The New Nation - Internet Edition

Chittagong Correspondent

Chief Justice Mohammad Ruhul Amin said here Monday night that the judicial magistrates would engage their cautious efforts for rebuilding the image of free judiciary.

"Freedom of the judiciary doesn't mean that the judges enjoy the rights to flout the existing laws or overlook the interests of the society" the Chief Justice said this while addressing the installation ceremony of Chittagong District Bar Association.

Recalling the troubled journey of now free-judiciary, Ruhul Amin said that the basic objective of the freedom had been better and trusted delivery of criminal justice.

The Chief Justice urged the lawyers to better assist the judges for speedy disposal of the cases by utilisation of the court time.

"Optimum utilization of court time will ease congestion of the cases apart from bringing confidence in the minds of the people seeking justice," he asserted.

The Chief Justice referred to his visit to some of the courts yesterday and pointed out that courts did break on schedule in the afternoon no matter of their beginning.

Ruhul Amin also underscored the need for better coordination among the three basic organs of the state - judiciary, legislation and executive. "Working together of the organs as the partners will only add adequate pace in desired growth of the state," he observed.

Putting light on the roles of law enforcement agencies the Chief Justice said that investigation had always been the vital factor in delivering fair justice in the criminal offences. "It's impossible for the court to dispense fair trial without investigated evidence" he said.

He assured that all any irregularities in judiciary would be dealt duly in phases and certainly on the basis of concrete evidence. The Chief Justice also reminded that lawyers to strictly follow the code of conduct and etiquette framed by the Bar Council.

President of the Bar Abdul Quddus presided over the session, while Metropolitan Sessions Judge Anwarul Islam, Chittagong District and Sessions Judge Majlul Ahsan, Additional Registrar of the Supreme Court Farid Ahmed Siblee, outgoing President Khairul Islam, General Secretary Ratan Kumar Roy among others addressed it.

Staff Reporter

Democratic Left Alliance yesterday demanded of the government to try the war criminals by constituting special tribunal immediately saying that it was overdue for the nation to be completed.

Speakers said this at a roundtable on 'Spirit of Liberation War and Trial of the War Criminals' at the National Press Club in the city.

Speakers also said different government may have shown mercy and rehabilitated the war criminals but the people of the country did not forgive them.

Chief coordinator of the front Saiful Haque presided over the meeting addressed by Justice Golam Rabbani, Prof Anu Mohammad, Prof Akmal Hossain, Prof Piash Karim, Rashid E Mahabub, Leaders of the alliance Tipu Biswas, Mosharefa Mishu and Advocate Abdus Salam, among others.

Justice Golam Rabbani said only a government controlled by the people could ensure the trial of the war criminals. "Now we need a government run by the people," he added.

Prof Anu Mohammad said the trial of the war criminals was due for 37 years as many other important tasks. He demanded the trial of the war criminals for the genocide and anti liberation stance in 71' as well the killing of leftist activists during the period of 72' to 75'.

Prof Akmal Hossain urged the government to teach the new generation the correct history of the country by including authentic history of the Liberation War in the school textbooks.

Staff Reporter

The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Ltd has launched the 2nd Young Entrepreneurs Awards (YEA) 2008, a business plan writing competition, yesterday.

HSBC conducts YEA competition throughout Asia pacific region every year to bring out hidden talents among young entrepreneurs, mostly students, said Steve Banner, CEO HSBC Bangladesh.

"A year before, three Bangladeshi youths have shown their talents by winning gold medals in regional YEA grand final, held in Hong Kong. This year we expect to find out more talented youths to come up with new and developed business plans," said the CEO-HSBC Bangladesh.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony yesterday at a local hotel in the capital.

Three top group of entrepreneurs will be selected through this competition. They will be awarded gold, silver and Bronze prize according to their performances, along with prize money. Beside that the gold medallist team will get the chance to take part in the grand YEA final competition in Hong Kong, said Mustafizur R Khan, Head of Marketing and PR.

"In the grand final, participants will get chance to exchange information with other participants, from different countries in the region. The final winner of the competition will be awarded 100,000 Hong Kong Dollar," added Mustafizur in his address.

From January 8 to February 8, 2008 teams of three members (max) less than 25 years of age, could participate in the competition by submitting their business plans in written form, said Syed Akhtar Hosain Uddin, Manager HR.

For further information and inquiries, interested individuals are advised to visit www.asiayea.com.

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed Tuesday asked the members of police force to make sure that service-seeking people are not meted out disservice through harassment, misbehavior or sufferings anyway at police stations and installations.

Intense monitoring and supervision over operation in all spheres-be it at a police station, police box or outpost and investigation centre-will have to be ensured, he said in his directive. The head of the caretaker government made the call formally inaugurating the Police Week 2008 at Rajarbagh Police Lines parade ground in the capital.

