The New Nation - Internet Edition

Truth Commission law in final stage: Politicians, businessmen will get opportunity to confess economic crime and escape jail term

Staff Reporter

The government has sought the opinion of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) regarding the formation of the much-talked-about 'Truth and Accountability Commission'.

The ACC Director General Colonel Hanif Iqbal in his regular press briefing said yesterday that the ACC has received a draft proposal from the government for formation of the Truth and Accountability Commission.

"The ACC will scrutinise the legal aspects of the proposal and put forward its recommendation to the government in the light of the ACC Act-2004," he said without any elaboration.

Meanwhile, the Government Sunday in principle approved establishment of the much-talked-about truth and accountability commission.

A high level meeting held with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair, at his office, asked the officials concerned to submit draft ordinance of the proposed commission before the council of advisers within a month.

Home Adviser MA Matin, Law Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed, Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman

Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury and high officials of the ministries concerned attended the four and half hours long meeting.

According to the proposal, the truth and accountability commission will be formed to enable corruption suspects, especially businesspeople and politicians, to confess crimes to the commission and escape trial depositing the ill-gotten assets with the state exchequer.

The commission will be a three-member institution headed by a former chief justice who retired before the 14th amendment to the Constitution that had increased the retirement age of Supreme Court judges.

Two other members of the commission will be nominated from among the secretaries and retired officials of the armed forces, the proposal mentioned.

Persons earlier working in the police or holding the office of an adviser to the caretaker government or election commissioner will not be eligible to become members of the commission.

No legal steps will be taken against people if they confess crimes and deposit the ill-gotten assets with the state treasury unless they get involved in further crimes, said the proposal.

Such persons, however, will have no right to contest any elections, the proposal added.

The people already convicted by any court on any graft charge will have no scope for making confession before the commission to get relieved of the charge, according to the proposal.

The commission will have the power to summon any person. If the people summoned do not respond to the order, the commission may sentence them to a maximum of three years' imprisonment.

The commission may fine such people or confiscate their assets, but the amount of the fine will not exceed the value of his property. If any people lie to the commission, it will send them to court for trial.

Govt decides to treat Hasina in local hospital

Sheikh Hasina

Staff Reporter

A high level meeting on Hasina's health condition decided to admit her in a local hospital of her choice, sources said yesterday.

The meeting was presided over by Maj. Gen (Retd) MA Matin, Adviser for Home Affairs.

In view of this the jail authorities have requested detained ex-premier Sheikh Hasina to get admitted to hospital on recommendations of specialist physicians who examined her at makeshift prison in the last few days.

Hasina has been suffering from multiple health complications, including serious problems in her ears and eyes.

Talking to reporters, IG (Prisons) Brig Gen Zakir Hassan said the jail authorities have requested her to consider the doctors' advice for being admitted to hospital. He said further decisions regarding her treatment could be taken after conducting necessary tests at hospital.

"We hope the former Prime Minister will consider the proposal," he told the reporters.

The IG (Prisons) would not say at this stage whether she would be sent abroad for treatment of her ears badly damaged in grenade blasts at her rally on August 21, 2004.

Meanwhile, Lions Kabir Hossain, uncle of Sheikh Hasian, yesterday sent letters to the President and the Chief Adviser to take necessary actions for the treatment of Hasina abroad on humanitarian grounds.

"I believe they are the persons who can solve the problems of sending Hasina abroad for treatment by removing any legal complexity," he told media personnel.

Sheikh Hasina yesterday declined to get admitted into any hospital in the country despite jail authority's request.

"Sheikh Hasina is not interested to get admitted to hospital," her personal doc and medicine specialist Prof ABM Abdullah told reporters outside the makeshift jail after examining the ailing Awami League chief's latest health conditions.

Inspector General (IG-Prisons) Brig Gen Zakir Hassan told reporters at the Home Ministry yesterday that the jail authorities requested Sheikh

Hasina to get admitted to a hospital, but she replied that she was considering their proposals.

The request from the government side came following repeated medical checkup of her health conditions by her personal physicians for the last few days. The physicians advised her critical ear treatment in the United States. The jail authorities, however, prefer to get her admitted into a local hospital first.

