The New Nation - Internet Edition

Experts urged: Identify specific IT areas to utilize

BCS IT Expo-2008 began at Multi-Plan Centre at the
city's Elephant Road yesterday. Banglar Chokh

UNB, Dhaka

Commerce Adviser Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman yesteray urged the country's IT experts to identify specific areas in information technology that Bangladesh could utilize immediately.

"You have to pin-point the areas where Bangladesh could make some output right now. The government would do everything to help the sector reap maximum benefit," he said inaugurating a weeklong BCS IT Expo 2008 at Multiplan center in the city.

The Adviser said that Bangladesh is a land of potentials where people willing and ready to work and engage themselves in constructive activities.

"It's time where to set our goals and work hard to achieve them," he said.

He said that government is very much keen to spread the use of computers and IT based education at the grassroots level. "But we are facing a dearth in qualified people to work in the rural areas," he added.

Hossain Zillur lamented that computers sent to many village schools still remained unpacked as there was no computer-literate teachers in those schools.

"We have to address this type of obstacles that stand in the way to spread digital technology across the country," he said. He stressed the need for changing mindset for introducing IT and computer based education in the society.

The inaugural ceremony was presided over by Mostafa Jabbar, President of Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS).

The exposition will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm everyday, the entry fee being Tk 10 per person.

Some 276 exhibitors set up 300 stalls showcasing their products in the BCS IT Expo 2008.

No alternative to raising food production: CA: Short, long-term plans stressed

BSS, Gazipur

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed on Sunday stressed on taking short and long term sustainable programmes along with rapid technology transfer measures to increase food production by reducing yield gap between farm and research levels.

There is no alternative to raise food production for ensuring food security and get relieved from import of food in the present perspective of changed world scenario in food sector, he said.

The Chief Adviser said this while inaugurating a three-day Technology Transfer Workshop-2008 organised by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) at its Badrudozza auditorium here yesterday morning.

Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim attended the workshop as special guest with Agriculture Secretary M Abdul Aziz in the chair. Director General of BARI, M Harun-ur-Rashid gave a brief presentation on various activities of the organisation.

Referring to yield gap, the Chief Adviser said there is a significant difference between production at farmers level and research level. He attached utmost importance on maintaining round-the-clock communications and coordination among researchers, extension workers and farmers to reduce the gap.

The Chief Adviser also called upon the extension workers and others concerned to expedite field-level supervision and ensuring transparency in their works to this end.

About transfer of technology, he expressed the hope that the agricultural scientists would play an important role to take speedy and timely measures in transferring all sustainable technologies developed in the country to the farmers, extension workers and NGOs to boost food production.

"We have to remember that the livelihood of people would be improved with the increase of agricultural production and also it would help bring dynamism to the overall economic activities of the country," he said.

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said increased production in agricultural sector would help materialise the dreams for building a happy, prosperous and self-reliant Bangladesh.

Calling upon all concerned to cultivate every inch of land, he said that farmers should bring each inch of land under cultivation aiming at increasing food production in the country.

In this context, he laid stress on taking care of the health of land along with the crops.

The Chief Adviser urged upon all concerned to use their talent and skills to face the agricultural development challenges for building a hunger and poverty-free Bangladesh.

Detailing the salient feature of the current global economic recession, the Chief Adviser said the world agricultural production has been facing tremendous threat due to unfavourable weather condition, increase in production cost and other natural calamities.

Besides, many developed countries are using cultivable lands and food grains for producing bio-energy to maximise the profit, he said adding as a result, the supply of food grains have been decreasing gradually in the international markets and many food exporting countries have become food importing countries.

The Chief Adviser said the government has taken all out measurers to keep the price of essentials at a tolerable limit as it has understood that the strategy to meet food deficit only by importing is a risky job in the present world perspective.

About use of chemical fertilisers, he said excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in the crop land has been contributing to decrease production and fertility of cultivable lands to a great extent.

In this context, he called upon all concerned to increase use of organic fertilisers instead of chemical fertilisers to this end.

Referring to this year's bumper potato production, he said timely and adequate supply and use of fertilisers, seeds and irrigation has played an important role for the production.

The Chief Adviser called upon the agricultural scientists to attach priority on introducing environment friendly Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system and innovating sustainable technology to preserve these produces.

Listing the government's efforts for agricultural modernisation, he said the government has given utmost emphasis on the overall development of agriculture to fulfill the dream of poverty-free Bangladesh.

"We have introduced an endowment fund of Taka 350 crore to conduct agricultural research," he said adding that a National Agricultural Technology Project has been undertaken and steps have been taken to introduce national agricultural policy.

