The New Nation - Internet Edition

US national's motorcycle stolen

Staff Reporter

Motorcycle of US national James Brain Bunn was stolen from the city's Banani area yesterday.

James Brain lost his motorcycle when he came head office of GMG airlines to purchase ticket at 3:45 pm.

Later, he lodged a case with Gulshan Police Station under the section no 329 in this connection according to the suggestion of the US embassy. The case no is 29.

The motorcycle no is Sylhet LA 11-0186, which is of 150 cc Bujaj motorcycle.

Extra-ordinary meeting of CPU Bangladesh held

UNB, Dhaka

An extra-ordinary meeting of Commonwealth Press Union (CPU), Bangladesh Section, was held on Thursday at the Cosmos Center in the city.

The United News of Bangladesh (UNB) Chairman and CPU Bangladesh Section President Amanullah Khan presided over the meeting which discussed various organisational matters and training of journalists. Chairman of editorial board of the daily Ittefaq Barrister Mainul Husein, The Daily Independent editor Mahbubul Alam, Manabzamin editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, Dhaka Courier editor Enayetullah Khan, Inqilab editor AMM Bahauddin, Press Institute of Bangladesh DG Md. Nazrul Islam and The New Nation editor Mostafa Kamal Majumder attended the meeting.

Finance Adviser to consider leather industry problem in a package

UNB, Dhaka

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam Thursday advised the leather and leather goods manufacturers and exporters to submit through the Industries Ministry a concrete proposal on the problems faced by them.

"Specific proposals through the Industries Ministry will be considered as a package," he told reporters, after a meeting at the Finance Ministry with a delegation from the leather industry. Dr Aziz said the banks and clients should settle interest waiver on their relationship under the interest waiver guideline. The government is going to formulate an interest waiver guideline soon, he added.

The delegation comprising leaders of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters' Association (BFLLFEA) and Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) was led by BFLLFEA chairman Mohammad Tipu Sultan.

They apprised the Finance Adviser of the delay in developing the ECNEC-approved project of Leather Industry Estate in Savar, with a Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) and a dumping yard. The project is scheduled to be implemented by the year 2010 at a cost of Tk 545.36 crore.

"(Our) leather and leather goods will lose international market unless an environment-friendly industry is developed," Tipu Sultan told reporters.

He said the delegation also sought low cost loans to relocate their factories from the city's Hazaribagh area to the new Estate in Savar and the rescheduling of classified loans on down payment of 4 percent. In 2006-07, Bangladesh exported processed leather worth US$ 266 million, footwear worth US$ 136 million, and leather bags and purses totaling US$ 11 million.

NCTF confce begins

UNB, Dhaka

A two-day first national conference of National Children Taskforce (NCTF) began at the conference room of LGED Bhaban yesterday.

Shahidul Islam Santo, president of NCTF central committee, inaugurated while Israt Jahan Shirin, secretary of NCTF central committee, chaired the conference.

Central committee members and presidents of NCTF district committee from 64 districts participated in the conference.

The NCTF, lone national organization of children, work for the realization of child rights across the country.

NCTF leaders will share their experience with the journalists at a press conference at 4 pm tomorrow (Friday).

Truck missing

Staff Reporter

A truck has been hijacked from Nimtoli Truck Terminal in the port city of Chittagong yesterday morning. Helper of the truck Alamgir, hailed from Luxmipur district, is also missing since the incident.

A general diary (No. 337) has been filed with Bandar Thana in the city on Thursday.

The truck (No. Dhaka-Metro Ta-11-0296) was there in a parking position.

Sources said, the truck driver went to the terminal at about 8:30am but found the truck missing with its helper.

City roundtable Credible election only way out of present crisis

Staff Reporter

The speakers in a city roundtable said, the only way out of the present crisis of the country is to hold a free, fair and credible election in the shortest possible time. Any unnecessary delay will deepen the political crisis.

They were speaking at a roundtable on ' The existing political problem and its way out' organised by Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal(BSD) at the National Press Club yesterday.