Eye-specialist Dr Modasser Ali, who examined Hasina Sunday, said allergy on her skin further aggravated, and for that, her eye corners darkened. He noted that Hasina is not confident of taking medicare inside the country and so she should be sent abroad "immediately".

E.N.T specialist Dr. Pran Gopal Dutta said he recommended the jail authorities for sending Sheikh Hasina to the USA on an emergency basis, failing which she could lose her hearing.

Earlier, the physicians had recommended her to get admitted to hospital, as she needs some tests.

Dr. Abdullah alleged that tests that were recommended by her seven personal physicians to ascertain her overall health conditions were not conducted.

"We, the seven physicians of the former Prime Minister, applied to the jail authority to check up Hasina by forming a medical board, but the government didn't give us permission," he said.

Abdullah went to the makeshift jail on the primnes of the parliament-building complex at about 9:45 am and stayed there for nearly two hours examining her health.

He said her ear treatment is only possible in the USA and she should be sent over there for her ear treatment. "I have seen the device of her ears…It is highly technical," the doctor said, adding that for the sake of dealing with this hearing aid Hasina should go to America.

Abdullah said her blood pressure is now under control and her allergy subsiding, but conditions of her ears and eyes still remained unchanged.

"My stomach has now been changed into a pharmacy for last three months as I am taking so much of medicine," Prof Abdullah quoted Hasina as saying.

The ex-PM was arrested on July 16 last year in connection with an extortion case under the current purge in the interim period. She has been suffering from multiple health complications, including acute problems in her ears and eyes.

Hasina's personal doctors several times have recommended forming a multidisciplinary medical board for her immediate treatment as she developed multiple complications.

Rice price beyond affordable limit: Long-term strategy needed to ensure food security

LONG QUEUE LONG WAIT: Women of all ages line up
under the blazing sun to avail themselves of the government
offered Tk 25 per kg rice in Jessore yesterday. Banglar
Chokh

Staff Reporter

Food and Disaster Management Adviser AMM Shawkat Ali yesterday admitted that soaring price of food grains has become intolerable and said local production shortfall has contributed to the rice price.

"An effective short, mid and long term strategies are needed to ensure food security in the country," the Adviser said yesterday at a seminar in the city.

Economic Reporters' Forum organised the seminar at National Press Club titled 'Food Security in Bangladesh' with its president Nazmul Ahsan in the chair.

Former Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, former Food and Disaster Management Minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, country representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) AD Spijkers and rice importer Tipu Sultan, among others, spoke on the occasion. General Secretary of ERF Sajjad Alam Topu gave vote of thanks.

Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies M Asaduzzaman presented keynote paper at the seminar.

The Adviser informed the seminar that the caretaker government has so far imported 29 lakh tons of rice to meet the local demand.

"The quantity of the imported rice is expected to stand at 40 lakh tons by June next.

So, there is no lack of effort on the government's part. But some difficulties arise in import of rice as per its demand due to some internal decisions of neighbouring India," Shawkat Ali said.

The Adviser said an effort is on to import five lakh tons of rice from five state-owned companies of India.

"One lakh ton of rice will be imported soon from Kolkata Essential Corporation. The rest of the rice will also be imported from four other state-owned companies of India," he said.

Asked what the government can do to convince India to sell rice at a reduced rate, the Adviser said India has increased the export price of rice in order to discourage its exports.

"To ensure its own food security, India has technically increased the price of rice for the private importers. We'll have to deal with the matter logically. But Bangladesh government, if necessary, can request India in this regard," Shawkat Ali said.

The Adviser said at present the government has buffer stock of 5 lakh tons of rice which will be increased shortly. According to the government policy the stock should not be less than 10 lakh tons.

Rice importer Tipu Sultan said rice in India is sold at Tk 14,000 per ton, but when private importers from Bangladesh want to buy it at the same rate, they demand Tk 26,000 per ton.

"Our government should take immediate steps through diplomatic channel so that India sells rice to Bangladesh's private importers at a reasonable rate," Tipu said.

Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf said country's irrigation system has to be more efficient for adequate production of food grains and the farmers should be provided necessary inputs in this regard.

He said businessmen should be allowed to import freely to help ensure food security.

