The New Nation - Internet Edition

Lack of confidence among traders persists: Annisul

Annisul Haq takes over as FBCCI President from its
outgoing Administrator Syed Manzur Elahi at a function at
the Federation Bhaban in the city yesterday.
FocusBangla

UNB, Dhaka

Lack of confidence among the businesspeople is still there although the situation has slightly improved following various steps of the government, said newly elected FBCCI president Annisul Huq.

"Lack of confidence still there among the businessmen, although the situation has improved a little bit as the government has taken various steps in this regard," he said.

He was speaking after taking over charge as president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) from its administrator Syed Monjur Elahi at its conference room. The new FBCCI President said the economy is now going through a sort of stagnation, while the investment is decreasing day by day. "But this situation too is easing up due to government activities," he said.

Annisul Huq said the country's businessmen are passing through an extraordinary time. We're now at a corner of a valley from where we can construct anything or we can fall down. What is needed today is nothing but unity of the businesspeople," he said.

He assured of putting in his best efforts to help rejuvenate the economy and thus build a new Bangladesh.

Earlier, election commissioner Prof M Ashraf Ali officially declared the names of President, Vice-Presidents and other Board of Directors of the FBCCI. FBCCI administrator Syed Manjur Elahi also spoke on the occasion and thanked all of its members and other stakeholders for their cooperation in holding the election in a free and fair manner.

BDR DG urges business people Import more, make less profit

Director General of BDR Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed
(centre) addressing a view exchanging meeting with
businessmen of the city's Moulvibazar on Monday.
FocusBangla

UNB, Dhaka

BDR Director General Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed yesterday urged the business leaders to import more and make profit less as a measure to help contain the spiraling prices.

"Though the food prices are high on the international market, but the prices in Bangladesh much higher compared to that. It cannot be allowed to go. But we don't want to interfere, you should take immediate steps in this regard," he told the business leaders.

The BDR DG was exchanging views with the importers and leaders of various business forums at Moulvibazar Business Association office in old Dhaka.

Director general of RAB Hasan Mahmud, Dhaka zone operation officer of Army Col Mujibul Haq, Badamtali Rice Traders' Association secretary Haji Nizamuddin, Chwakbazar Pulse Traders' Association president Shafiqul Islam, Edible Oil Importers' Association secretary Abul Hsahem and Sugar Importers' Association president Ali Asgar Kamal, among others, attended the meeting chaired by Dhaka Moulavibazar Business Association president Abur Razzak.

Assuring the businessmen of providing all possible help for import, storage and marketing their goods, Maj Gen Shakil urged the business community to do business in a manner so that the common people do not suffer for unusual price hike.

In response, the business leaders called for formulating a specific policy for import, export, storage and marketing so that they can do their business without harassment.

The businessmen attributed the soaring prices of essentials to the price hike of goods on the international market, short supply of food and sharp fall in production in Bangladesh due to two consecutive floods and Cyclone Sidr.

They said the government can also import goods through TCB apart from the private importers to cool down the overheated the market.

ECNEC okays 8 projects: Tk 22,500 crore revised ADP approved

UNB, Dhaka

The National Economic Council yesterday revised down the Annual Development Programme (ADP) by Tk 4,000 crore to Tk 22,500 crore for the fiscal year 2007-08, giving a focus on five important sectors with 72 percent allocations.

Earlier, a meeting of the ECNEC also approved eight development projects involving Tk 2,873 crore, including Tk 706 crore in project aid.

Finance and Planning Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam chaired the meetings at the NEC conference room in absence of Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed who was scheduled to preside over the meetings. He said the Chief Adviser fell sick and asked him to administer the meetings.

The NEC downsized the ADP from the original allocation of Tk 26,500 crore while the ECNEC approved the eight development projects from 13 considered ones.

"The ADP cut won't have any adverse impact on the overall economy," Dr Aziz told a press briefing immediately after the meeting, adding that the revised ADP would even be higher than the historical level of Tk 17,000 to Tk 18,000 crore a year.

Replying to a question, he said some ministries and agencies, including the road and power sectors, could not utilize the allocations made for their projects and even surrendered the project money back.

The Finance Adviser recently explained that implementation of some development projects could not take place even after issuing work orders due to increase in construction materials. The projects would have to be revised, which is a time-consuming exercise.

The five areas the revised ADP gave priority were agriculture and related sectors (24% of total revised ADP), education (13%), health (11%), power (13%) and transportation (11%). Some 56 percent of the total revised project allocations directly related to poverty alleviation programmes besides a special allocation of Tk 19 crore for 198 upazilas under 26 districts was given in an effort to reduce the regional disparity.

