The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reunion at DU: None takes lessons from history

The function of the 9th re-union of Dhaka University
History Department Alumni Association being inaugurated by
old students at TSC premises on Friday. Banglar
Chokh

Staff Reporter

Speakers at the reunion meeting of Dhaka University History Department said there could not have been the January 11 (2007) changeover if the leaders of political governments took lessons from history.

They urged all, including the political leaders and policymakers of this government, to work for bringing about changes in the society taking lessons from the past.

Inaugurating the reunion meeting, Speaker Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar said all should take lessons from history.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda said none learn anything from history since the country earned its independence till January 11, 2007. "All at the helm of affairs were engaged in looting since there was no culture of accountability practised by the people who shaped the fate of people. That culture must change now," he said.

The CEC called upon all to shun the desire of clinging to power taking lessons from the pre-1/11 era.

Organised by Dhaka University History Department Alumni Association, the meeting was held at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) Auditorium with President of Alumni Association Prof Dr M Mofakkharul Islam in the chair.

The meeting was also addressed by old students starting from the 1952 batch including Language Movement veteran Abdul Matin, former Adviser to the Caretaker Government Dr Akbar Ali Khan, KM Fazlul Qader, Justice Tafazzal Islam, Dr Abdul Momin Chowdhury, Prof Ahmed Kamal, Chairman of History Department and Prof Muntasir Mamun.

Speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar said nobody achieved success by ignoring people and Parliament.

He said the consequences of the people who were involved with undemocratic activities were not good.

"Those who tried ruling this country trashing public opinion were all cast away by history. No nation has so far attained any glory without taking lessons from its past," he said.

The Speaker said that he is always ready to work to cement the relationship between the BNP factions whenever they are willing to sit together and talk and settle differences.

The Chief Election Commissioner said the socio-political culture in the pre-emergency era-devoid of all patriotic norms but dominated by plunderers and things- must be rejected to change the fate of the nation.

"We do not want a repeat of what the nation suffered in the pre-emergency days. I am an optimist. I am not worried about our future," he said.

Regarding forthcoming elections, the CEC firmly said the elections will be held at the appropriate time notwithstanding the varied opinions and doubts expressed by as many quarters.

Abdul Matin said famine is knocking at the door and the disaster may not be any less severe than the 1942 event. "Death counts will be fewer if the government tackles the food scarcity efficiently," he observed.

"We must be careful with the polls so that we do not get the old monsters back as the shapers of our fate. We must shun all communal practices," he said.

The first departmental reunion took place in 1988, which was followed by subsequent events in 1990, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

CU Bengali Dept reunion held

Prof Anisuzzaman inaugurating the two-day-long
'Bangla Sammilar', (re-union) of ex-students of Bangla
Department of Chittagong University at Foy's Lake on Friday.
Focus Bangla

BSS, Chittagong

The two-day reunion and reminiscence function of Alumni Association of Chittagong University (CU) Bengali Department was held yesterday inside picturesque Foy's Lake Amusement Park in the city with much enthusiasm and festivity.

Noted academic Professor Dr Anisuzzaman formally inaugurated the function by releasing colourful balloons with the presence of huge alumni of the department, a CU press release said.

Poet Ovik Osman presided over the inaugural function.

Executive President of the Alumni Association Journalist Bishwajit Chowdhury, its Vice-President Advocate Shihabuddin Mahmud Ratan and General Secretary Zinnah Chowdhury , among others, spoke at the function.

Recalling his long relationship as former teacher of the department, Professor Anisuzzaman said the CU Bengali Department has contributed much for the development and enrichment of the Bengali literature and culture.

He thanked the teachers and students of the department for arranging such a function and said ever-lasting warm and respectful relations between the teachers and students of the department would increase further through such a congregation.

The function was followed by reminiscence of the participants and cultural soiree presented by some reputed traditional folk singers and drummers.

Bangladeshis can obtain permanent residency in Australia

UNB, Dhaka

Eminent Sydney lawyer Stewart Levitt yesterday said Bangladeshi people can take advantage of the unique opportunity to study in Australia and obtain permanent residency as Australia still suffers an acute shortage of skilled manpower.

