The New Nation - Internet Edition

EC, political parties set for second phase of dialogue: BNP to remain sidelined till court verdict

Staff Reporter

The Election Commission is expected to begin today the second round of its dialogue on electoral reforms with political parties without the BNP.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda has said the talks with the BNP would be held as per directive of the High Court.

He said they would neither call off the dialogue nor finalise the reforms without discussing with the BNP, which ruled the country before the first Caretaker Government led by President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed took over in October last year.

Sources in the Election Commission said the Commission would submit a draft of the amendment to Representation of the People Order 1973, a draft Code of Conducts of the political parties and candidates during the elections, the reform proposals and the outcome of the previous round of talks for discussions during the dialogue.

The Election Commission (EC) has invited a 10-member delegation from each of the 15 listed political parties and would sit separately with each of the parties. The second phase of the dialogue would conclude on February 28.

The dialogue this time would be held in reverse order of the schedule of the EC's first round of talks. The Commission would finalise the reforms agenda after the second round of the dialogue.

As per the schedule of the second round of talks, the Election Commission (EC) will sit with the Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) at 10:00am today, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at 12:00 noon and Samyabadi Dal of Bangladesh (ML) at 2:30pm.

BNP reformist group headed by Saifur-Hafizuddin had been invited for the first round of the dialogue prompting the detained party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to challenge validity of the EC's invitation letter in the High Court through a writ petition. Both the EC and the BNP factions are awaiting a decision from the Court to settle the issue.

Admitting that the dialogue would remain incomplete without talks with the BNP, CEC Dr ATM Shamsul Huda said they would not sit with a faction of a political party.

"We only sit with the mainstream of a political party not with its faction," said the CEC, whose Commission had separate dialogues with two factions of the Jatiya Party-one led by former President HM Ershad and the other led by Anwar Hossain Manju and the both factions of the JSD (one led by Hasanul Haq Inu and other by ASM Abdur Rob-during the first phase of the dialogue.

The EC has also invited both the factions of the Jatiya Party (JP) and two factions of the JSD to the second phase of the dialogue that begins today.

Rest of the dialogue schedule are-the Workers Party of Bangladesh, Communist party of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Awami League on February 25, Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and National Awami Party (Mozaffar) February 26, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) and Jatiya Party (JP) February 27 and Ganotantrik Party, Krishak Sramik Janata League and Islamic Oikya Jote (IOJ) on February 28.

Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games: Hosts dominate on first day

Najmun Nahar Beauty, who bagged gold in 200 metre
sprint of the Second Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games, touching
the finishing ribbon at the Army Stadium on Saturday.
FocusBangla

Sports Reporter

Hosts Bangladesh had a clean domination in the athletics competition of the Second Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games on the first day (Saturday). Bangladesh won five gold medals in eight events held at the Army Stadium.

In the men's 800 metre sprint, Sushovon Hajra of West Bengal team clinched the gold medal while Md. Salim Mia of Bangladesh team collected silver and Shawpan Ali earned bronze.

In the women's 200 metre sprint, Najmun Nahar Beauty of Bangladesh grabbed gold while Rakhi Shaha of West Bengal team bagged silver and Ishrat Jahan Iva got bronze.

In the men's 400 metre sprint, Afzal Hossain of Bangladesh won gold medal his compatriot Mainul Islam claimed silver and Atul Barman of West Bengal got bronze.

In the men's 100 metre sprint, Rahmat Ullah Molla of West Bengal annexed gold while Shamsuddin of Bangladesh achieved silver and his compatriot Abu Abdullah got bronze.

In the women's 400 metre sprint, Khurshida Khatun of Bangladesh clinched gold while Devsree Majumder of West Bengal collected silver and her compatriot Ruma Biswas earned bronze.

In the women's 100 metre hardless, Jasmin Akhter of Bangladesh claimed gold while Antana Khatun of West Bengal team bagged silver and her compatriot Tuli Deshmukh earned bronze.

In the men's 4x100 meter relay, Bangladesh team won gold while West Bengal team got silver. Bangladesh team consists of Shamsuddin, Abdullah, Masudul and Imran.

In the women's 4x100 metre relay, West Bengal team grabbed gold while Bangladesh team collected silver.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Athletics Federation has announced prize money of Tk five thousand for each Bangladesh gold medalist.

Shahadat hauls career best six wickets: Bangladesh force SA on back foot

Medium pacer Shahadat Hossain celebrates after
dismissal of a South African batsman during the second day
of the first Test at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National
Stadium on Saturday. Banglar Chokh

BSS, Dhaka

Shahadat Hossain's six-wicket haul and Junaid Siddiqui's unbeaten 64 enabled Bangladesh to force South Africa on backfoot at close on the second day of the first test at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur here on Saturday.

