The New Nation - Internet Edition

Discussion on Mahbub Zaman

BSS, Dhaka

A commemorative discussion meeting on Mahbub-Uz-Zaman, former minister and a long serving Cabinet Secretary, will be held at 4 pm at BIAM, New Eskaton in the city on March 11 (Tuesday).

Organised by 'Aponjon', a socio cultural organisation, the occasion will be chaired by former adviser of the caretaker government Kafiluddin Mahmood.

Friends, wellwishers and admirers of late mr.Zaman have been requested to attend the discussion meeting.

President greets Russian counterpart

BSS, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday extended his sincere felicitation to Dmitry A Medvedev, President-elect of the Russian Federation, on his landslide victory in the Presidential election of the country recently.

In a message of felicitation, the President hoped that the existing bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would further be strengthened in the years ahead.

"I look forward to closely working with you on the issues of our mutual interest," he added.

The President also expressed his best wishes for good health, happiness and long life of Medvedev.

New CAG calls on Speaker

BSS, Dhaka

Newly appointed Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Ahmed Ataul Hakim made a courtesy call on Speaker Barrister Muhammad Jamir Uddin Sircar at his Sangsad Bhaban office here on Sunday.

The CAG informed the Speaker of the existing accounts and audit system of the country and on-going reform programme in this area, a press release of the Ministry of Information said.

Ataul Hakim expressed his gratitude to the President and government for his appointment as the CAG and sought cooperation of the Speaker in discharging his duties.

The Speaker laid importance on making the country's accounts system more constructive and time-befitting to ensure accountability and transparency in spending public money.

Deputy Speaker Akhter Hamid Siddiqui was also present.

WB proposes $35m project for handicapped children

BSS, Dhaka

The World Bank has proposed taking up of a five year long programme, costing 35 million dollars benefiting the handicapped and vulnerable children in Bangladesh.

The offer was made by country director of the WB Xian Zhu when he met the special assistant to the chief adviser in charge of social welfare, post and telecommunication ministry Brigadier General (retd) MA Malek at his secretariat office on Sunday.

Malek thanked the WB authorities for the proposal and offered all possible cooperation to implement the project.

The project aims at raising and developing the standard of services at the government and the NGO sector for the handicapped and vulnerable children, widening the scope of services for the welfare and rehabilitation of these deprived people.

It also aims at preparing policies befitting the time in the light of international charter by developing the partnership between the government and the NGOs. Besides, it aims at raising the capabilities of the social welfare ministry and the organisations under it, said a release of the ministry.

The special assistant said, it would not be possible to achieve the desired national prosperity if the deprived children and the handicaps are not included in the development works.

In the light of this reality the government is implementing different programmes, attaching priority to the improvement of these neglected group of people, he added.

The government is encouraging participation of the NGOs in this programmes, Malek said adding, the government would also welcome the development partners in these programmes.

The WB country director observed that if the handicapped and deprived children remain neglected, they would become a burden to the nation and the society.

If helped to become a productive manpower they could also be able to contribute in national development, he noted.

The WB country director praised the government's role in different programmes in this regard. Describing the WB as one of the partners in Bangladesh's development activities, he expressed his sincere desire to expand the banks partnership further in social safety programmes.

53,710 die of cancer a year

BSS, Dhaka

As many as 53,710 people of the country die of different types of cancer annually while 84,074 people are being affected afresh.

Presently, there are nearly eight lakh cancer patients in the country. Of them 62.4 percent are male and the rest 37.6 per cent are female, this was revealed yesterday at a workshop on 'Health education and promotion with stakeholders and journalists'.

It said most common cancers are found in lung, respiratory track, mouth, ovary and breast.

The seminar was jointly organized by Bereau of Health Education (BHE) of Health Directorate and Bangladesh Centre for Communication Programme (BCCP) at Mohakhali here.

Participating in the seminar, high officials of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry said that 12.5 percent of the total deaths of the country causes due to various cardiovascular diseases while 6.2 per cent die of diabetics.

Health experts at the seminar said health consciousness, including having balance diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, could reduce 80 percent of heart diseases and diabetics and 40 percent of cancer.

They said the media could play a strong role in creating consciousness about health education by presenting in-depth and objective reporting.

Participants also underlined the need for opening a media cell at every health-related government and non-government organisations for ensuring free flow of information for the journalists.

Health and Family Welfare Secretary AKM Zafarullah Khan addressed the seminar as the chief guest while Director General of DGHS Prof Dr M Abul Faiz spoke as the special guest.

