The New Nation - Internet Edition

No more death in custody: Directive to police : Laws to be amended to deal with foreigners

Staff Reporter

The government yesterday instructed the police administration to make sure that custodial death does not take place anymore.

The instruction was given from a meeting of the Advisors Committee on Law and Order chaired by Home Affairs Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) MA Matin at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Besides, the meeting decided to amend the Foreigners Act to effectively deal with foreigners traveling to Bangladesh

The meeting observed that the existing Foreigners Act does not contain details of dos and don'ts to be followed by the foreigners.

The meeting sources said that recently, two Canadian lawyers visited Bangladesh and got involved in legal matters and made remarks to the local press which the government feels tantamount to interference in the country's internal matters.

The meeting also decided to refrain from any kind of illumination on the Independence Day on March 26 to maintain uninterrupted supply of electricity across the country so that farmers could not have to face any difficulty to irrigate their agricultural lands in the current Boro season.

The meeting was attended by LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal, Law Adviser AF Hasan Ariff, Home Secretary Abdul Karim, Inspector General of Police Noor Mohammad, RAB Director General Hasan Mahmud Khondker and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nayeem Ahmed.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Home Secretary Abdul Karim said that police were asked to ensure no death in custody.

"Specific instructions were given to the police department to ensure that custodial death does not take place anyway," he said.

Karim said the 50-year-old Foreigners Act would be amended to effectively deal with foreigners traveling to Bangladesh.

He said the police administration was asked to ensure safety and security of judges by providing personal security and deploying adequate police personnel at their residences.

The Home Secretary said the police administration was also asked to stop the nuisance of eve teasing by derailed youths in front of the educational institutions.

Karim said the meeting decided to issue licenses of small firearms to first-class government gazetted officers.

The caretaker government also decided to extend the time for depositing old firearms being used by security guards of banks and financial institutions from March 31 to June 30.

The Home Secretary further said that the meeting also discussed the reported extortion through phone calls and the police was asked to take note of it.

Bangladesh clinch ODI series against Ireland

Farhad Reza (extreme left) celebrates with his
teammates after claiming five wickets during the second ODI
between Bangladesh and Ireland at the Sher-e-Bangla National
Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday. Focus Bagla

Sports Reporter

A five-wicket haul by medium pacer Farhad Reza guided Bangladesh to clinch the ODI series 2-0 when the Tigers defeated the visiting Ireland by 84 runs in the second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.

Earlier, Bangladesh outplayed Ireland by eight wickets in the first ODI at the same venue on March 18.

Farhad Reza played the key role in wrecking Ireland innings and completed as 10-3-42-5.

Left-arm spinners Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan also bowled pretty good as Abdur Razzak harpooned three wickets for 27 runs while Shakib Al Hasan grabbed two wickets in exchange of 16 runs.

Electing to bat first, Bangladesh posted a fighting 246 for the loss of eight wickets in the stipulated 50 overs and then the Tigers bundled out Ireland for 162 off 38.3 overs.

Bangladesh made a brisk start as Shahriar Nafees and Tamim Iqbal, the two youngsters, piled up 94 runs in the opening stand. Shahriar Nafees, who hit an undefeated 90 in the previous match, struck a superb 60 facing 92 balls including five fours before he was unfortunately run out by Langford-Smith while Tamim Iqbal hit a polished 46 off 84 balls with four fours and a six.

After dismissal of Tamim and Shahriar Nafees when the team's total was 135 for the loss of two wickets, Aftab Ahmed and skipper Mohammad Ashraful built another notable partnership before Aftab Ahmed was out making the day's highest of 61 when the board was giving a reading of 199 for the loss of three wickets.

Aftab used 57 deliveries in his 71-minute knock which was ornamented with two sixes and two fours.

Mohammad Ashraful cracked a run-a-ball 38 amid three fours while Mashrafe Bin Mortaza hit a windy 26 playing just 17 deliveries. He sent the ball three times over the ropes and one time over the fence.

