The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dhaka to host 11th SA Games in 2009

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh will host the 11th South Asian Games in November and December 2009.

The South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) took the decision at its 38th Executive Committee meeting here yesterday.

It also decided to hold the regional competition's 11th version in 17 disciplines in Dhaka. Twenty-one delegates from National Olympic Associations of seven South Asian countries, including five from hosts Bangladesh, took part in the meeting. Olympic Association of Bhutan was absent.

Chief of SAOC organising committee and President of the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA), Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed presided over the meeting.

The SAOC Executive Committee finalised 15 disciplines while Bangladesh, as the hosts, will choose the remaining two in three months. "We had to accommodate requests from different sides and we finalised the decision on the basis of secret ballot," acting BOA Secretary General Kutubuddin Ahmed told newsmen after the meeting at the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.

It requires at least four votes to include a discipline in the list of the competition. The SAOC Executive Committee decided to include hockey, kabaddi and squash since these entered the Asian Games as South Asian disciplines.

However, Twenty20 cricket will be incorporated into the Games, if cricket giants of the region pledge to send their national teams, Kutubuddin added.

BOA Chief Executive and Director Col (Retd) Wali Ullah was also present at the meeting.

"The disciplines in which we have the potentials will be included as the hosts' priority," the BOA Secretary General said.

Volleyball, badminton, basketball, rowing and wrestling-the disciplines, which were performed among 20 disciplines during the previous SA Games held in Colombo-were dropped due to lack of support from the participating countries.

The already finalised 15 disciplines are: Athletics [male and female], shooting [male and female], swimming [male and female], hockey [male), squash [male], kabaddi [male and female], boxing [male], weight lifting [male], taekwondo [male and female], football [male and female], karate [male and female], ushu [male and female], handball [male], table tennis [male and female] and archery [male and female].

A flying 'doyel' [Magpie Robin] has been chosen as the 11th SA Games logo, which was designed by artist Moniruzzaman.

Former AL MP Lutfor Rahman passes away

Lutfor Rahman

BSS, Dhaka

Awami League leader and former lawmaker Lutfar Rahman died of a heart attack at a city hospital yesterday at the age of 81.

Jatiya Sangsad officials and party sources said he died at about 6 am at the LabAid Hospital. He was buried at his family graveyard at Palashpara in Gaibandha with state honour yesterday evening.

An organiser of the 1971 Liberation War and former chief whip of the opposition in 1979 parliament, Lutfar Rahman was elected to the then Pakistan National Assembly in 1970 and later represented his Gaibandha Sadar constituency in Jatiya Sangsad in 1973, 1979 and 2001.

During his long chequered career, he also was a correspondent of the Sangbad from 1958 to 1965.

Lutfar Rahman left behind his wife, three sons and four daughters, relatives, friends and a host of admirers to mourn his death.

His first namaz-e-janaza was held at the South Plaza of Sangsad Bhaban at about 11 am.

Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, Deputy Speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui, former speaker and deputy leader of the opposition Advocate Abdul Hamid, AL leader Abdur Razzak, former chief whip Khondokar Delwar Hossain and whip Rezaul Bari Dina of BNP joined the janaza among others.

Wreaths were placed on the coffin there on behalf of former leader of the house Begum Khaleda Zia and former leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina.

The coffin was then taken to the Awami League's central office on Bangabandhu Avenue where it was draped with national and party flags ahead of his second namaz-e-janaza.

Awami League leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, acting AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, Abdul Mannan, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Akhtaruzzaman, Abdur Rahman, Asaduzzaman Noor, Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Nurul Islam Nahid, HN Ashiqur Rahman, among others, attended the janaza there.

Awami League leaders Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury, Mukul Bose, Professor Nazma Rahman and Asim Kumar Ukil were present.

Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar and deputy speaker Advocate Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui in a statement mourned his death saying the nation has lost a veteran parliamentarian, social worker and patriotic leader in his death.

"We recall his role with respect also as an organiser of the Liberation War," they said and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed their heartfelt sympathy to the members of the bereaved family.

Acting Awami League President Zillur Rahman and acting party general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam in a statement expressed their deep shock at Lutfar Rahman's death.

"We have lost a dedicated Awami League leader and distinguished politician in his demise. His death caused an irreparable loss to the party," the statement said.

They prayed for peace of the departed soul and conveyed their heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family.