Replying to another question, the Adviser said given the bigger size of the ADP, the progress in its implementation has not been worse this year compared to the last year.

During the July-February period of the previous fiscal year, the ADP implementation stood at 32 percent against 31 percent during the same period this fiscal year.

Water Day seminar: Call for ensuring safe drinking water

Staff Reporter

Experts at a seminar in the city said mindset is our main obstacle to the development in the country. If we find any problem, without trying to solve it we rather invite others to do it. We should change our mindset regarding water management.

Public participation is necessary to develop present water management system. We should keep in mind that the water management should be informative, they said.

The seminar on 'Water Resources Management in Bangladesh: Problems and Prospects' was held at Dhaka Reporters Unity organised by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) to observe the World Water Day.

Prof Muzaffar Ahmed, President of BAPA, presided over the meeting, while Prof M Firoz Ahmed of BUET presented keynote paper.

Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed, President of Bangladesh Economic Association, Eng Mashrur-ul-Haque Siddiqui Bir Uttam, former member-director of Water Development Board, Eng Emaduddin Ahmed, Executive Director of Institute of Water Modelling, Zakir Hossain, Chief Executive of Nagorik Uddyog, among others, spoke at the seminar.

Speakers said there are 57 sources of small and large rivers around the country. Of them, three main sources are - Ganges-Padma, Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Barak-Meghna. The building of barrages and dams over the following sources are creating worse impact everyday.

Water pollution is being created due to various activities by human beings. Of them, sewerage, industrial and solid wastes are main causes for river and water pollution. Due to water pollution diarrhoea, typhoid, hepatitis and skin diseases are occurring elsewhere in the country. Polluted and contaminated water are causing mosquito-borne diseases also, they said.

They urged the government to make a coordinated plan for ensuring safe drinking water in the country.

They also urged the government to make mandatory waste treatment plant for industries and increase coordination between waste management system and government agencies.

'Unity is a must for BNP’, says Bhuiyan

Staff Reporter

Former BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said yesterday "anti-unity elements" were not friends of the party.

Speaking at a discussion on the eve of the Independence Day, Bhuiyan, a backer of the so-called reformist faction of the troubled party, expressed hope for unity.

"Those who are against unity are not friends of the BNP. They will be isolated from people. Unity is a must."

Leaders who spoke at the discussion organised by the pro-reform BNP faction at Elegant Community Centre in Gulshan echoed Bhuiyan's optimism about unity.

BNP's standing committee-nominated acting chief M Saifur Rahman said: "The party and the government have to be reformed. The trend of unilateral power has to be changed."

The BNP must unite to participate in the next election, he said.

"To make the democratic process active there was no alternative to establishing a representative government through a fair election. We want to build a strong administration that will have a sense of accountability, by implementing the reform programme at all levels."

BNP's acting secretary general Hafizuddin Ahmed urged BNP leaders: "Shrug off all hesitation and work for unity."

Referring to the last government's tenure, Hafizuddin said: "In the cabinet all became members of a deaf-and-dumb club. None could speak up. The politics of sycophancy has to be shunned. Reforms to the party are necessary for intra-party democracy."

The meeting was also attended by the BNP chairperson's advisers ZA Khan, AHM Mofazzal Karim, MA Hakim and central leaders Shah Md Abul Hossain and Zahiruddin Swapan.

Bird flu: Two lakh chickens culled during last two weeks

Staff Reporter

More than 200,000 chickens were culled at different poultry farms across the country during over the last two weeks, said an official of the Livestock Ministry yesterday.

Avian influenza has spread to 47 out 64 districts in the country and forced the killing of more than 1.5 million birds since March of last year. Nearly two million eggs also destroyed.

Bird flu has caused losses of about 45 billion taka to the poultry sector, which accounts for 1.6 per cent of the domestic product, according to the industry officials. About 60 per cent of the country's 150,000 poultry farms have been closed down rendering over 1.5 million people jobless.

Chicken prices in Dhaka city have jumped up by nearly 75 per cent in the past week, selling at Tk 140 per kg, while the price of eggs has risen by over 10 per cent.

"We are facing a quick upward trend in the chicken and egg prices, when prices of rice, flour, edible oil continue to rise alarmingly," said a government employee.

Around five million of the country's more than 140 million people are directly or indirectly involved in poultry farming.

No human bird flu has been reported in the country where households commonly keep poultry.

Experts feared that the H5N1 strain could mutate or combine with the highly contagious seasonal influenza virus and spark a pandemic, especially in countries such as Bangladesh where people live in close proximity to backyard poultry.

