The New Nation - Internet Edition

Muktarpur Bridge opens: Construction of Padma Bridge to begin in next fiscal: CA

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed offering munajat
after inaugurating the Muktarpur Bridge in Munshiganj on
Monday. PID photo

BSS, Munshiganj

Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday formally opened the long-cherished 6th Bangladesh- China Friendship Bridge (Mukterpur Bridge) to traffic over the river Dhaleshwari about 30 kilometres south of the capital.

The two-lane bridge linked Munshiganj with Dhaka city directly by road as well as Narayanganj.

In his inaugural speech, Dr Fakhruddin said the construction of Mukterpur Bridge has brought Munshiganj nearer to Dhaka. He directed the authorities concerned to complete construction of the alternative road network in short time to reduce Munshiganj-Dhaka distance so that local people can reap benefit of the bridge.

The Chief Adviser hoped that Mukterpur bridge will help boost up economic development of Munshiganj, Naraynganj and Dhaka districts accelerating supply line of commodities and services.

As Dr. Fakhruddin was walking on the bridge for some time after the inauguration, hundreds of local people waiting beside the approach road welcomed him waiving their hands. They clapped and expressed their joy over the fulfilment of a long-waiting dream.

The length of the newly constructed bridge is 1,521 metre while width 10 metre. An amount of Taka 208.35 crore has been spent to implement the project of which China contributed Taka 129.20 crore as grant and interest free loan while Bangladesh government provided Taka 79.15 crore.

Communications Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) Ghulam Quader, Communications Secretary Dr. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Zheng Qingdian, Bangladesh Bridge Authority Executive Director Khan M Ibrahim Hossain also spoke on the occasion. High civil and military officials were present. Dr. Fakhruddin said Mukterpur Bridge will ease carrying potato, vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products from Munshiganj to elsewhere of the country, especially in the capital city that will keep positive impact on prices of agri-products.

The Chief Adviser said the government has taken steps to construct alternative road network from Mukterpur of Mushiganj to Chashara of Narayanganj to establish smooth road-link between Dhaka and Munshiganj.

Thanking China for providing financial and technical assistance to construct Mukterpur Bridge, Dr. Fakhruddin said it will help strengthen Dhaka-Beijing traditional ties further.

Earlier, China constructed five long bridges, one modern conference centre and several other installations in Bangladesh, he pointed out.

He congratulated the engineers, consultants, specialists and workers of all strata who worked hard for successful completion of the projects.

Bangladesh emerges as new ship exporting country: Ananda Shipyard receives $150m export order

Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman,
Ambassador of Denmark Einar H Jensen, German Ambassador
Frank Meyke chairman of Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Ltd Dr
Abdullahel Bari, buyers from Germany and Denmark Jan
Fabricius, Gerd Wessels, Yourk Dyckerhoff,

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh has emerged as new ship exporting country following building of two ships for Denmark and receiving export order of US$150 million by the Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Ltd, a ceremony to mark the occasion was told yesterday expressing hope to earn US$10 billion by next ten years from this sector.

"This is a historic event. Please treat the success of shipbuilding sector as the emergence of Bangladesh as a ship exporting country," Chairman of Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Ltd Dr Abdullahel Bari told the ceremony at a city hotel. A ship, made by the Ananda Shipyard, is scheduled to be exported to Denmark by next month while another one will be exported by next three months.

Ananda Shipyard received two other shipbuilding orders from Denmark and 10 others from Germany, which will be exported by 2009.

Chaired by Dr Abdullahel Bari the ceremony was spoken by Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Industries Secretary Nurul Amin, Ambassador of Denmark Einar H Jensen, German Ambassador Frank Meyke and buyers from Germany and Denmark Jan Fabricius, Gerd Wessels, Yourk Dyckerhoff, and Volkmar Wasmansdorff.

Managing Director of Ananda Shipyard Mrs Afruja Bari gave vote of thanks.

Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said Bangladesh has huge potential in shipbuilding sector. "We have to multiply this historic moment, the emergence as ship exporting country." He said the government is trying to identify new thrusts sectors thus shipbuilding sector can be one of them. Different order of policy attention will be given to some thrust sector, the adviser said.

