The New Nation - Internet Edition

Price rise in textbooks, stationery goods

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

The prices of stationery materials and recommended books for secondary and primary classes of non-government English and Bengali medium schools and kindergartens are exorbitant.

Parents and guardians of the students of many English and Bengali medium schools in Dhaka said that costs of the books and stationeries were higher than that of the previous years.

Although there was no specific reason for the price hike, some bookshops in the city were pampering in profit making and maintaining an unholy nexus with some schools, they said.

Meanwhile, guardians also blamed the schools for their sheer commercial attitude, which according to them, are preoccupied with doing business rather than providing a standard education.

Most of the private schools were profiting, selling books and forms to one or two particular shops on contract basis, they said.

Mehrin A Mahbub, working in an NGO and mother of six-year old child, said that she had bought new books and other education materials from one or two particular shops at Dhanmondi for her kid who read at a kindergarten school in Dhanmondi.

"I did not have the option to cross check the prices in other shops because the prescribed books and notebooks with the school's name on their cover pages were found in those particular shops," she said.

Some schools also provide books and stationeries from the school office, and collect money with other charges from the students at the beginning of the year.

Another parent claimed that some bookshops were selling books and stationeries at fixed prices to make money, conniving with the schools.

All kinds of educational materials like white paper, note books, pens, pencils and other things are selling at high prices in almost all the stationary shops in the city.

A stationery shop owner at the Nilkhet book market admitted that all types of educational materials were selling at a higher price than that of two or three months back.

In fact, sometimes price of stationary materials goes higher because the wholesale price is higher.

While this correspondent visiting different shops in the city it was found that the white papers of common size were selling at Tk 16 to 18 per 'dista,' each note book of 120 pages in white or roller print at Tk 25 to Tk 30, notebooks of 200 pages at Tk 43 to Tk 45 each, and notebooks of 300 pages were selling at Tk 60 to Tk 64 each.

Different brands of pencils, pens, geometry boxes, sharpeners, erasers and other things were selling at different prices, depending on the sellers' demands.

Submission of charge sheet in Gatco case unlikely

UNB, Dhaka

Even though six months have elapsed since the Gatco case was filed against Khaleda Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and 11 others, submission of charge sheet in the case is unlikely before the Appellate Division's verdict on the extortion case against Sheikh Hasina.

The Commission takes its time in submitting the charge sheet as the Gatco case too has been brought under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR), according to sources. They said if the Appellate Division upholds the High Court verdict declaring Hasina case under the EPR illegal, the Commission would submit the charge sheet without using the EPR section. "Otherwise, the Commission is ready to submit the charge sheet in the case," said one source.

ACC chairman Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Masshud Chowdhury, now in the Netherlands, told reporters Monday that the Commission is taking time in submitting the charge sheet in the Gatco case to see the Appellate Division verdict on the extortion case against Hasina. He also said despite the High Court verdict on an extortion case against former Prime Minister Hasina, the ACC was still using the EPR because of its lawyers' advice. The Appellate Division's decision in this regard would help the Commission take a decision in this regard, he added.

The Commission has been sitting on the investigation report of the case for about four months since investigating officer ACC deputy director Jahirul Huda submitted the report on November 1, 2007 recommending submission of charge sheet against 31 individuals, including 13 initially charged ones.

50 pc credit growth in private sector in five months

Staff Reporter

Credit growth in the country's private sector, rose 50 per cent to Tk 11,551 crore during the first five months of the current financial year, driven by growing demand from import and agriculture businesses.

Credit in the private sector between July and November of previous fiscal that ended on June 30, 2007 was Tk 7,700 crore, according to a Reuters' dispatch released yesterday.

"It is a positive sign, as they (private sector) are the main engine for the growth of the economy," said Murshid Kuli Khan, a Deputy Governor of the Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of the country. "The upward trend will continue further as the central bank follows a relaxed monetary policy to help economy grow," he said.

However, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salahuddin Ahmed at a function in the city on Friday expressed his disappointment that the banks, particularly the private sector banks were not financing the productive sectors.

Private banks numbering 52 in total are dominating the country's banking, while there are on six Government owned banks.

"The private banks with their luxuriously decorated branches are only financing trading for quick profit leaving both the people and the productive sectors in the bay," Dr Salahuddin said, adding that financing only trading would not help grow the economy at an expected rate.

