The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet sammilan begins

Three-day Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Conference began
in Joypurhat yesterday. Focus Bangla

Staff Reporter

The three-day long 27th Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan started at the Joypurhat stadium yesterday.

The event set a lively affair with participation of hundreds of renowned cultural personalities. Prof Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University and President of Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan, inaugurated the convention as chief guest.

Cultural activists, educationists, economists and journalists from across the country are participating in the festival. Their accommodation and meals had been arranged. Some 20,000 viewers from all corners of the country joined the programme, according to the organisers.

Our Joypurhat Correspondent said the convention venue, local stadium, had assumed a festive look on the occasion. This major convention cheered all parts of the district. The local unit of Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad organised the programme, while 37 sub-committees had also been formed for the celebration. Md Abdul Mannan, a former designer of Bangladesh Television (BTV), led the designing team, which had decorated the stage for the last 10 days.

Apart from Rabindra Sangeet, the three-day programme also featured Nazrul Sangeet, songs of Rajanikant, DL Roy and Atul Prasad, Lalon Geeti, folk songs and recitation, said the organisers.

Rabindra Sangeet expert Dr Sanjida Khatun, prominent Tagore artiste Fahmida Khatun, Dr Sarwar Ali, cultural activist Aly Zaker and Asaduzzaman Nur are expected to attend the convention.

EU set to agree emission cut plan

Agency, London

European leaders meeting in Brussels are set to endorse binding measures for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Slovenia's PM, who is chairing the summit, said the leaders had approved a timetable to implement an agreed 20% cut by 2020, compared with 1990 levels.

He likened the EU's plans to move to a low-carbon economy to a "third industrial revolution". The summit is also discussing financial instability, as well as liberalisation of the bloc's energy markets. Slovenian PM Janez Jansa said the leaders had taken note of a report by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warning of potential security concerns arising from global warming.

The report says climate change will have a growing impact on global security, multiplying existing threats such as shortages of food and water.

It warns that climate change could cause millions of people to migrate towards Europe as other parts of the world suffer environmental degradation.

EU's 20/20/20 vision: key aims and potential challenges AIM: 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 AIM: Reduction in energy imports, saving money and increasing energy security AIM: World leadership in renewable energy technology CHALLENGE: Government and companies may try to weaken their emissions targets CHALLENGE: Some countries likely to find renewables targets too ambitious CHALLENGE: Wrangles likely over technicalities of emissions trading Mr Solana's report "enjoyed a lot of support", Mr Jansa told reporters.

The EU leaders are considering specific targets put forward by the European Commission in January on how to achieve the agreed 20% cut in greenhouse emissions by 2020.

Hillary, Obama set for debate

AFP, Washington

Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama has agreed to two debates with rival Hillary Clinton, before their next nominating clash in Pennsylvania on April 22, his campaign said Thursday.

Obama had accepted televised debates on ABC television in Philadelphia on April 16 and a second encounter on CBS three days later in North Carolina, which holds a primary on May 6.

The Clinton campaign earlier said the New York Senator had also accepted the Philadelphia debate, but there was no immediate word on the second encounter.

Jamaat leader Qamaruzzaman had painful mistake

UNB, Dhaka

Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Mohammad Qamaruzzaman had to undergo a painful ordeal for his innocent mistake at the National Press Club yesterday.

Qamaruzzaman went to the press club in the afternoon to attend as a guest speaker a discussion on '37 Years of Independence: Expectation and Achievement', organized by Swadesh Mancha.

The discussion was organized in the Conference Room of the Press Club on the second floor. At the same time, the Sectors Commanders of the 1971 Liberation War were holding a press conference at the VIP Lounge adjacent to the Conference Room to protest denial of permission to hold a convention on their demand for trial of war criminals.

Witnesses said the Jamaat leader mistakenly approached the press conference of the Sector Commanders who are demanding trial of the war criminals.

They said freedom fighters who were standing outside the VIP Lounge were taken aback seeing the leader of Jamaat, which supported Pakistan during the Liberation War, at their venue.

Some shouted 'Dhar Dhar (Catch him, Catch him)', 'Rajakar, Rajakar' and 'Khuni, Khuni (killer)'. Witnesses said some of the agitated freedom fighters caught his punjabi and manhandled him.

However, some journalists and people of the Swadesh Mancha rescued him from the freedom fighters' wrath.

When contacted, Qamaruzzaman told UNB that he was not assaulted but they shouted at him in abusive language.

"They shouted at me…They did not come close to me," he said responding to a query.

Qamaruzzaman said the shout against him was perhaps out of their anger for his constructive role in the movement against autocracy, for caretaker government and for the formation of the 4-party alliance.

"Such gesture will not bring any good for anyone," he said.

Finance Adviser expects 6 pc GDP growth: Slow GDP growth in USA, EU to bode well for our exports

UNB, Dhaka

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam expects that the economic growth would be reaching around 6 percent in 2007-08, belying the projections of international agencies, as he sees signs of recovery in the major indicators.

