The New Nation - Internet Edition

FBCCI election: President candidates vow to work for vibrant economy

FBCCI Administrator Syed Manjur Elahi speaking at
the Projection Meeting organised by the Election Board of
the federation at the Institute of Diploma Engineers in the
city on Wednesday. Banglar Chokh

UNB, Dhaka

A. Rouf Chowdhury and Annisul Huq, presidents candidates in the FBCCI election (2007-09) yesterday vowed to work for making the country's economy more vibrant if they are elected.

They also pledged they will work hard to attract investment and halting the soaring prices of essentials if they won the election scheduled to be held on March 17.

The two business leaders from the Association Group made the pledges while talking to reporters on the sidelines of an election projection meeting at the Diploma Engineers Institute.

In 2007-09 terms the president of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) will be elected from the Association Group as per its rules. Bangladesh Vegetable Oil and Vanaspati Refiners Association president A Rouf Chowdhury said the FBCCI members now want such leadership whose suggestions and opinions will carry some value for the government.

"FBCCI members provide 85 percent of the country's total revenue. But, governments seldom give attention to the problems facing the businessmen who are the lifeline of the economy. If I am elected, I will ensure recognition of our contribution to the economy," Rouf said. He expressed resentment over what he said the governments like to listen to prescription of donor agencies and donor countries, though they contribute little to the Bangladesh economy. He said the national economy is passing through a very adverse time as investment climate is damaged while prices of essentials have gone beyond the tolerable level.

"Now FBCCI needs such leadership who can a give a new life to the present bleak economy," Rouf said.

Annisul Huq, former BGMEA president, told the journalists that he would give special emphasis on welfare of the country's small and medium entrepreneurs that will certainly advance the overall economy.

He said there would be a silent revolution through the FBCCI election on March 17. Businessmen will get their democratic rights to address their problems and interests.

"There was no planned course of action of the FBCCI in the past. With the help of my colleagues I will formulate an action plan to accelerate trade and investment particularly of small and medium enterprises," Annisul said.

A total of 22 candidates from the Association Group and 27 candidates from the Chamber Group will contest the election.

Twelve from each group will be elected as Directors through the voting.

Enhance police perks for better service: IGP

Staff Reporter

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad yesterday accused most of the previous governments of abusing the police in different ways. He admitted that police has become transparent and accountable after the 1/11.

He said this at a view-exchange meeting at the Police Headquarters with the leaders of various non-government organisations (NGO).

The IGP said earlier some vested quarters had collected Tk 100 to Tk 150 crore through recruitment trading. But the recruitments were halted and if the recruitments were not halted, the entire police department would have suffered for about 30 years with those policemen recruited illegally.

He also said the police would hold meetings at district and upozila level to close gap between the police and people.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General (DG) Hasan Mahmud Khandakar, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Naim Ahmed, chiefs of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Branch (SB), Detective Branch (DB), and several other senior police officials were also present at the meeting.

Besides, leaders from various NGOs, including Grameen Bank, Action Aid, Karitas, Prashika, Acid Survivours' Foundation, Ain O Shalish Kendra, Bangladesh Manabadhikar Samanway Parishad, Democracy Watch, Shishu Odhikar Foundation and Blind Education took part in the discussion.

The IGP also said, " In the past, every government promised to make a radical change in the police department but none did it. I hope this is the time for the change in the police."

He, however, said police has been given power. But besides power, it should be given proper training and incentives.

The IGP said if any policeman gets involved in crimes he should have to be jailed or suspended and there are no excuses.

DMP Commissioner Naim Ahmed in his speech explained various activities and said, "Our target is to divert the police forces into a service oriented institution."

He said the NGO should conduct in-depth research on the activities of the police.

The NGO leaders also mentioned various activities of the law-enforcing agencies such as violation of human and citizen rights, extra judicial killings, crossfire and illegal arrest. They suggested that the police should close the gap with the people.

Local children submit child rights report to UN

Staff Reporter

A team of 87 children of four organisations in Bangladesh prepared a child led alternative report for the first time which has been submitted to the Child Rights Committee of the United Nations.