Langford-Smith got three wickets conceding 43 runs while W McCallan, G Thompson and A Botha took one wicket apiece.

A Botha, W Porterfield, A Casack and K O'Brien added 34, 25, 24 and 21 runs respectively to Ireland total.

Fardad Reza was adjudged the man of the match for his outstanding bowling performance.

Tomorrow Bangladesh will take on Ireland in the third ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

Anti-Beijing protests spread outside Tibet

Agency

China has admitted for the first time anti-Beijing protests have spread outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region, as security is ratcheted up.

Xinhua news agency reported huge damage to government buildings and shops after riots in Sichuan province on Sunday.

And officials said 24 people had been arrested after demos in the Tibetan city of Lhasa, and 170 protesters had surrendered to authorities.

Hundreds of troops have been seen pouring into Tibetan areas. Lhasa was said to be returning to calm amid the military build-up. And the authorities have placed strict limits on Western journalists trying to report on the unrest - with the last foreign journalist known to be in Lhasa being forced to leave. Chinese and Tibetan sources have given very different accounts of the protests that began in Lhasa on 10 March, on the anniversary of a Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.

Police are still everywhere, and for the first time yesterday we saw police going into the houses and doing searches

On Thursday the official Tibet Daily quoted prosecutors as saying two dozen suspects had been arrested for "endangering national security as well as beating, smashing, looting, arson and other grave crimes".

A government website quoted Lhasa deputy chief prosecutor Xie Yanjun as saying that suspects "should be severely punished to protect the strictness of the law".

"This law-breaking was organised, premeditated and carefully planned by the Dalai clique," he said, reiterating China's claim that Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, had incited the unrest.

Tibet: Protests began in Lhasa on 10 March, dozens reported dead over weekend

Gansu: Unrest spread to Machu, where Tibetan government in exile says 19 died, and near Hezuo, where protesters were filmed tearing down Tibetan flag.

State media reported that 170 people had handed themselves in - up from the 105 people they said had surrendered to police in Lhasa after being threatened with harsh punishment if they failed to meet a Monday deadline.

It is not clear whether the 24 arrested are among the 170 reported to have surrendered. Rights groups say they have heard reports of arrests in the hundreds.

Georg Blume, a German journalist who was forced out of Lhasa on Wednesday, told the BBC "things have been getting a little bit back to normal" in the city.

"But police are still everywhere, and for the first time yesterday [Tuesday] we saw police going into the houses and doing searches".

Protesters told him they had been angered by the repression of monks and daily discrimination against Tibetans, he said.

State media also reported for the first time that there had been unrest in the provinces of Sichuan and Gansu, neighbouring Tibet.

Xinhua news agency referred to protesters in Aba country, Sichuan as "mobsters", saying they had caused "great damage" to shops and government offices.

Earlier, video emerged from Gansu showing Tibetans tearing down a Chinese flag and replacing it with a Tibetan one.

Hundreds of protesters can be seen on foot and horseback in Tuesday's incident at a school near Hezuo, captured by a Canadian film crew.

Chinese authorities have intensified efforts to bring Tibet under control, drawing in troops from neighbouring areas.

On Wednesday alone, BBC reporters saw more than 400 troop carriers and other vehicles on the main road - the largest mobilisation since the unrest began.

Tibetan exiles say that at least 99 people have died, including 80 in Lhasa. China says that 16 people were killed, including three rioters.

Finance Adviser says: $ 6b reserve not too big to meet food bill

Staff Reporter

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday said the Government will continue to intervene in the hardship of people through social safety net programmes which emerged due to the soaring price of essential commodities.

"We've no other option at this moment without strengthening and widening the ongoing social safety net programmes," he told newsmen, after a pre-budget meeting with editors of print and electronic media at the Finance Ministry.

Dr Aziz said all the quarters he has so far met in pre-budget discussions, including the economists, former finance advisers and finance secretaries, were of the opinion that something has to be done as the family budget is failing to buy food.