Hailing the export of ship by the Ananda Shipyard Dr Zillur said, " We need entrepreneurs like them who will demonstrate zero tolerate for low quality."

"Bangladesh has to move towards all fronts of opportunities," the adviser said adding, "The government will provide all possible support to the entrepreneurs."

Ambassador of Denmark Einar H Jensen said Bangladesh is in right track to achieve shipbuilding order for international market. This shipbuilding sector will help job create as well as earn foreign currencies, he said.

German Ambassador Frank Meyke said Germany is the second largest export destination of Bangladeshi goods. The shipbuilding sector will also help enhance trade between the two countries.

Volkmar Wasmansdorff, head of Asia/Pacific division of Germanischer said Ananda Shipyard is trustworthy to built high quality ship for international market.

Afruja Bari said Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Ltd is in the shipbuilding sector since 1983. It was building ships for domestic market but now building for the foreign market. Ananda Shipyard already secured US$150 million export order, she apprised the audience.

Mrs Bari said the sector was facing tremendous difficulties in clearing goods from port, customs and get permission from the board of investment office of the chief controller of export and import. This uncooperativeness of the government agencies slows the progress of construction work and consequently results in delay in delivery, she said.

Urging for provisions of green channel facilities for the shipbuilding sector Afruja Bari demanded low interest rate on bank loan and low commission on bank guarantees like competitor countries China and Vietnam.

'FTA with India will make us a captive market’

Staff Reporter

A senior Government official yesterday warned against any free trade arrangement with India which might make Bangladesh a "captive market" of the neighbour.

"These are my personal views," Dr Hamidur Rashid, Director General (MEA) of the Foreign Ministry, said while presenting the keynote speech at a seminar. "FTA with India is likely to be "trade diversionary" for the Indian exporters," he added.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) organised the seminar on Regional Trade Arrangements (RTAs) in Asia-Pacific: Impact on Bangladesh in its conference centre in the city. Dr Zaidi Sattar, a senior Economist of World Bank, spoke as chief guest at the function.

The WB economist termed Bangladesh economy as "highly protected" and suggested more tariff liberalisation for better international trade, while some business leaders said the country is loosing the race in the global trade due to "too much liberalisation without protection of local interests."

"Discrimination to the non-members is high in the RTAs," Dr Sattar said and alerted that Bangladesh should not be left out from trade facilities due to RTAs in various reasons.

He suggested Bangladesh to join regional trade pacts to be a partner in trade facilities.

He said RTAs are reducing the cost of industrialisation in many countries. But Bangladesh's export diversification is stumbling.

"Future of Bangladesh lies in export as only domestic market is not enough for its industrialisation. The country must put its house in order," he said.

Dr Sattar said regionalism in global trade should be countered by multilateralism.

However, the business leaders at the function urged for protection of local industries by discouraging import of industrial goods.

SM-al-Hossain, a business leader, said, "We are losing the race in global trade due to too much liberalisation."

He stressed capacity building in trade negations of private sector, trade bodies and government institutions for trade negations in the global arena so that national interest can be protected.

The businessmen in the function demanded restructure of the FBCCI and enrich it with intellectual resources.

Business leader Monjur Ahmed suggested to develop negotiation capacity of NGOs, private sectors and the Government.

Dr Hamidur Rashid said, SAFTA would have a negligible effect on regional trade flows, he observed and said, "a free trade arrangement (FTA) with India may increase consumer surplus but is likely to have little on no impact on increasing Bangladesh's manufactured exports t0 India."

The welfare gains from RTAs with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the European Union (EU) will be higher than the welfare gains on an RTA with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said suggesting, Bangladesh must avoid being a "spoke."

Dr Mostafa Abid Khan, Joint Chief of Bangladesh Tariff Commission addressed the function as special guest. Syed Jamaluddin, Secretary General of FBCCI in his concluding remarks assured the business community of restructuring the apex body with skilled and resourceful manpower.