A large number of people including local officials joined his last namaz-e-janaza at the Palashpara Government Primary School Ground.

'Coalition of people needed for more progress’

BSS, Dhaka

Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman on Thursday said Bangladesh has achieved certain progress in many areas including economic development and educational expansion and glorified its language after independence.

"We will march forward in phases to develop our economy by utilising talent and wisdom of people," he told a seminar marking the International Mother Language Day-2008.

The seminar was organised by the Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO (BNCU) and Ministry of Education in cooperation with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Dhaka office.

Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor SMA Faiz presided over the seminar, where President of Asiatic Society Professor Sirajul Islam presented the main paper.

Prof Atiur Rahman of the Development Studies Department of Dhaka University and Prof Ahmed Kamal of the History Department took part in the discussion on the paper.

NBR to name five top tax-payers in each dist

Staff Reporter

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) will issue certificate to top five taxpayers in every district as appreciation. This certified taxpayers would have privilege to attend every national occasions, NBR sources informed.

These taxpayers will be chosen during this fiscal their payable income taxes, source added.

Earlier, the authority has listed top 20 taxpayers in the country but they were never formally acknowledged. It was also informed that nominees for this honour would be selected from taxpayers who will submit maximum amount as income tax in their annual returns.

However, according to the past experiences of income tax payment, top businessmen were rarely found in the list, while comparatively unknown businessmen were seen to be the top taxpayers.

For example, top 20 Tax VIPs' list in 2005 added only one well-known businessman. According to NBR source, mostly businessmen involve in importer and exporter tops the list every year.

Acceding to NBR office, the revenue-collecting department of Bangladesh Government has initiated various activities to enhance tax collection as well as encouraging more tax payees. As part of this campaign, Chairman of NBR Muhammad Abdul Majid and other higher officials have started visiting various tax paying areas in the country.

Areas like Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Bogra are well known as the top tax generating localities in the country. Higher NBR officials have already paid visits to those places to meet local businessmen. During their visits, NBR officials have encouraged local businessmen to submit annual returns by their own. So far, they have received encouraging responses in their visits, source from the NBR added.

For 2007, submission of 10 lakh annual returns was targeted in the place of total 22 lakh Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) in the country. Till December 2, 2007, total 6.45 lakh annual returns were received in different NBR offices across the country. Total aggregated revenue from this was Tk 739.11 crore, which was triple than the collected revenue in 2006.

Turkey launches ground incursion into Iraq

AP, Istanbul

Turkish troops have launched a ground incursion across the border into Iraq in pursuit of separatist Kurdish rebels, the military said Friday - an action that dramatically escalates Turkey's conflict with the militants. It is the first confirmed Turkish military ground operation in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, and it raised concerns that it could trigger a wider conflict with the U.S.-backed Iraqi Kurds despite Turkish assurances that its only target was the PKK rebel group.

The PKK militants are fighting for autonomy in southeast Turkey and have carried out attacks on Turkish targets from bases in a semiautonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Private NTV television said 10,000 troops were taking part in the offensive and had penetrated 10 kilometers (six miles) into Iraq. This could not be confirmed independently.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul spoke with his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani late Thursday and gave him information about the goals of the operation, Gul's office said. Gul also told Talabani about a National Security Council decision to "develop relations with Iraq in all fields," and invited Talabani to visit Turkey. The ground operation started after Turkish warplanes and artillery bombed suspected rebel targets on Thursday, the military said on its Web site. The ground incursion was backed by the air force, the statement said. Turkey has conducted air raids against the PKK guerrillas in northern Iraq since December, with the help of U.S. intelligence, and it has periodically carried out so-called "hot pursuits" in which small units sometimes spend only a few hours inside Iraq.

The announcement of a cross-border, ground incursion of a type that Turkey carried out before the 2003 invasion of Iraq was a major development in the conflict, which started in 1984 and has claimed as many as 40,000 lives.

"The Turkish Armed Forces, which values Iraq's territorial integrity and its stability, will return as soon as planned goals are achieved," the military said. "The executed operation will prevent the region from being a permanent and safe base for the terrorists and will contribute to Iraq's stability and internal peace."

The state-run Anatolia agency reported that warplanes were seen taking off from the air base in Diyarbakir in southeast Turkey. It said planes and helicopters were conducting reconnaissance flights over the border region, and that military units were deployed at the border to prevent rebel infiltration.