"What could be that 'something'? Nobody came up with any concrete suggestion," he said. Replying to a question, he said feeding 1.5 crore people with 1-1.5 kg rice free of cost is not possible. "One has to think of the resources required to feed them free."

Dr Aziz said the present subsidy regime needs to be adjusted to some extent to make it sustainable. "We've not yet decided to reduce or increase the subsidy," he said, replying to a question. The Finance Adviser said there is a wrong perception that the government could have utilised a little part of the high reserve of foreign exchange to help bring down the food prices.

"It's not a government property and, at the same time, it's not too high a reserve considering the absolute requirement of keeping a reserve equivalent to three months of import payments," he said.

He added that the reserve that rose just over US$ 6 billion was not too big in view of the increased bills for food import. Until March 15 of the current fiscal year, rice import stood at 30 lakh tonnes, which is 6 lakh tonnes higher than the total import of 24 lakh tonnes in the previous fiscal year.

"Financing for the increased import would have been difficult unless we had that reserve position," said the Adviser.

Dr Aziz said the media representatives asked whether the Government would be able to maintain the present growth of revenue collection in the future, and whether the Government could reduce unproductive expenditure.

They also stressed the need for accelerating ADP implementation. They recommended giving more emphasis on the agriculture sector in view of the high food prices, and considering more incentives for agro-based industries like jute and sugar mills.

About increased incentives to agro-based industries, the Adviser told the meeting that the industries would have to increase their productivity and efficiency.

He said the main incentive for RMG industry is duty-free import of raw materials under bonded facility. But agro-based industries have no such scope as they use local raw materials.

About ADP implementation, he apprised the editors that the government's attention was diverted from the development works due to floods and later the cyclone Sidr.

Taslima in an undisclosed destination in Europe

Taslima Nasrin

Agencies

Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has arrived in Europe to begin a new life, reports say, after protests by Muslim groups forced her into hiding in India.

"She has landed safely somewhere in Europe," a spokeswoman for the writers' group, Pen, told the BBC, adding that her exact location could not be given.

Ms Nasreen said earlier this week that her health had suffered as a result of spending time in hiding.

She fled her native Bangladesh in 1994 when her book attracted death threats.

After spending several years in Sweden, she moved to Calcutta, an Indian city close to Bangladesh where Ms Nasreen's mother tongue of Bengali is spoken.

She was moved from the city last November after Muslim groups staged violent protests, accusing her of having insulted Islam.

Property was damaged in the riots and at least 43 people were hurt.

Ms Nasreen has since lived in secret locations in the Indian capital, Delhi.

Earlier this week, she said she was preparing to leave India as her confinement had damaged her health.

She also accused the Indian authorities of encouraging her to leave the country.

A spokeswoman for the Swedish office of international writers' rights group, Pen, told the BBC she did not know where Ms Nasreen eventually intended to settle.

"Taslima Nasreen is really a citizen of the world," Ms Maria Modig said.

Ms Nasreen rose to prominence in 1993 after her first book, entitled Lajja, or Shame, angered some of the country's Muslims.

The book argued that Bangladeshis had mistreated the country's Hindu minority.

A more recent novel by Ms Nasreen, Dwikhondito or Split in Two was accused by some Muslim groups of causing offence to Islam.

She was also accused of calling for changes to be made to the Koran to give women more rights.

Ms Nasreen has vehemently denied making such remarks.

$100m ADB credit sought to develop Titas gas field

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh has sought a $100 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to develop its largest gas-producing Titas field.

"The ADB has agreed to provide the loan as we had asked for," said M Tamim, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser responsible for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, yesterday.

Titas, located in Brahmanbaria, produces around 450 million cubic feet (mcf) of gas per day and is operated by the country's oil and gas agency Petrobangla. A well of the field has been closed for several months since a blowout in December 2006, said the officials.

The Energy Division of the Ministry has asked state-run Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL) to examine all the wells at Titas field.

