The New Nation - Internet Edition

Govt plans more rice imports

Staff Reporter

As an effort to augment stock of rice, in these days of price spiral, the government is going to procure another 50,000 tones of non-basmati boiled cereal through international tender.

A proposal of the Ministry of Food in this regard will be placed before the Advisory Committee on government purchase today for approval of the procurement.

The government in the recent past has procured large volume of rice and launched open market sale to reduce the burden of price hike on low-income people. However, the OMS and other initiative of the government failed to bring any change in the price line of rice.

Sources said that, the today's meeting of the Advisers Committee will also consider purchase proposal of 184 million pieces of metal coin of Tk 2 denomination. The committee will also be proposed to approve import proposal of 15,000 tones of rock-phosphate for the TSP complex of BCIC.

The committee will also be proposed to consider the tender for purchase of 4,000-metre modular pin system portable steel bridge through international open tendering method.

Sources said, the committee will further be requested to approve purchase of 1,12,50,000 pieces of bag to pack the foodgrains by the department of food. Approval of tender for earth filing at Uttara Adarsha Residential City (third phase) will also be proposed in the Cabinet Committee meeting.

Teachers, students hold solidarity meet in DU: Govt urged to ensure congenial atmosphere on campus

Four recently released teachers Prof Sadrul Amin,
Prof Anwar Hossain, Prof Harun-or-Rashid and Prof Nim
Chandra Bhoumik and five students of Dhaka University join
the solidarity rally at the foot of Aparajeya Bangla on
Wednesday. NN photo

DU Correspondent

The released Dhaka University teachers at a solidarity meeting urged the government to ensure congenial atmosphere for imparting education by establishing democracy and holding general election soon in the country.

They said the government couldn't do anything by strangulating democracy, which ensures rights of the people who want to move and speak freely.

They also urged the government to withdraw all the cases filed against the teachers and students in different colleges and the universities of the country, as they did not want to breach the academic activities for a moment.

The teachers, who were released on Tuesday and the five students out of 8 freed on bail yesterday after five months in jail, gathered at the Aparajeyo Bangla of the university where teachers, students, guardians, academics and journalists expressed solidarity with the released teachers and students.

Earlier, the released students paid homage to the Martyrs at the Central Shaheed Minar by placing bouquets.

The released students are Manabendra Dev, DU Unit president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Zahidul Islam Biplab, Rafiqul Islam Sujan, Mohammad Din Islam, Din Islam Angel Asaduzzaman, Liton Mahmud and Moniruzzaman Sardar.

National Professor Kabir Chowdhury, Syed Samsul Haque, Prof Mesbah Kamal, Prof MM Akash, Journalist Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and the guardians of the released students, among others, spoke in the programme while Prof M Samad conducted the meeting.

Prof Anwar Hossain, general secretary of Dhaka University Teachers` Association (DUTA), said the university had taken a stand against the injustice as the conscience of Bangladesh. He said the students of the university have shown how a movement could be waged without violence from where the country's politicians could take lesson.

The government tried to create division among the teachers and the students through agents but it could not succeed, as our students were conscious, he said.

Cautioning the government, he said it cannot do anything as per its wish, because the country is not like Afghanistan, Pakistan or Somalia.

Prof Sadrul Amin, president of DUTA, said the released of the teachers and students is the victory for the truth.

He urged all to participate in the academic activities forgetting the misunderstanding that happened between two groups of teachers centring the teachers` release issue.

Prof Harun-or-Rashid, Dean of Social Science Faculty, the government had judged the teachers according to their road map in order to give punishment to the Dhaka University.

The teachers and the students welcomed the released teachers and the students and brought out a cheerful rally on the campus.

Besides, different student organisations staged demonstration on the campus and the students of Drama and Music Department of the university performed a drama titled 'Rakta Karabi.'

Extortion case: HC begins hearing Hasina’s writ challenging trial under EPR

Staff Reporter

A High Court Division Bench of the Supreme Court yesterday began hearing a writ petition challenging the trial of a Tk 3 crore extortion case against detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina under the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR).