"The main motto of all your activities will be to provide desired service to the people and attain people's confidence through this," Dr Fakhruddin told the rank and file of the police attending the function.

He said that as one of the major law-enforcing agencies of the country, the police would have to ensure honesty, efficiency, neutrality, transparency and accountability in every level of discharging their duties.

The head of the caretaker government suggested the police force to arm its members with latest capabilities for preventing cyber crime, money laundering and other contemporary crimes of the modern times. "Instead of traditional system application of modern know-how and technology will have to increase in investigation of crime," he said, as newer dimensions in the criminal underworld are getting unveiled nowadays.

The chief executive of the country in the interim period, whose military-supported government is carrying out a massive purge-suggested the police to get tougher in curbing militancy and extremism and various crimes in socioeconomic arena. Terming the role of police very important in establishing the rule of law, the CA said in the context of present reality the cops would have to be turned into a service- oriented institution in the light of human rights and democratic values.

He regretted that 36 years have elapsed since the country's independence without a truly democratic society based on just and equality having been established.

The objectives, aspirations and dreams for which crores of people joined in the War of Independence have not come true.

So, he told his audience, the present government in its limited tenure is taking various steps to establish fair justice and good governance in society alongside holding a free, fair, neutral and acceptable election.

Earlier, a guard of honour was accorded to the Chief Adviser by a smartly turned-out parade squad drawn from RAB, Armed Police Battalion (APBN), police of Dhaka and Rajshahi Ranges, combined range police, DMP, combined Metropolitan Police, women police, Bangladesh police UN Mission contingent, Railway and Highway police, horse-mounted police and police band party.

Flanked by the IGP, the Chief Adviser on board an open jeep reviewed the parade.

Impressive march past was demonstrated at the parade and the parade gave salute to the Chief Adviser.

The CA took salute from a decorated podium.

He distributed Bangladesh Police Gallantry Padak (Bangladesh Police Medal), Rastrapratir Police Padak (President's Police Medal), Bangladesh Police Padak- Service and Rastrapratir Police Padak-service for the year 2007 among the recipients for their courageous and heroic role in curbing crime and rendering extraordinary services for maintaining law and order.

Thirty officials and personnel of the police and RAB were adjudged for awarding the national laurels.

On his arrival at the venue, the Chief Adviser was received by Inspector General of Police Noor Mohammad and additional IGP Nabo Bikram Kishore Tripura.

Advisers of the caretaker government, three chiefs of the Armed Forces, diplomats, distinguished personalities and senior civil and military officials were present at the function.

The Chief Adviser expressed his gladness knowing that the police administration has taken initiative to formulate strategic work plan in conformity with the rapidly changing socioeconomic structure of Bangladesh.

Police will have to be more sensitive and intimate in providing service to weak and poorer sections of the population, including curbing acid terrorism, preventing domestic (family) crime and decreasing gender disparity, he said.

Not only development of infrastructure, if necessary the police force will have to follow the enforced successful models of different countries for sustainable progress, he observed.

He said police would have to play auxiliary role also in economic development alongside protecting the constitutional rights of the people.

Because, economic growth is hampered if security is not ensured in economic investment and police will have to keep a more enterprising role in this regard.

The Chief Adviser expressed happiness following the recent introduction of Model Thana, Legal Service delivery' and 'Open House Day System' in all cities in the country, including the capital, Dhaka.

He said laudable changes are being brought in service-delivery activities coming out from traditional system of hundreds years and service-seekers are now getting improved services than before. And he asked the police personnel to intensify the trend of improving standard of service. Informing the police members that the government is aware about their profession-related problems and constraints, he assured that the government would take effective steps gradually in resolving their problems.

In this regard, he mentioned some steps, including allocation of funds for providing allowance at the rate of 30 percent of salary to all members working in traffic division. Besides, providing 25 percent risk allowance of basic salary to all police members and increasing the number of family ration beneficiary members from 60 percent to 80 percent remained under active consideration of the government.

He said this is for the first time decision has been taken to provide Tk 1,000 to Tk 3,000 on the nature of cases for maintaining investigation expenses of cases.

The CA lauded the role of police members in different UN peacekeeping missions, saying that the recent sending of five Formed Police Unit (FPU) in UN Mission "added new heights to the success of Bangladesh police".

Staff Reporter

The Dhaka International Trade Fair is getting momentum gradually as customers began to pour on droves and buy their necessary household items.

Many of the stalls and pavilion owners yesterday expressed their satisfaction with this year's sale.

Harun-ur-Rashid, owner of the Asian Textile Mills Ltd said, from the very first day of this year's fair, sales has been satisfactory.