Chowdhury said price of food grains increased globally and it has spiralled inflation.

He urged the government to take short, mid and long-term policies to increase food grains production.

Tofail Ahmed said the price of rice should not have soared much if the government's buffer stock was adequate. Food security should be given top most priority and the government has to take timely steps after finding the gaps.

He said people are suffering from different kind of problems and the state of emergency has deepened it. Realistic steps should be taken to ensure food security, the former minister added.

Ershad quits 'Mohajote’ to form new alliance

HM Ershad

Staff Reporter

Jatiya Party Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) HM Ershad said his party was holding talks with different political parties regarding the formation of a new alliance, rather than rejoining the previous Awami League-led grand alliance.

Ershad said this to journalists yesterday following a meeting at the party's Banani office.

The JP Chairman said his party has no objection to participate in the local government elections ahead of the national polls.

"It is true that we were part of the grand alliance," he said and added "However, they broke that alliance."

"There is no doubt whether it exists any more," said Ershad.

"We will now form a new alliance," he said, adding that he had recently spoken to Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh president Prof Dr Badruddoza Chowdhury regarding the issue.

Ershad said his party was holding talks with some other parties.

The former president urged the caretaker administration to take necessary measures to control the skyrocketing of commodity price.

Regarding the recent announcement of an amendment to the inheritance law, Ershad said: "No law should be formulated which is inconsistent with religious laws."

The JP chairman added that he hoped the general election would be held in line with the Election Commission's roadmap.

Rupali Bank dropped from privatisation list

Staff Reporter

The Government has decided to drop Rupali Bank from its privatisation list as its bidder Saudi Prince Bandar-Bin-Mohammad-Bin-Abdul-Rahman-Al-Saudi failed to sign a purchase deal within the scheduled time.

An Advisory Committee meeting for Economic Affairs, Government of Bangladesh has taken the decision yesterday, which was presided over by the Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam.

After the meeting, Finance Adviser said, since the Saudi Prince did not agree to purchase Rupali Bank, the Government decided to drop its name from the list of privatisation.

"Now, orders have been issued to send back all the files and documents related to Rupali Bank sale to the Finance Ministry," he added.

According to him, normal operation of Rupali Bank was hampered because of the privatisation move.

Official from the Finance Ministry said the Committee asked the Privatisation Commission to cancel the tender floated to sell out Rupali Bank as part of the privatisation move.

Participating in the tender, Saudi Prince Bandar-Bin-Mohammad-Bin-Abdul Rahman Al-Saudi won the bid in 2006

and proposed to invest US$500 million in the state-run Rupali Bank, of which US$330 million for buying the bank's 67 per cent shares and the rest for modernising it.

But after the 1/11 changeover of the country's political situation, the Saudi Prince was delaying to strike the purchase deal with the government.

Finally, the Privatisation Commission served a legal notice to the Saudi Prince in December 2007, asking him to deposit US$458 million within December 26, 2007 as per its tender participation rules for taking over Rupali Bank.

But the Prince did not reply to the Commission. The Commission, in a letter, had earlier informed the Chief Adviser that the Prince, after two weeks of the notice, would be liable to forfeit US$100,000 in security money paid to it.

The government had earlier decided to privatise Rupali Bank as part of its financial reforms and banking sector modernisation.

BRTA special drive : 66 vehicles seized, 714 owners sued

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) seized 66 vehicles and filed case against 714 vehicles under Motor Vehicle Ordinance-1983 during a special drive from February 26 to March 3 across the capital city.

BRTA officials disclosed this at a press conference at its head office yesterday. They informed that the Motor Vehicle Ordinance-1983 would be extensively amended very soon and a draft proposal of amendment has already been sent to the Communication Ministry. In the draft proposal BRTA proposed to make it an autonomous body.

Sunil Kanti Bose, Chairman of BRTA, said, "There is a large gap between people's expectation and the present situation in transportation system. We are not enough enriched by manpower to meet people's demand as the road and vehicles were considerably increased during the last few years. We are strongly determined to fulfil mass demand by recruiting some more skilled manpower."