"Gas has been leaking through that well for years and it may take up to a year to have an overall check-up and remedy it," said Tamim.

The fund would be required for the maintenance of all 10 wells of the field, he said.

"The ADB had agreed in principle to approve the fund for the overall development work of the field. We will place the proposal to the board of directors for final approval," said an official of the ADB.

The Titas field has 5.13 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas in reserve, of which 2.46 tcf has been used since production started at the site in 1968.

Bangladesh produces up to 1,738 mcf of gas a day against daily demand of 1,833 mcf, said officials.

Bangladesh's proven and recoverable gas reserves of 13.54 tcf and the gap between demand and supply will widen further over the next five years if no new gas is found, they added.

AL reiterates demand for holding JS polls first: Party secretaries for movement to free Hasina

UNB, Dhaka

Acting Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said the Election Commission should be more focused on holding the parliamentary election eschewing dillydallying tactics.

Talking to reporters he said Awami League wants parliamentary election first and requested the Election Commissioners to talk about parliamentary elections and stop pattering about local body polls.

Ashraful who chaired a meeting of Awami League secretaries at its Dhanmondi office alleged that the caretaker government is dillydallying with the treatment of ailing party chief Sheikh Hasina.

He demanded Hasina's unconditional release and sending her to USA for her ear treatment.

"Awami League sent an application to the Chief Adviser with a request to release Sheikh Hasina and arrange appropriate treatment for her abroad…Please honour our letter." Ashraful said.

Ashraful said Awami League would not attend the National Independence Day reception hosted by the President at Bangabhaban on March 26 as Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and war criminals were invited to it.

"We, in principle, have decided that we will never join any programme that would be attended by Jammat leaders and war criminals," he said.

The secretaries' meeting accused the government of imposing restriction on trade union activities and said the country's image is being tarnished for it. "It is against ILO convention treaty and government should lift the ban on trade unions from today."

Responding to a query about launching movement for the release of detained Sheikh Hasina, he said the party is respectful to the sentiment of AL leaders and workers and programmes will be announced at appropriate time.

Ashraful said the party will hold meetings with the division level leaders to know their opinions about the evolving situation and how to ensure the release of Sheikh Hasina. The Central working committee would fix the dates of the meetings on March 29.

The meeting expressed concern about soaring prices of essentials and said the government should take steps forthwith to bring down the prices.

Meeting sources told UNB that the secretaries and assistant secretaries holding different posts urged the central leaders to start movement to release of Sheikh Hasina.

"Awami League workers and supporters are not happy over present activities of the central leaders. Party's front organizations also want movement to free Sheikh Hasina…So, central leaders should honour the sentiment," a secretary told the meeting.

Some secretaries and assistant-secretaries said they never accept any attempt to hold local body election ahead of national elections and they will resist the local body elections.

Some of them appreciated presidium member Tofael Ahmed's remark on March 18 that when Bangabndhu was arrested, local leaders, workers and supporters joined the War of Liberation without wasting time for directives from the party's central leaders.

The leaders urged the central leaderships to sit with leaders of the front organizations.

They also proposed to launch issue based movement like price-hike, crisis of electricity, gas and fertilizer.

Party secretaries Mukul Bose, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, Abdur Rahman, Asaduzzaman Noor, Abdul Mannan Khan, Dr Hasan Mahamud, Nurul Islam Nahid, Habibur Rahman Seraj, Prof Nazma Rahman, Dr Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin, Dr Abdur Razzak, Dewan Safiul Arafin Tutul, Yafes Osman, Dr Dipu Moni and assistant secretaries BM Mozammel Huq and Asim Kumar Ukil, among others, attended the meeting.

Pay rise of govt servants won't meet purpose: Revive rationing system

Chittagong Correspondent

In the wake of worst ever price inflation of groceries, the demand for rationing of essentials under the state supervision is growing stronger here in the port city.

