The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Three single-country trade fairs will be held in the UK, Ireland and South Africa this year to showcase Bangladeshi goods as part of measures for promoting the country's trade abroad. London-based British Bangladesh Trade Cooperation and Bangladesh-based Expo Bangla Worldwide will jointly organise the fairs. Of the events, 'Expo Bangladesh 2008 South Africa' will be held in April while 'Expo Bangladesh 2008 Dublin' in June and 'Expo Bangladesh 2008 London' in August.

The organisers said the fair in South Africa would be held in cooperation with Bangladesh High Commission in South Africa and Johannesburg Chamber while in Dublin with the help of Bangladesh High Commission in London.

They said the Bangladesh High Commission in London and Dublin Chamber would extend assistance for holding the Dublin show. "The objective of holding the trade fairs is to create market of Bangladeshi export-quality goods abroad," said one of the organisers. The exhibits include readymade garments, leather and leather goods, handicrafts, frozen foods, dry foods, home textiles, IT and traditional goods.

Interested Bangladeshi entrepreneurs who look for foreign buyers could participate in the fair, said the fair organisers. Executive President of British Bangladesh Trade Cooperation Mirja Zillur Rahman told UNB that his organisation successfully held 'Expo Bangladesh 2007' in London last year.

"We are planning to organise such single-country trade fair in China, Japan and the USA next year," he said.

BDR-BSF observe

Friendship Programme

Day at Benapole

UNB, Benapole

In a unique effort to develop their bilateral relations, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) observed Friendship Programme Day at Benapole check-post Saturday.

The day's programmes started in the morning with the playing of national anthems of the two neighbouring countries. BDR commanding officer Lt. Col. Badrul Alam received BSF commanding officer DP Singh with bouquets. BDR deputy commander Major Manju and BSF deputy commander Lal Bahadur were present. BDR also received a 25-member student team of BSF School of India as they arrived here on a six-day visit to Bangladesh.

During their stay in Bangladesh, the Indian school students will visit the majar of Lalan Shah and Kuthibari in Kushtia, the Sundarbans, Savar Mausoleum, Bir Shreshtha Noor Mohammad Rifles Public School and College, Rifles Museum, ISD School and National Museum.

They will also take part in friendly basketball, table tennis and badminton tournaments in Pilkhana RSB ground in Dhaka. The team will leave Bangladesh through Benapole border on January 31.

Democratic foundation

needs to be strengthened

for objective journalism: Experts

UNB, Dhaka

Speakers at a discussion here Friday laid emphasis on strengthening democratic foundation to ensure objective journalism in the country.

They said journalists in Bangladesh find it hard to fairly perform their duties as their sources of information have been infected with institutional falsehood.

"Journalists in Bangladesh have to face various institutional obstacles. The sources of information themselves are full of falsehood. Besides, a journalist has to remain obedient to their owners even at the cost of truth. So, it's very difficult to maintain objectivity," Prof. Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique told the discussion. The discussion titled 'Impact of Falsehood on Journalism' was arranged by Bartaman Sanglap, a weekly newspaper, marking its 14th founding anniversary, at Jyoti Bhaban in the city's Mirpur area. Bartaman Sanglap editor Sheikh Abdul Hanif, Dr Monowar Hossain, Prof. Dr Abdul Momin Chowdhury, Dr NI Khan, Advocate Golam Kibria, DU teacher Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Curzon, Fazlur Rahman, Sheikh Majlish Fuad and German-expatriate writer Sultana Azim, among others, were present at the discussion.

In his speech, Dr Momin Chowdhury said people in Bangladesh do not do what they say and do not say what they do. "Journalists will have to find out their own way to protect journalism from falsehoods," he said.

The speakers also identified massive corruption in high places as the root cause of falsehood in Bangladesh's journalism.

Protest against

corporate

globalisation

Staff Reporter

Protest against corporate globalisation was staged in Dhaka as elsewhere in the world yesterday. Global Economic Justice Forum (GEJF) 2008 erected an open stage at Rabindra Sarobar at Dhanmondi in the city where the protestors threw stone on a symbol of Corporate Globalisation to express their hatred for inhuman nature of globalisation.

Students, different social, human rights and development organisations expressed solidarity with the programme, a press release of the forum said. Members of the organising committee of GEJF Nasimul Ahsan Deepu and Mohosin Ali spoke on the occasion.

Speakers at the gathering said alongwith Neo-liberalisaton, aggressive corporate trade is going on in the world recklessly. "Only few developed countries are enjoying the sole benefit of it. Free market economy has turned into an open plundering space. As a result economic injustice has been mounting," they said.

They said decision-making authority of the less-developed countries including Bangladesh is being curtailed due to pressure of multinational lending agencies. The foreigners are unwarrantedly intruding into natural resources, infrastructures and homogeneous cultures of the nation.

The GEJF has chalked out an elaborate programme to protest against globalisation from January 29 to 30. About 50 national and international organisations will take part in these programmes, the organisers said.

Talks with govt

should not be

affected

Staff Reporter

Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Convener Dr Ferdous Ahmed Quoreshy said the proposed dialogue between the government and political parties should not be hampered on the issue of releasing detained leaders of two political parties.

He termed the Election Commission proposed delimitation of parliamentary constituencies a routine work and hoped that the election roadmap will not be affected.

He was speaking at a press conference at PDP party office at Segun Bagicha in the city.

While replying to a question about the recent statement made by Azam J Chowdhury that he did not directly file case against Sheikh Hasina, Dr Quoreshy said the court or investigating officer can include or exclude anyone's name on the basis of the evidence.

Opposing the newly appointed energy adviser's move to allow supply of gas from Myanmar to India through a tri-national pipeline, PDP convener demanded of the government to import gas from Myanmar directly.

''In near future, our country will face energy crisis. And we should import gas from Myanmar before India reaches an agreement with it,'' he said

The newspaper industry is going through a serious crisis and if it continues, most of the media houses will shut down, he observed.

He suggested the government to take initiatives for bringing an immediate end to the corruption in distributing advertisement and give Tk 100 crore as subsidy to save the media industry.

He, however, admitted that his newspaper office was also involved in giving bribes for collecting advertisement for his Daily Desh Bangla while replying to a question about corruption in distributing advertisement of the government.

CA returns home

BSS, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhr-uddin Ahmed returned home yesterday evening after attending the three-day high profile annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos in Switzerland.

An Emirates flight carrying the Chief Adviser landed at the Zia International Airport (ZIA) at 7-50 pm.

Adviser on Home Affairs, Shipping And Liberation War Maj Gen (Retd) Abdul Matin received received the Chief Adviser at ZIA.

LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal, Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Mohammad al Namlah, Ambassador of Switzerland Dora Rapold, chief of army staff General Moeen U Ahmed, chief of naval staff vice admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam and chief of air staff air marshal S M Ziaur Rahman and high civil and military officers were present at the airport to receive the Chief Adviser.

Member of his entourage, including Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar A Chowdhury and Press Secretary to CA Syed Fahim Munaim also returned with the chief adviser.

Dr Fakhruddin left Dhaka for Davos on January 22.