Bangladesh were 125 for four wickets in their second innings, when the bad light for the second day in a row forced the stumps to be drawn for a premature end of play.

Junaed topscored with an unbeaten 64. Captain Mohammad Ashraful with 24, Shahriar Nafees with 16 and Aftab Ahmed with 13 overcame the early storm.

The local fans were in a mood to cheer as Bangladesh have already taken a 147-run lead with six second innings wickets in hand in a low-scoring test.

Earlier, tall pacer Shahadat Hossain bowled his heart out to bundle out South Africa for 170 in their first innings. South Africa resumed today at 76 for four but Shahadat made sure that Bangladesh get valuable first-innings lead.

Bangladesh were bundled out for 192 in their first knock yesterday.

As South Africa resumed the day, the lady luck seems to smile from the word go for Bangladesh. Ashwell Prince in a surprise mix-up got himself out providing Bangladesh the early break they need to put pressure on the Proteas.

But AB de Villiers, who replaced Prince, was not in a mood to play a dour game. From the very beginning he signaled his intent with drives, cuts and powerful pulls through midwicket.

Bangladesh suffered a big lapse when Ashraful, running back from mid-off, dropped a sitter off Mohammad Rafique and the lucky South African batsman was de Villiers on 30.

Shortly before lunch, the momentum had swung towards South Africa, with AB de Villiers racing to 46 and Johan Botha offering stout resistance and support and threatening to take away the early initiatives.

42 artefacts brought back home finally: Exhibition of relics to be arranged in a week

Adviser for Cultural Affairs Rasheda K Choudhury
along with government officials yesterday receiving the 42
artefacts which were brought back to Zia International
Airport after an exhibition in Paris. The artefacts latter
were taken back to the National

Staff Reporter

The forty-two artefacts of Bangladesh, which were sent to the Guimet Museum in Paris for an exhibition, were finally brought back home yesterday.

An Air France cargo plane carrying 10 crates containing the artifacts landed the tarmac at Zia International Airport just after 6:00am. Massive security measures were taken at the airport from earlier. Apart from police, RAB personnel were deployed at the airport.

Cultural Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury, along with other high officials of her ministry received the artefacts at the airport.

Expressing a sigh of relief, Rasheda K Chowdhury told journalists at the airport that she was happy receiving the artifacts.

"I'm happy that the artifacts have been brought back to the country safely," she said.

When the Adviser was asked how much she was confirmed whether the artefacts were genuine or fake, Rasheda K Chowdhury hurriedly said, "The government will arrange an exhibition of the artefacts in a week where you will be able to see whether the artefacts are genuine or fake."

A high-level committee headed by Cultural Affairs Adviser has been formed to oversee the whole process and ensure that the artifacts have been brought back home safely from France's Guimet Museum. Later, the crates containing the artefacts were sent to the National Museum at Shahbagh from the airport through a large covered van of Home Bound Packers and Shippers where Director General Dr Samar Pal received the valuable relics.

Earlier, the precious archaeological relics were packed in crates and sealed off in Paris in presence of the officials of Bangladesh Embassy in France.

Sources at the Cultural Affairs Ministry said some 33,000 euros were spent to meet the transportation costs and insurance expenses for the relics. Of the amount, the Bangladesh government has paid 9,000 euros, while the French government paid the rest of the amount.

The artefacts belonged to five different museums of the country--National Museum in Dhaka, Barind Research Museum in Rajshahi, Mahasthangarh Archaeological Museum, Moinamoti Archaeological Museum and Paharpur Archaeological Museum.

Among the objects there are one copy of Prajna Paramita (Buddhist manuscript), terracotta heads dating back to the 4th century, bronze sculpture of Lokanath of the 8th century, stone sculptures of Nataraj, Mahamaya, Chamunda, Kalyansundar, Panchamukha Shiblinga, Surja, Nabagraha, Shyamatara, Marichi and others of the 10th century.

The artefacts also include a wood sculpture of Lokanath of the 11th century and headgear of the 2nd Shah Abbas of Persia of the 18th century.

Of the artefacts, 14 were taken from Barind Research Museum in Rajshahi, 10 from National Museum in Dhaka and 18 from Mohasthangarh, Paharpur and Moinamati Museum.

The Bangladesh government sent the archaeological masterpieces to Guimet Museum on December 1 last year under a cultural exchange agreement signed between the governments of Bangladesh and France.