Though state moves like the vulnerable group feeding (VGF), food for work (FFW), open market selling (OMS) of rice and cash assistance for ultra-poor on special cases are there on operation, the egoist middle and fixed income groups are still staying out of the basic food security net of the state.

It is alleged that nothing has so far been done from the state side for the survival of the fixed-income groups especially in the days of extreme economic hardship screwed up from dearness of food stuff, groceries and fossil fuel.

A private college teacher said with frustration that his monthly income hardly could feed the family for slightly over two weeks and the story for the rest of the month was no better than a beggar.

"We urge the government for reviving the rationing system as it had been in post liberation years," Mofazzal Karim, a private firm official said narrating the unpredictable reality of income and expenses.

Many think that rationing of the groceries may help low and fixed-income people to skip the over exploitation of the greedy grocers and retailers who hardly care for public interest and the state requirement.

The government is often coming under fire mainly because of the careless attitude to the middle-class people, powerful driving force of the sociopolitical dealings, when faster marginalization of the section is visible.

The government's planning for wage hike for the public servants in the form of dearness allowance has reportedly made trimming millions involved in the private enterprises worried as most of the private enterprises might not afford wage increase amid economic recession.

According to the economists higher cash flow in the market will made the commodities even costlier promoting the process of what is called "silent famine" in the country. They believe faster and better distribution of commodities if possible under the supervised network may help tackle the situation best.

"Since most of the population has already come under electronic data base of the election commission, it would not be so difficult for the government to revive the nationwide rationing outlets and identifying the beneficiaries," Abul Bashar, an economist turned banker commented.

Public bodies like Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), Department of Food, department of Disaster Management may easily work together for taking the food stuff to the actually needy people in the remote areas apart from the urban initiatives. [The End]

Lead: 2 BGSL officials held in Ctg for bribery Chittagong Correspondent Officials of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) today caught two officials of Bakhrabad Gas Systems Limited (BGSL) red-handed while receiving bribe.

The detained BGSL officials are identified as Manager (Raiser-South) Mohammad Mominul Islam and Assistant Engineer Apurba Kumar Banik. The BGSL officials had immediately been placed under questioning.

Sources said that the ACC men backed by the detectives started constantly eyeing on the officials following a formal complaint from a merchant Mohammad Elias.

The squad caught both the BGSL officials shortly after Taka two thousand was given away to them by the complainant at the offices of the detainees at Halishahar at about 1:30 p.m.

A case has been recorded in connection with the incident.

Banks asked to give loans to poultry farm owners

Staff Reporter

The Bangladesh Bank (BB), the country's central bank yesterday asked commercial banks and financial institutions to provide fresh loans on an emergency basis to the poultry farms owners affected by the bird flu, said officials in the city yesterday.

"This is to help overcome the affect of avian influenza on the rural economy," said the BB Governor Salehuddin Ahmed, expressing his hope that the bankers would realise the importance of enhanced lending.

The central bank advised the banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) to provide fresh credit to the bird flu- affected poultry farms, charging nominal interest rates, he said.

The central bank of Bangladesh also asked the banks and NBFIs to consider suspension of recovery of the principal amount of loans for a period of one year and interest thereof for six months.

The BB in the circular, issued yesterday, asked the chief executives of all scheduled banks, non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs), Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) and Bangladesh Samabaya Bank Limited (BSBL) to follow the new instructions for providing fresh credit to the poultry industry, they added.

At least 40 per cent of the country's 150,000 poultry farms faced closure in the recent months following the outbreak of the H5N1 strain bird flu, according to the Bangladesh Poultry Association.

The country's poultry industry is one of the world's largest, producing 220 million chickens and 37 million ducks annually. But nearly half of the chickens, however, are raised in the backyards.

Miladunnabi today

BSS, Dhaka

Holy Eid-e-Miladunnabi, the birth and death anniversaries of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM), will be observed today with reverence and religious fervour.

Various religious, and socio-political and cultural organisations have chalked out programmes to observe the day in the country.