A businessman Azam J Chowdhury, Managing Director of East Coast Pvt Ltd, filed the extortion case against Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the Awami League, on June 13, 2007.

Sheikh Hasina's counsel Barrister Shafique Ahmed during the hearing in the Bench comprising Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Shahidul Islam, submitted that in no way the case could be tried under the EPR since incident happened much before the proclamation of the state of emergency in the country.

He argued that applying the Emergency Powers Rule to an incident that took place a long time back contradicts the law itself.

Earlier on January 17, the High Court had stayed the proceedings of the case in the trial court until the dispute centring the legitimacy of trying the case under EPR was settled.

On January 21, the Government appealed against the High Court stay order, and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is expected to resume hearing today.

Sheikh Hasina was arrested and detained on July 16, 2007. She was subsequently shown arrested in the case filed by Azam J Chowdhury.

Ijtema begins tomorrow

Devotees are coming to join Biswa Ijtema to be held
from 25th January at Tongi. The photograph was taken
Wednesday. Banglar Chokh

UNB, Dhaka

Government authorities have imposed restrictions on vehicular movement on some city roads for 24 hours from 6:00pm Saturday for safe movement of musullis during the Biswa Ijtema beginning on the bank of river Turag at Tongi on Friday. The police restrictions have been imposed on routes from Pragati Sarani Crossing-Tongi-Gazipur crossing, Abdullahpur-Ashulia-Baipail crossing, Mirpur road to Beribadh road, Mirpur Zoo-Beribadh and Pallabi Eastern Housing-Beribadh road.

Ghorashal-Markul road via Kaliganj-Pubail will remain open for traffic during the period.

Drivers of Dhaka-bound transport from Ghorashal on Dhaka-Sylhet highway have been asked to use Kanchpur/Jatrabari road instead of that route.

All vehicles but fire-brigade vans, ambulances and those carrying the residents of Uttara, air-passengers and crews have been asked to take Mirpur-Savar road as alternative to the New Airport Road. The musullis who will go to Ijtema on foot will have to use Airport Golchattar-Azampur-Abdullahpur and seven baily bridges set up on the Turag river or Kamranga bridge, avoiding the Tongi Bridge. "All devotees have been asked to leave their vehicles on the selected parking spots," an official order said Wednesday. The division-wise parking places are: open place of Nikunja-1 residential area, field (Partial) in front of RAJUK College at Uttara Sector-6 for Sylhet, and both sides of Rabindra Sarani at sector-7 for Barisal, Sonargaon road in Sector-9 for Dhaka, Gausul Azam and Garib-e Newaj Road at Sector 13 for Chittagong, both sides of roads at sector 10 and 11 for Khulna, Kamarpara housing ground and open place at Sector-10 for Rajshahi and place near Ashulia Dhour bridges for Barisal division.

The selected parking places for Gazipur are: Chandna High School ground, K-2/Navy Cigarette factory compound, Kaderia Textile Mills compound, Bhawal Badre Alam College premises and Gazipur Chaurasta truck terminal.

Other parking places of Dhaka district are Ashulia cattle market, Ashulia College ground, Ashulia High School ground and open place of Basundhara Group at Baipail, said a press release. All transport movement will be suspended on Airport road and Dhour bridge via Abdullahpur while VIPs will cross the areas. No transport will be allowed to park on both sides of the route from Mohakhali crossing to Gazipur crossing via Tongi, Baipail from Abdullahpur and Maddhya Badda Government Primary School to Pragati sarani crossing.

Police headquarters sought "all-out cooperation of the people in maintaining discipline in transport movement, avoiding traffic jam and ensuring smooth movement of the musullis".

Jewellery trader Torjo murder: Five to walk to gallows

Turjo Ghosh

Staff Reporter

Five people, including a woman were handed down death sentences by a court in Dhaka yesterday for murdering gold ornaments trader Turjo Ghosh.