Dogan News Agency reported that the Habur border crossing, a major conduit for trade between Iraq and Turkey, was closed to vehicle traffic. CNN-Turk television, however, quoted Deputy Prime Minister Hayati Yazici as saying the border gate was not closed but that priority was being given to Turkish military vehicles. Trucks routinely ferry supplies bound for U.S. military bases in Iraq through the Habur crossing.

Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. spokesman in Iraq, said the military had received assurances from its NATO ally Turkey that it would do everything possible to avoid "collateral damage" to innocent civilians or infrastructure.

"Multi-National Forces-Iraq is aware Turkish ground forces have entered into northern Iraq, for what we understand is an operation of limited duration to specifically target PKK terrorists in that region," Smith said in an e-mailed statement. "The United States continues to support Turkey's right to defend itself from the terrorist activities of the PKK and has encouraged Turkey to use all available means, to include diplomacy and close coordination with the government of Iraq to ultimately resolve this issue," he added.

The Turkish military said its target was the PKK and that it would take care not to harm civilians "and other local groups that do not act in enmity against the Turkish Armed Forces." Nihat Ali Ozcan, a terrorism expert with the research center TEPAV, said the operation was launched at this time to hit the group before any infiltration by rebels into Turkey in the spring, the traditional start of the fighting season.

"I think it is aimed to keep the PKK under pressure before the group starts entering Turkey," he said on CNN-Turk television. "I don't think the operation is a large-scale one." Iraqi border forces officer Col. Hussein Tamer said Turkish shelling on Thursday hit several Kurdish villages in the Sedafan area, some 32 kilometers (20 miles) from the border. Jabbar Yawar, a spokesman for Iraqi Kurdish security forces, said sporadic bombing was taking place in the border areas, but no casualties were reported.

Fouad Hussein, a spokesman for the semiautonomous Kurdish government, said the Kurdish Peshmerga forces had been put on alert. He said Iraqi Kurdish forces also had tightened security around bases housing Turkish military monitors operating in northern Iraq with permission from local authorities under a 1996 agreement. "The government of Kurdistan ordered the Peshmerga forces to be on alert in fear of any Turkish incursion on Iraqi territory," he said, claiming that Turkish military monitors had tried to leave their bases in violation of the terms of the 1996 agreement. "Those troops tried to move out but the Peshmerga forces forced them to return to their camps within half an hour," he said. In Ankara on Thursday, Turkey's civilian and military leaders issued a statement after a meeting on national security, saying cross-border attacks by the military would continue as long they were "deemed necessary."

Picnic bus hits electric pole: 14 killed, 20 injured

Staff Reporter

At least 14 people were killed and 20 others injured when a picnic bus hit an electric pole and was electrified in Cox's Bazar on Thursday morning.

Thirteen of the dead were passengers of the bus while a pedestrian also died in the accident.

The bus was carrying about 50 garment workers and their families to their annual picnic in Cox's Bazar from Chittagong.

Eleven victims were identified as garment workers Rehana (20), Hasina (17), Parvin (25), Jasim (24), Baki (18), Bithi (22), Mita (24), Rokeya (26), Arif (25), Keya (25) and pedestrian Nabi Hossain (22).

Over 300 workers and their family' members of Trade Scan Apparel Ltd at Askarabad in Doublemooring Upazila under Chittagong city had arranged a picnic with six rented buses.

The accident occurred around 11:00 am on the day at Jettyghat in Rashidnagar of Ramu Upazila about 25km from Cox's Bazar. The bus first hit a small tree when it tried to avoid a collision with a fish-laden truck that suddenly jumped into the wrong side of the highway.

Pedestrian Nabi Hossain died on the spot when the bus hit the small tree. Then the bus hit an 11-kilovolt electric pole and the pole along with live wires collapsed on the bus electrifying the vehicle and starting a fire. Few passengers could jump out the bus through the windows.

Amar Ekushey observed in Ctg

Chittagong Correspondent

Central Shaheed Minar here in the port city and its adjoining areas turned into a human sea following unprecedented turnout of citizens for paying homage to the language veterans at the first hour of the "Amar Ekushey" and the International Mother Language Day (IMLD).

Different political parties, public servants, professional groups and scores of socio cultural organizations marched barefooted for placing wreaths at the foot of the monument erected in memory of the language veterans.

