The New Nation - Internet Edition

Amar Ekushey Boi Mela ’08 ends today

Some book-lovers at a stall at Ekushey Boi Mela
yesterday as the mela concludes today. Focus
Bangla

Staff Reporter

The month-long 'Amar Ekushey Boi Mela-2008' will end today. People rushed to the Bangla academy compound to purchase books on the penultimate day of the book fair.

The annual event hosted large crowds yesterday. People expressed sadness as the fair concludes today and they will have to wait for another 11 months for the festive occasion next year.

Masud, a book lover at the fair said, "I feel sad at the end of the Book Fair when I think that I will have to wait for another 11 months for the same."

An elderly person Khairul Ahsan said, "The fair is representative of the Bangalis love for Ekushey and the mother tongue. The end of February always make me sad."

The Bangla Academy awards were handed over to the winners yesterday. The winners are Manjoor-e-Maula in creative section, Jatin Sarker for research and essay, Lutfar Rahman Riton for juvenile literature.

This year's book fair was participated by more publishers and book lovers than the past years. Book published till February 27 last year were 1,842 and on the same date this year the number reached 2,461.

The Bangla Academy sold books of Tk 62,15,665.80 till February this year, which was Tk 41,71,045.05 last year.

Eighty-one new books were published in the fair Thursday of which 11 were novels, 17 poetry books and three on the Liberation War and rest on different topics.

Launching of a number of books was held yesterday at the book fair premises. Dr Akbar Ali Khan, Chairman of Regulatory Reforms Commission and former adviser of caretaker government unveiled a book titled 'Bangladesh-Dark Facets of land Rights and Management: With Directions for Agrarian Reform' written by Prosanta K Roy, a deputy secretary of the Government and published by AH Development Publishing House.

Court asks Thaksin not to leave Thailand

Thaksin Shinawatra

BBC News

Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra has returned to his homeland, 17 months after being deposed in a military coup.

Thousands of flag-waving supporters, including key figures in the newly elected government, gathered at Bangkok's main airport to greet him.

Thaksin was taken straight to court to face charges of abuse of power during his time in office - charges he insists are politically motivated.

He was granted bail and told not to leave Thailand without permission.

Thaksin - a multi-billionaire who bought Manchester City football club last year - said he intended to stay out of politics now he is back in the country. But correspondents say there are fears his return could lead to political turmoil. The 58-year-old billionaire businessman had tears in his eyes as he greeted his supporters, who were cheering and waving signs saying "We love Thaksin!"

As he left the airport, he knelt and touched the ground with his forehead in a sign of respect.

Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Harding on the flight from Hong Kong, Thaksin expressed optimism that he would "definitely" be cleared of corruption charges against him. "I've done nothing wrong, why worry?" he said. "I have to restore my reputation which has been tarnished by the coup." Thaksin's party, Thai Rak Thai, was outlawed following the military coup in September 2006, and he was personally banned from politics for five years.

When asked if he would be pulling the political strings in Thailand, Thaksin told the BBC that he had retired from politics.

"I think in my life I have devoted a lot to my country and I think I have done a lot politically. No more politics," he said.

He insisted he wanted to live peacefully as a "normal citizen", with no desire to seek revenge against the military leaders who forced him out of power.

He said that he now wished to focus on his family and his football interests. He travelled to Thailand with two Manchester City players.

He is also likely to spend time trying to secure the release of $1600m (£800m) from his frozen bank accounts.

But his opponents fear he has returned to Thailand to influence events from behind-the-scenes.

The People Power Party (PPP), which won elections in December last year, includes many of Thaksin's followers, and critics say that the new prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, is just a proxy for Thaksin himself.

Our correspondent says the former prime minister will need to lie low for a while now he is back in Thailand.

But it is unlikely he will be able to avoid the media spotlight, even if he wants to.

Coal-mine case politically motivated: Nizami

UNB, Dhaka

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami termed the Barapukuria coal-mine case politically motivated, saying that the case was filed at a time when the caretaker government is planning to hold dialogue with political parties.