Besides, a young man was sentenced to death for murdering his wife for dowry in 2004 in Dinajpur yesterday.

Anwar Hossain, judge of Speedy Trial Tribunal-I of Dhaka Division, handed down the death penalty on Shahadat Hossain Liton alias Khora Liton, Mamun alias Al Mamun, Abu Sayeed alias Sayeed, Farhad Alam Hira and Shamsunnahar Sheuli--all aged about 30.

The court also ordered that the death sentences would be enforced by hanging the convicts.

The same court also awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment to the convicts and fined Tk 15,000 each for kidnapping Turjo, son of Jagannath Chandra Ghosh, who is the proprietor of Purabi Jewellers. In default, they will have to suffer one year of more rigorous imprisonment.

However, if the High Court division approves the capital punishment, other sentence will not be implemented.

In his verdict, judge Anwar Hossain said that the convicts, in connivance with each other, kidnapped Turjo Ghosh on October 29, 2006 from their Uttara residence and brutally murdered him on the following day in spite of realising a ransom of Tk 10 lakh and ten bhories of gold from his mother for the release of her son.

The judge said convict Sheuli called Turjo by telephone to a house at WAPDA Road at Rampura in the afternoon on October 29, 2006. The other accused present in the house gave him food laced with seductive. Later, he was strangulated.

In order to conceal the body of Turjo, the killers cut it into pieces and then dumped into a place at Noora Paglar Golli and Wapda Beribandh Jheel.

On December 7, 2006 Jagannath Ghose filed a kidnapping case with the Uttara Police Station.

After 40 days of abduction, police and RAB arrested five suspected killers of Turjo Ghosh. After an intensive investigation. They located the killers by taping their telephone conversations. In custody they confessed the killing of Turjo.

According to their confessional statement, police and RAB members recovered the severed decomposed body of Turjo from a ditch at Rampura.

The investigation officer Nazrul Islam submitted chargesheet on March 3 last year. During the trial, the court recorded the depositions of 35 witnesses and examined other evidences including the case docket to prove the case. In the case, the charges were framed on November 6, 2007. After the arguments of the lawyers of the plaintiff and the accused, the court announced the verdict yesterday.

While pronouncing the judgement, judge Anwar Hossain remarked that such people deserved punishment in the interest of social peace, tranquility and discipline.

He also mentioned in the judgement that the convicts had destroyed the joy, happiness and smooth daily life of a family. Who knows when they will be able to return to normal life.

After the pronouncement of judgement, Turjo's brother-in-law Joy Ghosh told reporters that they had received fair judgement. "We're satisfied with the verdict of the court. We're respectful to the law and the court. Now, it is time to implement the verdict. We'll get peace if the convicts are hanged to death. Besides, Turjo's soul will get peace," he said.

However, defence lawyer Advocate Harunur Rashid was found unhappy with the verdict.

He said his client convict Farhad Hossain Hira did not make any confessiuonal statement about his involvement in the murder and he would appeal to the apex court against the order of the death sentence.

The lawyer further said that the alleged murder was not committed in front of any eyewitness.

He said he would appeal for another judgement from the supoerior court canceling the one given by the lower court.

Senior advocate MA Rashid was the special public prosecutor to conduct the case on behalf of the prosecution.

He was found very happy with the verdict.

Another report from Dinajpur said: A young man was yesterday sentenced to death for murder of his wife for dowry in 2004.

Judge Badsha Alamgir handed down the death penalty to Nizamuddin. Hailing from Dulla-mulla village of Chirir Bandar upazila Nizam is an imam of mosque.

He married Jamila Khatun. Since the marriage he resorted to

repression on her demanding dowry of Tk 10,000 from her parents. They failed meet his demand.

On the night of June 23, 2004 brutal Nizam strangulated the young

wife aged about 20 to death and the body was thrown into a pond.

The court pronounced the verdict after examining documents and ten prosecution witnesses.

'Polls depend on good boro harvest’

Staff Reporter

A noted agriculture economist yesterday expressed the apprehension that holding the general elections might be delayed if the targeted bumper production of Boro paddy could not be achieved.