"We failed to earn profit in the last year's trade fair, but I hope to earn a good profit this year as the trend is positive," he said. He said Asian Textile brings some new products in each fair and like the previous fairs they also brought some new high quality products this year.

More than 60 per cent of Asian Textile products go to the international market while the rest is sold locally. One can buy a shirting from Tk 500 and blazer piece up to as high as Tk 6,300 from the Asian Textile pavilion, he said.

Asian Textile was awarded the best pavilion award seven consecutive times in the Dhaka International Trade Fair, he said.

Customers were also rushing to the stalls and pavilions of the telephone companies to avail the special offers given on the occasion of trade fair.

GrameenPhone, Banglalink, Teletalk, RanksTel and Dhaka Phone are offering different special packages and spot service in the fair ground.

Grameenphone is providing on the spot solutions to the GP Internet users.

Banglalink is giving Tk 50 reduction for each new connection with free talk times. Teletalk just started its pavilion yesterday but a good number of customers bought their special offers.

RanksTel is selling its pre-paid package at Tk 3,500 while two post paid connections with phone set at Tk 6,500 and three at Tk 9,500. Dhaka Phone is selling pre-paid package at Tk 2500 while only connections at Tk 75.

Staff Reporter

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has formulated the draft Income Tax Ordinance-2008 of Bangladesh Government this time, suggesting the latter to promulgate it.

IMF, going well beyond the norms of diplomatic nicety, has made a verbal suggestion to the Government to turn the draft Income Tax Ordinance prepared by them as a law by President's promulgation.

Once implemented, the prescribed taxation measures would help cure economic ills of Bangladesh, IMF officials learnt to have told the Government. The Government officials, however, are annoyed with such policy domination by the multinational lending agency. Competent sources in National Board of Revenue said IMF sent the draft and verbally asked the authority to make it effective from the next fiscal. "This is humiliating," said a senior official requesting anonymity.

The multinational lending agency has long been trying to make some serious changes of its choice in the fiscal policy of the government.

After getting the draft of the ordinance, NBR has formed a committee with Parsha Begum (Member), Income Tax Survey, as its head to examine the draft.

The committee had a meeting on January 2 and will hold a series of meetings, said a senior official close to the committee.

The 'fully prepared' draft ordinance made the NBR high officials annoyed as it was sent without asking for it. "It seems NBR officials do not know anything about revenue collection and formulating policy to augment the revenue," he said.

"The existing Income Tax Ordinance has been amended several times to meet the needs … IMF is trying to interfere in our internal matters," added the official.

The IMF has long been trying to separate the tax unit from the NBR, ostensibly to achieve faster revenue growth, which the Government had so far vehemently opposed.

The present government took the IMF suggestion seriously and Finance Adviser is believed to have instructed officials to go by its suggestion.

UNB, Dhaka

Amnesty International secretary general Irene Khan Tuesday said due process under the state of emergency is "not being followed in some cases" and called for lifting restrictions on the media.

"Some regulations were made under the state of emergency, and in some cases due process is not being followed,' she told reporters after a lengthy talk with Foreign Advisor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury.

Irene suggested lifting emergency restrictions on the media "although those are not being imposed" and called for scrapping the criminal liability act.

About holding trial of the war criminals of 1971, she said the Amnesty International always demand the trial of war criminals who committed crimes against humanity. She urged the government to seek help of the United Nations in holding the trial as she said the UN has extensive experience about this issue. In this context, she mentioned the case of Cambodia where war criminals were tried

The international human-right watchdog's chief executive, who visited victims of JMB militants in Rajshahi and Rajshahi university teachers arrested and released, said the victims of JMB militants want to return to their own houses but they could not go back out of fear. Now, of course, they feel secured, she observed.

About Rajshahi University teachers, she said although they were pardoned, they must be acquitted of the cases filed against them under the emergency rules. Irene, however, would not comment about the arrested Dhaka University teachers and students following the student unrest on August 20-22 last year.

On human-right situation, the AI secretary general said although statistics regarding the extra-judicial killings look good, AI wants the number of extra-judicial killings come to nil. Appreciating the government move to establish a National Human Rights Commission, she hoped that a neutral and competent commission would be set up by the caretaker government.

Irene welcomed various institutional reforms brought about by the present administration. She said now is the time to ensure that the institutional reforms done by the caretaker government can be carried on by a next democratic government in a way in which environment and culture is created for respecting human rights.

Ms. Irene Khan, Secretary General of the Amnesty International, and members of her delegation called on Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Foreign Adviser, and held discussions over a working lunch at the Foreign Ministry this afternoon.

Iftekhar told the reporters that he has reaffirmed to her that this government is committed to aligning its HR record with international standards.

"In doing this we will require everyone's support: of the UN, of the international community and must of all of the Bangladeshi people and media."