Acting Mayor of the port city M Manzur Alam first placed floral wreaths at the sheed Minar at 12:01 a.m. followed by Commissioner of Chittagong division Hossain Jamil, Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan police M Akbar Ali, Deputy Commissioner Ashraf Shamim, Bangladeh Awami league, Chittagong Press Club and Chittagong Union of Journalists, Chittagong District Bar Association.

Meanwhile Vice Chancellor of the Chittagong University Professor M Badiul Alam accompanied by a large group of teachers, officers and employees placed wreaths at Central Saheed Minar of the university at 12:01 am Elaborate programs were thrown to mark the occasion. The events included marching barefooted and placing of wreath at Saheed Minar, painting and essay competition, recitation of poems, discussion meeting, book fair and cultural function.

Chittagong City Corporation honored six distinguished personalities with Ekushey Award at Theatre Institute of Chittagong.

Chittagong Group Theater Forum hosted a two-day street drama festival at the premises of central Shaheed Minar to mark International Mother Language Day. Besides, Theater Institute Chittagong (TIC) staged popular drama of martyred Munir Chowdhury ' Kabor' at its Laboratory Theater podium this morning.

On the other hand, Rotaract Club of Chittagong Port City organized a painting competition with the slogan 'Amar Ekush, Amar Ahonkar' at city's DC Hill premises on Friday morning.

A discussion on Amar Ekushey was also held at the auditorium of Chittagong Press Club yesterday. Chittagong Press Club and Chittagong Union of Journalists jointly organized the discussion in observance of International Mother Language Day. [The End]

Lead: EC won't compromise its impartiality-CEC Chittagong Correspondent Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda said here today that the Election Commission had been impartial and it would not lose its basic stand under any circumstances.

He said that two factions of the BNP had been fighting to establish supremacy upon each other where the commission had little to do. "The warring groups have to solve their problems or to wait for the High Court verdict," he said.

The Chief Election Commissioner was responding the representatives of the mass media after physical inspection of two electronic imaging units here at Patia.

Responding a question on inviting both factions of the BNP to the government sponsored dialogue; he said that inviting both factions would be tantamount to favoring the BNP.

"If the commission's look to the BNP is such, what the commission will deal with the four factions of the Jatiya Party, five factions of the Islami Okiya Jote (IOJ) and two groups of the Workers Party?" he made counter question.

He reaffirmed that the EC would not compromise its impartiality by doing favor to any quarter while the electoral reforms would not be finalized before sitting with the party.

The CEC further said, "We won't talk to any party except the mainstream one whether it is big or small. The mainstream of BNP will be determined by the High court verdict. We'll have to wait until then."

The CEC claimed that the draft voter list would be published by June 30 next and the election would take place by December this year as per the roadmap or even earlier if possible.

Divisional Deputy Election Commissioner Ejharul Haq and District Election Officer Dulal Talukder accompanied the CEC during his visit.

Import substitute industry EPZs will attract Australian investment

Staff Reporter

Export Processing Zone (EPZ) will attract further investment from Australia, if import substitute industry is allowed, said Bangladeshi businessman in Australia.

Kamrul Chowdhury, one of the leading businessmen in Australia in Melbourne said the EPZ should allow import substitute industry that would help reduce the obstacles on foreign exchange for import in the country. The businessman said this while briefing the newsmen along with visiting Executive Chairman of BEPZA Brig Gen Ashraf A Yussuf in Melbourne on February 18.

Brig Gen Ashraf assured him to examine the proposal and advise the Government accordingly. Kamrul Chowdhury also expressed his interest to invest in Bangladesh Textile and Modern Printing sector, if import substitute industry would be allowed.

Acting High Commissioner of Bangladesh Restadul Islam, however, clarified that if the EPZ Textile Plant supplies to the domestic export oriented garment industries, then there is no policy variation.

Brig Gen Ashraf also assured the businessman that a Printing Technology Training College would be set up soon in Comilla EPZ.

Executive Chairman of BEPZA also met other Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) in Melbourne and among them, Zahir Khan, Pharmceutical Expert showed his keen interest to invest US $ 3 million in the development of Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Industries capability for export in the Australian market, said yesterday a press release from Bangladesh High Commission in Canberra.

Tk 2 cr heroin seized in C’nawabganj

BSS, Chapainawabganj

Members of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in separate drives seized two kgs of heroin worth about Taka two crore and 500 bottles of Phensidyl from Sadar and Shibganj Upazilas of the district on Thursday night.