"The price situation will heat up further in case of failure in attaining bumper Boro production…..Destabilise the country, resulting in the delay in holding the general election," Agri-Economist Dr Uttam Sen told a private TV channel yesterday.

Meanwhile, Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension Dr Shahidul Islam yesterday said the Government has fixed the target of Boro production to the tune of 1 crore 75 lakh metric tonnes after the crop failure in Cyclone Sidr and two previous floods that caused 20 lakh tonnes of food shortage.

An official of the Food and Disaster Management said The Government has decided to import 10 lakh tonnes of rice and two lakh tonnes of the wheat to meet the food grains shortage.

He said the country's annual food grains requirement is 4 crore 30 lakh metric tonnes.

"To ensure bumper Boro production in the coming session, we have encouraged farmers to cultivate the advanced variety of Boro and extended the fertiliser distribution system," Dr Shahidul Islam said.

He said the Department of Agriculture Extention has already distributed considerable amount of high yielding Boro seeds among the farmer, while the Government has directed the authorities concerned to guarantee necessary supply of fuel and electricity.

Dr Uttam Sen urged the Government to take extra measure so that the farmers get all inputs, including the soft-loans, seeds, fertiliser, electricity and fuel, on time.

"Otherwise, the country may face a serious uncertainty," he warned.

Global equity instability : SEC, DSE monitoring local market movement

Staff Reporter

The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) authorities are monitoring local market movements against global share market catastrophe.

"Though global share markets have little impact on our local equity business, we are closely monitoring every suspicious movement to protect our investors from any possible spark of panic," said CEO-DSE Salahuddin Ahmed Khan. He was talking to The New Nation yesterday at his DSE office.

According to him, both the responsible offices are full aware of global market situation.

"We will not let anyone to spark any rumour or panic to misguide our investors, which is easy to do in this global situation," CEO-DSE added.

"Total foreign investment in DSE is less than Tk1000 crore. Moreover, they are mostly inactive in daily market. So there is almost no chance for the global market to put a bitter impact on local markets," he repeated.

However, he termed recent bearish DSE as temporary and has predicted a moderate gain in few days.

"One way trading by the two newcomer oil companies has squashed a large portion of floating market capital. This has caused a moderate capital shortage in the liquidity market. This situation is expected to get normal in few days as they will start free trading in open market after due dates," he said.

Beside that, some institutional investors have adopted 'wait and sea' policy to avoid possible risk, watching global market scenario. This has also slowed down the market but expected to normalize soon as well, said Salahuddin Ahmed Khan.

According to the BangkokPost.com, some Asian markets have started overcoming the record braking equity mayhem on Wednesday trading as investors welcomed a hefty, surprise interest rate cut overnight by the US Federal Reserve to shore up the sagging American economy. European markets also edged up, as reported.

The Tokyo stock market soared more than 2 per cent as stocks across Asia rose in a partial recovery, effectively ending a two-day market bloodbath.

On the other hand, the Hong Kong stocks rebounded by 6 per cent in the first hour of trading on Wednesday as well.

However, the DSE witnessed a moderate bearish trend in the market yesterday. The General index lost 45.16 points, 20-Index lost 41.09 points and all shares price index has lost 36.08 points within a single day trading. Total turnover on the day was 84.35 lacs share, worth Tk 170.91 crore. Shares of total 52 companies advanced, 173 declined and 11 remained unchanged.

Adopt nat’l policy to protect jute sector: Experts for withdrawal of reform programme

Staff Reporter

Politicians, representatives of the civil society and jute experts at a dialogue in the city urged the government to withdraw 'suicidal' reform programme in the jute sector and plan a national jute policy.

They also urged the government to cancel the decision of closing all the jute mills in the country and withdraw the policy of termination of jute mill workers and employees.

They recommended the government to find out those persons who were responsible for the ruination of the jute sector and give them exemplary punishment. They urged the government to ensure multipurpose use of jute-based products in the market.

