The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Posts and Telecommunications Ministry Tuesday released a commemorative postal stamp of Tk 10 denomination marking the International Migrants Day-2007.

Finance and Posts and Telecommunications Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam formally released the commemorative stamp at the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry conference room.

Posts and Telecommunications Ministry, Bangladesh Postal Department and UN Development Fund for Women jointly organised the programme.

Addressing the function, the Adviser said it is essential to obtain education and skill for eliminating regional and women discrimination. He also stressed the need for increasing awareness for the safe immigration of women.

Posts and Telecommunications secretary Sheikh Khurshid Alam, Information secretary Jamil Osman, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment secretary M Abdul Matin Chowdhury and Women and Children Affairs secretary Rokeya Sultan also spoke on the occasion.

UNB, Dhaka

A 20-member Thai business delegation on Tuesday visited Dhaka EPZ and expressed satisfaction over its peaceful production atmosphere.

BEPZA Executive Chairman Brig General Ashraf Abdullah Yussuf received the delegation and apprised them of the entire gamut of EPZs performance.

Assistant Secretary of Board of Investment of Thailand Sisirak Busayarat was leading the delegation, said a press release.

The Executive Chairman mentioned that at present total investment from 264 operating enterprises of EPZs is around US$ 1.20 billion and EPZ contributed 18 percent to the nationals export earning.

EPZs are playing a pivotal role in poverty alleviation through employment generation of 2 lakh Bangladeshi out of which 64 percent are female, he added.

The delegation was also informed that investment in EPZ is increasing gradually every year and further planning is to set up more new EPZ to accommodate new investment.

Later, the delegation went round a South Korean company M/s Youngone (BD) Ltd. in Dhaka EPZ.

During the visit they discussed about investment climate, trade and labour related issue of EPZ and had the opportunity to talk to the workers freely.

The business delegation wished success to BEPZA expressing their eagerness to invest in EPZs.

UNB, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed Tuesday expressed deep concern at increasing rate of drug addiction and called for taking stern action against illegal production, use and smuggling of drugs to protect the society.

"I came to know that drugs addiction in the country is gradually increasing as growing young people - even adolescents - are being addicted to drugs; this is a matter of deep concern for the nation," he said at an international anti-drugs seminar at Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

Atish Dipankar Gabeshana Parishad and Jamuna Bank Ltd jointly organized the seminar on 'Building Drug Free Society for Sustainable Development'.

Calling for launching a social movement against drug addiction to save the youth community from the menace, the President said drug addiction not only harms individual, society and state, but also destroys civilization and culture.

He called for strict measures against illegal production, distribution, use and smuggling of drugs alongside creating mass awareness about the harmful impact of drug abuse. Prevention of drug abuse, he said, is a holistic approach and needs concerted endeavours from family, society and the State. Mentioning that family is an important primary institution of a society, President Iajuddin said parents and guardians would have to keep careful watch on their children and their associations. He said educational institutions would also have to encourage students to engage in creative works alongside their routine studies. The President said since frustration is one of the reasons of addiction, opportunity for employment must be created. He urged individuals and private sectors to create employment opportunity for the youth in addition to the government initiatives. Prof Dr Anwara Begum, Vice Chancellor of Atish Dipankar Science and Technology University, and Prof. Dr. KM Asaduzzaman, ex-chairman of University Grants Commission, also spoke at the function. President of the Bangladesh Anti-Drug Federation of NGO and Jamuna Bank chairman Nur Mohammad chaired the opening session.

UNB, Dhaka

The Supreme Court Tuesday stayed Thursday's High Court order of status quo and thereby cleared all the way for government to send the rest dispatch of Bangladeshi artifacts to Paris exhibition.

Vacation-chamber Judge M Joynul Abedin, following an application moved by the government, passed the order lifting the legal roadblocks to display of the Bangladeshi archeological masterpieces at the first major international exhibition at Guimet Museum in the French capital.

The artifacts from five Bangladesh museums were scheduled to be on display at the exhibition under an agreement signed between the French Ambassador in Bangladesh and the Secretary of cultural affairs ministry.