The government cancelled the exhibition on December 25 after two Vishnu statues went on missing from the airport's cargo house en route to Paris that led to the resignation of former cultural affairs adviser Dr Ayub Quadri..

National Artefacts Protection Council, local artists and art connoisseurs had also raised their voice against sending the artefacts to Paris fearing that replicas instead of original artefacts would subsequently be returned to Bangladesh. They also filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case with the High Court seeking a stay order on sending the artefacts.

Chances of holding poll before Dec slim: Sohul

UNB, Dhaka

Chances of holding the general election before December are now slim, one Election Commissioner said yesterday, citing the uncertainty about their dialogue with BNP as a drawback.

"Elections will be held according to our roadmap, that is, national elections by December 2008. I think elections can't be held earlier, as we often said we'd hold the elections earlier if possible," Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain said while talking to UNB over telephone.

"But if preparations completed earlier, then the elections surely would be held earlier," he, however, said as a matter of reference to their oft-repeated observation, a day before the EC opens its second round of dialogue with political parties keeping BNP on the sidelines.

When asked about the pending dialogue with BNP that is delaying progress on the EC's election roadmap, he again struck a note of skepticism, saying how the elections could be held before December if the feuding factions of BNP does not resolve their difference of opinion.

"We're waiting either for the court's decision or the factions (of BNP) to get together," Sohul said, adding that the EC is concerned about the deadlock over dialogue with BNP that is holding back election roadmap.

Ignoring Khaleda-appointed BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, the EC on November 5 2007 had sent a letter to Maj (retd) Hafiz, the BNP standing committee-nominated acting secretary general, to participate in the first round of dialogue on electoral reforms.

The Election Commission took the decision under 'doctrine of necessity' in the wake of a tug-of-war between the two squabbling groups in the immediate-past ruling party amid a topsy-turvy in the political arena in the interim period.

On November 18, the High Court stayed the operation of the EC letter inviting the reformist BNP faction to November 22 dialogue on electoral reforms, as detained party chief Khaleda Zia challenged the EC decision. Following the decision, the EC, on November 19, cancelled its dialogue with BNP and rounded off the first-round dialogue through talks with the other parties.

Now, after a stalemate, the EC is going to open tomorrow (Sunday) its second round of dialogue with the parties to finalize the electoral reform proposals, designed as prerequisites for holding free and fair elections to get out of the past cycle of political crises.

The dialogue opens with the first sitting with Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, this time striking the factious BNP off the talk list. The dialogue would continue till February 28.

Dhaka seeks more $500m IDB loan to meet fuel costs

Staff Reporter

The Government of Bangladesh has requested the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to raise its annual loan by 50 percent to US$1.5 billion to help cover fuel import bills, a senior official said.

"The cost of fuel imports during the current fiscal year to June 2008 may rise by 32 percent to US$3.3 billion," the official said.

Bangladesh bought 3.8 million tons of oil including 2.1 million tons of diesels with a cost of US$2.5 billion for the fiscal year to June 2007, he said.

The state-run Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, the sole importer and distributor of oil, estimated that the import bill for the current fiscal year would be US$3.36 billion. "If we receive only US$1 billion from the IDB, then it will be difficult for the central bank alone to meet the rest of the bills," the official said. Bangladesh has also requested the IDB to lower the rate of interest on its loans. The IDB at present charged 1.75 percent interest plus LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate).

Earlier, Bangladesh was termed the second most inflation-hit country in South Asian region. According to the second quarterly report of the central bank, the country stood next to the top hit country, Sri Lanka, with an inflation rate over 11.2 per cent recorded during the second quarter of current fiscal year.

According to the report, inflation rate increased by 1.6 per cent within a quarter. The report shows the year 2006-07 was the most notorious for inflation growth in Bangladesh. Despite its soft beginning the rate jumped at 9.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of FY-06-07. After that, rapid growth was reported at 11.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2007-08 fiscal year.

Hannan Shah blames EC for deadlock

Staff Reporter

BNP Advisory Council member Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah yesterday blamed the Election Commission for the current deadlock in holding dialogue with BNP by taking a controversial decision by sending its invitation letter to the reformist group.

The issue of holding the Election Commission's (EC's) dialogue with the BNP is pending trial in a High Court Division bench of the Supreme Court, as the party Chief Begum Khaleda Zia moved a writ petition against the EC's letter of invitation to reformist Acting Secretary General Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed.

The EC would not sit with the BNP for dialogue on electoral reform until the disposition of the writ petition that has created the deadlock.