As pioneers of the initiative, the children organised a discussion session at LGED building in the capital yesterday.

Children of Ichchey, Child Bridge,Vorer Alo- children organisations affiliated to Save The Children Sweden-Denmark along with National Children Task Force(NCTF) of Save the Children Australia prepared the report Amar Kotha Ami Boli (These are my words).

The children believe the report has been an effort to disseminate their point of view regarding the issues affecting their lives and hope that it will bring them some positive change in the long run.

As Bangladesh has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC) in 1990, the Bangladesh Government sends a report to CR committee after every five years to portray the child right situation in the country.

Along with this main report the United Nations also receives alternative reports from different people and organisations. Children are also encouraged to send their own alternative reports on the issue of child rights. This led the UN to realise the child rights situation in the country better.

The alternative report discussed about principles, civil rights, family environment, alternative care, primary health and welfare, education, leisure and recreational activities, special protection and many other issues related to children.

They collected information or comments through consultation session, questionnaire, advertisement, documentary etc. The report was made in participation of 12,225 children of 28 organisations through 138 publications and 7442 children through questionnaire. The children have collected secondary data from 648 reports from 123 publications and a video documentary. The children accommodated all information and comments through summarising them in the report.

After sharing the report, the children discussed the way forward. They decided to make a forum titled "Shisu Surokkha Andolon" for regular follow up of child rights issues in the country.

Agrani Bank MLSS chargesheeted for amassing wealth

Court Correspondent

Charge sheet was yesterday submitted to the court against an MLSS of Agrani Bank Limited in a graft case filed against him allegedly for amassing wealth through income beyond his known sources of income.

As accused MLSS Anwar Hossain has been absconding, Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) sought warrant of arrest against him and attachment of his movable and immovable properties. Twenty-five persons were made witness in the case and some material evidence were also seized.

Md Rafiqul Islam, Assistant Director of ACC filed the case on September 26 last year with Sabujbagh Thana of the city against the accused. MLSS Anwar was accused of amassing wealth worth Taka 67,22,811 from 2000 to 2006 and concealing facts about his wealth to the tune of Taka 57,15,702 in his wealth statement he submitted to ACC. Another Assistant Director of ACC Md Amirul Islam completed his inquiry and yesterday submitted the charge sheet to the court.

Bird flu update: Poultry industry losses mount as flu spreads

Staff Reporter

Despite stepped up bio-security at farms and markets, as well as an awareness- campaign in media, bird flu continues to spread in the country.

Forty-seven out of 64 districts of the country are now affected. In the past 10 days, the number of affected upazilas and farms has increased from 107 to 124 and 196 to 220 respectively.

In Khulna, some 6,000 chickens died of avian influenza in a poultry farm in Batiaghata upazila yesterday.

Bird flu has caused an estimated Tk 5,147 crore in losses to the country's poultry sector. Each month the sector is losing Tk 828 crore, according to the estimation of the Bangladesh chapter of the World Poultry Science Association (WPSA).

About 50 per cent of the poultry farms have been closed and 25 lakh people out of the 60 lakh involved in the industry have been made jobless. In fact, many people have removed chicken and eggs from their menus altogether.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, there are about 150,000 poultry farms in the country, which produce 320,000 metric tones of meat and over five million eggs annually. Investment in the sector is estimated at close to Tk 2,000 crore, while 89 per cent of people living in rural areas rear chickens at home.

According to our Khulna correspondent, owner of Chhaya Poultry Farm Sheikh Abed Ali said the chickens started dying in his poultry farm from early Friday.

Two samples of the dead chickens were sent to Dhaka for laboratory test and the laboratory found avian influenza in the samples.

Sheikh Abed Ali said he had 8,000 chickens in his poultry farm, of which, 6,000 died till yesterday.

Deputy Commissioner SM Feroz Alam and UNO Sarafat Hossain admitted the incident and said that the administration is taking proper initiative in this regard.

Media role for mainstreaming street children emphasized

BSS, Dhaka

Speakers at a discussion yesterday urged the media personalities to play their significant role by ensuring quality reporting to integrate the disadvantaged street children in the mainstream of the development.

