The New Nation - Internet Edition

Turn scouting into a social movement: CA

Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed handing over the
award to Cub Scouts at his office on Tuesday. PID
photo

BSS, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday called upon all to turn scouting into a social movement to build a prosperous Bangladesh for future generation.

He hoped that the scout leaders will continue their efforts to make the scouting programmes time-befitting and harmonious to the sustainable socio-economic development of the country.

The Chief Adviser urged them to give top priority to learn information and communication technology, computer, international languages and mastering applied techniques of the latest knowledge of science and technology to march forward with the modern world.

Dr Fakhruddin said this while addressing an award giving ceremony of Shapla Cub Scouts at the Chief Adviser's office organised by Bangladesh Scouts, where 81 Cub Scouts received awards. The Chief Adviser distributed awards among the Cub Scouts.

Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts M Fazlur Rahman also spoke on the occasion with Scouts President Dr Shah Mohammad Farid in the chair while National Commissioner (Programme) Abul Kalam Azad gave address of welcome.

Dr Fakhruddin said the scout movement plays a significant role in building up children, juveniles and youths as honest, righteous, self- determined and ideal citizens. Bangladesh Scouts is playing a strong role in this regard, he added.

He urged the scout authorities to take initiatives for raising the number of scouts in the country as well as increasing their quality and skill. Referring to one million scouts in the country, he said the number is very poor in proportionate to the country's population.

Expressing satisfaction over the relentless works of the scouts in tackling natural disaster, the Chief Adviser said services provided by the scouts in the Sidr-hit areas and for flood and cold stricken people attained reputation from all corners.

The role of the scouts in creating awareness in plantation, sanitation, health and environment protection and cooperating different government agencies in maintaining peace and order is now visible to all. Such services will be extended in future, he hoped. Dr Fakhruddin said selfishness, jealousy, greed, degradation of moral values are some elements want to destroy qualities of human being.

Cyber crime, drug addiction, terrorism and different offences make negative influences on life of juveniles and youths, he pointed out and added it is a must to get rid of such menaces.

Ideal and virtuous leadership and world citizens imbued with human values is necessary to face the odds of time, the Chief Adviser said adding the world scout movement can play a pioneering role in this regard.

Today's children are future of the nation and its main driving force, Dr Fakhruddin said and called upon all to the extend the programmes related to Shapla Cub Award across the country for building children as good and self motivated citizens.

Referring to extension of scout movement, the Chief Adviser said the cub groups have been formed in most of the government and non- government primary schools. In future, it will be made obligatory so that children and juveniles can be self reliant and well-educated.

Dr Fakhruddin hoped that the young scouts will implement in practical life what they learned from scouting and motivate their friends to join this movement.

Govt urged to create scope for marginal farmers

Staff Reporter

Fair trade, an economic partnership based upon dialogue, transparency and respect that aim for greater equity in international trade, is practised in Europe. But in Least Developed Countries like Bangladesh these are absent due to unknown reasons.

Moreover, in Bangladesh, the rights of producers and workers are not guaranteed.

In some 32 Least Developed Countries (LDC) out of 149 there is no social clause or labour standards.

This was said at the inauguration of two-day workshop on 'Steps Forward to Fair Trade' organised by Ecota Fair Trade Ltd at Asia Pacific Blossom Hotel in the city yesterday.

Malama Meleisea, Director of UNESCO Bangladesh, presided over the inaugural session, while Laura Giani, Country Representative of Terre des Homes (Tdh) of Italy, Arshad Siddiqui, Director of Ecota, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Speakers urged the government to create opportunities for the economically disadvantaged producers.

The government should work for the capacity building of the grassroots level workers. This must be accountable to all, its trading partners, stakeholders and should maintain confidentiality of commercial information supply, they said.

The government should help to promote fair trade so that this standard endeavours raises awareness among all and achieve greater justice for them, they urged.

One quarter of the world's population lives in abject poverty. Many of them are poor farmers and plantation workers producing basic commodities like corn, rice and coffee. These people work very hard, but they cannot get fair price for what they produce. For this reason, ensuring fair trade policy is very necessary for countries like Bangladesh, said speakers.

