The New Nation - Internet Edition

BCL-JCD clash, one hurt

UNB, Dhaka

A BCL activist was badly beaten by JCD activist in Zahurul Haq Hall of Dhaka University Wednesday night out of political enmity.

The incident triggered tension on the campus when rival groups of JCD and BCL were on the verge of confrontation, campus sources said. Police rushed to the spot and stood on guard in between the rival groups of students.

Sources said Arif, a BCL activist, was called to a room of Zahurul Haq Hall and beaten by JCD boys. The victim was rushed to a hospital.

Fake army captain arrested in city

UNB, Dhaka

A fake army captain was arrested on the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) premises in the city recently. The arrested person was identified as Jahirul Islam alias Arif, 23, of Moujebali village in Sadar upazila of Netrakona district, according to an ISPR release.

It said military police challenged Arif while trying to enter the CMH claiming himself as an army captain and arrested him after ascertaining his false identity.

"A woman-and-children repression case was already pending with Netrakona judge court against Arif who had been cheating people disguising as army personnel," the release said.

He was handed over to Kafrul police station after his arrest on March 24.

VRS of Biman staff Report within two weeks

UNB, Dhaka

The committee, formed to review the applications of Biman employees who went on retirement under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and now want to get their jobs back, is likely to submit its report within two weeks.

The Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry formed the three-member committee on January 2 and asked it to submit its report within the next two weeks. Later, the deadline was extended.

Civil Aviation and Tourism joint secretary Fakhrul Islam was made convenor of the committee while Biman finance director Muhammad Tahir Hossain member and Civil Aviation and Tourism deputy secretary M Majibur Rahman member secretary.

"We've almost finalised our report and will submit it before April 15," a member of the committee told UNB.

The committee was asked to find out whether there were any irregularities in the VRS process.

The Biman authorities last year had planned to cut 1,593 jobs in its eight departments to trim its manpower to 3,400 from about 5,000. The eight departments are Customer Service, Engineering, Project and Planing, Administration, Finance, Store and Purchase, Flight Operation, and Marketing and Sales.

Accordingly, the authorities had invited applications on June 4 last year from its employees willing to go on retirement under the VRS trimming plan.

As of June 20 last year, some 2,267 employees submitted their applications for the voluntary retirement, but most of them alleged that they were forced to sign the printed VRS form of retirement.

As the number of applicants exceeded the number of the planned job cut, the government formed a committee, headed by Biman managing director MA Momen, to make a short list.

The committee finalieed a list of 1,877 employees of different departments for the voluntary retirement, a programme that is euphemistically called as golden handshake.

The voluntary retirement seekers also withdrew their designated retirement benefits.

Later, over 500 Biman employees who already went retirement under the VRS made an appeal to the government that they had to accept the VRS amid threats by some high officials.

The Civil Aviation Authority formed the inquiry committee following the appeal.

Meanwhile, on March 25, the High Court issued an interim injunction on contractual appointment of flight stewardesses by Bangladesh Biman Airlines Ltd for its aircraft.

A High Court Division Bench, headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, issued the interim injunction following a writ petition challenging the legality of Biman's impugned action on initiating contractual appointment of Flight Stewardesses before submission of its review board report.

Ferdousi Begum Karnaj and six others, who were allegedly forced to retire under the voluntary retirement scheme last year, filed the writ petition.

The court also issued a rule upon the Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd in this regard.

This impugned action of Biman aggrieved VRS staff that prompted them to move to the High Court seeking redress.

EC for closer ties

UNB, Dhaka

The European Commission (EC) has said it attaches immense importance to fostering closer relations with Bangladesh in this challenging period of transition towards parliamentary elections.

The EC made the remarks as the 4th Session of the EC-Bangladesh Joint Commission was held in Brussels on April 2 in line with the commitments undertaken by the European Commission and Bangladesh under the Co-operation Agreement of 2001.

Bangladesh delegation was led by Md. Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, Secretary, Economic Relations Division. Bangladesh Ambassador in Belgium A. H. M. Moniruzzaman and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Joao Aguiar Machado, Deputy Director General of DG External Relations of the European Commission led the EC delegation to the session. Dr Stefan Frowein, Head of the EC Delegation to Bangladesh, and other senior EC officials were also present.

The Joint Commission meeting addressed the full range of bilateral relations with a view to strengthening existing co-operation, including trade, democracy, good governance and human rights, development co-operation, climate change and air services.

"The richness and maturity of our relationship is reflected in the fact that the EU is the prime destination for Bangladesh's exports and in our substantial partnership in the field of development assistance. The Joint Commission has provided a valuable opportunity to take stock of our relationship and to map out the way to even better co-operation," Machado said.

Bhuiyan said "the longer-term perspectives which we have considered with respect to our partnership in the trade, political and development co-operation fields serve as a reassurance that the relationship between the EC and Bangladesh can continue to go from strength to strength."

Hurdles to Dhaka-Kolkata

UNB, Dhaka

The stage is set for the commissioning of Dhaka-Kolkata passenger train service on April 14 (Pahela Baishakh) as rail officials of Bangladesh and India yesterday jointly resolved all the outstanding issues.