"There is no shortage of facilities to cater for their lifestyle in major cities where 'Halal' food is readily available and there are mosques in most areas in proximity to colleges and universities," Levitt, proprietor of Levitt Robinson Solicitors & Attorneys, said this while speaking at a seminar in the city.

Global United Corporation Bangladesh in corporation with Levitt Robinson Solicitors & Attorneys, a leading migration agent from the Sydney law firm, organized the seminar, said a press release.

Director of Firm and Migration Education Expert Satya Shah said shortest and most cost-effective pathway to gaining Australian residency through study and that a practical trade qualification provided a surer route to migration than higher education in some academic areas.

Students are able to earn money by working up to 20 hours/week during term time and full time, during holidays, Shah added.

"Once permanent residence is gained, students can access all of the rights available to an Australian, including health care and educational fee concessions".

Executive Director of Global United Corporation Bangladesh Tarique Khan also spoke.

Another seminar will be held at the Sweet Dream Hotel in the city on Saturday to cover skilled and business migration to Australia. Stewart Levitt and Satya Shah will take part in the discussion at the seminar.

Dwellings gutted in Ctg

Chittagong Correspondent

Dozens of semi-concrete and bamboo-made dwellings were destroyed in a fire that broke out at Dobhasi Colony of Alkaron area in the city hours before dawn yesterday.

Several people including a firefighter suffered wound in the hasty bids of escape and fighting the fire.

Fire service and civil defense official identified the wound rescuer as Mohammed Akteruzzaman (40). Wounded people were given necessary medication at the near by hospitals.

Locals and firefighters claimed that the fire had originated at a house at about 5:40 a.m. and spread over the adjoining houses quickly destroying assets not less than a million.

Though electric short circuit is believed to be the source of the predawn fire, no official statement has so far been made in this regard.

A total of 12 fire fighting units from different fire stations rushed the spot and doused the fire after three hours of frantic efforts.

Senior military officials at Chittagong garrison visited the spot and gave away some relief materials among the helpless people.

Pneumonia still major killer of children

BSS, Dhaka

Pneumonia has been claiming the highest number of child lives in the country, despite a remarkable progress in under-five child survival for immunisation and oral saline over the last three decades, pediatricians and health scientists said in the city yesterday.

"Pneumonia is still the leading cause of childhood deaths in Bangladesh," Steve Luby, agency head of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US Embassy in Dhaka, told a symposium.

Bangladesh Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (BSPID), a newly formed body of paediatricians and health scientists, organised the two-day function at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC) where experts from home and abroad are participating. The symposium will be followed by a daylong workshop on 'critical care management and practical approaches' at Pedihope Hospital at Dhanmondi today (Saturday), organisers said, adding that the objective of the workshop was to show management of the emerging and re-emerging childhood infectious diseases practically.

BSPID president and former director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital Professor Manzoor Hussain chaired the inaugural function, addressed by National Professor M R Khan, noted paediatrician Professor MQK Talukder, Professor Dr Satish Deopoojari of India, BSPID secretary general Dr Samir K Saha, and BSPID executives Dr Reaz Mobarak and Dr Mizanur Rahman.

Steve Luby, also head of the programme on infectious disease of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), said one in five children per 1,000 live births died within five years of their age during 1975, but this number has come down by 75 percent over the last three decades.

"There is a 90 percent reduction alone in diarrhoea-specific deaths over last 30 years," he said referring to the statistics of the latest Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). He said Bangladesh is one of the three to four developing countries heading successfully towards achieving millennium development goals (MDGs).

Of eight millenium goals, MDG 4 and 5 are specific to achieving targets of maternal and child health. MDG 4 targets to reduce under-five child mortality by two-thirds and MDG 5 focuses on reducing the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters.

AK-47 recovered in Chittagong

Chittagong Correspondent

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a series of raids at village Noapara in Rawzan and the criminal dens in the city seized an AK-47 rifle and a smart collection of foreign wine.

According to the RAB sources a sophisticated arms AK-47 rifle was found while raiding the residence of an alleged arms smuggler Siddiqur Rahman. It was wrapped by polythene bag and kept under ground near his house.

The RAB men, however, could not arrest Siddiq as he fled away sensing the presence of elite force. In another drive the RAB men recovered 1498 bottles of foreign wine from city's Patenga beach, Karnaphuli, Double-mooring areas and a microbus parked behind the Hotel Saint Martin at Agragad.