The central bank said in January it would pursue an expansionary monetary policy to ease credit facilities and would also keep a lid on inflation.

"We have asked all the banks to gear up loan allocations for agriculture, small and medium enterprises and rural infrastructure so that economy can run in its right truck to recover the losses after a series of natural calamities and also to improve the domestic supply situation," Murshid Kuli Khan said.

The army-backed interim government is ramping up production of main staple rice after floods and a cyclone of last year left it with a shortfall of up to 20 lakh tonnes.

Bangladesh is under a state of emergency since January 2007, when the interim authority took power following months of deadly political violence.

It banned all political activity, protests and disruptions -- and it has vowed to hold parliamentary elections late this year after completing a drive against widespread corruption.

FFs to campaign against electoral entente with Jamaat

UNB, Dhaka

Sector Commanders of the 1971 Liberation War yesterday announced that freedom fighters along with the people would resist any electoral alliance involving Jamaat-e-Islami or any anti-liberation organization for that matter.

"Jamaat will not get a single seat if there be no electoral alliance," Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandaker said at an opinion-exchange meeting with the electronic media at the Sector Commanders Forum's office at Banani. Demanding trial of war criminals, Khandaker said they would hope political parties would make a pledge in their election manifestos to try the war criminals if they returned to power.

He said the Sector Commanders Forum would hold a national convention on March 15 at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre with the permission of the administration.

After the meet, they would hold dialogue with pro-liberation and democratic political parties to take a clear stance against war criminals and anti-liberation organizations.

Former Army Chief Maj Gen (retd) AKM Shafiullah said political governments in the past could not hold trial of the war criminals, but the incumbent neutral caretaker government should not have any hesitation to initiate the process of the trial.

He also suggested that it must be made sure that war criminals can not participate in next general election.

Sector Commander Maj Gen (retd) C.R Dutta was present at the meeting.

The meeting was told that a list of 37,000 war criminals was prepared during the 1972-75 period, but later "President Zia's government pardoned some 26,000 war criminals".

Meanwhile, speakers at a seminar at the Muktijoddha Museum today joined their voice with the demanded for trial of war criminals.

Former Chief Advisor of caretaker government Justice Habibur Rahman said the government should make a move for putting the war criminals to trial and a "clear law should be enacted so the war criminals couldn't contest elections".

Chief Advisor Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed had earlier declined to initiate the trial for the 1971 war crimes, saying that his government has time constraints and is focused on holding the elections by the December deadline.

Film director Nantu dead

Siddiqu Zaman Nantu

BSS, Dhaka

Noted film director, actor and freedom fighter Siddique Zaman Nantu died at a city hospital yesterday morning at the age of 56.

Nantu, also a central leader of Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote, left behind his wife, one son, and two daughters and a host of relatives, friends and well-washers to mourn his death.

He was buried at Mirpur Martyred Intellectual Graveyard with sate honour after Asr prayers yesterday. Leaders of Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote expressed deep shock at the death of Siddique Zaman Nantu and conveyed sympathy to the members of the bereaved family.

The Jote leaders comprise Prof. Mamataz Uddin Ahmed, Asaduzzaman Nur, Actress Kabari Sarwar, Actress Falguni Hamid, Advocate Tarana Halim and Film Director Alamgir Kumkum, among others.

Besides, leaders Jatiya Hindu Moitri Parishad expressed deep shock at the death of Siddique Zaman Nantu.

The leaders include Justice Goura Gopal Saha, Nitai Chandra Ghosh, Nukul Chandra Saha and Gita Rani Sarkar, among others.

Concern over pollution of river Shitalakkha

BSS, Dhaka

Environmentalists yesterday expressed grave concern over the pollution of the river Shitalakkha and urged the government to take immediate steps to stop the sources of contamination and enhance flow of water to save the river, and keep the capital city habitable as well.

They expressed the anxiety during a field visit to the Demraghat and Kanchpur section of the polluted river onboard a boat.

About a two-hour visit of the environmentalists, accompanied by a team of newsmen, was not pleasant at all as the blacking water of the Shitalakkha was spreading bad odour, failing to bear with the magnitude of pollution it has been exposed to for year after year.