Some 188 items were selected from Dhaka National Museum, museums of Paharpur, Mahasthan Garh, Mainamati and Varendra for the show, which had hit snags amid an outcry from a section of protestors.

The matter eventually had landed in law-court, and the legal hassles were all over with the SC edicts.

UNB, Dhaka

The government-formed investigation committee found lack of coordination between the central load-dispatch centre (CLDC) and the power substations as the prime reason behind the countrywide blackout on November 15 when the cyclone Sidr struck the country's coast.

Chairman of the committee ANM Rizwan disclosed the findings during a press briefing at the Power Ministry Tuesday after he handed over the probe report to Power Secretary Dr. M Fozul Kabir Khan.

The Power Secretary said this committee would also investigate the latest blackout incident on December 15 and it was asked to submit report within three weeks.

The probe-body chairman said it was found in the investigation that at the distribution end, some of the substations were not following the instructions of the CLDC. And the mismatch led to a sudden rise in the demand, making the whole system collapse under the pressure on November 15 in the wake of devastation by the cyclone.

Rizwan, the former chairman of PDB and former managing director of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), however, said, "The officials frantically helped the system survive though they didn't have such an experience to tackle the situation when a heavy cyclone hit the power infrastructure."

He said as the cyclone hit the country, the electricity feeder lines collapsed colossally and power stations faced forced shutdowns consecutively and the electricity demand fell down drastically to 350 MW, a tenth of the total generation.

"But, after the cyclone passed away, in the morning, the demand started rising sharply within a very short time, which the CLCD officials failed to control, because the substations' officials did not abide by their instructions. And it finally triggered a collapse of the whole power system," said Rizwan, who led the probe as grid and transmission exert.

He said the committee recommended installation of "state of the art" ICT-based equipment and mechanisms at the central load-dispatch centre (CLDC) to make the whole controlling system computerized.

"We put forward 50 recommendations, which are short and long-term ones… steps need to be taken to implement those immediately to avert any such further incident," he said.

About the December 15 nationwide grid failure, the expert dispelled the myth that it's a dove that wrecked the national power grid and plunged the country' in the dark.

"It's a remote possibility that a bird could cause such incident," he said.

Power Secretary Fouzul Kabir Khan said he is yet to go through the whole report. "But after studying the report, we'll take follow-up actions."

He said the report would be placed before the chief advisor of the caretaker government for consideration at the highest level.

Staff Reporter

Finland, having world's best expertise in meteorological forecasts, is to cooperate with Bangladesh in meteorology to enhance the country's capacity to handle natural disasters.

The cooperation was extended yesterday by Ambassador Asko Numminen of Finland during a meeting with the Foreign Adviser Dr. Iftekahar Ahmed Chowdhury.

Chowdhury appreciated the idea, saying that Bangladesh would be happy to work together with Finland on this.

Ambassador Numminen praised the government for the handling of cyclone Sidr and its consequences.

He showed keen interest in Bangladesh's development programme, including the proposed mega-projects for Southern Bangladesh to withstand natural calamities.

The Ambassador lauded Bangladesh's role in the international forums, particularly in peace-keeping and peace-building.

The Foreign Adviser said Bangladesh and Finland had many shared values, and complemented the government on adopting the law setting up a National Human Rights Commission.

"Bangladesh values its relationship with Finland, as she does with other Scandinavian countries. We want to build these connections into an effective partnership for global peace and development," Chowdhury said.

Staff Reporter

Some 12,000 police personnel will be deployed to ensure overall security in the capital before and after Eid-ul-Azha.

Besides, special teams of police have been deployed in banks to ensure security and safety of clients while drawing cash.

Three to four policemen have been deployed in front of the each bank in the city. Besides, plainclothed policemen have been deployed by the authorities concerned.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has been monitoring the overall security situation in the capital. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have taken stringent security measures at every cattle market in the city.

On the other hand, police administration said anyone could seek police protection if necessary. In that case, the police will provide necessary security to any individual.

Meanwhile, the police administration has stepped up the security measures in the city's lanes and by-lanes to check robbery in houses in the capital before and after Eid.

Additional security measures have also been taken by RAB in the city. All the battalions of RAB have already been asked to remain vigilant during the Eid holidays.