None was arrested during the drives. Two separate cases were filed in connection with the incident.

Hasina, Khaleda fill in voter registration forms

BSS, Dhaka

Two detained former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday filled in their voter registration forms in the sub-jails in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area here.

They filled in the voter registration forms through the jail authorities, DIG (Prison) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told BSS yesterday.

He said their photographs would also be taken soon for preparing voter ID card.

Bank industrial park for women

Chittagong Correspondent

Speakers at a colloquium emphasized the need for economic empowerment of the women for pacing up the country's industrialization process.

Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CWCC&I) hosted the colloquium titled "Activities of the Women Entrepreneurs of Bangladesh and Netherlands, the Mutual Interests."

Participants said that women would be playing greater roles in freeing the country from the curse of poverty if adequate training and minimum access to capital are ensured for them.

President of the CWCC&I Monowara Hakim Ali moderated the colloquium while Dutch envoy to Dhaka Bea Ten Tusscher joined it as the chief guest.

Senior Vice-President of the CWCC&I Khaleda A Awal, Deputy General Manager of SME Foundation Ahmed Ali Shaha, Directors of the CWCC&I Shahina Zia, Selina Ahmed Sultana Nurjahan, Zebun Nahar, Jesmin Akter and Economic and Commerce Advisor to the Dutch Embassy in Dhaka Mannujan Khanom among others spoke at the colloquium.

Highlighting the ongoing activities and future planning of the CWCC&I Monowara Hakim Ali sought cooperation including technical and financial support from the Dutch government.

She told the Dutch envoy that moves had been under process for a bank and an exclusive industrial park at Sitakund dedicated for the women opening wider avenues for the qualified women professionals.

The Dutch envoy pledged all possible support to the CWCC&I from her government and encouraged the woman leaders to go ahead with courage.

Later, Bea Ten Tusscher handed over certificates to the trainees of recently concluded training course under 'Entrepreneurs Development Training Project'.

Aziz urges donors to extend support for the disabled

UNB, Dhaka

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday urged the bilateral and multilateral donors and development partners to extend their support for the overall protection and development of persons with disabilities in the country.

"Without your active support for the development of persons with disabilities, no country, no region, no continent could practically prosper," he said while addressing the closing session of the 3rd general assembly and conference of the Asia Pacific Disability Forum (APDF) in the yesterday afternoon.

The National Forum of Organization Working with the Disabled (NFOWD) and APDF in cooperation with the government, organized the three-day assembly at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center. The Finance Adviser said there are 600 million people with disabilities worldwide and a majority of them live in the developing countries. "This large section of the population, if left untapped and uncared for, will always pull down the economy."

He thanked the World Bank for committing US$25 million for the overall protection and development of the persons with disabilities in Bangladesh. "This one example, I hope, will encourage others in this direction," he said.

Earlier, on Wednesday (Feb 27), Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed inaugurated the three-day general assembly and conference at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center, attended by some 456 participants from 27 countries including host Bangladesh.

Among participants, some 114 were people with disabilities. The theme of the conference was 'Disability and Development-Practical Strategies'.

Harry to be withdrawn from Afghan war front : Leak of secret deployment blamed

Prince Harry

BBC News

Prince Harry is to be withdrawn from Afghanistan after news of his secret deployment leaked out.

The 23-year-old royal, who has spent the last 10 weeks serving in Helmand Province, is to be flown back to the UK amid concerns for his safety.

The move follows the collapse of a news blackout deal over his tour of duty, which was broken by foreign media.

There had been fears the prince, who is third in line to the throne, could become a target for the Taleban.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence described the reporting of Harry's deployment by foreign media as "regrettable" but said that contingency plans for such a leak were in place. It added that while the prince should have returned "in a matter of weeks" with his Household Cavalry regiment battlegroup, the situation had now "clearly changed". Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, in consultation with head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, had taken the final decision to withdraw Harry immediately, the statement said.

"This decision has been taken primarily on the basis that the worldwide media coverage of Prince Harry in Afghanistan could impact on the security of those who are deployed there, as well as the risks to him as an individual soldier," it added.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to the prince and said Britain owed him a "debt of gratitude" for his service in Afghanistan, but he added that it was correct to bring Harry back to the UK.