Values and preservation of traditional culture, generating fair income for thousands of artisans, educating consumers about trade and culture and promoting people-to-people ties among artisans, traders and consumers are main benefits of the fair trade. "If we can ensure these benefits in the country, producers will get real price," said one of the speakers.

"In developing countries fair trade is becoming popular and increasing day by day. So why we could not apply it in our country?" he questioned.

Dhaka will always stand by Tokyo

UNB, Dhaka

Foreign Advisor Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, who is now in Japan, has said that Bangladesh would always stand by Japan and offer every support and cooperation in order so that Japan may play in the international arena the role that is due to them. The Foreign Adviser said this to the media after holding bilateral talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo Monday evening.

"As Asia grows today, Japan is in a lead role. Bangladesh will always stand by Japan and offer every support and cooperation in order so that Japan may play in the international arena the role that is due to them," Dr Iftekhar said. Foreign Minister Koumura was very appreciative of Bangladesh as a "model of development that includes societal transformations through indigenous ideas such as micro-credit and non formal education for women."

During the meeting, they discussed continued Japanese support to Bangladesh's development including the on-going 30th Loan Agreement Negotiations. They also addressed the subject of cooperation on such issues as Climate Change and for the forth coming G-8 Summit to take place in Japan in July this year. The talks also covered UN security council reforms and regional issues in South Asia including the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury extended a very warm welcome to Foreign Minister Koumura to visit Bangladesh.

The Foreign Adviser who is in Tokyo on a 4 day visit addressed an audience at the United Nations University on "G-8: Putting development back in the Doha Round". It was largely attended by academics and diplomats.

7th Wage Board formed

Staff Reporter

The government yesterday formed the 7th Wage Board with retired judge of the High Court Division Habibur Rahman Khan as its chairman to recommend increased wages for journalists, employees and press workers after reviewing the 6th Wage Board.

The nine-member Wage Board will submit its recommendations to the government within two months, said an official announcement.

The other members of the board are Prothom Alo editor Motiur Rahman, Jugantor editor Golam Sarwar, Independent publisher and editor Mahbubul Alam, BSS managing director and chief editor Jaglul Ahmed Chowdhury and Sangbadik-Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Parishad member-secretary Ruhul Amin Gazi, its co-convenor Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul and members Abul Hashem and Khairul Islam.

Deputy secretary (Law and Order) of the Ministry of Information Khurshid Alam was made secretary of the board.

As per its terms of reference, the newly constituted 7th Wage Board will review the 6th Wage Board Award for the announcement of the 7th Wage Board Award in consultation with all concerned parties, aiming to remove discrepancies in salaries and allowances of the journalists, employees and press workers.

The board will also make recommendations after discussion with all concerned for taking measures against those newspapers that will not implement the government-announced wage board award.

The board will recommend whether those newspapers that will not implement the Wage Board Award would get zero tariff facility in newsprint import and other facilities, including advertisement.

Earlier, the government had approved the final recommendations of the 6th Wage Board Award relating to salaries, allowances and other benefits for the journalists, employees and press workers on December 6, 2007. But the journalists and press workers rejected the 6th Wage Board Award for various discrepancies.

Cancellation of questionnaire for SSC exam demanded

DU Correspondent

An organisation under the banner of 'Guardian Forum' demanded cancellation of the structured questionnaire that will be applied in SSC examination of 2010, as the students will not be able to adapt themselves within such short time.

They said the students have to be trained in the new system from the junior level otherwise the system will fail to accomplish result.

The forum said this at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday where a good number of guardians were present.

Advocate Abed Reza, convener of the Forum, read out a written paper in the press conference while Fatema Haque of Government Laboratory High School, Mahbub Hossain of Motijheel Government Boys High School and Mritika Bhattachariya replaced to questions from journalists.

Appreciating the new system, they said if it is applied in proper channel, we will get good results as we know that the government took the initiative to increase comprehensive knowledge of the students and reduce dependency on memorising and coaching centre.

But now the students even teachers do not understand the system owing to lack of training and proper sampling, they added.

25th anniversary of BIT observed

DU Correspondent

A four-day-long programme of Bangladesh International Tutorial (BIT) marking its 25th anniversary ended yesterday amid fanfare, festivity and various cultural programmes.