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed called upon both print and electronic media to disseminate more stories on agriculture to raise public awareness in this regard.

He said the business establishments and corporate houses have to come forward to perform their social responsibilities in this regard.

Later, the Chief Adviser went round different sections of agricultural technology. A total of 20 technology packages would be presented in six technical sessions of the three-day workshop.

A total of 300 participants including 290 officials working in different agriculture-related offices are participating in the workshops where newly innovated technologies would be presented by the BARI scientists.

Indian war veterans call on Army Chief

Visiting Indian Liberation War Veterans led by Lt.
General (Retd) JFR Jacob paid a courtesy call on Chief of
Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed at Army Headquarters, Dhaka
Cantonment on Sunday. Photo: ISPR

BSS, Dhaka

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed on Sunday urged the visiting 1971 Indian war veterans to work as Bangladesh's goodwill ambassadors as delegation leader Lt. General (retd) JFR Jacob praised the heroic role of the Freedom Fighters in the War of Liberation.

"We fought shoulder to shoulder during the war in 1971," Jacob told the army chief at a call-on at the army Headquarters at Dhaka Cantonment, where he negotiated the surrender of the Pakistani troops led by Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi 37 years ago.

"Their contribution was crucial to the emergence of Bangladesh . . . they deserve the full credit."

The Indian veterans said they felt proud for taking part in the Bangladesh's Liberation War with the freedom fighters.

The Army Chief also recalled with gratitude the Indian support in Bangladesh's emergence and appreciated the role of the Indian army during the war as the 1971 Indian veterans came to Dhaka on an official invitation.

He urged them to work as goodwill ambassadors of Bangladesh in their country in view of their role in 1971.

"Your visit will further strengthen the friendship between Bangladesh and India," Ahmed said.

The 11-member delegation led by Jacob, the then Chief of General Staff of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army, arrived here last week coinciding with the 37th Independence Day celebrations at the invitation of the Army Chief.

Baggage chaos at Heathrow

BBC Online

Flight cancellations at the new Terminal 5 of London's Heathrow Airport look set to continue for several days.

British Airways called off 37 flights from T5 on Sunday. A further 54 services will not operate on Monday and some may also be disrupted on Tuesday.

The chaos is due to problems with the baggage handling system. About 15,000 bags are stranded across all terminals.

BA said it was working hard to clear the backlog and hoped to increase the percentage of flights taking off.

A total of 208 flights in and out of the terminal were cancelled during T5's first three days. On Sunday, BA said 85% of its 331 scheduled flights were running normally.

The fifth terminal opened amid great fanfare on Thursday, but difficulties with the baggage handling system and with staff training quickly derailed operations.

On Sunday, BA said the system was now "generally working well" and 400 staff members had volunteered to come in on their day off to sort through piles of stranded suitcases.

A team of engineers and IT specialists from BAA and BA are also dealing with problems as they arise.

Bags for UK destinations will be returned by courier, while international luggage will be put on the next available flight.

In a statement BA said: "A backlog of undelivered bags has built up. This backlog is not affecting the day-to-day operation of the baggage system, and we are making every effort to reunite delayed bags with their owners.

"We have more than 400 volunteers from across the airline supporting this effort.

"This work takes time as delayed bags must undergo enhanced levels of security screening. Much of this process has to be done manually because we have been unable to use the Terminal 5 baggage system to process these bags automatically.

"We are sorry for the disruption and inconvenience caused to customers whose flights have been cancelled or whose bags have been delayed."

The company said it and BAA had "invested an enormous amount of time and effort to create Terminal 5", and remained confident that "these early difficulties can be overcome".

But, at the airport on Sunday, some passengers remained critical.

We will not rest until our service has been restored to the high standard customers rightly expect

Kerry Johnstone, 35, said she found out only upon arrival at T5, from the electronic board, that she faced an eight-hour delay on a flight to Copenhagen.

"Everyone has to find out when they get here," she said. "It's appalling that such a big organisation has got it so wrong. I can't check in, because they don't know what flight I'm going to be on.

"There was a two-year-old child screaming next to me. When one of the staff tried to make light of it, I said that was exactly what I felt like doing.

"I feel like having a full-blown tantrum but I'm too old."

Transport Minister Ruth Kelly said she had spoken to airport operator BAA and BA: "While the problems at Terminal 5 are for them to resolve, I have made clear that the government stands ready to assist.

Avian flu situation improving with rising temperature

Staff Reporter

With the rise of temperature, bird flu that battered the growing poultry industry in the country now started to ease off, said an expert of the Livestock Department yesterday.