Prince Harry is a trained soldier. I'm in the service too and I'm pleased for him that he was allowed to go Deborah, Hampshire, UK "Security considerations come first.

That has been the deciding factor which was made by our defence staff and I think that everybody will respect that is the right decision."

He thanked Harry, a second lieutenant, for the "professionalism and dedication he has shown", and said the decision to bring him home was a reminder of the "difficulties and challenges" the armed forces faced on active duty.

Conservative leader David Cameron agreed that it was "right" to withdraw the prince from Afghanistan, but said everyone in Britain should be "proud of what he has done".

"It's incredibly tough out there. He's obviously shown great courage and bravery as all our soldiers do out there.

"And what they do is really important, not just for the future of Afghanistan but for the safety of our country too."

BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said it was "inevitable" Prince Harry would have to leave because of the risk the Taleban would increase attacks on British forces in Helmand due to a royal being in their midst.

Brigadier Patrick Marriott, a spokesman for the Army, earlier said the possibility that details of Prince Harry's deployment would be made public had always been in the minds of senior army figures.

"There's been an enormous amount of planning that's gone on into this, and the fact that this was going to break was always thought a possible outcome and so plans are there - and I think people can be reassured about that."

A member of the Household Cavalry, Prince Harry was based in a former madrassa along with a Gurkha regiment.

Work involved calling up allied air cover in support of ground forces and going out on foot patrols.

Defence Secretary Des Browne also commended Harry, saying the prince was "an example of a generation of young people" who were "prepared to take on these very serious and dangerous tasks for our security".

The prince's deployment was subject to a news blackout deal struck between the MoD and newspapers and broadcasters in the UK and abroad.

It is understood that the news was first leaked in an Australian publication in January but only after it appeared on the influential US website, The Drudge Report, did the deal break down.

In exchange for not reporting the prince's deployment, some media organisations were granted access to the prince in Afghanistan for interviews and filming.

The prince's withdrawal is the second major blow to his army career.

Last year, a planned tour to Iraq had to be cancelled at the last minute because of a security risk.

From the Foreign Press: Democrats must show belief in democracy

Gary Younge

It will be a travesty if party apparatchiks choose a presidential candidate against the wishes of ordinary voters

There is a profound difference between holding an election and having a democracy. Elections are the best means that we have come up with so far for giving people a voice in the running of their affairs. Democracy is the system which ensures that voices are heard by empowering them with the ability to change those who run our affairs.

Elections, in and of themselves, are a purely technical matter. The authorities name the day, tell the voters, provide the booths and the equipment. The voters make their choice. The authorities then tally the results. But, as we know from countless incidences, from Kenya to Florida, the technical glides effortlessly into the political. Which day? Which voters? Where are the booths? How does the equipment work? Who's counting? Whose votes count? All this has a bearing on the result. That's why democracy, if it is working, gives us the right to kick out the authorities.

Since the beginning of January, the Democratic Party in the US has held elections that have provided great excitement and held the attention of much of the world. We are about to see if its commitment to democracy is equally impressive. Having started this election season with scenes of rural folk gathering in frontrooms and schoolhalls to stand up and be counted, the final decision is now likely to be made by party apparatchiks accountable only to themselves. Or worse still, the courts.

For the one thing we do know at this stage is that unless something dramatic happens, winning the Democratic primaries and winning the Democratic nomination will not be the same thing. The elections we have all been watching account for 80% of the total voting delegates who will nominate the candidate. The remaining 20% goes to "superdelegates" - Democratic legislators, governors, former presidents and vice-presidents, and other party officials.

At present, Barack Obama is winning by a narrow margin. By most calculations, voters have given him around 133 more elected delegates than Hillary Clinton - a mere one-eighth of the total in states yet to vote. Predictions of Clinton's imminent demise - like most other predictions in this race - are premature. It is far more conceivable that she will turn this around by April than it was on New Year's Day that Obama would be the frontrunner. This race has the peculiar distinction of being both volatile and close.

So close in fact that the superdelegates will almost certainly determine the outcome. If they do, it will not just have the potential of making the entire process a travesty of democracy but also a tragedy for the Democratic Party. For if the superdelegates go against the popular will of the voters, whoever emerges as "victor" will enter the presidential election shorn of democratic legitimacy and devoid of electoral credibility. Indeed in much the same shape as George Bush emerged in 2000 after Florida.