In separate messages, President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed offered 'darud' and 'salam' with due respect to Prophet Mohammad (SM) and greeted countrymen and the Muslim Ummah on the occasion.

In his message, the President said Almighty Allah sent the Prophet to the world as a guide for the mankind, bestowing him with all the blessings and kindness. The appearance of the Great Prophet in the long trek of the mankind in the world was an unparallel and unforgettable event.

Peace and welfare of the mankind lie in following the great man's life and ideals. Let Allah give us the ability to follow the Great Prophet's life and ideals properly, the President said.

He wished peace, welfare and progress of the Muslim Ummah on the occasion.

In a message on the eve of the day, the chief adviser said Almighty Allah sent Hazrat Muhammad (SM) to the earth on that day as a guide of human being for their welfare and freedom in eternal life.

"His advent in the earth has played an important role in establishing world peace, fraternity, unity, brotherhood and humanity," Dr Fakhruddin said.

The chief adviser said the Prophet has fought against all sorts of injustice, envy and conflict in his whole life, and established a repression and inequality-free ideal social system based on truth and justice.

Dr Fakhruddin expressed the hope that the ideology and teachings of the Prophet could show an enlightened and true path to all human beings irrespective of caste, creed and religions to ensure peace, welfare and progress of people.

Diplomats urged to respect Bangladeshis' sentiment

BSS, Dhaka

A spokesman of the foreign ministry yesterday said that of late there has been a renewed perceptible tendency on the part of some foreign diplomats to make remarks in public that a section of the media has perceived to be interference in Bangladesh's internal affairs.

"With many of these countries that these diplomats represent, Bangladeshis welcome and cherish the existing friendly bilateral relationships," the spokesman said.

However, Bangladeshis who have struggled hard for their independence, seek to guard their sense of sovereignty with zeal and pride.

The diplomatic agents concerned are urged to take note of this fact and act in consonance with these sentiments.

The spokesman further said, the foreign ministry is of the view that diplomatic norms and standards are well recognised internationally.

He felt it is expected that these should be conformed to by all practitioners of the profession in the international arena.

Khaleda refuses to become voter in jail: Demands release of all detainee-politicians

Staff Reporter

Former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, now under detention in a sub-jail on corruption charge, has expressed her unwillingness to be enlisted in the ongoing voter list with photograph.

Advocate Ahmed Azam Khan, family lawyer of Begum Zia, communicated the message to journalists after emerging from the makeshift jail in Parliament premises yesterday.

He said Begum Zia said the government arrested and detained her 'illegally' and so she would not become voter on protest.

Azam Khan said that the authorities had gone with voter-registration forms twice for making her voter, but she refused to register her name as voter.

He said Begum Zia expressed her concern over the price spiral as saying the spiralling of prices of essentials is a great crisis for the nation.

The immediate-past prime minister suggested the caretaker government should discuss with the detained politicians through roundtable meeting after releasing them unconditionally and take initiatives to tackle such tough situation applying their experiences.

Azam Khan said she (Begum Zia) urged the caretaker government to send abroad her two detained sons on treatment grounds, specially her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, who was not involved in politics.

"Khaleda Zia looks very scared about physical conditions of both of

her sons," he said.

About treatment of Begum Zia, the lawyer said she is very determined not to go abroad for the purpose. She intends to get treatment from the country's physicians and hospitals, if necessary, he said.

It may be mentioned that another detained former prime minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina has already enlisted in the voter list from Dhanmondi area in the city as per the decision of the Election Commission to register the names of detainees and prisoners as voters.

Tremor jolts city

Staff Reporter

A mild earthquake jolted the capital yesterday night sparking panic among the city-dwellers.

The tremor occurred at about 7:17 PM and lasted for few seconds only. The single jolt was powerful enough to make everyone feel it clearly, said Muhammad Rafiq, who was working late in his office in the Motijheel Area. However, the local weather office has confirmed the incident but could not give any details of the quake.