"The underprivileged street children are not exposed in our society although they are the significant part of the society. The media can play a significant role in promoting their livelihood by making capacity building of the street children", they said at the discussion held at the VIP lounge of the National Press Club here.

The discussion on 'Role of the Print and Electronic Media, was organised by the Improving Development Opportunity for Street Children (IDOSC) run under the Population Services Training Centre (PSTC) in cooperation with Plan Bangladesh.

Editor of the daily Jugantar Golam Sarwar was present as the chief guest while head of news of the Ekushey Television Shah Alamgir and acting country director of the Action Aid Bangladesh Haider Yakub Chowdhury were present as the special guests.

PSTC executive director Milon Bikash Paul presided over the discussion. Director of community services of the PSTC Fayez Mohammad Mostaque, Programme manager of Dhaka south programme unit of Action Aid Bangladesh FM Shamsul Alam, social development adviser of Action Aid Bangladesh Jinnath Afroz, IDOSC coordinator Surojit Kundu were present, among others.

Tax breaks only for weak sectors: NBR

Staff Reporter

Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Mohammad Abdul Majid yesterday said that tax breaks should be allowed only for the priority sectors to help industrial development in the country.

Majid said this at a pre-budget discussion with the RMG sector leaders where the BGMEA demanded for extension of the tax holiday it had been enjoying through a period.

"All countries in the world have provisions for tax breaks for select sectors to help them grow. But such exemptions cannot be applied wholesale without judging the merits or needs of the sectors," the NBR chairman said.

He said tax holiday facilities should be shifted from those sectors, which have earned considerable abilities to the weaker ones for a specific tenure.

"The forthcoming pro-people budget will ensure that indigenous industrial fields flourish, attaching importance to those contributing especially in the country's economy. But the businessmen too must pay taxes duly and take care not to hoodwink the government. Only then, will the nation achieve the expected goal."

Majid was critical of the BGMEA's demand for cutting taxes on RMG equipment imports saying, "No-one tells me to increase taxes in a particular sector by 4-5 per cent. All ask for reductions only."

BKMEA president Md Fazlul Haque raised the issue of businessmen getting harassed by customs officials while importing yarn through Benapole land port.

The NBR chairman assured all that any hurdles in cotton yarn import via Benapole land port would be removed after necessary review.

Moazzem Hossain, researcher of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, said RMG prices were falling in the international markets, which made it imperative for the government to assist the smaller RMG industries survive and compete in the market.

The NBR will sit with 22 sectors to hold talks on the forthcoming 2008-09 budget. The first meeting was held Monday with the agriculture sector.

Three more US troops killed in Iraq violence

UNB, Baghdad

Violence reportedly killed at least 42 people in Iraq after the deadliest day for U.S. troops in precisely six months.

The U.S. military, however, disputed claims that 16 passengers on a bus hit by a roadside bomb in southern Iraq were killed, saying no one died in the attack, which was targeting a passing military convoy. The U.S. military announced Tuesday that three American soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing north of Baghdad on Monday, bringing to eight the number of troops who died that day. The last time so many U.S. military personnel were killed in Iraq was Sept. 10, when 10 died.

Bloodshed has increased recently, despite what the military said has been a 60 percent drop in attacks across Iraq since June. Last Thursday, two massive bombs killed 68 people in Baghdad's Karradah neighborhood. On March 3, two car bombings killed 24 people in the capital.

Noise pollution reaches deafening height in city

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Noise pollution in Dhaka city is increasing everyday where transportation vehicles and man-made din are the worst offenders, which is harmful to health.

Among the transportation vehicles aircraft, railroad stock, trucks, buses, automobiles and motorcycles all produce excessive noise.

Noise intensity is measured in decibel (dB) units. Subjected to 45 dB of noise, the average person cannot sleep. At 120 dB the ears register pain; hearing damage begins at a much lower level at about 85 dB.

In Bangladesh, noise pollution, also termed as sound pollution, is a major health hazard. In fact, due to noise pollution millions of people in the country are exposed to a number of health risks - from deafness to heart attack.