In short, it would be a monumental own goal. The Democrats are passionate about their candidates. A recent Gallup poll showed that 80% of Democrats were more enthusiastic about voting this year than in previous elections - the highest figure since the question was first asked in 2000. Meanwhile, almost 50% of Republicans said they were less enthusiastic than usual - also the highest on record. This enthusiasm has been borne out in the polls. So far 15.7 million Democrats have voted in primaries compared with just 10.9 million Republicans. In Virginia, a swing state waiting to happen, Obama received more votes than the entire Republican field combined.

The effect of party officials overturning whatever decision the voters make would be to squander all the energy and hopefulness that has characterised the campaign so far, leaving the millions who have been drawn into the process for the first time disaffected. Whoever feels hard done by is likely to stay at home during the presidential election.

And that's before we get to Florida and Michigan. These two states decided to hold their primaries in January, in defiance of Democratic Party rules. The party warned them beforehand that if they persisted their delegations would be disqualified. They went ahead anyway. The party asked the candidates not to campaign in those states. The candidates obliged. The elections went ahead without them - Clinton won both, but Obama's name was not even on the ballot in Michigan. Now Clinton's camp wants to change the rules and is calling for those delegates to count. The lawyers are on standby.

All this would present a much-needed gift to the Republicans, who are struggling with entirely different demons. They have chosen a candidate. The trouble is, they don't like him. Or at least not enough of them. John McCain, who, barring a miracle, will be nominated in August, was booed last week at an American Conservative Union conference. Since then, his attempt to pose as the presumptive nominee has appeared, well, presumptuous.

Mike Huckabee may not stand a prayer of winning enough delegates to beat McCain at this point - even if he won every contest (which he won't) by a 60-40 margin (which he definitely won't), McCain would still be the nominee. But Huckabee believes in miracles and prays a lot. Last week in Virginia, where McCain won just 51%, he nearly pulled it off. When 49% of an electorate turn out to vote for candidates they know cannot win, they are really voting against the candidate they know will win.

Conversely, while the Democrats may be evenly divided, they are not rancorously split. At this stage, the overwhelming majority would be happy if either Clinton or Obama won. That could change depending on how they win. Obama says superdelegates should respect the wishes of the voters; Clinton says they are part of the process and should exercise their independent judgment. Clinton has found relatively few takers for her position so far.

But these are early days. Over the past few weeks Clinton's huge superdelegate lead has dwindled with her electoral performance. Over the weekend, a number of African-American superdelegates abandoned her and pledged to back Obama, who has a narrow lead in both regular and superdelegates combined. Before this process is over, each candidate could be arguing the opposite.

"It would be a problem for the party if the verdict would be something different than the public has decided," said Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives' speaker. Too true. But while Pelosi's argument answers the question about what the superdelegates should do at the party convention in August, it begs another. If superdelegates are going to follow the popular vote anyway, why have them in the first place?

Gary Younge is a Guardian columnist and feature writer based in the US. His most recent book is Stranger in a Strange Land: Encounters in the Disunited States; he is also the author of No Place Like Home, published in 1999

India cancels small farmers’ debt

BBC News

The Indian government is to cancel the entire debt of the country's small farmers in a giant scheme that will cost 600bn rupees ($15bn; £7.6bn).

The move is a centrepiece of India's latest budget, with the government also increasing education spending by 20% and health funding by 15%.

Widely seen as a populist budget ahead of elections due by May 2009, Delhi has also pledged to control food prices.

The government also said it would keep up work to control wider inflation.

The farm loan cancellations will be offered to all farmers with less than two hectares of land.

Reaction from farmers groups has so far been mixed, with some complaining that the land-size criteria is too strict, and that those with larger fields will unfairly miss out.

Mohan Manidwar of Farmers Agitation Group, which highlights the large number of impoverished farmers committing suicide, said most farmers in the Vidarbha region of central Indian would miss out.

Unveiling the latest budget, Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said India's annual economic growth was now running at 8.7%.

This figure, which covers the current financial year to 31 March 2008, is a slight slowdown from 9.6% in 2006/07 - India's fastest economic expansion in 18 years. Over the past year India has increased interest rates and reduced the supply of the rupee to cool this breakneck growth.