Chaired by Chief and Line Director of BHE M Anwarul Islam Khan, the workshop was addressed also by BCCP Director Mohammad Shahjahan, Joint Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Ministry Dr Anwar Hossain Munshi, Additional Director General of DGHS Dr Hosne Ara Tahmin and Deputy Chief of BHE Nur Mohammad.

Dr Mostafa Zaman of World Health Organisation (WHO), Prof Mahfuzur Rahman of NIPSOM and Biman Kumar Saha of National Nutrition Programme presented separate keynote papers on the impact of different diseases while President of Jatiya Press Club Shaukat Mahmood presented a paper on the importance of media coverage.

A good number of journalists and stakeholders of the health sector from every districts of the country took part at the workshop.

Most DU house tutors seldom found on duty

BSS, Dhaka

Most house tutors in Dhaka University (DU) residential halls are seldom found on duty although they have been enjoying all facilities provided by the authorities to carry out their responsibilities properly.

According to the DU ordinance and regulations amended up to 1997, the roles of house tutors include monitoring the arrival and departure of residential students in and out of their halls.

They are also supposed to call the roll and seek explanation from the absentees, check leave applications and look after dining rooms, canteens, furniture and other property of the residential halls.

Professor Jahidul Islam, provost of Zahurul Haque Hall, said the house tutors do not visit the respective residential halls regularly. "They neglect their duties", he said adding that the students would have been more benefited had the house tutors paid more attention to them.

A residential student of Zahurul Haque Hall told BSS that the post of house tutor should be upgraded to assistant provost with more responsibilities.

According to the university budget book, DU allocated Taka 31.43 lakh under the head of allowance for the provosts and house tutors of 19 dormitories for the financial year 2007-08.

The DU has at least 120 house tutors and 70 assistant house tutors at 19 dormitories, official sources said. Had the house tutors been regular on duty, they said, the students would not have faced accommodation crisis and the outsiders could not occupy the seats.

Mansur Alam, a residential student of Zahurul Haque Hall, told BSS that he had to wait for months to meet a house tutor to get a seat. "If the house tutors visit hall canteens regularly, the students can have better meal everyday," he said.

The DU authorities provide Taka 1,000 in extra allowance to each house tutor and Taka 800 to each assistant house tutor. Besides, they get residential flats close to each dormitory on condition of carrying out their responsibilities regularly.

Thai govt won't interfere in Thaksin case

AFP, Bangkok

Thailand's prime minister on Sunday vowed not to interfere in the trial of his old ally Thaksin Shinawatra, the ousted premier who is due in court this week to face corruption charges.

"He (Thaksin) is coming back to face trial this week. People said be careful, this government should not interfere with the justice system," Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said on his weekly television address.

"This government would not dare to interfere with justice," he said.

Thaksin returned to Thailand on February 28 for the first time since his ouster in a military coup in September 2006.

General elections in December brought his allies in the People Power Party (PPP) into government, paving the way for his return after 17 months in self-imposed exile.

The entrepreneur-turned-politician is due in court on Wednesday when he is expected to enter a plea on charges of using his political office to win a property deal for his wife.

3 employees of Geetiara sent to jail

Court Correspondent

Three employees of Geetiara Shafia Chowdhury, former Adviser of the Caretaker Government were yesterday sent to the Central Jail in two criminal cases for stealing and ransacking CCTV cameras.

The employees are Security Supervisor Mohabbat, generator operator Shiraj and helper Zamal of Sign-age, Mega Vision and Adcom Limited owned by Geetiara and husband Najim Kamran Chowdhury.

Two separate cases were filed against the accused with Gulshan Thana of the city for stealing four CCTV and ransacking another four CCTV cameras with cable wire and pipe. Hearing the cases Metropolitan Magistrate Shahin Uddin rejected the bail petition submitted on behalf of the accused and ordered to send them to jail.

It has been disclosed that Geetiara and her husband rented first, second, third, fifth and sixth floors of a six-storied building at Gulshan-2 to conduct their business and the term of contract was over in September, last year.

At the five when the tenants were asked to vacate the floors, they allegedly threatened the landlady Farhana Islam. They also manhandled and abused her.

Farhana Islam installed four CCTV cameras at the ground floor of the building which recorded, employees Shiraj and Zamal stealing the CCTV cameras. Complainant Farhana accused Geetiara and Najim Kamran of ordering their employees to do harm to her through their hired terrorists.

Advocates Monir Hossain, Lutfor Rahman Liton, Majibor Rahman, Zahirul Alam Bablu and others moved the case on behalf of the complainant.

Meanwhile, film producer director Kazi Hayat was yesterday granted bail in the case film star Apu Biswas filed against him. She accused him of manhandling her.

Metropolitan Magistrate Waliur Rahman granted the bail.