He was also hopeful that the foreign exchange reserve would remain at around US$ 6 billion by the yearend despite increased imports, mainly the food items.

He was talking to UNB at his Planning Ministry office Wednesday on the country's economic challenges and prospects. "As per the latest data, we're reaching around 6 percent (GDP growth)," he said, showing recovery in export growth, recently increased credit to private sector, increased raw material imports, revenue growth and favourable foreign aid.

The World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) projected that Bangladesh's GDP growth would be at 5.5 percent while London-based Economists Intelligence Unit (EIU) projected it to be 5.7 percent.

The Bangladesh Bank has also been expecting that the country's GDP growth would be around 6 percent. Asked about the side risk of slow export growth to the GDP as economic growth in the USA and the European Union, Bangladesh's major export destinations, have been projected to be much lower, he said there could be a positive impact on Bangladesh's export growth as the consumers in the developed countries would prefer low cost items in a slowed down economic condition.

On the other hand, he added, Bangladesh exports low-cost items to those countries that might result in positive impact on the country's export growth.

Meantime, Dr Aziz said, the country's exports have already recovered from a negative growth by the end of December, 2007 and turned positive.

He said the export growth has already reached 7-8 percent by the end of February as Commerce Secretary Feroz Ahmed apprised the Adviser. The February figures from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) have not been released yet.

The Finance Adviser was expecting that the export growth would reach 13-14 percent by the yearend (June 30, 2008).

The government had set an export target of US$ 14.5 billion for the current fiscal year with a 19 percent growth over the previous fiscal year's export performance of US$ 12.18 billion. During the first half of the current fiscal year, the exports grew by over 4 percent to US$ 6.5 billion, which was 8 percent lower than the period's target of US$ 7.1 billion.

He thought the lone negative side of the economy still remained in slow capital machinery imports, and said new investment is lower because entrepreneurs prefer utilising installed capacity at some points of time. "I'm not worried about the inflow of foreign aid," he said, giving a positive note that the foreign aid disbursement would be favourable during the fiscal year.

About the possibility for the foreign exchange reserve to decline due to increased imports, the Finance Adviser said the reserve declined from US$ 6 billion-mark to just over US$ 5 billion due to the bimonthly payment of US$ 730 million plus to ACU. The forex reserve is, however, unlikely to decline too much and it would remain at around US$ 6 billion by the yearend if the exports recover to the extent now expecting and the remittance inflow maintains the current pace.

A Bangladesh Bank senior executive said the ACU payment has zero impact on the reserve as they settle the import payments after two months from the foreign currencies paid by importers against their imports in advance.

"There is hardly any reason at present for the reserve position to fall sharply," he said, adding that they were expecting the reserve would remain at more than the US$ 6-billion mark at the end of June this year.

He said they were also expecting that the remittance would stand at around US$ 7 billion compared to over US$ 5 billion in the last fiscal year.

Kuwait keen invest in Bangladesh

UNB, Dakar

Kuwait is ready to help Bangladesh in projects of its choice through the Kuwait Development Fund and is pretty much eager to invest in Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Mohammed Al Salem Al Saba expressed the interest during a meeting with Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury held on Thursday evening in the Senegalese capital on the sidelines of the OIC Summit. Sheikh Saba expressed his deep gratitude to the Foreign Adviser for the support that Kuwait had received from Bangladesh during the 1st Gulf War and also for the assistance that Bangladeshi peace-keepers had accorded to Kuwait thereafter.

"We see Bangladesh as a great friend," Sheikh Mohammed told the Foreign Adviser.

Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury mentioned the large expatriate Bangladeshi community in Kuwait who are contributing to Kuwait's development and inquired about the possibility of Kuwaiti cooperation in upgrading skills.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister stated that Kuwait was prepared to help Bangladesh in projects of Bangladesh's choice through the Kuwait Development Fund.

Port city to face worst ever power, water, gas crisis

Chittagong Correspondent

The port city and its outskirts including the industrial belts are likely to suffer worst ever power and water scarcity this summer mainly feared to be caused from declining gas supply.

No virtual development has been reported in the field of gas and power sectors making the water supply system further vulnerable. Energy analysts predicted rather severe scarcity this time inflicting greater damage to the national economy.

Usual production at the export-oriented industrial units will greatly suffer from the assumed power crisis apart from dropping foreign investment what may take the target of the country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) away.

Informed sources said that immediate remedial move for recovering gas supply might help a lot in addressing the generation shortfall and water crisis by extracting subsoil water.

Managing Director of the Bakhrabad Gas Systems Limited (BGSL) Quamrul Islam told the reporters that they had been trying their best for keeping the gas supply uninterrupted especially in Chittagong.

According to the PDB officials the power demand of the city will cross 570 megawatts in the summer while the current generation status is approximately 400 megawatts. The shortfall has to be addressed either by sharing the national grid or by load-management.

Chance of potential sharing of the national power grid for addressing the generation shortfall in Chittagong is poor mainly in the wake of fast rising demand of power in the capital.