The virus has killed 236 people worldwide since 2003.

Liberation war veterans of Indian army will visit Bangladesh

BSS, Dhaka

A 10-members liberation war veterans led by Lt General (retd) JFR Jacob of Indian Army along with their spouses will visit Bangladesh on the occasion of 37th Independence and National Day from 25 to 31 March 2008.

The team was invited in Bangladesh by Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed, said an ISPR Release issued here on Monday.

During their visit in Bangladesh, the war veterans will call on the Chief of Army Staff. They will also likely to visit various battle sites and other places of historical importance.

The visiting war veterans are Lt General ( retd) PN Kathpalia, Lt General (retd) GS Bakshi, Major General (retd) RK Khanna, Major General ( retd) Laxman Singh, Major General (retd) Ashok Verma Kalyan, Brigadier ( retd) RKS Panwar, Brigadier (retd) AK Pahwe, Brigadier (retd) PN Kacker and Brigadier (retd) Amrit Kapur.

Pledge to uphold independence thru hard work

Staff Reporter

The need for strengthening the nation by improving the state of education, science and communication technology with a view to safeguarding its independence and sovereignty was emphasised at a discussion meeting in the city yesterday.

Sector Commander of the War of Independence Hamidullah Khan Bir Pratik was the chief guest at the meeting organised by the Jatiya Muktijoddha Parishad at the Institute of Diploma Engineers. Khan told the meeting that some external powers did not like Bangladesh to develop and wanted to turn it into market of their merchandise.

Poet Al Mahmud, Naya Diganta editor, Alamgir Mohiuddin, Engr Moslem Uddin, central president of Jatiya Muktijoddha Parishad, writer and columnist Dr Rezwan Siddiqui, Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor, The New Nation, Mohammad Iqbal, secretary general of the parishad spoke at the discussion meeting which was presided over by Advocate Hannan Hossain, president, Dhaka city unit of the Parishad.

Wing Commander (retd) Hamidullah Khan narrated his personal experience of the war of independence and said that a feeling of deprivation should not overtake the people on the Independence and National Day. Rather the spirit of patriotism should inspire the people towards the achievement of newer successes for the development of the country, he said.

He said that the people of the country have merit and are establishing themselves in different parts of the world through sheer hard work, and thus there is no reason to feel that they cannot develop their own country. We have to get friendship not enmity from our big neighbour through creative relationship, he said.

The valiant freedom fighter, however, cautioned against certain elements which worked against the interests of the country for very small personal or group benefits. The people should have to be cautious about such people with a view to safeguarding the independence and sovereignty of the country, he said.

Poet Al Mahmud said that Bangladesh would continue to remain and independent and sovereign only by the strength of its people a bulk majority of whom was Muslim and spoke a common Bangla language. He called for safeguarding the traits of national identity for protecting independence and sovereignty of the country.

Md Moslem Uddin in his inaugural address called for unity as against differences, tolerance as against mudslingng, honesty not corruption, elected governance in place of undemocratic rule and self reliance as against dependence on foreign help to ensure accelerated development of Bangladesh.

He also emphasised the need for establishing the honour and dignity of freedom fighters by giving up neglect, and creation of morals by rejecting obscenity. Establishment of these ideals should for the pledges of the Independence Day this year, he added.

Seismic survey will not disrupt nature: Chevron

Staff Reporter

American Petroleum Company in Bangladesh "Chevron Bangladesh" has claimed its ongoing seismic survey in the Layachara National Park will not disrupt its natural beauty.

"Chevron Bangladesh has kept the preservation of nature on the top of its priority. Ongoing seismic survey has least possibility to damage its natural beauty," said President Chevron-Bangladesh Steve Wilson and External Affairs Director of the company Naser Ahmed.

Dispelling all confusion regarding this seismic survey process, over which some local environmental and social organisations have complained for last couple of days, the Chevron official told local journalists and social workers that they will avoid any action that could damage its nature.

President of Chevron Bangladesh said the company is conducting the survey over 150 sq-km to enhance gas products up to 50 per cent. This additional gas will be burned to produce electricity in order to light additional 10 lakh households in its surroundings, they said.

They also informed that the survey started in January 2008 after gaining approval from the Petrobangla, Power and Forestry Department of Bangladesh Government as well as from international committee for environmental survey.

The survey process would continue till June 2008, they added.

BCL leaders meet DU VC: Punishment to attackers demanded

DU Correspondent

Some leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of Awami League, met the Vice Chancellor of the Dhaka University yesterday to demand punishment of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activists who attacked their workers.