BSS, Dhaka

Flow of foreign remittances during the last one year has set a new record in the country as a result of different pragmatic steps taken by the present caretaker government after taking office on January 11, 2007.

Experts from private and public sectors hope that flow of foreign remittances in the country is expected to break all previous records at the end of this financial year if the current trend is continued in this sector. According to the statistics available in the ministry of Labour and Employment, a total of 5.93 billion US Dollars equivalent to Take 41,2,77 crore foreign remittance has come in the country from January to December 24 last year.

On the other hand, the country has set a new record by earning a total of 61.86 crore US dollars only in the month of November last year which is all time high against the previous years.

Besides, the government has achieved a remarkable success in various fields, including exporting Bang-ladeshi manpower and creating new job markets for its labour force abroad and taking steps against the dishonest recruiting agencies with a view to bringing discipline in this very vital sector.

The scope for exporting Bangladeshi manpower to different countries in Europe, Middle- East and South-East Asia has increased significantly during the last one year following the various bilateral and multilateral initiatives taken by the government.

Concerned ministry sources said that a total of 5, 66,269 Bangladeshi workers went to different countries across the world including Malaysia from January to December 24.

Besides, NOC (no objection certificate) has been provided to another 8,18,712 workers during the period and 2,52,000 workers are waiting for going abroad.

As part of the government's measures for the development of the sector, it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the South Korean government under which some 10,000 Bangladeshi workers will get employment opportunities in that country.

It has signed another MoU with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to increase export of Bangladeshi manpower to the country as well as establishing their legitimate rights there. The MoU was signed during the visit of the UAE labour minister in Dhaka in May last year, sources said.

Besides, Abu Dhabi government under its Township Development Programme has agreed to recruit 8,000 more Bangladeshi workers in the first phase. Preparation is underway to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this end.

Sources in the Ministry of Labour and Employment told BSS that job markets for Bangladeshi workers have also been expanding gradually in Europe, Oman, Japan and Qatar since the present government took office.

The preparation for signing an MoU between Bangladesh and Cyprus to send 10,000 skilled Bangladeshi labour force to the European country is underway. However, Poland government has also showed keen interest to recruit Bangladeshi manpower.

Meanwhile, the Oman government has lifted ban on recruiting Bangladeshi workers after 12 years that will facilitate the scope for Bangladesh to export more manpower to that country in addition to 1.50 lakh Bangladeshi workers currently living in Oman.

The Oman government has already showed interest to import Bangladeshi skilled workers like teachers, doctors, engineers and technicians, the sources said.

Besides, the Bangladeshi workers living in Qatar is going to enjoy same facilities like the local workers. The government on January 6 this year has signed an agreement with the government of Qatar to this end.

The present Caretaker Government under the able leadership of Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed has also taken steps to export Bangladeshi manpower in Japan and Iran.

The Japan government has expressed its eagerness to recruit skilled workforce from Bangladesh. Iran has also showed positive response to recruit unskilled, semi-skilled workers and professionals from Bangladesh.

When contacted concerned sources said the government has taken initiative to bring changes in the existing manpower export policy of the country and is searching new destinations for Bangladeshi workforce abroad.

Apart from this, the government has taken lawful actions against 13 recruiting agencies for their irregularities and corruption in sending manpower in different countries including Malaysia during the last one year. It has realized Taka 1.56 crore from the agencies during the period and returned the money to the persons cheated by the recruiting agencies.

However, the present government considering the contribution of the expatriate Bangladeshis to the growth of the country's economy has taken a project to construct flats in the Bhatara Mouza in Gulshan area aiming at selling those to the foreign- exchange earners.

These steps taken by the present government will help further boost earning of foreign currencies through exporting more Bangladeshi manpower, experts opined.

BBC Online

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said his relationship with former supermodel Carla Bruni is "serious" but refused to reveal any wedding plans.

He told reporters there was a "strong chance" the media would only learn about the wedding after the event.

The whirlwind romance between the two has been making headlines in France and Bruni's native Italy for weeks.

Sarkozy, 52, and his wife Cecilia announced their divorce in October, after being married for 11 years.

His popularity has fallen by several points according to several opinion polls since the New Year, a decline attributed by many to the over-exposure of his private life. Many French people increasingly see his romance with Ms Bruni as impulsive, flashy, vulgar and, most importantly, distracting from his work as president, the BBC's Emma Jane Kirby reports from Paris.

But at a press conference in Paris, Sarkozy also defended his political record since becoming president in May, commenting on everything from the need for French economic reform to his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The French leader said he and his girlfriend wished to "break with a hateful tradition of hypocrisy" by making their relationship public.

"Carla and I have decided not to lie," he said, in what the French news agency AFP reports was a clear allusion to the late President Francois Mitterrand's concealment of an illegitimate daughter for years.