The situation of bird flu is gradually improving with the rise of temperature, said a technical officer of the Livestock Department.

Some 1,536,542 chickens, ducks and pigeons have been culled so far till Saturday since the epidemic broke out in March last year, said an official of the Bird Flu Control Room.

The disease affected 486 commercial farms and 42 private farms in 47 districts out of 64 districts in the country, said the official.

The government agencies are campaigning through the electronic media and SMS services that there is no danger in eating chickens and eggs if cooked and boiled at 70 degree Celsius.

There is no reason for the people to panic about the virus, as there is no human infection detected in Bangladesh, said the physicians. People earlier panicked at the spread of virus stopped eating chickens and eggs have now begun eating fowl meat and eggs.

The Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association (BPIA) said the deadly virus led to the closure of more than 50 per cent of the farms, turning nearly five million people jobless.

The epidemic had devastated the poultry sector worth about Tk 143 crore, according to the Association.

Fake NGO Palli Pragati flees with Tk 1.5m

Gafargaon Correspondent

A fake non-governmental organization (NGO) has fled away with over Tk 15 lakh (1.5 million) cheating hundreds of poor women in rural areas of Gafargaon under Mymensingh district.

Palli Pragati Shahayak Samity, a fake NGO has fled away with the amount taken from hundreds of poor women who deposited the money with the NGO for profit. As a result, the cheated depositors have been crowding at the office of Palli Pragati at Gafargaon everyday demanding return of their money.

It is learnt that some cheat workers of Palli Pragati set up an office at the residence of Abul Hashem, an office assistant of Gafargaon Islamia Government High School, at Women's College Road in the Gafargaon town about two months ago.

They put a signboard on their office building only three days before fleeing away although they carried out their activities over the last two months silently. They also gave a large sum of money as office rent to the owner Abul Hashem. Alluring to provide Tk 10,000 as loan if anyone deposited Tk 1,000 the workers of NGO Palli Pragati accepted Tk 15 lakh as deposits from more than 900 members of Dhamail, Shilashi, Jaleshwar and Kalaipara villages under the Gafargaon upazila with the help of some local people during the last two months. However, going to the office of Palli Pragati last week the depositors learnt that the workers of the NGO fled away locking their office.

When contacted, house owner Abul Hashem told The New Nation that the Palli Pragati Shahayak Samity, situated at Khilgaon in Dhaka hired his house as office through Habib, an employee of Nirapad Hotel in the Gafargaon municipal town.

On the other hand, a large number of cheated women members alleged that the cheat workers of the fake NGO, in connivance with Abul Hashem, had fled away with lakhs of taka cheating hundreds of poor women of the upazila.

They said many poor women of Shilashi and Dhamail villages became the members of the NGO at the advice of Abul Hashem. Scores of women, including Shampa, 22, wife of Mojibar Rahman, Kabita, 25, Begum, 45, Nasima, Aktar, 35, Nazma, 30, Shibli Aktar of village Shilashi handed over Tk 3,000 to Tk 5,000 each to the fake NGO workers selling all their belongings with the hope of alleviating poverty in their respective families. Utter frustration and uncertainty have now gripped these women as cheat workers of Palli Pragati Shahayak Samity have fled away with their money. Hundreds of cheated poor women have demanded exemplary punishment of these cheated workers and their accomplices.

Owner of the house Abul Hashem has lodged a case with Gafargaon police station in this connection.

Call to implement Consumer Rights Preservation Act

Staff Reporter

The government should proclaim the Consumer Rights Preservation Act as an ordinance immediately said the speakers at a discussion meeting titled "The Cause and Solution of Excessive Price Hike of Fish and Vegetables in The Retailing Market Compared to The Whole Sell Market" organised by Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) at its office yesterday.

They also demanded stern action against the culprits responsible for intolerable price hike of daily essentials by forming syndicates in the market.

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Borhan Ahmed, president of CAB, said the politicisation of the City Corporation in allocating shops and leasing out of kitchen market at high rate are the major causes of price hike. The wholesalers always tried to swindle the retailers, he added.

He urged the consumers and the small businessmen to wage a movement to stop these irregularities.

He disclosed statistics of price of fish and vegetables that varies from market to market. The seller at Hatirpul and New Market are taking over 99.18 per cent in vegetables and 37.48 per cent in fish compared to those at Kawran Bazar. The sellers of Fakirapul and Thatari Bazar are taking over 93.54 per cent in vegetables and 45.86 per cent in fish compared to those at Jatrabari.