He also said BRTA has made a plan of action for the betterment of transport system. Some major plans are, to continue special drive every month, to set up electronic device to identify fake licences, to maximise transport security by using modern equipment, to arrange training programme for drivers to improve them ethically and technically, to amend the lengthy process of getting driving licence, to hold view exchange meeting with people of different level related to the transport system and to campaign for pubic awareness.

Abdur Rouf Chowdhry, Director (Enforcement), Nawshir Ahmed, Director (Administration) Abdur Rashid, Magistrate of BRTA, among others, were present in the press conference.

Probe report on DU incidents to be made public EC empowered to announce Upazila polls schedule

UNB, Dhaka

The probe-committee findings on the August 20-22 incidents of violence at Dhaka University will be made public as the council of advisors of the caretaker government Sunday approved a proposal for publishing the inquiry report.

In another major step, the advisory council gave its final approval to amendments to the Upazila Parishad Act 1988 again vesting authority in the Election Commission from the government to fix and announce dates of upazila parishad polls.

A regular weekly meeting of the advisory council, with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair, gave the approval to the two important matters.

The DU probe report will be given on public domain like website, printed copy in media or as booklet in a few days.

Through the amendment to the UZ law, the provision for MPs becoming adviser to the respective upazila parishads has been scrapped.

Earlier, the amendments to the upazila parishad act had been approved in principle by the council.

The meeting also approved a proposal, in the light of some comments and suggestions, for making cyclone-warning signals and special bulletin of weather message simpler and worthy of the time.

According to the new proposal there remain 8 types of weather-warning signals for seaports instead of present 11 categories while there will be 6 warning signals for inland river ports instead of the existing 4 scales of signals.

Against the backdrop of recent disasters and certain reported confusion over the signaling, conducting massive campaign was suggested to make people aware about the changed weather forecasts.

The meeting was also informed about the verdict of the High Court on a writ petition and order of the Supreme Court regarding change in the name of post of upper-division clerk of the High Court to administrative officer like that of Bangladesh Secretariat employees, and upgrading the status and salary of second-class officer.

An annual report of activities for 2006-07 fiscal of the Ministries and Divisions was placed by the Cabinet Division in the meeting.

The report mentioned that in 2006-07, out of a total of 213 projects, 206 were implemented.

It also shows that GDP in 2006-07 was 6.53 and per-capita income rose to 520 US dollars compared to 482 dollars in the previous fiscal year.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim briefed newsmen about the outcome of the meeting.

Members of the council of advisers attended the meeting at the CA's office. Cabinet Secretary and Secretaries concerned were also present.

Quarantine lifted from bird flu suspect poultry owner

Staff Reporter

The bird flu-suspect poultry farm owner in country's Rajshahi district and his wife and son, who were quarantined on suspicion of avian influenza infection, were released from hospital Sunday after pathological tests in Dhaka produced negative results.

The tests of throat and nasal swabs of the farm owner Ashraf Hossain, 42, and his wife and 14-year-old son were carried out at the virology department of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and the ICDDR, B (International Centre for Diarrhoea Disease Research, Bangladesh).

"We recommended releasing the three after extensive tests. We first performed a rapid test for influenza at the virology department of IEDCR and the results were negative for all three," said Prof Mahmudur Rahman, Director of IEDCR, yesterday.

"Usually, we do not proceed for further tests after the rapid test. But since it was the first case in the country where the patient was from an infected farm, we gave it a top priority," he said.

The specimens were then sent to the virology department of ICDDR, B for real-time polymerise chain reaction (RT-PCR) test and the results were negative for H5 virus too.

Ashraf Hossain, a poultry farmer in the Rajshahi city, had been admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on March 5 and quarantined the next day on suspicion of being infected with the avian influenza H5N1 virus.

On February 20 this year, some 100 chickens of his farm died and he buried those without taking any protective measures. Two days later, the district livestock department confirmed the presence of bird flu virus at the farm and culled 600 chickens.

Pre-poll dialogue: EC faces another legal notice for not inviting Muslim League

Staff Reporter

Secretary General of Bangladesh Muslim League Atiqul Islam has served legal notice on the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday for not inviting his party in the dialogue held recently between the Commission and the political parties.

Advocate Sheikh Julfikar Bulbul Chowdhury served the notice on behalf of Atiqul Islam where he stated that Muslim League meets the criteria for getting invitation from the EC for dialogue like the other 15 parties which got the same.