"This complexity could not at all have been created had the Election Commission sent the invitation letter to Khandaker Delwar Hossain, who was appointed party Secretary General by BNP Chairperson Begum Zia," he told journalists at his DOH residence at Mohakhali in the capital after a meeting with three Joint Secretaries General of the party.

BNP Joint Secretaries General Nazrul Islam Khan, Begum Selima Rahman and Goyeswar Chandra Roy attended the meeting. Former party MP Mohammad Shajahan was also present.

The meeting reviewed the latest political situation and the reunification of the BNP, which is now divided between the two factions-the reformist led by Acting Chairman M Saifur Rahman and the anti-reform group led by Secretary General Khandaker Delwar.

Expressing the hope that the EC would invite Khandaker Delwar Hossain to the dialogue, Hannan Shah said the Commission should consider that the BNP across the country was united under Begum Zia's leadership.

"We believe that election is a means to hand over power. But there is a subtle move to hold polls bypassing a major political party," he said, asserting, "We saw in the past election under any blueprint was never acceptable."

Asked about the possibility of the his party, the BNP leader said unity is only possible if the reformist group agrees to accept the BNP before October 29.

"After my release, I have pushed the ball to reformists' the court," Hannan Shah said, adding, "The unity is possible since both the sides of us (BNP) have accepted Begum Zia as the top leader of the party."

"Unity is possible as per her directive and the reformist group should have follow and respect Chairperson Begum Zia's instructions," he told a questioner.

Pak Parliament to sit next month: Fahim likely to be PM

Agencies, Islamabad

Pakistan's new government, which could drive President Pervez Musharraf from office, will likely name its choice for prime minister when parliament reconvenes next month, a party official said Saturday.

The two biggest parties to emerge after Monday's election have been weighing their choice for prime minister after agreeing to form a coalition that analysts say could place key US ally Musharraf's political future in doubt.

Officials from both parties said the frontrunner to be prime minister was Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the widely respected vice president of slain former PM Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

"There is an agreement that Fahim should be the parliamentary leader and candidate for PM but the announcement is unlikely to be made public before the parliament is convened into session, most probably in the first week of March," a senior PPP official told AFP.

Another senior PPP official said earlier that Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, and Nawaz Sharif, whose party emerged second to the PPP, "discussed the name of Makhdoom Amin Fahim as the future premier" during a meeting.

Sharif, a former prime minister, and Zardari announced that their parties would join forces after trouncing Musharraf's allies in the ballot. The two camps were once bitter rivals.

They have agreed that the PPP would designate the next prime minister.

The first senior party official said that although Fahim was the man most likely to be named, there was no rush to make a formal announcement and internal discussions were continuing.

Bhutto's assassination at a suicide attack during a political rally in December overshadowed the election campaign.

Musharraf seized power from Sharif in a 1999 coup and was seen in Washington as a bulwark against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Questions remain over whether Pakistan's new coalition will press for the former general's immediate ouster from office.

An opinion poll on Saturday showed an alliance between the two biggest groups opposed to President Pervez Musharraf was the preferred choice of Pakistan's voters.

Monday's election left none of Pakistan's parties with a majority in the National Assembly and negotiations are continuing between rivals keen to forge a coalition big enough to hold power in the 342-seat parliament.

The fate of Musharraf, who seized power in a military coup in October 1999 and is a key U.S. ally in its war on terror, could depend on what kind of coalition emerges. His supporters, with 39 seats, could still have a say.

Provisional results have been announced for all but 10 seats and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leads with 87 followed by the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), otherwise known as the PML-N or Nawaz League, with 67.

The Gallup poll suggested an alliance between these two was the preferred choice of supporters. Forty percent of PPP voters said the PML-N was their second choice and 45 percent vice versa.

Some 35 percent of PPP voters and 25 percent of PML-N voters declined to give a second preference in the poll, held on the day of the election. Gallup did not say how big its sample was.

For much of last year an alliance between the PPP and PML-N seemed unlikely.

The PPP was headed by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, until she was assassinated on December 27 when leaving a rally, and a deal with Musharraf over her return from years of exile looked likely to extend into a political alliance.

Under that scenario the PML-N party led by Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister deposed and exiled by Musharraf after a coup in 1999, looked likely to be the main opposition bloc.

In the aftermath of Bhutto's assassination and Monday's election, a PPP/PML-N alliance now looks like "the impossible has come to pass," as Dawn newspaper described it in an editorial on Saturday.

If they forge a coalition, it will be the first time in Pakistan's history the two main parties have come together.

In one early sign of cooperation-and one that spells trouble for Musharraf-the PPP and PML-N have agreed in principle to restore judges Musharraf fired when he imposed emergency rule in November.