"Such case will harm the atmosphere of a meaningful political dialogue with the government," he told UNB on Thursday, two days after the corruption case was filed against detained ex-PM Khaleda Zia, 10 of her former cabinet colleagues, including Nizami, and five others.

Nizami, who served as Agriculture and Industry minister of the immediate-past BNP-led alliance government, said he had run the two ministries for 20 and 40 months and his secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed run Social Welfare Ministry for five years without ever patronizing any irregularities.

"Despite microscopic search, no evidence of corruption could be discovered against us," he said, wondering how they could be made accused being mere members of a committee (purchase committee). Nizami said generally purchase committee, studying papers and documents of ministries concerned, takes decisions considering interest of the country. He said the decision about the Barapukuria coal mine was taken with a main objective to combat power deficit by producing electricity.

Following the Barapukuria decision, he said, power was produced by using coal, meeting the growing power deficit in agricultural and industrial sectors in the northern region. "The future will tell whether the decision was damaging or beneficial to the country," he added.

In reply to a question, Nizami said if the case is brought to court, they would face it by legal means.

On current political developments, the Jamaat chief said, "We believe that there is no alternative to elections and we want meaningful and acceptable elections."

He hoped the caretaker government would ensure election free from black money and muscle power, with participation of all political parties.

Nizami said the government must play a responsive role so that any doubt and confusion cannot vitiate the election environment. Opposing the concept of national government, he said it is the responsibility of the caretaker government to ensure free and fair election to handover power to an elected representative government. "In-between, there is no scope in the Constitution for forming an unelected government," he said, adding that any such step cannot be the expectation of the people.

About lifting the state of emergency, Nizami said it should be withdrawn within a logical timeframe to carry on election activities according to the government roadmap and allow political parties to resume normal function and conduct electioneering.

Emergency to go ahead of JS polls: Arif

UNB, Dhaka

Emergency would be relaxed in areas where the Election Commission is going to declare schedules for local-government elections, Law Adviser AF Hassan Ariff said yesterday.

He, however, said that the current state of emergency would be lifted across the country ahead of the parliamentary polls.

The Adviser of the caretaker government, who also holds Land and Religious Affairs ministries, unveiled the government's latest position while talking to reporters at his routine weekly briefing at his Land Ministry office.

"Some activities related to the electoral process could be hampered under emergency power rule (EPR).

So some provisions of EPR would be relaxed prior to the election," he said.

The Law Adviser made it clear that there is no doubt on part of the government about withdrawing the state of emergency, declared on January 11, 2007 amid a political crisis over the issues of general election that was later cancelled.

Ariff said the incumbent caretaker government would set up three criminal courts in the three hill districts soon after amending the existing rules of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation Act.

"It was a legal demand of the inhabitants of three hill districts and the people in the CHT have right to access to the judicial system," he said.

The Law Adviser, also former attorney general, opined that it is indeed not justifiable that no such courts could be instituted in the districts where the hill people were left out of the purview of the judiciary.

Responding to a query, Ariff said if necessary, the government would amend the Vested Property Act, formerly known as the Enemy Property Act, after consulting all concerned. "Some provisions under the Vested Property Act should be amended. Amendment would be carried out to make the law effective," he said.

He informed that process is going on to modify the Contempt of Court Act. "As it is a sensational matter so it needs a long period of observation."

He said it is not right that the court will be inactive after amending the contempt-of-court law, which is seen as a sword of Damocles that discourages critical appreciation of courts and judges.

Jalil’s condition remains critical

Staff Reporter

The health condition of detained Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil still remained critical for the second consecutive day, yesterday.

His doctors at LabAid Hospital, where Jalil is undergoing treatment, said last evening that the detained Awami League (AL) need to be treated at a better hospital in a developed country.

Jalil's wife Rehana Jalil has appealed to prison authorities to allow him to go abroad for treatment.

Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told journalists that he visited Abdul Jalil on Wednesday night, when doctors informed him about the AL leader's illness.