According to the notice, Atiqul Islam had sent a letter to the EC on November 21, 2007 describing his party's eligibility to get invitation for dialogue. But the EC did not invite his party neither in first phase, nor in the second phase of the dialogue.

Atiqul Islam believes that such behaviour of the EC is intentional or outcome of adverse attitude to his party.

Advocate Chowdhury demanded the EC to invite his client in the dialogue within the next seven days of serving of the notice. He threatened legal action if his client was not invited for dialogue.

Mig-29 scam case: SC hearing on Hasina's stay petition tomorrow

UNB, Dhaka

The hearing of an application for stay on the operation of the High Court verdict that revived the Mig-29 purchase-scam case against ex-PM Sheikh Hasina and others will be held at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Wednesday.

Chamber Judge of the apex court Justice MA Matin, following an application moved by the counsel for Hasina, passed the order yesterday.

Barrister Shafique Ahmed, a top counsel for Hasina, told journalists that the application was moved as they preferred leave to appeal against the High Court judgment.

On September 6 last year, the High Court, upon a government petition, discharged Sheikh Hasina's petition for quashing the charge of shady deals on purchase of the fighter jets from Russia, vacating its order of stay given in 2003 on the trial-court proceedings in the case.

The HC discharged the quashing petitions on grounds that the alleged offences were disclosed in the FIR and the charge sheet.

Hasina, who has been detained in a makeshift jail since July 16 last year in an extortion case, is facing a plethora of corruption charges.

The now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAC) had filed the case in December 2001 against Hasina, former army chief Gen (retd) Mustafizur Rahman, former air chief Air Marshal Jamal Uddin Ahmed, former Defense Secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhtar Maroof, Defense Joint Secretary (retd) Mohammad Hossain Serniabat and businessman Noor Ali.

While Hasina was Prime Minister (1996-2001), eight Russian-made fighter planes of the brand were procured for the Bangladesh Air Force.

Immediate after the BNP-led 4-party alliance came to power, the BAC filed the case. According to FIR, the government incurred a loss of Tk 700 crore on account of the warplane purchase.

The longstanding case remained dormant following a High Court order upon petitions filed by the accused for quashing the case.

The army-backed interim government that has waged war on corruption allegedly committed during the political regimes revived the case, as a purge is now on stream.

Tk 102cr Japanese house reconstruction grant for Sidr victims

BSS, Dhaka

The government of Japan has approved Taka 102 crore as Japan Debt Relief Grant Assistance Counterpart Fund for the project "Reconstruction of Houses Damaged by Sidr 2007 in the Coastal District of Bangladesh".

The assistance was approved following a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management to the Embassy of Japan through economic relations division, ministry of finance, a press release said here on Monday.

The objective of the project is to reconstruct houses for one lakh people in eight districts.

The districts are Barguna, Bagherhat, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Barisal, Bhola, Jhalakhati and Satkira, considered to be the worst affected area by Sidr.

The support will help the cyclone-affected people return to their normal life and reduce vulnerability to any future natural disaster, the release added.

The government of Japan had earlier provided relief materials worth US dollar 370,000, grant assistance worth US dollar 3.7 million through World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) and US Dollar 65 million ODA loan for disaster damage rehabilitation.

In addition, Japan has already started the assessment procedure for construction of additional cyclone shelters in affected area.

Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh Masayuki Inoue hoped that the Japan's assistance will contribute to the great improvement of the quality of life of Sidr-affected people in the area.

Leather industries to be relocated outside Dhaka

Staff Reporter

The Economic Affairs Committee meeting yesterday has decided in principle to relocate leather industries away from Dhaka City.

Newly set up Savar Leather Industrial Estate would be the next place for them.

The committee decided to soften the loan repayment conditions for those who would be willing to relocate their factories to the Leather Industrial Estate.

On the other hand, those who would not agree to relocate their factories would have to face a tough situation, as their mortgage assets would be sold out to realise their bank loans.

The Economic Affairs Committee rejected a proposal to give waiver to Power Development Board to follow the Public Procurement Regulation

2003 in tendering the 150 MW Chandpur Power Plant.