DU 'Kha’ unit admission test result announced

DU Correspondent

The result of 'Kha' Unit admission test under Arts Faculty of Dhaka University for the session 2007-08 was published on Sunday night.

A total of 4818 students out of 23,067 qualified getting minimum 40 per cent number in the test. The result will be available in front of Arts Faculty and the University's website (www.univdhaka.edu).

The date for interview will be announced later, said a press release.

11 structures need to be demolished to turn Hatirjheel into crystal lake

Staff Reporter

Only 11 structures have to be demolished to turn Hatir Zeel nearing the Sonargoan Hotel into a crystal lake, not 400 structures as was reported earlier.

This was confirmed in a survey report jointly conducted by the experts of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Army Engineering Core.

Disclosing this in an inaugural ceremony of Online Billing System of Dhaka WASA yesterday, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Anwarul Iqbal said only five private structures fall in the demolishing plan to free 295 acre of Hatir Zeel land. Adviser Anwarul Iqbal as chief guest inaugurated the online billing system at it office, while Secretary of the Local Government Department Sheikh Khursheed Alam and Chairman of Dhaka WASA Board Abdullah Harun Pasha present at the function.

Dhaka WASA has introduced online billing system to reduce harassment of the consumers and make its activities more transparent.

Adviser said the consumers could see their bill on the Internet and complain against any irrelevant and contradictory activities of Dhaka WASA using its Website that would make its activities more transparent and credible and reduce harassment of the clients.

Terming present 34 per cent system lose of Dhaka WASA as large, Anwarul Iqbal said if the system lose of Dhaka WASA could be decreased, its profit largely increased.

Some Tk 350 crore revenue collection of Dhaka WASA was targeted for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, while that was Tk 271 crore for previous fiscal year, he added.

Anwarul Iqbal said online bill payment yet could not be introduced completely as many banks did not adopt online system. Whenever all banks would be under online system then the online bill payment system can be launched totally.

Adviser also said the government has initiated to make multi-level toilets for the pilgrims of Biswa Ijtema on Turag river in Tongi, like Toilets of Makka Sharif.

Now there are about 2.5 lakh clients of the organisation. The clients can know billing information and complain using its website www.dwasa.org.bd.

Now Dhaka WASA supply 170 crore litre water against the demand of about 200 crore litre. The rest of demand is being fulfilled through private owned deep tube-wells.

Dhaka WASA has adopted a "Citizen Charter" to ensure the proper service for its consumers. The Citizen Charter would be disclosed so that the consumers can get information about its services, system of the services and bill payment system.

Appointment of Law Secretary declared illegal

BSS, Dhaka

The High Court Division of the Supreme Court yesterday declared the appointment of Habibul Awal as acting Law Secretary illegal.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Shahidul Islam declared his appointment illegal as it was not made following the appropriate rules and procedure.

Aftab Uddin, a former district and sessions judge, filed a writ petition on July 5 last year challenging the legality of the appointment of Habibul Awal as acting secretary of the Ministry of Law.

NBR relaxes deadline to submit budget proposal

UNB, Dhaka

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has relaxed the deadline January 31 earlier set for submitting budget proposals by trade bodies and chambers.

"The chambers and trade bodies invited to submit their proposals now can submit proposal anytime.

They can even submit the proposal during the budget discussion with them," a senior official of NBR told UNB.

He said 54 budget proposals have so far been received out of 300 trade bodies and chambers invited. NBR is likely to initiate discussion on the proposed budget for 2008-09 with the trade bodies and chamber houses from the first part of March.

Representatives from sectors playing major roles in the economy will be brought to the discussion table for the first time to accommodate their views, said the official.

Explaining he said NBR chair wants the feedback directly from the individual sectors apart from the associations and chamber bodies. The sectors included agriculture, garments, paper, computer, construction, telephone, SME and small industries.

Bush recognises Kosovo’s independence

AP, Arusha (Tanzania)

President Bush on Monday hailed Kosovo's bold and historic bid for statehood, saying "The Kosovars are now independent."

Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership announced its independence from Serbia over the weekend, and suspense gripped the province on Monday as its citizens awaited key backing from the United States and key European powers.

"It's something that I've advocated along with my government," Bush said in an interview on NBC's "Today."

By appealing directly to the U.S. and other nations for recognition, Kosovo's independence set up a showdown with Serbia - outraged at the imminent loss of its territory - and Russia. In Washington Monday, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement:

"The United States is reviewing this issue and discussing it with its European partners. t The United States calls on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any provocative act." The department said it planned an additional statement later Monday.

Kosovo had formally remained a part of Serbia even though it has been administered by the U.N. and NATO since 1999, when NATO airstrikes ended former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic's crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists, which killed 10,000 people.

National grid lines trip Power outage in part of city

UNB, Dhaka

Two major segments of the national power grid, covering capital Dhaka, yesterday tripped in the morning, leaving parts of the populous city without power.

The power supply was severely disrupted in areas like Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Gulshan and Rampura after the partial grid failure.

According to sources at the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) which maintains and operates the national grid, the 230kV Meghnaghat-Hasanabad (26-km) line and the Haripur-Haripur (26-km) suffered technical faults at about 7:11 am, leading to a forced shutdown of the 450 MW Meghnaghat power plant at 7:40 am.

However, the power supply through the transmission lines restored at 8:21 am, helping the power plant to resume its operation at 8:15 am.

This was the third national grid failure in three months with the biggest one taking place on November 15 when Cyclone Sidr hit the country's coastal belt.

City dwellers can be enlisted as voters till Feb 29

Staff Reporter

All those citizens who have been unable to register as voters so far under Dhaka City Corporation will be able to register their names as voters by February 29.

The Election Commission (EC) has set up 13 information centres in the city to provide assistance over telephone in this regard, according to a press release of the Commission. The citizen would have to communicate with the information centres of their respective Thana over telephone and follow the proceedings to be a voter.

The telephone numbers include-9898845 for Kafrul and Gulshan Thana, 8932877 for Uttara and Badda Thana, 8750011 (extn-7766) for Cantonment and Khilkhet Thana, 01730020506 for Mirpur, Pallabi and Shah Ali Thana, 01730020507 for Mohammadpur and Adabor Thana, 01730020508 for Kotwali and Sutrapur Thana, 01730020509 for Jatrabari and Shampur Thana, 01730020510 for Paltan and Motijheel Thana, 01730020511 for Sabujbagh Thana, 01730020517 for Dhanmondi, New Market and Hazaribagh Thana, 01730020518 for Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar Thana, 01730020519 for Khilgaon Thana and 01730020520 for Ramna, Shahbagh, Tejgaon Industrial area and Tejgaon Thana.

Besides, anyone can query about any information on the voter list with photographs and ID cards over telephone at project information centre at 9116971 and 01730020504 within office time.

Bird flu update: Bio-security in poultry market strengthened

Staff Reporter

Some 2,000 chicken traders will be imparted training on checking bird flu and other diseases to ensure bio-security in the city's poultry markets.

The Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Manik Lal Samaddar inaugurated the training programme at Tejgaon chicken market in the city yesterday.

Meanwhile, culling of some 149,453 chickens of bird flu virus-hit Omega Poultry Farm at North Badda in the city was completed yesterday.

The government took the decision to annihilate the largest ever number of chickens Friday night after detection of the deadly avian influenza virus in the Omega Poultry Farm Ltd that had 1.65 lakh chickens. According to the officials of the Bird Flu Control Room, 149,453 chickens of the farm were culled during the three-day drive while the remaining 12,480 died after being affected by the H5N1, virus of bird flu.

The culling started on Saturday evening and completed at 10:00am yesterday, they said.

Meanwhile, under the programme, all the poultry traders will be given training in phases. The chicken traders will be provided with protective gears, including hand-gloves and bleaching powder, disinfectants and sprays for ensuring bio-security, said an official handout.

The trained traders will then make other fellowmen of their surrounding areas aware about the avian influenza.

