Bokhari signed the agreement in a signing ceremony at the DSE Bhaban. Chairman Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Faruq Ahmed Siddiqui was present on the occasion.

This signed agreement will allow ETV, for the first time in Bangladesh, to broadcast DSE market trade every day.

"It's a revolution for free capital market movement," said the SEC Chairman.

Congratulating both the DSE and SEC for their successful agreement, he expected this change will make the capital business more transparent to common people, which will attract them towards investment.

"Our capital market runs on rumors, which is very risky for investors. Earlier, current market information was only available in Internet and the DSE board. Now as they will be broadcast live on TV, they will be more easily accessible," he added.

Now investors would make any move with better understandings then ever," he expected.

Ekushe Business, the name of coming share market base TV program, will be broadcast for 4 hours everyday, said the ETV Chairman.

"We are expecting to start the program from January 1st, 2008. This will also contain on-spot analysis, international market comparison and trade movement for all other commodities," he added.

At the signing ceremony, member of SEC Muhmmad Ali, Senior Vice President of DSE Ahmed Rasid Lali, Head of ETV News Shah Alamgir and other senior members from both the party were present.

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court Thursday granted bail to convict Sigma Huda, wife of former Communications Minister Barrister Nazmul Huda, also jailed, in a graft case that earned her three years' imprisonment.

The High Court also granted bail to another convict, Barrister Mir Helaluddin, jailed for three years on July 4 for aiding and abetting his father, ex-Civil Aviation State Minister Mir Nasiruddin, in amassing 'ill-gotten' property.

A Division Bench comprising Justice M Mozammel Hossain and Justice Syed AB Mahmudul Huq granted the bail following separate petitions, amid a flurry of litigation activity in the higher court dealing with mostly cases of alleged corruption against high-profile suspects in the interim period.

This is for the first time the High Court granted bail to two convicts who were tried and punished by a special court under the Emergency Power Rules in the wake of an ongoing purge.

On August 27, a special court sentenced Sigma Huda to three years simple imprisonment while her husband Huda to 7 years rigorous imprisonment.

UNB, Dhaka

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday welcomed a US$ 300,000 contribution by the South Korean government to provide immediate lifesaving assistance to severely cyclone-affected people of Bangladesh.

WFP will use the Korean funds to distribute rice in combination with other food commodities resourced by donors for poor people devastated by the cyclone.

"The Republic of Korea as a major donor nation hopes that this contribution to WFP's Emergency Operations will help to alleviate the food-insecurity situation and help to restore livelihoods for 2.2 million people in the cyclone-hit areas," said Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Suk-Bum Park.

WFP has so far delivered over 400 metric tonnes of biscuits and over 750 metric tonnes of rice to more than 1.2 million people in the worst-hit areas, overland and by boat as well as by air.

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

BSS, Dhaka

Information Technology (IT) experts, mostly serving with the Microsoft, the largest software company of the USA, at a seminar in the city yesterday said Bangladesh has immense potentiality to supply excellent IT graduates to the company.

'Microsoft are looking for talents around the world for its 13,413 opening where Bangladeshi IT experts can prove their capability and potentiality", they said at the Microsoft Career seminar at the LGED auditorium at Agargaon.

The seminar was organised by the Microsoft Bangladesh Ltd in association with the BRAC University. Eleven Bangladeshi IT experts working with the Microsoft in the USA attended the seminar.

Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury inaugurated the seminar as the chief guest while associate professor of department of computer science and engineering of the university Dr Mumit Khan and country director of Microsoft Bangladesh Firoz Mahmud spoke.

Five Bangladeshi Microsoft employees, Ruhul Chowdhury, Mir Layek Ali, Tazin Shadid Anik, Sharmin Banu and Sohel Islam made presentation on various carrier aspects and working environment of Microsoft at the seminar.

Jamilur Reza said the country's IT graduates have to show their potentiality in such a manner that would encourage the Microsoft to set up a software development company in our country like what they have done in India," he said.

BRAC VC said the Bangla version of windows operating system, developing jointly by BRAC University and Microsoft, are now undergoing the test phase, which is expected to be in user phase by the next year.

Ruhul said the IT graduates are losing opportunity to get in the Microsoft for lack of communication and confidence and most of them even are not aware that Microsoft recruits graduates directly from abroad.

"Presently, nearly 100 Bangladeshis are working with the Microsoft, of them only three recruited directly from here, while more than 5000 Indians and 1000 Pakistanis serving with the company," he said.

Anik said Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi Microsoft employees platform in the USA would like to facilitate Bangladeshi graduates by submitting their resume in Microsoft as they could join there.

"This is our first step, this time we will collect only resume," he said adding, "if after today's event we could show the Microsoft authorities that our IT graduates got the potentiality, we will be returned soon to recruit them directly'.

He said the Microsoft also creates opportunity for its staff to carry out non-profitable welfare programme by contributing 50 percent of the project cost.

"We could also help our poor community through this kind of programme where Microsoft is committed to contributing US $ 12,000 annually for its every employee," he said.

IT experts, university teachers and nearly 300 IT graduates and prospective graduates participated in the seminar.

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh has projected the achievements it has made over the years in improving the situation of children in the country.

In a statement at a special meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Bangladesh deputy permanent representative to the UN Muhammad Ali Socrar said that significant progress has taken place in Bangladesh with respect to children, according to a message received here today.

He said these progresses include reduction in infant and maternal mortality rates as well as increase in percentage of enrollment in schools. Progress has also been achieved in immunisation, sanitation and access to safe drinking water, he added.

Besides, increased focus on girls' education has eliminated the gender gap in primary and secondary school enrollments, he said adding, such advancements have become possible due to the commitment of the government as well as its wide- ranging partnership with NGOs, the civil society and international development partners.