Shikolbaha gas turbine power plant went to idle state for a long simply for want of adequate supply of gas while the generation at Rawzan thermal power plant dropped significantly because of fluctuating gas pressure. None could tell for sure when would the 60-megawatt Shikolbaha power plant returns to generation.

Engineers feared that the generation at Rawzan thermal power plant might drop further if the required gas pressure is not restored. Approximately 10 and 80 millions cubic feet gas supply is needed respectively for taking Shikolbaha and Raozan back to generation.

DSE draws heavy turnover last week

UNB, Dhaka

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) witnessed a huge turnover last week ended Thursday with the highest turnover of Tk 409 crore on a single-day Tuesday amid good corporate declarations. "There had been new investments in the market this week with the corporate declarations," a stockbroker told UNB, adding that some investors took profit out of the declarations while some others went for the shares with an expectation of profit in the long term. "It's a sign of market stability and maturity…both the buyers and sellers were almost equally active," he said.

Although the indices declined during the weeks trading due to price corrections after dividend adjustments, all the necessary indicators, including corporate declarations, stock dividends, profitability of shares and price corrections showed a healthy market sign. Besides, according to a fund manager, investors had been mostly active in good shares as top 10 companies share about half of the total turnover.

Of which, top two companies share the half of the turnover. "Investors bought good shares on a long-term expectation, which is also a good sign for the market," he added.

Phensidyl recovered: 3 arrested

Staff Reporter

The DB police yesterday recovered six hundred bottles of phensidyl in the capital. They also arrested three phensidyl traders and held a private car in this connection.

The DB police got secret information that phensidyl trader Rubi, the wife Monjurul, along with some of her accomplices gathered at Goran North Bonossree project Road No-5/2D/57 under Khilgoan Police Station for selling phensidyl at 2:45pm yesterday.

The arrested persons are Rubi, her two partners Taraq and Monir. Police searched the house and sieged 600 bottles of phensidyl from there. Police also detained a private car (Dhaka Metro A-00-00776).

A case was filed against the persons in this connection.

Shops on fire amid Tibet protests

BBC News

Fires have broken out in the Tibetan city of Lhasa amid reports of rioting, as rare street protests led by Buddhist monks appeared to gather pace.

One eyewitness told the BBC how large groups of people were setting fire to cars and shops and destroying anything of Chinese influence. The US embassy in Beijing said US citizens had reported hearing gunfire.

Rallies have continued all week in what are thought to be the largest protests against Beijing's rule in 20 years.

The eyewitness who spoke to the BBC said there was a thick pall of smoke hanging over the city.

The US-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said at least one police car had been set on fire on Friday. ICT spokeswoman Kate Saunders said her group had received reports that the Tromsikhang market in Barkor Street - a busy commercial neighbourhood - was either on fire or had burnt down.

China says Tibet always part of its territory.

But Tibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before 20th century.

In 1950, China launched a military assault.

Opposition to Chinese rule led to bloody uprising in 1959. Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled to India.

"It seems that lay people have now become involved in the protests," she said.

Another eyewitness told the BBC how security forces and monks clashed on Wednesday, with several monks being beaten.

He said about 300 monks had tried to leave the Sera monastery to protest but security forces brandishing clubs stopped them and at least one monk was beaten to the ground.

UNDP Administrator Dervis due today

UNB, Dhaka

UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis arrives here today on a three-day trip to meet high officials and visit sites related to general election, and development in Bangladesh.

His trip here is the second stop in a three-country Asia tour that started in Thailand and will also take him to India.

During his stay in Bangladesh, Dervis will have talk with President Prof. Iajuddin Ahmed. He will also meet Chief Election Commissioner Dr. A T M Shamsul Huda and other key government officials.

Dervis' tour includes a field visit to communities affected by cyclone SIDR where rehabilitation efforts are underway. He will see ongoing voter registration, and visit an urban poverty reduction initiative.

Together with eight other development partners, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) helped pool $50 million for the voter-registration scheme.

6th Int'l Education: Exhibition begins in city

UNB, Dhaka

The 3-day 6th International Education Eexhibition began yesterday morning at Hotel Sheraton in the city. Former adviser of the caretaker government CM Shafi Sami formally innauguarated the exhibition, organised by SSBCL, a consulting firm for students to study abroad. SSBCL organises education exhibitions, conferences and open days throughout the year. Nearly 30 local and foreign exhibitors through their 40 booths are offering services and information on a wide range of education courses.

This is an ideal opportunity to meet with and talk to counsellors and students and interact with the representatives of foreign institutes and delegates at the same venue. The education exhibition will also be held at Peninsula Hotel in the port city Chittagong on March 18-19.

The fuction was addressed, among others, by Malaysian High Commissioner in Dhaka Dato Abdul Malek Bin Abdul Aziz, daily Amar Desh Editor Amanullah Kabir and chairman and managing director of SSBCL group S Talukder.