Manik Lal said, "If bio-security is ensured in poultry markets, then the buyers as well as the sellers will have protection against germs. Besides, the general consumers would be able to buy germ-free chickens, ducks and eggs."

"We will have to save this poultry industry developed with the government and private efforts over the last two decades," he said.

After the sudden death of some chickens at the poultry farm, its staff sent some samples of the dead chickens Wednesday to Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute for test where the presence of deadly H5N1 virus was detected on Thursday.

Later, on Friday night, the government issued orders for culling all the chickens of the farm.

According to the government estimation, some 835,806 chickens of 231 commercial farms and 40 household farms in 43 districts have so far been culled since detection of the avian influenza virus in the country on February 22 last year. So far, the government has provided around Tk two crore to the affected farm owners in compensation.

Niko scam: Khaleda likely to be questioned next week

UNB, Dhaka

Detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is likely to be questioned next week or early March in connection with the Niko graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission against her and four others.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Golam Rabbani passed an order yesterday to question the former Prime Minister following an application from ACC assistant director Shahidur Rahman, also the investigation officer of the case.

JPC honours 64 writer-members

BSS, Dhaka

Jatiya Press Club (JPC) honoured its 64 members who have books to their credit with Writer Award-2008 on the club premises on Monday afternoon.

Chaired by JPC President Shawkat Mahmud, the function was addressed, among others, by advisory editor of the Daily Janakantha Toab Khan, acting editor of the Daily Ittefaq Rahat Khan, former JPC president and editor of News Today Reazuddin Ahmed, editor of the Daily Amar Desh Amanullah Kabir, JPC General Secretary Kamal Uddin Sabuj, veteran journalist and litterateur Mohammad Mahfuzullah, convenor of award distribution committee Syed Abdal Ahmed and poet Belal Chowdhury.

Shawkat Mahmud said the club is contributing to establishing Bengali language in every sphere of national life as the number of creative writers is increasing among the club members.

Kamal Uddin Sabuj said books are not only a means of learning, but also a medium of intellectual recreation.

The function was followed by a musical programme.

BSMMU urged: to send back VIP prisoners

Staff Reporter

The prison authority yesterday reminded the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) again to send back the VIP prisoners whose treatment is possible inside the jail.

DIG (Prisons) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui yesterday met Vice Chancellor of BSMMU Dr M Tahir and requested him to take action in this regard. The prison authority took the initiative last month to bring back VIP prisoners to jail with a view to providing better healthcare services to seriously ill prisoners.

Out of 19, five VIP prisoners have already sent back to Dhaka Central Jail form the BSMMU.

The prison authority has taken the decision over the issue following press reports that high-profile prisoners are crowding the medical cell.

Talking to reporters BSMMU Vice Chancellor Dr Tahir said he asked the doctors concerned to take necessary in this regard.

Replying to a question, he said action would be taken if any doctor found that he or she suggested for providing medical treatment to the VIP prisoners on political background.

He however said that the authority would consider if the doctors provided such suggestions being sympathised to them.

The matter will be examined and except seriously ill, the rest will be send back to the Central Jail, he said.

DIG (Prisons) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said many prisoners are suffering from some physical complications, but they cannot send them to the prison cell as the VIP prisoners have filled most of its beds. "It is important to provide specialised treatment to them," he said.

Royals wanted to 'get rid of’ Diana, says Al Fayed

Reuters, London

Luxury storeowner Mohamed al-Fayed said on Monday the death of Princess Diana and his son Dodi in a 1997 Paris car crash was murder and accused the British royal family of wanting to "get rid" of Diana.

In an emotional appearance at the inquest into their deaths, Al-Fayed accused Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband and Diana's former father-in-law, of being a "Nazi" and a "Racist."

"You want to know his original name -- it ends with Frankenstein," al-Fayed told the court.

He said Diana, divorced from heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, had "suffered for 20 years from this Dracula family." French and British police investigations have both concluded their deaths were tragic accidents caused by a speeding driver who was found to have been drunk.