"I also talked with his wife by telephone," the DIG said, adding, "We will be able to say more about his Jalil's condition after a medical board examines him on Sunday."

Meanwhile, Acting AL President Zillur Rahman, in a statement, last afternoon demanded immediate release of detained party General Secretary Abdul Jalil for proper medical treatment abroad.

Zillur Rahman said ailing Jalil was now fighting for life. He needs better treatment in the Singapore hospital where he underwent treatment before detention.

He further said Jalil's physicians informed that he is suffering from complicated ailments including severe kidney problem, blood pressure and eye troubles.

The Government should allow sending Jalil to Singapore for treatment on humanitarian ground as his condition has been deteriorating, the Acting AL Chief said.

When contacted, LabAid Group spokesperson Mesbah Azad said Jalil's condition remained unchanged.

The AL General Secretary is suffering from multiple ailments. His kidneys are in critical condition, with his blood pressure rising uncontrollably. He also has heart and liver problems and vision impairment.

Abdul Jalil was arrested on May 29 last year. He was admitted to LabAid Cardiac Hospital on July 15, 2007, after falling ill in jail.

Ex-MP Fazlul Haque sent to jail

Court Correspondent

Former MP Fazlul Haque Milon elected from Kaliganj of Gazipur was set to jail after two days' remand and he was shown arrested in another extortion case filed also with Gulshan Thana of the city.

Former MP Milon's lawyers moved bail petitions in both the cases, while Metropolitan Magistrate Shahin Uddin rejected both petitions. Milon was placed in the 2-day remand in a case for extorting Taka 52 lakh on different dates and Sheikh Raihan Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of Seven Ring Limited filed the case with Gulshan Thana on last January 22.

In the second extortion case, Milon was accused of demanding extortion amounting to Taka 5 lakh, of which Taka 3 lakh 50 thousand was allegedly paid on August 18, 2003 through cheque, while rest one lakh 50,000 Taka was paid in cash on August 22 of the same year. IO, SI Khandkar Jasim Uddin has been investigating the case filed under sections 385 and 386 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Militants Hossain Ahmad Tamim and Abul Kalam Azad arrested following the facts divulged by Harkatul Zehad leader Abu Zandal were Thursday sent to jail after the completion of remand. They were put on a 3-day remand on February 24 in the grenade attack case of Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.

From the Foreign Press: The daydream believers’ nightmare

H. D. S. Greenway

Of the growing library of books on what has gone wrong since George W. Bush came to power, one of the more insightful is Fred Kaplan's new "Daydream Believers, How A Few Grand Ideas Wrecked American Power." The title comes from a Lawrence of Arabia quote: "Those who dream by night . . . wake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."

For Kaplan, the dangerous men are the neoconservatives who had a transformative formula ready for a post Sept. 11 world, and the "conservative nationalists," such as Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld who dreamed of unlimited U.S. power. Kaplan takes us through the revolution in weaponry that led Rumsfeld to think that "shock and awe" would carry the day in Iraq.

But his central thesis is that the Bush team were fantasists, who dreamed big dreams of transforming the world to make America safe, but completely misunderstood the world around them. The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union was a "seismic shift in global politics," but America's leaders misread this shift, believing it made America all-powerful.

And it wasn't just the Republicans. I remember a Clinton cabinet member saying in the '90s that not since Rome had so much power been bestowed on one country. And did not Madeleine Albright ask Colin Powell, what is the point of this powerful army if we can't use it?

According to Kaplan, the end of the Cold War made America relatively weaker than before, not stronger, and "less capable of exerting its will on others." During the Cold War, countries caught between the two superpowers naturally gravitated toward one or the other without much persuasion. But with only one superpower left, America's protection was less needed.

"To pursue American influence in this geopolitical setting," Kaplan writes, we could either "don the mantle of explicit empire" to rule the world, which we had not the manpower nor the money to do. Or we could "revitalise alliances, renovate the old ones, and cultivate new ones." The end of the Cold War had not repealed the old political laws of power balance, just made them more difficult to achieve.