Kazi Faruk, General Secretary of CAB; Anwar Hossain Sikder, president of Fish and Kitchen Market Small Businessmen Society of Dhaka Metropolitan, among others, were present at the meeting.

National ID Cards Ordinance approved

Staff Reporter

The Council of Advisers yesterday approved the National Identity Registration Authority Ordinance at a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair at his office in the capital.

Disclosing this after the meeting Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser told journalists that the Ordinance provided stringent punishment to the violators of the law.

"The Ordinance provides for a minimum of three months and a maximum of seven years in prison for such crimes. The CrPC will be followed in trial of the cases," he said, adding,"The ID cards issued by the Election Commission will be considered National ID (N ID) cards. The registration authority will work under the Ministry Home Affairs."

Obtaining more than one national identity card and carrying fake NID providing false information would be considered punishable offences, he added.

Referring to other provisions in the ordinance, Syed Fahim Munaim, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, said, "Changing information in the ID card for an ulterior motive and making a fake identity card are also punishable offences."

He said a national information database and registration authority would be established as per the Ordinance.

"The main functions of the registration authority will include setting up a national information database centre and maintenance, receiving and issuing cards, coordinating the registration of birth and death of citizens under the Local Government departments," the Ordinance said.

Work on preparing one crore national identity cards has already been completed across the country.

"The head office of the authority will be located in Dhaka. The authority can set up its branches in any Division, District or Upazila if necessary," the law reads, adding, "The number of members will be no more than four, each with the status of a Joint Secretary."

The Chairman of the authority would be appointed from among the Government officials, who enjoy the status of an Additional Secretary.

The authority will have funds that might be formed by either with government donations, loans or money received from other sources.

"The authority will submit an annual report to the government prior to the end of the year," the Ordinance continued, "It (authority) can prepare rules and regulations in consultation with the Government, but those must be published in the form official gazette."

Sudan to import manpower from Bangladesh soon

Staff Reporter

Sudan and Bangladesh have held consultations to sign an agreement to import manpower from the country, as the Sudanese economy has reached the takeoff point.

The Ambassador of Sudan in Dhaka, Daffalla El-Haj Ali Osman last Thursday discussed the deal with the Bangladeshi Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at his office.

Ambassador Ali Osman handed over a draft of an agreement on 'Political Understanding,' on the issue expected to be signed between the two countries shortly.

Sudan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Al-Samani Al-Wasila early this month in

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a meeting on the sideline of the Islamic Summit in Dakar told Bangladeshi Foreign Adviser that there is a need for Bangladeshi skilled and semi-skilled manpower in the development of Sudan.

"The Sudanese government and people would welcome the participation of Bangladeshi companies and firms in the consequent economic activities," said Al-Wasila.

"We would be happy to fill this need," Dr Iftekhar told Al-Samani.

The Foreign Adviser told Al-Wasila that there are plans by his government to open diplomatic mission in Khartoum 'in line with Bangladesh's growing relations with that country.'

Sudan is enjoying an oil-fuelled economic boom. The US and European companies are largely shunning Sudan, but countries in Asia and the Middle East like China, Saudi Arabia and Libya have heavily invested.

Haque, Moazzem elected President, Secy Gen of JBCCI

Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Masayuki Inoue
seen with the newly elected directors-Abdul Haque
(President), Shafiul Alam Kamal (Vice President 1), Kazuhiko
Ito (Vice President 2), Dr AKM Moazzem Hussain (Secretary
General), Tomohiro Kinomoto (Treasur

Staff Reporter

Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) held its 4th annual general meeting (AGM) and election of the board of directors for 2008-2010 at a city hotel on March 29 last. It was attended by 35 members.

The main objective of the JBCCI is to promote bilateral business and investment between Japan and Bangladesh.

The 12-member of board of directors of JBCCI has equal representation from both Bangladesh and Japan sides.

In the election, Abdul Haque was elected as president while Dr AKM Moazzem Hussain as secretary general.

Shafiul Islam Kamal was elected as vice president (1), Kazuhiko Ito as vice president (2) and Tomohiro Kinomoto as treasurer.

Two past presidents-Matiur Rahman and Hideo Ueno-were elected as advisers to the board of directors for 2008-2010.

The AGM was followed by a dinner which was attended by Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Masayuki Inoue and other dignitaries.

10m people under quake risk: Coordinated preparedness programme stressed

Staff Reporter

Earthquake experts at a roundtable meeting yesterday recommended a long-term and coordinated preparedness measure to reduce the risk and loss by the tremors.

Addressing the meeting on" Earthquake Risk of Bangladesh: Preparedness and Limitations" they said creating public awareness would not be sufficient to face the risk of earthquake; rather the main focus should be on rebuilding the cities under master plans.