The dialogue on 'Remedies to Protect Jute Resource' was organised by Nagorik Sanghati at the National Press Club yesterday.

Syed Abul Maksud, columnist, presided over the dialogue, while Col (Retd) Faruk Khan, Awami League leader, GM Kader, leader of Jatiya Party, Salauddin Ahmed, former secretary, Dr Gul Hossain, agriculture expert, Shahidullah Chowdhury, jute workers' representative, Yunus Mia, jute businessman representative, sculptor Rasha, among others, spoke on the occasion.

The speakers said the government should pay all dues of the workers and employees of the closed jute mills.

They urged the government to declare the minimum price of jute for ensuring its appropriate rate and to take step for collection of sufficient jutes.

They also urged the government to ensure high quality of jute seeds, fertiliser and insecticides in subsidised rates for the farmers and supply these in appropriate time.

They recommended the government to give priority to all state-run jute mills for the economic development of the country.

Bush made false statements on Iraq: Study

President Bush

AP, Washington

A study by two non-profit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

The study was posted Tuesday on the website of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism. White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said he could not comment on the study because he had not seen it.

The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaeda or both.

"It is now beyond dispute that Iraq did not possess any weapons of mass destruction or have meaningful ties to al-Qaeda," according to Charles Lewis and Mark Reading-Smith of the Fund for Independence in Journalism staff members, writing an overview of the study. "In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003."

Named in the study along with Bush were top officials of the administration during the period studied: Vice President Dick Cheney, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and White House press secretaries Ari Fleischer and Scott McClellan.

Bush led with 259 false statements, 231 about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and 28 about Iraq's links to al-Qaeda, the study found. That was second to Powell's 244 false statements about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and 10 about Iraq and al-Qaeda.

The center said the study was based on a database created with public statements over the two years beginning on Sept. 11, 2001, and information from more than 25 government reports, books, articles, speeches and interviews.

"The cumulative effect of these false statements - amplified by thousands of news stories and broadcasts - was massive, with the media coverage creating an almost impenetrable din for several critical months in the run-up to war," the study concluded.

"Some journalists - indeed, even some entire news organizations - have since acknowledged that their coverage during those prewar months was far too deferential and uncritical. These mea culpas notwithstanding, much of the wall-to-wall media coverage provided additional, 'independent' validation of the Bush administration's false statements about Iraq," it said.

Dense fog affects half a dozen flights from ZIA

Staff Reporter

About half a dozen flights from Zia International Airport (ZIA) were delayed or cancelled yesterday after thick fog enveloped the sky of Dhaka throughout the day.

A Bangladesh Biman airplane (BG027) from Dhaka was delayed by six and a half hours to depart from the ZIA due to the foggy weather condition. The plane was scheduled to leave the ZIA at 7:00pm. It was delayed up to 1:30am, Ahad Ali Khan, Flight Information Officer at ZIA told The New Nation last night.

He said three Bangladesh Biman airplanes (BG039, BG095 and BG035) which were scheduled to depart ZIA at 7:15pm, 7:30pm and 9:15pm were cancelled.

On the other hand, a Dubai-bound aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines was delayed due to foggy weather.

A Gulf Air plane from Bahrain was forced to land in Dhaka, after it would not make it to the Tribhuban International Airport in Kathmandu in Nepal.

CA arrives in Zurich to attend WEF meet

UNB, Zurich

Chief Advisor Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed arrived here Wednesday afternoon to attend the World Economic Forum's annual meeting, which is taking up important global issues for an appraisal.

The 3-day event began in Davos today, with a galaxy of heads of government, top financiers, bankers, leaders of commerce and industry, academics, thinkers, politicians and statesmen attending.

This is for the first time that Bangladesh is participating at the head-of-government-level famous annual gathering.

The participation of Chief Advisor Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed in the World Economic Forum is likely to greatly enhance the international image of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh will take the advantage of telling the global audience a story of positive social transformation and development reforms and innovative changes through ideas that have evolved domestically.