On the city streets noise pollution can be caused by hydraulic horns of vehicles, microphones and cassette players. The hydraulic horns used by buses, trucks and scooters in the crowded city streets are dangerous for human being. This is also how noise pollution in Dhaka City is affecting the hearing power of thousands of children everyday. The horns especially cause serious damage to children, said health experts.

"If a child below three years of age hears a horn emitting 100 dB of noise from a close range, he or she might lose his or her hearing power," said Dr Habibullah Talukder, Secretary General of Bangladesh Cancer Foundation.

A child's health may also be adversely affected by loud sounds from the radio, television, cassette players and microphones, the sound of mills and factories and loud noise, he said.

The unit of sound frequency is hertz. Human beings usually hear 15 to 20 kilohertz (KHz) frequency sound.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), generally 60 dB sounds can make a man deaf temporarily and 100 dB sounds can cause complete deafness.

But the noise of any busy street in Dhaka has been estimated at 60 to 80 dB, with the sound of vehicles being 95 dB, loud speakers 90 to 100 dB, mills and factories 80 to 90 dB, restaurants and cinema halls 75 to 90 dB, festivals 85 to 90 dB, scooter or motorbike 87 to 92 dB and trucks and buses 92 to 94 dB. But the desired sound measure is 25 dB in the bedroom, 40 dB in the dining or drawing room, 35-40 dB in the office, 30-40 dB in the class room, 35-40 dB in the library, 20-35 dB in hospital, 40-60 dB in a restaurant and 45 dB in the city at night.

When the sound exceeds this limit, there is noise pollution. Noise pollution beyond the limit destroys hearing and might even lead to the losing of one's mental balance, warned physicians.

Noise pollution also causes irritable temperament, affects lungs, hampers the intellect of the children and makes them apathetic towards their studies, they said.

Rupali Bank to be activated before further decision

UNB, Dhaka

The government would go for reactivating the state-run Rupali Bank before taking any policy decision on the bank's future as the government scrapped the process to sell it out to a Saudi Prince.

"We'll see how we can activate the bank first…the policy decision on its future will be taken later," Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam said talking to UNB and two other reporters at his Planning Ministry office yesterday.

He said all the recruitment process as well as lending operation of the bank remained stalled while other normal banking operations were hampered due to the privatisation move. The Advisors Committee on Economic Affairs Monday decided to drop Rupali Bank from its privatisation list as the winning bidder Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud failed to sign a purchase deal within the stipulated time.

About the policy decisions on the bank's future, the Finance Adviser spoke of three alternative options after reactivating the bank.

"The first would be to corporatise the bank like Sonali, Janata and Agrani Banks, while the second would be to try to offload some more shares in the capital market depending on the price and the last would be to take another attempt to sell it out," he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance called back all the files and documents related to Rupali Bank to the Finance Ministry from the Privatisation Commission.

The Advisors' Committee on Economic Affairs asked the Privatisation Commission to cancel the tender floated to sell out Rupali Bank as part of the privatisation move.

Participating in the tender, the Saudi Prince won the bid in 2006 and proposed to invest a total of $500 million in the state-run Rupali Bank, of which $330 million for buying the bank's 67 per cent shares and the rest for modernising it.

Child death: Drowning takes heaviest toll

Staff Reporter

At least 46 children drown everyday in the country and 17,000 annually as the drowning death toll peaks during the floods, a report of the UNICEF said.

The research conducted by the UNICEF said drowning was responsible for 87 per cent of the total child deaths caused by the floods in 2007.

Given the high prevalence of child injury, the UNICEF undertook a pilot initiative to respond to this situation, said Iyorlumun Uhaa, acting Country Representative of UNICEF Bangladesh.

She said after two years of implementation, the project has proved that most deaths could be averted by some simple safety interventions like giving swimming lessons to children, bamboo fencing of ponds, community awareness and daycare centers that provide supervised care of children.

The study says children in Asia are at high risk of dying from injuries such as drowning and road accidents. Surveys from Bangladesh, China, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam reveal that injury is the leading cause of death and disability among children older than one year of age in these countries, with drowning taking the heaviest toll.

Bangladesh was one of the first countries where such a survey was conducted in 2004, showing that drowning claims one of four lives among children aged between 1 and 17 years old.