But this was considered "old thinking," and a belief in American omnipotence took over - especially among conservative nationalists and neoconservatives, who believed we should use this omnipotence to shape the world in our image. Alliances were scorned as both unnecessary and cumbersome.

Bush's father rejected these views, and the fantasists disappeared into think tanks to wait out the Clinton administration. But when Bush Junior was elected they found their way to positions of great power, and the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, gave them the opportunity to put their daydreams into practice. As Kaplan writes, "they took their dream into the real world - acted it with open eyes - and saw it dissolve into a nightmare." Kaplan particularly faults the Bush belief that if you could only lift the manhole cover of tyranny, sweet democracy and freedom will flow forth naturally. But democracy and freedom may not be the natural state of mankind. And other monsters will come out of the sewer first, as happened in the Balkans and in Iraq.

Elections don't automatically bring democracy, as Bush found out when he went against Israel and the Palestinian Authority to insist upon elections in Gaza.

Another Kaplan bête noire is the idea that the world is divided between tyranny and freedom with no gray tones in between. Cheney's concept of "we don't talk to evil . . . we defeat it" is a dangerous illusion. Had Roosevelt and Churchill thought that way they might have declared war on both Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union, and "in their high moral dudgeon, suffered catastrophic defeat."

The great divide in American foreign policy thinking isn't over what is "desirable over the long run, but in what is possible here and now" - not about what America "should do, but can do . . . about whether there are limits about the way the world works," Kaplan writes.

The tragedy of our time is that it took the wrecking of American power before these limits were finally understood. This will be George W. Bush's legacy, and the first task of the new president will be to restore American power, respect, and influence.

-H. D. S. Greenway's column appears regularly in The Boston Globe.

Bangladeshi Islami militants have no Al-Qaeda link: Anti-terrorism law needs to be updated

UNB, Dhaka

Home Secretary Abdul Karim Thursday said Islamic militant outfits that are found in Bangladesh have no operative linkages with international terror networks of Al-Qaeda or Taliban.

"Weapons or type of explosives they use may have foreign origin or in neighbouring countries, but their financing is arranged internally, not from external sources," he told a conference on Trend of Militancy in Bangladesh and Possible Responses at BEI office. Karim observed that some smaller militant groups like "Allahr Dal", Hijbut Tauhid and Hijbut Tahrir are seen trying to organize them and put up demonstrations on small issues. "And we're trying to destroy the network of small groups too."

Presided over by BEI (Bangladesh Enterprise Institute) president Ambassador Farooq Sobhan, a BEI report on trend of militancy in Bangladesh based on published newspaper reports was presented in the opening session of the daylong conference.

The Home Secretary said JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh) is known to be a notorious Islamic militant organization while Huji (Harkat-ul Jihad) is considered pioneer of Islamic militancy. Both these outfits were banned by the government and six kingpins of the JMB were already hanged.

He observed that some Islamic militant groups get support from a section of political parties. But he disagreed with popular notion that all Islamic militants come from madrashas. "It is not fully true," he said, adding that there are some people who come from different sections of society. Karim told the function that the present caretaker government is conducting fresh investigations into some major cases of bombs and murders. Citing progresses on some important cases, he said former Deputy Minister Abdus Salam Pintu was arrested for link with the August 21, 2004 grenade case while INTERPOL and other organizations' help was sought to arrest his brother Tajuddin, believed to be a mastermind of the attack.

About the grenade attack on British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury in Sylhet, he said the persons who supplied grenades and who hurled those were arrested.

About the August 17 serial bombings by JMB activists, he noted that many of the criminals were arrested and some already punished. He said the attacker on Prof Humayun Azad was also arrested and being put to trial.