Chemical wastes from mills and factories, and discharges, including human excreta, from sewerage lines are pouring into the river round the clock causing serious contamination of water.

Yet, poor people living along the riversides were seen taking bath and washing clothes and utensils in the water of the Shitalakkha as they do not have alternative options.

Call to hold local polls before nat'l one

Staff Reporter

Leaders of different political parties yesterday said local government elections should not be held before holding the general elections.

They said it at a roundtable on 'Proposed Local Government Commission Ordinance and Supplementary Proposals' organised by Governance Coalition, a coalition of 27 NGOs at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city.

The leaders said the present government's constitutional mandate is to hold the parliament elections. They also said unless talking with the political parties about the proposed Local Government Commission the commission would not be effective.

Awami League presidium member Suranjit Sen Gupta, BNP leaders MK Anwar, Rizvi Ahmed, Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, PDP leader Ferdous Ahmed Quareshi and CPB general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, among others, spoke at the meeting moderated by Dr Salahuddin M Aminuzzaman, professor of Public Administration department of Dhaka University.

Suranjit Sen said, parliament elections should be held before all kinds of elections. "Avoiding the parliament nothing can be done so local government will not be strengthened by surpassing the parliament," he said.

"The local governments could be strengthened by the parliament," he said.

The AL leader said local governments and central government should be one another's supplement.

MK Anwar said, "The EC's primary task is to hold the parliament elections then the local government elections. As the tenure of parliament is already over the general elections should be held first."

"For sustainable development of every area of the country there is no alternative of strengthened local governments," he said.

Rashed Khan Menon said, "Parliament elections must be held before the local government elections."

He said MPs should not interfere into the local government's affairs and allocation of money from the national budget should be ensured for the local governments by the central government.

Mujahidul Islam Selim said, "Local governments should be free from political interference."

The 27 NGOs presented 18-point proposal to add into the proposed Local Government Commission Ordinance. Kartik Chandra Mandal coordinator of Manusher Janya Foundation presented keynote paper at the meeting.

Gas crisis may persist for a decade UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh's gas crisis may persist for next one decade as there is no immediate option for addressing the problem-neither through augmenting domestic production nor through import of the fuel.

According to experts in the hydrocarbon industry, the demand-supply gap will continuously be widening as the government failed to make a move in proper time considering the future situation.

At present, the country produces about 1,700 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas per day against a demand for 1,800 mmcf. The shortage is about 100 mmcf a day.

The demand is growing at 8-10 percent per year while the output is not rising proportionately for constraints on the exploration side.

The government has moved for holding 3rd-round gas-block bidding. But it takes at least 9 years to get gas from any block to be allocated through the latest bidding.

Despite such a situation in view, the country does not have any dependable option to rapidly increase production to cope with the demand side.

Particularly, the recent major failure in the international oil company Cairn's exploration in the offshore Magnama field has extremely frustrated the state-owned corporation Petrobangla about possibility of gas-production enhancement in the near future.

Petrobangla landed in such a quandary as its authorities had a belief that there might be a reserve of 3.5 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas in the Magnama belt. But, to their dismay, the field was found dry after having dug 4,000 metres down the seabed.

Following the failure in the Cairn's operation, the government went for considering the gas-import option.

How Bangladesh-born Bridget enriches McCain family

Bridget McCain

Cindy McCain

Agency

Bridget McCain is the adopted daughter of John McCain and Cindy McCain. Bridget's adoption story is quite interesting. Cindy was visiting third world countries with Mother Teresa and other medical personnel. They happened to visit an orphanage in Bangladesh to try and help out the needy children. There were two little baby girls - one with a heart problem and the other with a severe cleft palate. Cindy immediately decided to get both of them back to US with her. She was primarily concerned about their medical treatment and their survival. The McCain's decided to adopt Bridget McCain and their close friends adopted the other little angel, Mickey.

Therefore, we see that it was primarily Cindy's idea to adopt Bridget McCain. In fact John was not aware about this decision. It came as a bit of a shock to him. Cindy just returned and asked John to say hello to his new little daughter. But John is happy with the decision and a proud father. He says that Bridget has enriched their lives. "She's a wonderful child, a complete part of our family and we love her", said John. Also, the other children of McCain's accepted Bridget well.