As many as 25,00 students and 300 teachers of BIT from ten campus took part and enjoyed the function held at the Red Brick School premises at Uttara.

The students of the institution staged various dramas including 'A Mid Summer Nights Dream,' 'Anandalok,' and ' Chandralika' of Rabindranath Tagore on the occasion. The speakers at the programme underscored the need for making the students capable of fulfilling the dream of the nation.

They hoped the students of the institution would play an important role to build a wealthy nation. Barrister Mainul Hoseain said the youngsters have to be possessors of strong dream so that they can be a pioneer of novel achievement.

The nation is dreaming for a happy and wealthy Bangladesh side by side the fulfilment of young's dream, he added.

Founder Chairman of BRAC Fazle Hasan Abed, Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Former Secretary Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury and Founder Principal of the Institute Lubna Chowdhury spoke in the inauguration session on Saturday.

Since the establishment of the institution in 1983, it is conducting 10 campuses at different prime location of the city.

RAB nab 7 in city

Staff Reporter

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members, in separate drives, arrested four taxicab hijackers and three muggers Monday midnight from the capital's Paltan and Motijheel police stations.

On a tip off that car hijacker Shahjahan, along with some of his accomplices gathered at Bijoynagar in Paltan and was planning to hijack a taxicab, a team of RAB-3 kept watch on the gang.

When they were fleeing after hijacking a taxicab the elite force members arrested Shahjahan, Foyez Islam Raju, Badrul Alam, and Rafiqul Islam, along with the hijacked taxicab after a chase. Later, the RAB men searched the cab and recovered four sharp weapons and some gold ornaments.

In another drive, RAB personnel arrested Kajol, Mithu, and Sabuj, from the capital's commercial hub Mothijheel for their alleged involvement in mugging.

A number of sharp weapons were also seized from their possession.

Separate cases were filed with Paltan and Mothijheel police stations in these connections.

Developer trying to grab martyred family's house at Mohammadpur

Staff Reporter

A private real estate developer is allegedly trying to build a high-rise apartment building occupying the house of a martyred family at the city's Mohammadpur area.

Addressing a press conference at Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association yesterday morning, members of the martyred family of 1971 alleged that Happy Homes Ltd, a private real estate developer, was allegedly trying to construct a high-rise apartment building occupying their house at 6/6 Sir Syed Ahmed Road at Mohammadpur.

On behalf of the martyred family, Mostafa Jamil Shibli said Happy Homes Ltd owners, in connivance with his hired goons Yahia Khan Peter, Taj and owner of Ambala Sweets was trying to grab their house forcibly.

"We're not getting necessary cooperation from the local police administration as Mohammadpur Thana is working in favour of the developer," he said.

Drawing attention of the higher authorities of the government, he said Happy Homes Ltd is a black-listed real estate developer of Rajuk.

The press conefrenec was attended by Rahima Sultana and Rokeya Salam, among others.

Involving women in economic activities emphasized

BSS, Dhaka

Adviser for Finance Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday stressed the need for increasing involvement of women in mainstream economic activities as part of empowering them in society.

Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday afternoon, the finance adviser further said their involvement is essential in bringing dynamism to turn the country into a middle income one by next 14/15 years.

The Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) jointly organised the event with the Centre for International Private Enterprises (CIPE) on the theme 'Bringing women entrepreneurs in policy focus for SME development.'

Senior Research Fellow of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr Rita Afsar presented the keynote. President of the BWCCI Selima Ahmed moderated the event. Chairman of the Samonnay Dr Atiur Rahman, President of the Bangladesh Women Association Ayesha Khanom, Vice-President of the BWCCI Salina Qader and leading woman entrepreneur Foyzia Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion.

Referring to the main issue, the finance adviser said the government is serious to promote women to the country's mainstream development and achieve this goal it has already formulated the women development policy 2008 to foster their involvement at all levels.

The policy has also recommended reserving at least one- thirds of the parliamentary seats to women and enhanced their share on national resources to achieve the gander parity in the society.

He asked the country's bankers to give collateral free loans to women as they are more credit worthy that their repayment record relating to utilisation of micro-finance suggest, he said.

The government is also looking for creating opportunity to place at least one woman on the board of directors of the state owned banks and financial institutions, he said adding that the efforts are also on to reduce the lending rates to business.