Karim said the government is committed to eliminating Islamic militancy as Islam does not mean militancy or terrorism and bring all these militants to justice and punish them. The Home Secretary said the government has already taken a number of initiatives, including formulation of Anti-Terrorism Act, enactment of Anti-Money Laundering Act, signing Mutual Legal Assistant Treaty with member-countries of SAARC and BIMSTEC. He said curricula of Qawmi madrashas are being modernized so the students could receive modern education. Moreover, the government is engaging Imams of mosques, madrasha teachers, NGOs and civil society in creating mass awareness against terrorism.

The Home Secretary said once the Anti-Terrorism Act in place, they would be able to address the terrorist activities by both left and rightist extremist organizations.

The BEI report analyzed activities of both left-wing and right-wing militant organizations. The report mentioned Purba Banglar Communist Party (Red Flag) Gono Mukti Fouz, Biplobi Communist Party, Sarbahar Party, Janajuddho, Gano Bahini and Mukti Bahini as leftwing outfits. It named Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Jagrata Muslim Janat Bangladesh (JMJB), Hijbut Tauhid, Allahr Dal and Hizb-ut-Tahir as major Islamic militant organizations.

The report said that, during the period of August 2007 to January 2008, police and RAB arrested around 153 people on grounds of militant activities. Of them, 104 were of the right-wing militants while the rest 49 of outlawed left-wing groups.

Presenting percentages of the arrestees from different Islamic outfits, the report pointed out that Hizbut Tauhid's percentage (46.35) is the highest as this organization has become more active in recent times in preaching their jihadi ideology, and as an organization it is yet to be banned.

The report also quoted a suspected militant commander, Mustafizur Rahman Shahin, who was arrested in Pabna, as saying that some 5,000 operatives are active across the country.

It gave another statistics that shows that during August 2007 to January 2008, law- enforcing agencies submitted charge sheets to courts against 72 extremists in several cases.

About the government's bilateral initiatives, the report referred to Home Secretary-level dialogue between Bangladesh and India agreeing to cooperate actively in curbing terrorism by exchanging information and SAARC Convention on Mutual Assistance Treaty to take regional approach to combat terrorism.

In its observations, the report said it appears that militant groups have been trying to regroup in different names and forms and detained militants are able to keep communication with their fellow members outside the jail. And they can attempt to make revolts in or escape from the jail with their help.

Appreciating the present interim government's actions against HuJI, JMB and other militants, it noted that progress in investigation, persecution and trial of the major terrorist cases are still slow. The report appreciated law-enforcing agencies, including POLICE and RAB, in combating and countering extremists much better than anytime before and observed that the government is addressing the terrorism issue from a short-term militaristic approach.

It also appreciated that the government considered positively the draft Anti-Terrorism Ordinance for enactment to deter terrorism. It said Bangladesh Bank made a positive initiative to enact Anti-Money Laundering Law to plug in terror financing.

The non-government think-tank observed that investigations under the past governments were directed more against political rivals than actual culprits.

The report recommended that the government needs to be more cautious about activities of Khelafat Majlish, Islamic Morcha, about Hizbut Tauhid and other such outfits.

It suggested that the government enact an Anti-Terrorism Law and update the Anti-Money Laundering Law without further delay, which will also help Bangladesh to qualify to be member of the Egmont group to recover millions of stolen money from other countries.

BATA launches 'motor sandal’

Staff Reporter

The annual turnover of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) stands at slightly more than Tk 469 crore from the sale of three crore of pairs of shoes in the year 2007.

The company is one of the largest tax-paying corporate body contributing Tk 97 crore and 79 lakh which represent 85 percent of tax paid by the entire footwear industry of Bangladesh per year.

The senior officials of the company disclosed this at a press conference, while launching a new product "Motor Sandal" at a city hotel yesterday.

JD Harns, Managing Director; Cizar Pandero, Chief Financial Officer; Keem Bradly, Logistic and Manufacturing Manager; Abdul Kader, Marketing Manager of Bata Shoe Company, among others, were present In the function.