The experts observed that around 10 crore people of the country are living under risk of tremor in the country.

The experts regretted that though various programmes have been taken to face earthquake but no effective measure was taken yet to reduce the risk of tremors.

They emphasised the need for creating awareness among the people who are living in risk areas and city dwellers have to be trained in post earthquake recovery exercise.

The meeting jointly organised by USAID, Care, Nirapad and the Daily Somokal was held at CIRDAP auditorium in the city. Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, national expert on earthquake and tsunami preparedness under Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) presented keynote paper, Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansari of BUET's Civil Engineering Department moderated the function.

The meeting was addressed, among others, by CDMP official SM Morshed, Nirapad Chairman Abul Haseeb Khan, disaster-management expert Prof. Moniruzzaman, Dr Mallik of Bangladesh Earthquake Society, Executive Engineer of Public Works Department Sirajul Haq, Chief Engineer of RAJUK Shah Alam, Chief Town Planner of Dhaka City Corporation Sirajul Islam, Prof. Kamrul Hasan of Dhaka University Geology Department and Prof. Abul Kalam of Urban and Regional Planning Department of Jahangirnagar University. Dr Maksud Kamal said we are at the threshold of another earthquake as no major earthquake hit Dhaka in the last 100 years.

If any earthquake hit the Dhaka city with the intensity of 7 on the Richter scale a massive destruction of 9 to 14 storied buildings would take place," he said.

Urban planner Sirajul Islam said the national building construction code'1993 was updated in 2006, but, thereafter, no ministry or department was assigned to implement the code.

Prof. Abul Kalam said Bangladesh has no policy on land use whereas a country should have plan for every inch of her land.

He further said there was a law enacted many years ago to appoint urban planner at every pourashabha of the country, but the law still remained unimplemented.

Dr Mallik said most of the buildings in the major cities were built without following the building codes. "We cannot even imagine how terrific a disaster is coming," he warned.

Sirajul Haq observed that mysteriously the department has been made inactive from working out a plain to mitigate of earthquake losses.

Bangladesh being a part of Bengal basin is one of the most seismically active zones of the world.

In the recent past, a good number of tremors of moderate to severe intensity had taken place in and around Bangladesh.

Hannan demands reconstitution of EC

Staff Reporter

Brig (Retd) ASM Hannan Shah, member of Advisory Council of BNP, yesterday demanded reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) since what he said it has lost its credibility to hold the lection in a free, fair and impartial manner.

Addressing a discussion meeting at Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium, the outspoken BNP leader said the covert policy of the government of 'minus two' known as removing of Khaleda and Hasina from politics has now turned into minus of rice and flour.

"The so-called minus two policy has now yielded to plus. But they have minus 'chal and ata (rice and flour)," he said pointing to the abnormal price hike of the food grains. The BNP leader said you (government) should be beware of the wrath of the people for your dubious minus policy.

City Unit of BNP organised the meeting to mark the Independence and National Day. Leaders and activists pf most of the thana and ward committee of the party were present at the meeting.

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Criticising the role of the CEC, Hannan Shah said the CEC had been guided by certain quarter for whatever he has done and said about BNP.

"I am ready to face any eventuality and odds in the days to come and get the chairperson free from jail with your cooperation and support," he said.

Former adviser for energy Mahhmudur Rahman compared the prevailing situation with that of 1974.

"This government has no constitutional, moral right nor it has people's support," he observed.

He strongly demanded cancellation of air transit agreement with India saying that it has to be done within a month, failing which the masses will raise in upsurge against the government.

Among others, BNP leaders-Moazzem Hossain, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Selima Rahman, Mohammad Shahjahan, Nazimuddin Alam and Syed Mehdi Ahmed Rumi addressed the meeting.

Govt approves import of 4 lakh tons rice from India

UNB, Dhaka

The Council of Advisers' Committee on Public Purchase yesterday approved import of four lakh tons of rice from India at the rate of US$ 430 per ton. The import scheduled will be executed within 60 days.

"The imports are being made to maintain our food stock," Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam told reporters after the meeting held at the Cabinet Division.

Replying to question, he said the boro harvest would start after one and half month, but the consumption of rice would rise as the quantum of open market sale (OMS) increases from April.

He added that the government was not certain as to how much could be procured from the boro production.

Replying to another question, the Adviser reiterated that the country has no shortage of food at this moment, having a food stock that could meet food requirements for three months.

Earlier, the committee had approved import of one lakh tons of rice from the Indian state of West Bengal at an average price of US$ 399 per ton under bilateral official arrangement.