The judges, if reinstated, can be expected to take up the question of the eligibility of Musharraf to stand for re-election as president while still army chief in October. They had been expected to rule against Musharraf when he imposed the emergency.

On Saturday party elders from across the political divide were meeting separately and with their party faithful to decide the next steps.

The Election Commission is expected to issue official results by March 1, after which Musharraf is expected to convene an inaugural session of the National Assembly.

When that is may depend on whether there is a government-in-waiting because the president has to invite the member commanding the confidence of the majority to become prime minister.

Gen Moeen leaves for New Delhi today

UNB, Dhaka

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed leaves for New Delhi today on a weeklong visit to India.

A reliable source said the Army Chief would call on Indian leaders, including External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defense Minister A K Anthony, during his stay in the Indian capital February 24-25.

Besides, General Moeen will meet the chiefs of the three services of the neighboring country.

He will be given six horses as gift from India in a gesture of goodwill.

From Delhi, the Army Chief will go on a visit to the Indian Military Academy in Deradun. He will also visit Ajmer Sharif and Goa.

On his way back home, he will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya in Kolkata.

"This is a routine visit. Earlier, the Indian army chief visited Bangladesh," said the source.

He is expected to return home on March 1.

General Moeen was scheduled to go to India last year but had to postpone the trip due to back-to-back floods twice in the last fall.

The source said the Army Chief is expected to visit Pakistan also at a convenient time.

AL sets agenda for dialogue with EC

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The Awami League will ask the Election Commission to declare a timeframe for the upcoming national elections during their second round of dialogue, a senior party member said yesterday.

The party will also clarify its position on the delimitation of constituencies, and ask the government to provide additional funding for political parties, acting AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters following a meeting of the AL working committee at the party president's office.

On whether the party would ask the EC to release all political detainees ahead of the national polls, including the party president, Ashraful said: "We give priority to the release of Sheikh Hasina. She needs good medical treatment right now."

The acting general secretary said other issues up for discussion included lifting the state of emergency and a resumption of indoor politics.

The EC has proposed a ban on the involvement of any 'wing' of a political party in academic, commercial or financial institutions, as well as prohibiting party offices overseas.

Ashraf said: "We don't have any opinion about [the former]; we don't have any wings. We have only associated organisations."

"If there is an office in any foreign country, it will operate according to the rules of that country," he added.

The EC starts its second round of dialogues with the political parties Sunday, with AL invited for talks on Monday.

The party's working committee meeting also finalised a number of party programmes including those to mark Independence Day on March 26, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's historic March 7address to the nation calling for liberation, and Sheikh Mujib's birth anniversary on March 17.

Bit’s silver jubilee celebration begins

Staff Reporter

The silver jubilee celebration of the Bangladesh International Tutorial began at 'The Red Brick School' in Uttara in the city yesterday with the students being advised to come forward to help build the nation. Speakers at the function said that the whole nation had its eyes on the present generation of students for building a prosperous and developed Bangladesh. The first day of the 4-day programme was marked by spontaneous participation of 2,500 students, teachers and guardians.

Speaking on the occasion, former Adviser for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Mainul Hosein praised high reputation being maintained by BIT and also the strong

commitment of its Principal Ms. Lubna Chowdhury to impart the right education among her students.

To make life worth living it is vital that the aim of institutional education, specially at early stages, should be to develop awareness among the students about the importance of discipline in life as well as the purpose of life.

Barrister Mainul said the young ones are dreamers. They must be helped to have dreams to pursue lives meaningful for themselves and society. To live selfishly only for oneself is not a worthy life for a worthy person, he reminded the students.

The nation now is waiting for the great achievers for fulfilling their own dreams and those of the nation for a happy and prosperous Bangladesh, he added.

Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of BRAC expressed the hope that BIT students would grow up as competent people to make useful contributions towards building the country and said the English-medium institution would build up the students as worthy citizens by imparting the quality education. It would help flourish the latent talents of students through the inclusion of different useful lessons alongside the courses in English, he said.

Prof. Zamilur Reza Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor of the Brac University, said that the present generation should not only play important roles to build the country but also to enhance the nation's image abroad.

The function was also addressed by former secretary Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, guardians Dr Niaz Rahman and Rahima Rahim. BIT's founder Principal Lubna Chowdhury gave the vote of thanks.

Founded in 1983, BIT's education programmes are now being offered at 10 different campuses in Dhaka.

Students presented welcome dance 'Ananda Loke', staged English drama 'A mid summer night's dream', and Rabindranath Tagore's dance drama 'Chandalika'. The 4-day silver jubilee programme will close on Tuesday.