This exclusive sandal is specially designed and engineered for the motor bikers. The salient features of the sandal are-break pedal rest point, fibreglass reinforced plate in the sole, gearshift protection, thermo-plastic exhaust heat resistance, toe bumper and fluorescent night vision in the back strap. The latest sandal was designed in Italy and manufactured in Indonesia

The company has decided to provide one lakh pairs of sandal in the market this year. The retail price of a pair of sandal is Tk 900.

Bata has a network of 238 retail outlets located strategically in different parts of the country. It has 13 depots across Bangladesh. It has already set up its vision up to 2010 showing significant business growth as well as increased market share.

Currently the company operates two manufacturing facilities-one in Tongi and the other in Dhamri with a production capacity of 11 lakh pairs daily.

It is now the world's largest manufacturer and marketing of footwear operating in sixty countries across the globe.

Khaleda, Hasina to be enlisted as voters today

Staff Reporter

Two detained former prime ministers-Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina are expected to be enlisted voters at their respective prison today (Friday).

Disclosing this Deputy Inspector General (Prison) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told reporters that Begum Zia opted to be voter from Cantonment area while Sheikh Hasina from Dhanmondi area in the city.

Begum Zia also prefers to cast her vote at a polling centre at Cantonment while Sheikh Hasina at Dhanmondi area.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has completed enlisting all prisoners and detainees as voters in Dhaka Central Jail.

Official sources said of the total 83,000 detainees across the country, about 70,000 are likely to be registered as voters.

They, however, did not say anything about the fate of the rest 13,000.

12 to die for triple murder in Chuadanga

BSS, Chuadanga

A court here yesterday sentenced 12 persons to death for triple murder centring love affair. Mahbub Alam, a grocery owner at village Kutubpur in Sadar upazila, was killed along with his father Afzal Hossain and co-villager Monzer Fakir in 2004.

Mabub was asked by his elder brother to be self-dependent to marry a girl, Reshma, he fell in love with. Hearing this, angry father of the girl, Ehea Kha, and his relatives killed the three, according to the prosecution.

The convicts were Ehea Kha and Mohammad Kha, sons of late Badar Uddin, Fozlu, father's name unknown, Taslu, son of Jalil Biswas, Marzan, son of Shahar Ali, Mostak, son of Shahar Ali, Moinuddin, son of Budo, Bozlu, son of Shoktar Ali, Kalo Sattar, son of late Ansar Ali, Halim, son of Jalil Biswas, Jeher Ali, son of late Ismile and Monwar, son of Budo, all of village Kutubpur.

All the convicts, except Bozlu, were present in the dock. The court acquitted eight others. The court also fined the convicts Taka 10,000 each.

According to the prosecution, Mahbub Alam was shot dead, his father slaughtered and the co-villager murdered by a large group on May 28 in 2004. A case was lodged the next day with the Chuadanga sadar police station against 20 persons. All the accused but Bozlu were arrested. They all were chargesheeted.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Motahar Hossain pronounced the judgement after examining 16 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses.

Hillary, Obama target early voting

AP, Washington

Early voting in urban areas targeted by Sen. Barack Obama has swelled to record numbers in Texas, outpacing the otherwise high turnout in areas of the state viewed as more favorable to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's candidacy.

But a large percentage of Democrats in Clinton's targeted areas have cast early ballots, especially the heavily Hispanic areas along the Rio Grande in South Texas - indicating her strategy of wooing early voters also may be bearing fruit.

The early voting patterns are just one measure of what to expect in the state's pivotal March 4 contest. After losing 11 straight primaries and caucuses to Obama since Feb. 5, Clinton has pinned the future of her struggling presidential candidacy on wins in Ohio and Texas, delegate-rich, diverse states. Clinton is ahead in Ohio, but the contest in Texas is much tighter, polls indicate.

The latest early voting numbers suggest Obama is seeing great success in the big cities in Texas, which have large but limited delegate totals. Clinton's strategy is to accrue smaller delegate numbers over broader areas of the state, with the hope of topping Obama overall.