Earlier, Selima Ahmed laid emphasis on arranging need-based training to women to build their entrepreneurial capacities and increase their skills to create more value addition and design diversification. They also require increasing exposure to the global market, she said.

She also demanded inclusion of a woman representative on the better business forum as there is no such women sitting on the board.

Robbed Obama picture ignites row

BBC Online

US Democratic front-runners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have traded accusations over a photo of Mr Obama circulating on the internet.

The picture, sent to the Drudge Report website, shows Mr Obama wearing traditional Somali dress during a visit to Kenya in 2006.

The website said it was circulated by Mrs Clinton's staff but her team denied they had sanctioned its release.

The row comes as the rivals campaign for two crucial primaries next week.

Analysts say Mrs Clinton needs to win the contests, in Texas and Ohio, to remain in the race to choose the Democratic candidate for November's presidential election.

With tempers fraying ahead of a crucial debate in Ohio on Tuesday, the former first lady highlighted Mr Obama's lack of foreign policy experience during a speech in Washington. Reminding the George Washington University audience of her own international credentials, Mrs Clinton suggested her rival would need a "foreign policy instruction manual" to keep the country safe if elected. The photograph published on Monday shows Mr Obama - whose father came from Kenya - wearing a white turban and a white robe presented to him by elders in the north-east of the country. Dirty tricks or a fuss about nothing? Here in Team Obama they are taking it very seriously BBC correspondent Justin Webb The Drudge Report said the image had been circulated by "Clinton staffers" as a smear. Addressing the issue briefly in an interview with a Texas radio station, Mr Obama said: "I think the American people are saddened when they see these kind of politics." Some Clinton aides have tried in the past to suggest to Democrats that the Illinois senator's background might be off-putting to mainstream voters.

A campaign volunteer was sacked last year after circulating an email suggesting, falsely, that Mr Obama was a Muslim.

But the BBC's Justin Webb in Ohio says the photograph - coming at this pivotal moment in the campaign - is being seen by the Obama team as particularly offensive.

His campaign manager, David Plouffe, accused Mrs Clinton's aides of "the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we've seen from either party in this election".

The accusation was dismissed by Mrs Clinton's campaign manager Maggie Williams. "If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed," she said.

"Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely." In Monday's speech, the New York senator characterised Mr Obama as a rash and inconsistent politician with the same sort of inexperience that President George W Bush had when first elected.

Dialogue with BNP: Hannan blames EC for creating confusion

UNB, Gazipur

BNP chairperson's advisor Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah Tuesday squarely blamed the Election Commission for creating confusion over EC-BNP dialogue to hold back polls and demanded immediate resolution of the issue.

Shah made the accusation when he went to appear before the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in an extortion case against him. The outspoken BNP leader said, "The Election Commission can hold election much earlier should it have that willingness. And the sooner the election held, the better the countrymen will be benefited." He demanded release of all the political detainees, including the two former premiers-BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.

Hannan Shah hailed Monday's speeches given by AL leaders concerning the complications created over the withheld dialogue between BNP and the Election Commission on electoral reforms ahead of the polls. True to the dictum that politics sometimes creates strange bedfellows, district Awami League President and Gazipur poura Chairman AKM Mozammel Haq accompanied the leader of their rival party all the time after Shah reached the court in the morning. Denouncing government attitude towards Hannan Shah, who has been arrested and released on bail thrice in the interim period, the AL leader said, "The government is behaving unfairly with him (Shah)."

Bird flu update Fowls culling continues

Staff Reporter

Culling of fowls is continuing in different parts of the country after detection of bird flu virus.

In Savar, around 5,500 chickens of three poultry farms were annihilated yesterday following the detection of deadly H5N1, virus of bird flu. The calling was carried.

After the detection of avian influenza virus in 'Sheela Poultry Farm' at South Rajashan last week, the Livestock officials decided to cull all the chickens within one-kilometer radius of the affected farm.

Following the decision, the Livestock officials culled 850 chickens of Hens Garden, 4,000 of Arif Poultry Farm and 600 chickens of West Rajashan Poultry Farm yesterday.

Earlier, about 3,000 fowls of 14 poultry farms located within the one-kilometre radius of the Sheela Poultry Farm were culled.