Police SI remanded for bid to kidnap CUgirl student

Chittagong Correspondent

A policeman has been taken into custody late on Tuesday night reportedly over an abduction charge brought against him by a lawyer.

A detained policeman was identified as Sub-Inspector (SI) Mohammad Nasir Uddin. He is attached with Cox's Bazar district unit of the police force.

Informed sources said that a squad from Hathazari police nabbed the accused police Sub-Inspector from Nandirhat in Hathazari at about 10:30 in the night when Advocate Abdul Maleq recorded an abduction case against him.

The complainant in his petition said that Sub-Inspector Mohammad Nasir Uddin kidnapped his daughter Farhana Yasmin Rina, a student of 3rd Year Honors of Fine Arts at Chittagong University, in the evening.

The detained Sub-Inspector Mohammad Nasir Uddin and the hostage Farhana Yasmin Rina were produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate yesterday morning. The court ordered putting the cop into jail and the young woman to the safe custody.

Court sources said though Farhana's father recorded an abduction case with Hathazari police, Farhana did not charge the cop for abducting her. Police Sub-Inspector Nasir Uddin claimed that they had been in love for more than three years.

Scandal-hit NY governor to resign

AP, New York

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has decided to resign, completing a stunning fall from power after he was nationally disgraced by links to a high-priced prostitution ring, a top state official said Wednesday.

Spitzer is scheduled to announce his resignation at 11:30 a.m., according to a second top Spitzer staffer. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.

Spitzer would be replaced by Lt. Gov. David Paterson, who will become New York's first black governor.

The scandal erupted Monday when allegations surfaced that Spitzer, a 48-year-old married man with three teenage daughters, spent thousands of dollars on a call girl named Kristen at a swanky Washington hotel on the night before Valentine's Day.

Int’l education fair from Mar 14

BSS, Dhaka

A three-day international education fair styled 'Education Without Border' will be held at Sheraton Hotel here from March 14 to 16.

Disclosing this at a press conference at the National Press Club here, Dr Utpal Kumar Sarkar, an organiser of the fair, said that a similar fair would be held at Peninsula Hotel in Chittagong on March 18 and 19.

Some newspapers and private TV and radio stations will be the media partners of the fair.

EC awaits gazette on laws governing local bodies: City corpn, pourashava polls schedule uncertain

Staff Reporter

Declaration of election schedules for four city corporations and seven pourashavas has become uncertain, as the ordinance on city corporation and porashova polls is yet to be finalised.

"The schedules for city corporation and porashava elections will not be declared until the Election Commission (EC) gets the gazette notification of the new laws governing the local bodies," Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda said this while talking to reporters yesterday after a meeting with an 8-member delegation of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad (BHBCOP).

"I cannot tell whether the poll schedule will be declared within this month," the CEC said.

He said complete ordinance should be proclaimed before announcement of election schedule and added, "We have already asked the government to approve the ordinance as early as possible since we will not be able to announce the schedule without getting the ordinance."

The CEC said he has clearly apprised the Law Adviser that the gazette notification of the laws would have to be in our hand before announcing the election schedule.

Replying to a question he said it is early to say whether a date for Parliament election can be announce by June next. "Let the month of June to come, then it can be considered."

On a query about the Election Commission Secretariat Ordinance 2008, the CEC said the EC secretariat would be accountable only for the administrative tasks that would be directed by the secretary to the EC.

"But, the core tasks of the Commission would have to be done by all the members of the Commission. It can't be done unilaterally," he said adding that majority opinion would be granted if there would not be unanimous decision about any matter.

About the meeting with the BHBCOP, the CEC said the delegation asked the EC to look into the matter of any "repression on the minorities" during the election period.

Talking to the reporters, BOBCOP leader Prof. Neem Chandra Bhoumik said they asked the EC to make the election code of conduct in such a way so that racism and religion issue could not be used since the political parties use it during the election campaign.

The delegation, claiming representation of 20 per cent minority in the country's population, also demanded of the EC to secure their 20 per cent representation on the committees of political parties and reserved seats in parliament to ensure their representation.