During the meeting, the BCL leaders threatened the University authority that they would go for movement if their demand was not fulfilled by today, BCL source said.

The DU Vice-Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz said they were trying to trace out those who were responsible for the incident.

A good number of BCL leaders and activists including its DU unit president Sohel Rana Tipu and general secretary Sazzad Sakib Badsha were present on the occasion.

Earlier on Saturday night, JCD men attacked BCL activists over supremacy at the Surja Sen Hall.

Sarkozy's ex-wife marries: Revenge wedding

Cecilia Ciganer-Albeniz

BBC News

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's former wife Cecilia Ciganer-Albeniz has remarried at a private ceremony in New York's Rockefeller Center.

She wed Moroccan-born public relations executive Richard Attias in the New York landmark's Rainbow Room. Arriving in a black limousine with tinted windows, the couple avoided photographers by using an underground car park. Sarkozy himself remarried less than two months ago.

He tied the knot with Carla Bruni on 2 February - less than four months after the end of his volatile 11-year marriage to Ms Ciganer-Albeniz.

Media reports have referred to the New York nuptials as a "revenge wedding".

An estimated 150 guests who arrived at the Rockefeller Center on Sunday evening to take the lift to the 65th floor Rainbow Room had been asked not to bring cameras or mobile phones.

The ceremony was followed by cocktails and dinner, but no further details were released.

The Rainbow Room boasts a revolving dance floor and panoramic views of New York City. Guests leaving the building after the event refused to discuss the ceremony or even hint at what the bride was wearing. Singers from the Harlem Gospel Choir, who performed at the event, said only that it had gone off smoothly, the AFP news agency reported.

The couple dined out in Manhattan on Saturday night with friends and went to see the hit Broadway musical "Mamma Mia," set to the music of Swedish pop legends Abba.

Govt urged to act like custodian instead of being in business

Staff Reporter

Regulatory Reforms Commission Chairman Akbar Ali Khan yesterday said

The Government should act as the custodian of the people, rather than acting like "businessmen".

He said this while addressing a roundtable on poverty reduction and workers' social security issues, the former Adviser said the inflation rate actually experienced by the poor was as high as 40 percent.

He added that it was regrettable that the government always cited the increasing price of food in international market for their failure to contain domestic costs.

Speakers at the roundtable, organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), said proper wages, pension funds, medical care and lack of compensation for accidents are hindering social security for the country's labour force,.

The speakers agreed that the country's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) could not work until proper wages for 40 million workers were ensured by fixing a benchmark.

The five-year strategy plan for reducing poverty expired in 2007, with the caretaker government announcing to extend it until the next one is drafted.

"The two fundamentals for the PRSP are employment and social security," said the RRC chairman.

Akbar Ali Khan claimed the caretaker administration's social security programmes failed to meet the challenges posed by the economic conditions prevailing in the country.

"For instance, the minimum wage for garment workers has been set at Tk 1,650 per month."

"I think, and I'm sure all of you would agree, that at least Tk 3,000 is needed to just barely survive in a city like Dhaka," said the RRC chairman.

Akbar Ali Khan went on to criticise the interim government for claiming the unemployment rate was as low as 4 percent.

"If that is true then I have to say there is no unemployment in Bangladesh, as it is higher in many countries in Europe and the US," he said.

The former adviser said the inflation rate actually experienced by the poor was as high as 40 percent.

"The inflation rate is calculated from the prices of many commodities along with food items."

"But the poor are only concerned about food, and considering that, I would have to say inflation is not less than 30 percent," Akbar Ali Khan told reporters following the discussion.

"The government should act as the custodian of the people, rather than acting like businessmen," he said.

Syed Sultan Ahmed, additional executive director of BILS, in his keynote presentation at the roundtable said that a lack of proper wages, pension funds, compensation for accidents and medical care are hindering workers' social security.

"Ensuring workers' social security would enable equal distribution of resources in society while cushioning low income families from risks. This would play a key role in poverty reduction," the BILS official said.

He focused on a realistic standard of wage structure saying that there is no specific benchmark for workers' wages.

"Government has set the minimum wage at Tk 1500 per month which works out at Tk 50 a day. On the other hand, rice is now priced at Tk 35 per kg. We all wonder based on what this wage rate has been fixed," Ahmed added.

He said that government's social security schemes such as allowances for widows, old age people does not cover the working class and suggested provisions of mandatory workers funds, gratuity and insurance for every factory and medical care and education for workers' dependants.

Representatives of workers' bodies at the meeting called on the caretaker government to strengthen trade unions and collective bargaining facilities, while they promised the creation of a more constructive trade union environment.