Bridget McCain had become a sort of an issue during the campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination in South Carolina during the year 2000. John was criticized and was accused of having an affair with another woman.

From the Foreign Press: Water Keeping an eye on the tap

The Swiss Alps have been gleaming whitely outside the windows of the World Economic Forum, where there have been seven different sessions on water scarcity, part of the summit's ambition of "catalysing a new global collaboration". The Alpine scene is regularly enhanced by artificial snow, the manufacture of which takes more than a third of all the water consumed in Davos, where water shortages are becoming a problem. It is not alone. Within 20 years 3 billion people will live in water-stressed areas, and only some of them will be in Africa or Asia: water has become a problem of the developed world. This could be why an unlikely alliance of Coca-Cola and Pepsi (the latter castigated for selfish use of a scarce resource in developing countries), as well as the Dow Chemical Company and other multinationals, have drawn up an initiative charting a possible way ahead.

According to the UN, everyone needs a minimum of 20 litres of water a day for healthy living. Flushing lavatories uses about 50 litres a day. If the "embedded" water in everyday items is considered, rich-world consumption runs at an exorbitant 3,000 litres per person a day. A cotton T-shirt takes 27,000 litres of water to manufacture. A kilowatt-hour of coal-powered energy takes 1.6 litres of water (clean coal takes more), and nuclear energy 2.3 litres. As the global demand for goods spreads, so the demand for water will soar. And that is before factoring in the impact of climate change. Meanwhile, to meet the millennium development goals, 360,000 more people need to get access to clean drinking water every single day between now and 2015. Achieving that goal is vital to establishing the virtuous circle that sees people in healthier families work more productively.

The rich world needs to save water - no more snow cannons. But developing countries too need to change their thinking. Water scarcity cannot easily be solved on a project-by-project basis. Instead, the Davos gurus suggest a brokering network that maximises the value of projects by coordinating them, trying to meet the needs of both people and of industry.

Projects in India and South Africa, using aid to leverage private capital, are already under way. In the Hartebeespoort dam project, a pipeline is under construction to take non-drinking water to replace the drinkable water that industry currently uses. In India, micro-technology to provide clean drinking water in Uttar Pradesh will also create opportunities for very small-scale, water-carrying businesses. The gurus say their interests are served by building the bottom layer of the pyramid, a seedbed for future markets. Sceptics will wonder if it will end up with the poorest paying disproportionately for the resource it most urgently need.

Editorial: Guardian

Taskforce short-listing corrupt Biman officials

UNB, Dhaka

The army-led taskforce acting against serious crime is now preparing a short list of suspected corrupt Biman officials, both in and out of service, to expropriate their wealth made through unfair means.

Sources in the national airline, now a limited company, said that the taskforce on February 12 asked the Biman officials to submit their wealth statements.

The taskforce, which is under supervision of the National Coordination Committee on serious crime and corruption, is now scrutinizing the submitted files and asking the suspected officials about their wealth.

"Some of the officials are being questioned over telephone while a few have been asked to provide documents against their wealth and money statements," one Biman official told UNB.

This process of probing into the national flag carrier, as part of the current purge against institutional corruption, started a few days ago.

"The taskforce will submit the short list of corrupt Biman officials to the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) for taking necessary action," he added.

Annual confce of Islamic Bank Hospital held

Staff Reporter

The annual conference of Islamic Bank Hospital was held in Motijheel Govt Boys High School yesterday.

The function was presided over by Mir Kashem Ali, member administration of Islamic Bank Hospital. ANMA Jaher, Chairman of board of the directors of the Islamic Bank Foundation was present as chief guest.

ANMA Jaher said, the actual development of a country depends on mass people. Islamic Bank Foundation is contributing to country's development as the foundation always put its prime concern to the welfare of mass. Mentioning various successes, he said currently twenty-six projects are being operated by the foundation across the country.

Mir Kashim Ali announced to spend a large amount of profit for free treatment of poor people and for social development. He also said that post graduate medical institution by Islamic Bank Foundation will be established soon.

The function was divided in two parts. One is cultural part and another is discussion meeting. All senior and junior officials the Bank were present there and participated in different events.

It should be noted that Islamic Bank Hospital started its journey in 1993 with twenty five bed for patient. Currently it has 235 bed, 1070 man power,9 operation theatre and many other modern equipment.