Both campaigns' efforts to have supporters vote early have produced startling images in a state that has not seen a competitive Democratic primary since 1988. Voters have flooded early balloting locations in places like grocery stores, Kmarts and recreation centers across the state, overwhelming county election officials unaccustomed to handling such turnout. Some 512,000 people in the state's 15 largest counties have already cast votes in the Democratic contest, more than four times the level of turnout seen in 2004.

At rallies, Obama and Clinton always urge supporters to cast ballots early. Bill Clinton was even persuaded to stand on the back of a red Chevy truck after an event in El Paso, pointing to a nearby early voting location and asking supporters to cast a ballot for his wife.

"Texas is on the leading edge of early voting in this country - they have a lot more locations available and are more creative about putting them in places where people actually go," said Paul Gronke, a political scientist at Oregon's Reed College who studies early voting.

"Most other states make you go to county buildings and libraries. I am not familiar with any other state that makes locations as available as Texas does," Gronke said.

Indeed, the state's complicated electoral system has led both campaigns to push for early voting. The state holds both a primary next Tuesday and precinct caucuses later that evening, placing a burden on millions of voters who may not have time to show up twice in the same day to a voting location. By contrast, early balloting has allowed people a 10-day window, Feb. 19 through Feb. 29, to vote in locations throughout their county. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., even on Saturday and Sunday.

Early voting is also a great organizing tool, giving the campaigns a ready-made list of people who have already voted. They can then contact those voters directly and encourage them to attend the caucuses.

"Early voting is easy voting. I wanted to get it out of the way so that if something comes up on election day, I'm set and ready to go," said Robin Schneider, 47, after casting her ballot outside an HEB grocery store in Austin. "I definitely want to show up at my polling place Tuesday night for the caucus, but that's after work. So this gets the voting part out of the way."

State election officials predict that one-third to one-half of the total Democratic primary vote will be cast early.

"Texas is in play for the first time in many years, and it's encouraging a lot of people to participate. The campaigns are also really well-organized and are paying a lot of attention to them," said Scott Haywood, a spokesman for the Texas Secretary of State's office.

Officials are collecting data on early voting each day from the state's biggest counties, offering a snapshot of turnout as it happens. They've begun seeing some distinct patterns.

The state's two largest counties - Dallas and Harris, where Houston is located - are home to educated, affluent Democrats and blacks, groups that typically favor Obama. Officials estimate that early voting turnout in those places is as much as eight to 10 times higher than it was in 2004.

"We're pleased to see a strong turnout in those counties," Obama Texas spokesman Josh Earnest said. "Our supporters are very enthusiastic and eager to get out and vote for him."

But Clinton's campaign officials warn not to make too many assumptions, noting that the majority of voters in both counties were women, many over the age of 50. Older women are among Clinton's only remaining demographic strongholds.

Meanwhile, Clinton's other stronghold, Hispanic voters, are casting early ballots at a rapid clip in South Texas and are projected to wait until primary day to vote in other parts of the state.

"If you factor it all in, overwhelmingly more women than men will vote early in this state," Clinton field organizer Nick Clemons said. "In terms of delegate math, we're going to hold our own."

But even that prediction is risky, based on the complicated way the state apportions its 228 delegates.

Under the turnout formula, Houston gets seven delegates and Dallas gets six while the poorer Hispanic counties that tend to favor Clinton get only three. Clinton hopes to build up delegates in these smaller counties and isolate Obama to the heavily black urban areas.

"There are only so many delegates in Harris County, no matter how big a turnout Obama produces," said Bob Stein, a political scientist at Houston's Rice University who studies voter turnout. "Clinton is working to win in smaller areas across the state where there are Hispanics and not a lot of black voters."

But Stein said Clinton needs a heavy early vote showing more than Obama, noting his voters are more independent and have tended to break later. Such was the pattern in California, where Clinton dominated early voting while Obama came on strong at the end.The fact that Obama is doing as well as he is in early voting bodes well for him, Stein added.

"The conventional wisdom suggests yeah, it favors her. But look at what's happening in Harris County," he said.