The New Nation - Internet Edition

Fire destroys part of Camden Market

Agency

Firefighters are continuing to hose down a huge fire which damaged Camden's famous market in north London, as investigators seach for its cause.

Police have lifted some cordons in residential streets erected when the blaze began early on Saturday evening.

But they have advised people to avoid the area as main streets could be closed for up to four days.

Storage buildings for the market and the Hawley Arms pub were severely damaged, but no injuries were reported.

Some 100 firefighters tackled the blaze, which began about 1920 GMT, and some are continuing to dampen down hotspots.

Although Camden Council set up an emergency shelter in a sports hall with 100 beds available, only six people, including three children, spent the night there after their homes were evacuated. About 20 others were given accommodation at hotels.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Chalk Farm Road and parts of Camden High Street, as well as surrounding one-way streets, are expected to be closed for the next three or four days."

"The police had to carry out a large operation to clear what is a very busy area on a Saturday night and they have done an excellent job to enable us to fight the fire effectively."

Residents had also been evacuated from some houses and flats.

A spokeswoman for Camden Council said it would keep open a rest centre for evacuees at Talacre Sports Centre "as long as it is needed".

Evacuees are being advised to call the council's emergency line on 0207 974 4444 for the latest information on rehousing.

Camden Council is also organising a meeting to help businesses affected by the fire on Sunday but have yet to confirm a time. Details will be posted on the council's website.

The meeting will be to provide advice, such as insurance and re-opening plans, to damaged businesses as well as those undamaged but within the cordon which remain closed, a spokeswoman said.

Train services passing through Camden Town on the North London line were suspended during the blaze, and the line remains partly closed due to scheduled engineering works on Sunday.

Network Rail said it would check if any damage was caused to the tracks by the fire.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, said: "Our thoughts are with those people affected by the fire in Camden Market - one of the most thriving markets in London and of enormous importance for the economy of the local area and beyond."

Conservative mayoral candidate Boris Johnson said: "This will come as a terrible blow to their livelihoods and the area generally. My thoughts are with the traders, local residents and the emergency services who are, as usual, performing brilliantly under pressure."

BB 2nd Quarterly Report: GDP forecast to remain 6.0 to 6.2 in current FY

Staff Reporter

Growth in industrial remittance grew slow during the second quarter (October to December) of current fiscal year (2007-08). Trade deficit increased and inflation difference between urban and rural livings have grown wider during the period.

Despite all those drawbacks, the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) growth has been forecast to sustain between 6.0 to 6.2 by the end of current FY 2007-08, the second quarterly report of Bangladesh Bank reported.

This GDP forecast was, however, subjected to some geopolitical stability in Bangladesh, the report said. Timely election as well as continuing present development initiatives would play vital role to make this GDP forecast a reality, said Chief Economist of Bangladesh Bank Mustafa Kamal Jubari.

He presented the quarterly report of Bangladesh Bank yesterday on behalf of the Governor of central bank.

The quarterly report also stated that national economy has come up with some short-term but potential possibilities. To convert them to permanent, Government and related financial initiations have to adopt some development strategies on immediate basis.

Recommended development strategies are, adaptation of supportive finance policy in general, enhance confidence among businessmen, initiatives to develop business supportive infrastructures like transportation and power security, frequent modification of existing financial structures, ensuring socio-political stability and continuation of current development initiatives.

It was also mentioned in the report that recent natural disasters like flood and Sidr, temporary halt ness in local production as well as inflation in international market has forced the pre decided GDP to revaluate this year, which was set 7.00 per cent in the beginning.

According to the report, after a financial draw back in early this year, national economy has started coming back to prosperity. The central bank has also initiated distribution of sufficient agriculture loans to ensure maximum production in this Boro season. Local economic growth would gain force after the successful Boro production this session, as expected.

The flow of industrial loans was satisfactory during last three months, as reported. Export of RMG, leather and tea products has witnessed significant rise during this period. Growth in industrial sector is expected to sustain between 8.5 to 8.7 per cent, as stated.