BDR sources said the BDR jawans of Polladanga border outpost (BOP) under 39 Rifle Battalion recovered the heroin while the drug was being smuggled out to India through Polladanga frontier under Sadar Upazila at around 8 PM.

The smugglers, however, managed to flee the scene, sensing the presence of BDR.

In another drive, the BDR members recovered 500 bottles of Phensidyl from Kansat area under Shibganj Upazila.

Climate change impact: Fisheries face collapse within decades: UN

Reuters, Monaco

A deadly combination of climate change, over-fishing and pollution could cause the collapse of commercial fish stocks worldwide within decades, said Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Environment Programme.

"You overlap all of this and you see you're potentially putting a death nail in the coffin of world fisheries," Steiner told reporters on Friday on the fringes of a climate conference involving more than 150 nations and 100 environment ministers.

Some 2.6 billion people worldwide depend on fish for protein, said a UNEP report "In Dead Water" published on Friday. Climate change has compounded previous problems such as over-fishing, as rising temperatures kill coral reefs, threaten tuna spawning grounds, and shift ocean currents and with them the plankton and small fish which underpin ocean food chains.

"The question is not whether we should stop fishing but to address climate change, which is creating a degree of impact we've not seen before," said lead author of the UNEP report, Christian Nellemann.

"We are getting more and more alarming signals of dramatic changes in the oceans. The recovery from the changes we're making will probably take a million years." The report found the most affected areas included those responsible for half the world's fish catch.

Hasina sent back to jail after medical check-up

Staff Reporter

Detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sent back to makeshift jail in Parliament complex Thursday after medical checkup at Square Hospital in the capital Dhaka.

Sheikh Hasina, arrested in link with an extortion case on July 16 last year, has been suffering from several health complications, including high blood pressure, allergy and hearing problem caused by the impact of deadly grenade attacks at her rally in the city on August 21, 2004.

Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told journalists that a 10-member medical team checked up her for several hours.

Members of the medical board are-Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali, Prof Dr MH Millat, Prof Dr ABM Abdullah, Prof Dr Mirza Nazim Uddin, Prof Dr Monwar Hossain, Dr ABM Sarwar Alam, Dr Tauhiduzzaman, Dr Shah Alam, Dr Shaheen Mahmud and Dr Suraiya Bulbul.

Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the Awami League (AL), was brought to Square Hospital at about 10 a.m. amidst tight security. She was taken back to the jail at about 1:15 p.m.

Hospital sources said the AL Chief was prescribed medicines for high blood pressure, allergy and other minor ailments.

Sources said she was sent back to the jail for security reason, while Major Shamusl Haider Siddiqui said, "Since the doctors did not advise her to get admitted, so the former Prime minister was taken back to the prison."

"We bring her to the hospital again whenever necessary arises or she wants to come for medical checkup," he added.

Sheikh Hasina expressed her desire to be treated at the Square Hospital ending her weeklong denial to get medical treatment in the country, as jail authorities insisted that the Jail Code does not allow sending a detinue abroad for medical treatment.

She, however, remain equally adamant not to treat her ear complications in the country, the sources added.

Iftekhar stresses national unity

BSS, Dhaka

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury yesterday laid stress on forging national unity to develop cooperation between Bangladesh and other states.

Speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable on 'the role of freedom fighters and media in combating corruption', the adviser called for ensuring proper application of laws for curbing corruption.

"As a state, Bangladesh has a huge potentiality t We have to introduce a new political trend shunning the culture of confrontation to utilise the potentiality," Dr Iftekhar said.

Organized by Muktijoddha Sangbadik Parishad in the BIAM auditorium here, the function was addressed, among others, by Justice Habibur Rahman Khan, former member of parliament Nurunnabi, Wing Commander(retd) M Hamidullah Khan Bir Protik, Maj Gen(retd) Amin Ahmed Chowdhury and Lion Omar Shefayet Qausar.

President of the Parishad Poet Mostafa Allama chaired the function.

Dr Iftekhar put emphasis on education for overall development of the country as well as curbing corruption.

He underlined the need for involving the women in the development endeavours of the country.

The adviser said the government has to shoulder the major task of reducing poverty, besides encouraging the private sector.

Dr Iftekhar called for establishing the rule of law, attaching utmost importance to public opinion and showing respect to it.