Dr. Ahmed will take part in a plenary discussion at the Davos Congress Centre tomorrow (January 24) on "the quest for peace and stability" along with some key leaders of South and Central Asia.

He will hold meetings with European, American and Asian political and business leaders, as well as with leaders of some fellow Least Developed Countries (LDCs), mainly from Asia.

Bangladesh is currently the Chair of the LDCs and Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed is expected to use this occasion to press for duty-and quota-free access of LDC products to world markets.

He will also meet with international media personalities and host working lunches and breakfasts for potential investors in Bangladesh.

Foreign Advisor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said Davos is a unique event and not a structured international multilateral conference like the United Nations General Assembly.

He said participants are drawn from all walks of social, economic and political life, and interact with one another largely informally. "Only those who are seen as key global players are present," he added.

The Chief Advisor, in his various discussions and meetings, will focus on such issues as institutional reforms for sustainable democracy, the fight against corruption, the requirement of peace to achieve development, climate change and its impact on developing countries and food security.

He would also stress the need for greater market access for LDC products, the importance of education and women's empowerment in social change and on the special responsibility of the developed countries towards those who are less developed.

The head of caretaker government will also highlight Bangladesh's responsible international role as a major UN peacekeeper in stabilizing strife-torn parts of the world, particularly Africa.

The Chief Adviser will attend meetings on January 24 and 25.

On his arrival, Bangladesh Ambassador to Geneva Debapriya Bhattachariya received him at the Zurich International Airport at about 1pm (local time).

Popularisation of renewable energy urged

Staff Reporter

A two-day workshop on renewable energy technologies began in Dhaka yesterday with speakers calling for concerted efforts of all concerned to tap and popularise alternative energy sources to meet the fast growing because the natural resources now used for generation of electricity to the national grid are depleting fast.

Organised by the Grameen Shakti and Inforse the conference's focus is on scaling up decentralised energy in Bangladesh and the best renewable energy technology practices to reduce poverty in the SAARC region. It is meant for capacity building of non-governmental organisations involved with renewable energy technologies in Bangladesh.

Experts who took part in the deliberations on the first day of the workshop underscored the need for popularising the existing renewable energy technologies like the improved cooking stove that burns about less fuel wood to generate heat, increased use of solar, bio-gas, wind and micro-hydel technologies and the production bio-fuel.

Raymond Myles, regional coordinator of Inforse, South Asia, presented findings of baseline surveys on renewable energy sources said that community based organisations could choose the best energy technology solutions depending on their suitability to different geographical areas of the region.

He said that the micro-credit network in Bangladesh offered a good opportunity to support poor people to adopt alternative energy technologies suited to their needs. Poverty should, however, should not be used for purely business purposes, he observed.

Prof. Shahidul Islam, Director, Centre for Energy Studies, Buet, said that 'verenda oil' may be produced by utilising fellow land and used as substitute for kerosene to light lanterns. He underscored the need for popularising solar cookers of different types through social engineering. Battery and chargers for solar energy produced in Bangladesh are of good quality and the country can be self-sufficient in this respect.

For pumping water, however, he said mechanical pumping was the better option than solar pumping. Micro-hydro energy potentials were there in the hill districts. Although solar heaters have not become popular, solar dryers could be profitably used for processing vegetables and fish drying, he said.

Raymond Myles informed the participants of the workshop that poor potters in some states of India were producing and marketing improved cooking stoves. This also improved their standard of living, he said.

Dr. M. Eusuf, former Director, BCSIR, said that solar energy has taken off I the country although renewable energy was still relying on a personalised approach in the absence of a proper government policy. He said international finance organisations would in the coming days invest more money in the clean development mechanism (CDM) technologies for protection of the global environment. Bangladesh should develop its renewable energy sources which are mostly eligible for CDM-funding, he added.

The workshop was also addressed by Dipal C Barua, Managing Director, Grameen Shakti, Ehsanul Haque, CEO, infrastructure development company Ltd, and Tazmilur Rahman of LGED among others.