Growth in national remittance and refinancing policy of Bangladesh Bank in house financing sector has encouraged growth in construction sector, said the report. Despite price hike in building raw material the sector projected significant growth, the report added.

In service sector, the quarterly report forecast 6.1 to 6.3 per cent growth. On the other hand, earning and use of remittance was set at 10.8 and 16.4 per cent accordingly of total GDP in current fiscal year. During the first half of the year, total Tk 112.1 billion remittance was earned from domestic sources while Tk 91.8 billion was earned only from the banking sector. External remittance during this period was recorded at Tk20.3 billion.

Price inflation in food items was projected to reach at 8.0 to 8.2 per cent during current fiscal year. Equity market also has sustained its positive growth during this period. It is expected that the market situation to improve further as new companies are likely to enter by the end of the fiscal year.

Wholesalers making profit of Tk 15.50 from salt per kg

BSS, Dhaka

Wholesalers are buying salt from growers at Taka two to Taka 2.50 per kg and marketing it at Taka 16 to Taka 18.

Leaders of the Bangladesh Salt Growers Welfare Association (BSGWA) said this yesterday at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club demanding of the government to ensure minimum prices for their products and protecting their business from the influx of cheap imports.

President of the BSGWA Alhaj Mostafa Kamal Chowdhury also urged the government to declare salt growing as agricultural pursuit instead of its present identity as an industry.

M Shahriar, Chairman of the Kutubdia Union Parishad and leader of the association; M Shafique Miah, President of the Salt Growers Welfare Samity, and Reazul Karim Chowdhury, President of the Equity and Justice Working Group, were also present.

The BSGWA chief said the salt growers are facing from under pricing of their products at the wholesale level and from cheap imports. He urged the government to set up a salt board to take care of the problems of the salt growers up to the marketing stage.Referring to the Indian experience, he said the Indian government is having a salt commission and the entire business from production to marketing is being promoted by central government functionaries at the state level.

Alhaj Mostafa Kamal wondered why the government is allowing imports while the salt growers is having a large unsold spilled over stock from last year.

He feared once the import barrier on salt will be over from January 2009 as per the WTO obligation, the local salt industry would face a threat from the cheap exports.

The government should, therefore, declare it as agricultural pursuit and protect it by other non-tariff barriers, he argued suggesting the implementation of a number of other facilities such as duty-free polythene supply, low interest credits, protection from encroachers and such other incentives to make the industry competitive.

He said the salt growers mainly localised at Cox's Bazar and Teknaf will not be able to continue the losses at a time the India salt industry is 10 times competitive in terms of production cost and per acre productivity.

Anti-graft drive in educational institutions soon

Staff Reporter

The Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury yesterday said the anti-graft drives would continue in future unless political governments stopped it through formulating laws.

He said the ACC would take stern actions against those who humiliated the educational institutions getting indulged in corruptuion.

"Bangladesh is now being neglected across the world due to its pervasive corruption. It should be stopped, prevented and everyone has to fight against it. Particularly the youth will have to take command of the crusade against corruption to salvage the country," the ACC chairman said.

He was addressing the concluding session of the two-day annual conference of Youth Engagement and Support (YES) at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre organised by Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB).

Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury urgred the country's youth to lead the battle against corruption.

The ACC chief said corruption ruins good governance in a country and without good governance no nation can move ahead.

"Corruption deprives a nation from good governance. Our pledge should be not to indulge in corruption, and vehemently fight it," Hasan Mashhud said.

He suggested the youth community to become vocal against corruption and to put pressure by raising their voice against those who are involved in corruption.

The ACC chief said the youth have traditionally played a very positive role in all national movements during the country's crucial period of history like in 1952 and 1971.

He said that the Commission would justify its activities after completing a survey by an impartial organisation after the month of

June.

A total of 1300 youths of YES participated at the conference.

