The New Nation - Internet Edition

Steps to protect Lawachhara forest demanded

Staff Reporter

Students and teachers of Dhaka University's Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ) Department demanded steps for protection of bio-diversity of Lawachhara forests in Srimongal.

To press for their demand, the students and teachers of the department formed a human chain as they had been in Srimongal for a picnic Friday.

Several hundred present and former students, and teachers, along with local elite and general people joined the human chain.

Addressing a gathering after the human chain, Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, a teacher of the department, said local people are very much concerned about a seismic survey to be conducted through the forests.

"Local people have told us that they would lose their forests, homes and wildlife if the seismic survey is conducted. The bio-diversity of the forests will also be at stake if any such survey is conducted," he said.

Dr Arefin said the MCJ department calls upon the government, UN organizations and other development agencies to keep in mind the issue of bio-diversity and the interests of the local people before taking any such project.

Chairman of the MCJ department Prof Sheikh Abdus Salam also addressed the gathering.

He said sustainable development is not possible by destroying forests and wildlife. "Unplanned industrialisation and random use of resources cannot ensure development of the country."

"I, on behalf of my department, request the government and authorities concerned not to do anything that might cause harm to the forest," he said.

The Lawachhara forest in the Srimangal district, 220 km (130 miles) off capital Dhaka, has some 50 species of flora and fauna, including hillock gibbons, Boars, deer and snakes and wild poultry.

Saudi expatriate files mugging case against police

Staff Reporter

A Saudi expatriate Ripon lodged a mugging case against police with the Tejgaon Industrial Police Station in the city yesterday.

He alleged in his FIR that a uniformed policeman and few other unidentified persons snatched Saudi Rial 80,000 equivalent to Tk 16 lakh, his passport and new model Nokia mobile phone from him at Mohakhali Bus Terminal on Thursday.

Ripon, son of Saimuddin of Kishoreganj, recently returned from Saudi Arabia.

He reached the capital from his hometown by a bus of the Bhawal Transport to exchange the foreign currency. He complains in the FIR that when he left the bus a policeman handcuffed him and dragged him on to a police van. They also bind-folded him with a black cloth.

On the moving van the policeman and his plainclothes accomplices searched his body and took away his money from him and dropped him at Savar from the van.

Lutfur Rahman Officer in Charge of the police station said, "We are trying to arrest the culprits connected with the mugging. There could be others involved in the snatching we are also investigating that."

Malaysian Food Festival in city from July 22

Staff Reporter

Malaysia has expressed its interest to hold a weeklong Halal Food Festival in the city from July 22 this year to explore new Malaysian business dimension in Bangladesh.

Visiting Malaysian Deputy Secretary General of Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Mohammad Hashim bin Abdullah formally announced the food festival plan at a press conference yesterday at a local hotel in the capital.

The Halal Malaysia Week-2008, as it was named, will be held at Sheraton and Basundhara City Shopping Mall simultaneously.

The announcement came at the end of a three-day Malaysian Trade Show

(March 20-22) at the same hotel. Malaysian Ambassador in Dhaka Dato' Abdul Malek Bin Abdul Aziz also spoke on the occasion.

Hashim said there is a great prospect of halal food business in Bangladesh as the country has huge population.

He said Malaysia is promoting halal food business in Muslim and non-Muslim countries across the world as halal foods are hygienic and clean from both religious and non-religious points of view.

He said his country wants to work together with Bangladesh to promote halal foods worldwide. "We do have a plan to set up joint venture plants in Bangladesh and produce halal foods for export to the international market," he said.

In the function, three Malaysian and two Bangladesh firms signed memorandums of understanding to launch joint business for halal food production and marketing.

Carton makers blame mill owners' syndicate for price hike

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Carton Manufacturer Association (BCMA) condemned paper mills owners for their syndicated activity to create artificial paper crisis in the country in order to increase the price.

Carton Manufacturers are facing great hardship in sustaining their existence in the business as the price of locally produced papers have increased from 70 per cent to 90 per cent over the years, said leaders of the association at a press conference on Friday in the city.

"Our business, which largely depends on locally produced papers, have reached its dead end as we can't increase the price of our manufactured carton according to the increasing paper price," said General Secretary of the BCMA MA Bashar Patwari.

According to him, carton manufacturers are forced to supply their products according to market demands, but with a huge loss every time. Continuing business in this manner will not be possible for long, which will be a major hitch for our export oriented sectors, he added.

They demanded immediate Government action to protect their business from the notorious paper mills syndicate.

The press conference was chaired by BCMA President SA Khairuzzaman Babul.