Moderated by BSD general secretary Dilip Barua, Bangladesh Communist Party General Secretary Mojahidul Islam Selim, Bangladesh Workers Party General Secretary Rashed Khan Menon, veteran leftist leader Pankaj Bhttachariya, Awami League leader Mozaffar Hossain Paltu, BNP Chairperson's adviser Mofazzal Karim, former adviser to the caretaker government Adv Sultana Kamal, former Army Chief Lt General (Retd) Harun-ur- Rashid, among others, took part at the discussion.

Mojahidul Islam Selim criticised some politicians for their contradictory roles and said they avoided state programmes in the name of avoiding Jamaat-e- Islam but they often participate at the programme hosted by the diplomats.

He said imposing ban on holding any procession and meeting of the mass people is totally unexpected adding, if political parties are guilty, they may be restricted , not the people.

Why people will suffer for the misdeeds of the political parties, Selim questioned.

Rashed Khan Menon said without launching social revolution against the corruption, militancy and politics of muscle power, any temporary drive will not bring success.

Mozaffar Hossain Paltu said the proposed dialogue should be unconditional, any conditions from the government or the political parties may bring failure of the positive move while Mofazzal Karim said the reform is to be for changing the policy , not some persons.

Adv Sultana Kamal said we are obviously against the corruption along with violation of human rights.

Harun-ur-Rashid said we want democracy for political reason but we do not practice it at all.

War criminals must be brought under trial

Staff Reporter

The war criminals should be under trial to justice to uphold the spirit of the liberation war among the people of the country, said speakers at a discussion on publication of book "War crimes: Bangladesh Context" by Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed.

Awami League presidium members Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, former Army chief and Coordinator of the Sector Commanders Forum Lt Gen (Retd) Harunur Rashed Bir Pratik, Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haque Inu, Prof Abdul Mannan addressed the function chaired by Prof Anisuzzaman at the Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday.

They said, the war criminals, who termed the liberation war as civil war and commented that no war criminals exist in the country, humiliated the liberation war and freedom fighters.

They also said now it is high time to bring the war criminals to justice as the entire nation is united in support of the trial, but the caretaker government remains indifferent.

Amir Hossain Amu said the anti-liberation forces and collaborators have been hatching conspiracy to divide the nation from very beginning of the independent country.

The war criminals and collaborators were speaking against the Constitution and liberation war after testing power, he added.

Pointing to Jamaat, Abdur Razzak said Jamaat leaders' speech and works and recent self-confessional statement proved that the party is an anti-liberation force.

He said Jamaat should not be participated in the election and even not be given recognition.

"If the war criminals are not brought to justice, they will make the country as part of Pakistan," he added.

Lt Gen (Retd) Harunur Rashed said the trial had to be conducted to value the blood of the freedom fighters.

Prof Anisuzzaman demanded of the government to form a commission to collect evidences, documents and information about the war criminals.

He, however, said the international crime tribunal act 1973 is enough to try the war criminals.

BSF kills one, wounded another in Thakurgaon border

UNB, Thakurgaon

Indian border security force (BSF) opened unprovoked fire across the border killing a young man and wounding another in Paria frontier village of Baliadangi upazila yesterday.

Pulin Chandra Singha, 30, died on the spot and his body was dragged away to Baroghoria border outpost of Panjipara BSF battalion, said BDR confirming the incident.

Pulin, son of Sipang Chandra Singha, was a resident of Jhapratala village in Baliadangi upazila.

Sadequl Islam, 28, of the same village badly wounded by bullet was rushed to the local Health Complex but later shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

At least five Bangladeshi nationals were shot dead during the last eight days along the Baliadangi border.

Villagers said Pulin and Sadeq went close to the border to purchase cattle offered by the Indian traders.

The brutal action of BSF was in violation of accord reached at the top level that neither side would fire across the border during the daytime, and any dispute should be settled through flag meeting.

Discussion held with ADB on construction of Padma Bridge

UNB, Dhaka

ADB country director Hua Du yesterday met Communications and Public Works Adviser Major General (retd) Golam Qauder and discussed the construction of the proposed Padma Bridge.

During the meeting at the Adviser's office, they also discussed issues relating to development of Bangladesh Railway.

They agreed that the ongoing ADB-assisted projects in the communication sector need to be geared up.

ADB has already assured of providing 350 million dollars for the construction of the Padma Bridge.