Among others, noted writer of the country Dr Mohammad Zafar Iqbal, former adviser of the caretaker government and TIB trustee Advocate Sultana Kamal and TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman addressed the conference.

Tk 2.5 per litre increase in a week: Importers, refiners in competition to raise edible oil price

Syful Islam

The edible oil market has once again become unstable, as the importers and the refiners are locked in a competition to increase the price of the essential commodity.

Price of edible oil increased three times by Tk 100 within the last one week in the mills gate. On February 5 price of edible oil increased by Tk 50 for every 40 litres, by Tk 30 on February 6 and by Tk 20 on February 9.

Wholesalers alleged that mills owners are making the market unstable through increasing the price repeatedly to press the government for total withdrawal of VAT. Earlier, the mills owners compelled the government to withdraw tax on edible oil through the same practice.

At present VAT on edible oil is 16 per cent. On every litre VAT stands nearly between Tk 15 and Tk 16. But the mills owners are pressing the government technically to lift the VAT despite charging the consumers extra money for the essential.

Leaders of the Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association said price of edible oil increased in line with the international market price. There is no sign of decreasing the price of edible oil within the next month or two.

Association president MA Rouf Chowdhury said they were selling edible oil at a loss. Recently they started to raise price of oil to make up for the losses. He advised the government to lift VAT to get the problem of edible oil price solved.

Sources said there is no shortage of edible oil in the country right now. The yearly demand of edible oil in the country is 11 lakh tonnes. On February 3 the stock of palm and soyabean oil stood at 1.17 lakh tonnes. Another 50 thousand tonnes of oil are in the pipeline.

Per litre of soyabean oil was selling at Tk 97.40 in city's Moulavibazar while palm super was selling at Tk 93.57.

General Secretary of Moulavibazar Business Association Golam Moula said price of edible oil was increasing throughout last week. Rumour of price increase of edible oil spreads every day, which makes the market unstable.

President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Kazi Faruk Ahmed said edible oil companies were not following any rules in increasing the price frequently.

He said absence of government monitoring and proper actions allow them to increase the price of the essential.

Bird flu update Compensation raised to encourage reporting of disease

Staff Reporter

Bird flu has spread to other districts in the country yesterday despite efforts by authorities to contain it, taking the number of affected districts to 40, said officials of the Livestock.

Health workers culled nearly 12,000 fowls yesterday after tests confirmed some chickens had died from the avian influenza virus in the northeast, they said.

The H5N1 virus, first detected in the country last March, was quickly brought under control through aggressive measures, including culling. But follow-up monitoring eased in later months prompting the disease to reappear, said experts.

So far, no human infections have been reported in the country, a densely populated nation with millions of backyard poultry and thousands of chicken farms.

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The Caretaker Government has enhanced compensation for poultry farmers to encourage them to report and destroy sick birds.

More than half a million birds to be culled across the country, but the virus has spread to more than half of districts of the country partly due to lack of awareness.

Many children were seen smiling and playing with dead poultry. Even health workers have been seen burying dead birds without any protective gear. This was found in the other region of the country, too.

Bijoy TV scam: Trial against Mayor Mohiuddin to resume

UNB, Dhaka

The Supreme Court on Sunday reversed for a week a High Court order clearing way for trial proceedings of the Bijoy TV scam case against detained Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.

Chamber court of Justice M A Matin, following a government petition, passed the order and asked the government to file a regular leave to appeal against the High Court order by the time.

On Jan 17, the High Court, upon a petition, stayed further proceedings of the Bijoy TV scam case against the CCC Mayor and issued a rule upon the deputy commissioner of Chittagong to explain why the case should not be quashed.

The case is now pending with the Chittagong Divisional Special Judge' s Court.

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Bijoy TV went on air on December 16, 2006. Later, the government stopped its operation after smelling rat in it.

On May 27 last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case. Later on November 22, the ACC submitted chargesheet against Mayor Mohiuddin, CCC chief engineer Mokhter Alam and CEO Imtiaz Hossain for launching the private channel without prior permission of the government.