Speaking on the occasion, the Bangladesh representative called upon the international community to come forward with more assistance in helping the developing, and particularly the least developed, countries to invest more on children.

"Unless significant inflow of resources is injected", he said, "it will be hard to sustain the progresses achieved."

He also cautioned that without additional resources, as pledged by the development partners in 2002, the goals for children will be difficult to achieve in time.

The two-day commemorative high level plenary meeting of the General Assembly was devoted to the follow up on the outcome of 2002 special summit on children at the United Nations.

A total of 142 member states made their country statements.

Bangladesh was actively involved in finalisation of the outcome document of the 2002 special session on children, of which it was the elected member from Asia in the five member bureau, the message said.

BSS, Dhaka

A joint venture company comprising British, Pakistani and Bangladeshi investors will set up a garment accessories industry in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ).

The company, Experience Accessories Co Limited, will invest US$6.25 million and manufacture carton, woven & printed label, thread, poly bag, button, zipper and interlining (woven & non woven), a BEPZA press release said.

It will also create employment opportunity for 198 Bangladeshi and three foreign nationals.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and the Experience Accessories Co Limited in BEPZA Complex here yesterday.

A.Z.M. Azizur Rahman, General Manager (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Maqsood Ahmed, Managing Director of Experience Accessories Co Ltd, signed the lease agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Among others, Brig Gen Ashraf Abdullah Yussuf, Executive Chairman of BEPZA was present on the occasion, the release said.

UNB, Dhaka

The government has approved a new bench under the Tax Appellate Tribunal for quick disposal of appeals in tax-related cases.

The new bench will work in capital Dhaka with other four benches.

Earlier, there were six benches to handle the tax-related cases. Of them, four were in Dhaka, and one each in Chittagong and Khulna.

The formation of the new bench will ease the burden of the Tax Appellate Tribunal, a NBR high official told UNB on Thursday.

According to the existing system, time for the disposal of tax cases will not exceed four months.

Sources in the NBR said a total of Tk 1,700 crore in income tax remained unrealised due to a large number of unresolved reference cases and writ petitions.

They said the NBR usually refers income tax-related cases to the High Court when taxpayers refuse to accept NBR decisions.

The NBR sources said 233 writ petitions held up realisation of Tk 580 crore and 1,347 reference cases another Tk 1,127 crore in income tax revenue.

UNB, Dhaka

A joint company of British, Pakistan and Bangladesh will establish a garments accessories industry in Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ).

The company, M/s Experience Accessories Co. Limited, will invest 6.25 million dollar and manufacture carton, woven and printed label, thread, poly bag, button, zipper and interlining (woven and non woven).

The company will create employment opportunity for 198 Bangladeshi and three foreign nationals.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and Experience Accessories in BEPZA Complex here Thursday.

AZM Azizur Rahman, General Manager (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Maqsood Ahmed, Managing Dirctor of Experience, signed the lease agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

UNB, Dhaka

The government on Thursday said any Bangladeshi citizen has the right to get passport and SSC pass or any other educational qualification is not mandatory for this.

"Any Bangladeshi citizen of any age is eligible to get passport. Educational qualifications are not a prerequisite for getting passport," said a Home Ministry release following press report that none will get passport without minimum SSC pass.

The government advised all to ignore any such "confusing report".

It said the government has recently further eased the process of providing passport and any citizen can get passport from 15 regional passport offices. Besides, there is scope for getting passport from the offices of 17 Deputy Commissioners across the country.

Staff Reporter

National Front for Teachers and Employees yesterday demanded of the government to try the war criminals who had killed the intellectuals of the country.

The leaders of the front demanded this at a discussion meeting at its head office in the city yesterday.

They also urged the Government to include biographies of intellectual martyrs in the textbooks with due importance.

Chief Coordinator of the Front principal Kazi Faruk Ahmed presided over the meeting while conveners of the front Mohammad Azizul Islam, Prof Asadul Haque, Principal Abdur Rashid, Bilkis Zaman, joint conveners SMA Jalil and Principal Mohammad Ali Chowdhury, among others, spoke at the meeting.

Speakers also urged the Government to preserve the memories of the intellectuals, which got taint in few years result of frequent distortion of the history.

The leaders of the front expressed anger for excluding Intellectual Martyred Day from the list of holidays of educational institutions in the past few years and demanded inclusion of the day in the list.

They urged people of all walks of life to be united to implement the ideologies of the Liberation War.

UNB, Dhaka

An agreement was signed between the national weather service of Met Office in UK and Bangladesh Meteorological Department here on Wednesday to provide technical consultancy in the forecasting of hurricane and cyclones.

The agreement was signed under a project initiated by the Government of Bangladesh.

International Business Manager Philip Beauvais, now visiting the country from the British Met Office and Director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department Dr Samarendra Karmakar signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

Later, Philip Beauvais and Dr Samarendra Karmakar expressed their delight in being able to sign the agreement and both looked forward to the relationship developing between the two weather services. Project Coordinator James Dent and Kevin Ringham, Director Trade & Investment at the British High Commission in Dhaka, were also present at the signing ceremony.

Kevin Ringham said, "I congratulate the Bangladesh Meteorological Board and applaud them for their hard work before and during cyclone Sidr, which saved many lives. Working with the UK Met Office will further enhance Bangladesh's forecasting capabilities."

UNB, Dhaka

The caretaker government has transferred four additional sectaries to different organisations on deputation. Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Sunil Kanti Bose has been made Chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) while BRTA Chairman Abu Bakar M Shahjahan made executive director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, Director General of Compulsory Primary Education Implementation and Monitoring Unit M Abdul Mannan Hawlader made BIWTA chairman and Establishment Ministry officer on special duty (OSD) Mihir Kanti Majumder made member of Land Reform Board, said a PID handout Wednesday.