So, there is no obstacle to running the much-awaited Dhaka-Kolkata passenger train (Moitree Express) on the first day of the Bengali New Year, both the sides said on a positive note.

Delegates of Bangladesh and Indian rail authorities today concluded the bilateral talks that began at the Rail Bhaban on Wednesday, removing the hurdles to the friendship train service between the two next-door neighbors.

"We have completed all the arrangement of starting the cross-border rail service and we resolved all the unsettled issues over the beginning of the train service," ATKM Ismail told reporters after the meeting.

Ismail, Additional Secretary of the Communications Ministry, led the six-member host side and RN Varma, Additional Member (Traffic) of the Indian Railway Board, led his country's seven-member delegation.

He said there were no unsettled issues now and the two governments would decide when the agreement would be signed. He, however, claimed that the deal would be signed in the next 11 days to the Bengali New Year and the mass passenger train would kick-start from Pahela Baishakh.

The Communications official said the rail authority requested the authority concerned for ensuring security of the cross-border train, and the authorities would take the necessary masseurs.

Indian delegation leader RN Varma told the reporters that they had no apprehension about the start of Dhaka-Kolkata passenger train service as they finalized all the unsettled issues.

"We have discussed each and every item …immigration customs etc, and we are in right track. We have no apprehension over the beginning of the train service and that's why we are here," he said.

But, Varma said, train service is a complicated element and starting an international train is more complicated.

Ismail informed that Bangladeshi train with a capacity of 418 passengers would whistle away every Saturday at 8:30 am from the Cantonment station. And Indian train with a capacity of 366 passengers will start for Dhaka on Sundays at 7:10 am (local time).

The meeting decided the train fare at $ 20, $15 and $10 and the ticket would be sold only from Kamalapur Rail station. "Ticket would be sold after examining the passport and visa. Government will declare the date of selling tickets through newspaper advertisement," Ismail said.

An adult passenger can carry 35-KG luggage and a child below 5 years 20kg. Trolley for carrying goods would be provided at Dharsona station so that the passengers can carry their goods for customs checking.

On the Indian side were Suchitto Das, AK Singh, Naresh Salecha, P Gupta and Aseem Mahajan while from Bangladesh side Safiz Uddin Ahmed, joint-secretary of the Communications Ministry and M Sarwar Mahamood, Director of the Foreign Ministry.

The next meeting will be held in New Delhi in October of this year.

Banglar Shourav gets nod for voyage after 2 yrs

Chittagong Correspondent

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation's (BSC) tanker MT Banglar Shourabh, which was abandoned after a fire incident couple of years ago, has been brought back to operation yesterday.

The badly damaged tanker went on a trial run after necessary repair and acquiring voyaging fitness from the dry dock. It took up the trial run at about 11:00 a.m. and return to the anchorage at about 4:00 p.m. after cruising Kutubdia channel.

Captain Amirul Islam backed by Pilot Nasir and 80 crew members took the tanker on trial run. Thirty officials from the BSC and 50 from the Karnaphuli Ship Builders Limited went onboard. The officials certified the tanker's fitness for regular voyage.

MT Banglar Shourav was dropped from the active fleet of the BSC on June 24, 2006. Later, the BSC bought it as scrap vessel from its insurer.

Bangladeshi marine engineer MA Rashid took the challenge of bringing the damaged tanker back to operation with major refurbishments. Engineer Rashid finally made it happen twisting the common belief of the local engineers, senior sailors and the regional shipbuilders.

Credits of building three tugboats - Kandari-1, Kandari-7, Kandari-8 - for Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), three deep-sea fishing boats and two sea-trucks also went in his favor.

While giving reaction on the success engineer MA Rashid said that he had to deposit Taka 55 million as bank guarantee to the BSC.

"It was a matter of great risk. I would have to suffer a huge loss if the case was unsuccessful," he said uttering words of gratification to the almighty.

He said that it took nearly 21 months for carrying out the refurbishments and six of the company's workers died while working on the vessel.

The repair reportedly added value to the vessel and its current prices would be not less than Taka 1600 million. Karnaphuli Ship Builders Limited will, however, get only Taka 2325 million as repair costs from the BSC.

3 get life-term for killing in Ctg

Chittagong Correspondent

A sessions court in the port city sentenced three persons to life-term imprisonment in a murder case yesterday.

Four other accused in the case were acquitted as the charges brought against them could not be proved beyond doubt.

The verdict came after 19 years of the incident. The court of Chittagong second Additional District and Sessions' Judge pronounced the verdict in a jam-packed courtroom yesterday.

Judge Shamsur Rahman delivered the verdict. The convicts are Abul Kalam, Junu Mia and Abul Hashem. Abul Hashem is still absconding while Abul Kalam and Junu Mia are in jail.

The acquitted persons are identified as Raja Mia, Mohammad Abul Kalam, Nurul Amin and Nurul Alam.

Public Prosecutor Enamul Haque told the reporters that Abu Taher was killed on November 14, 1989 at Sitakund.

Taher's brother Abdur Razzak in connection with the murder filed a case on November 23, 1989. Charge sheet of the case was submitted on August 22, 1990.

Registration centres set up in each city thana to enroll left out voters

UNB, Dhaka

Registration centre has been set up in each thana of Dhaka City to enroll those who could not be registered as voters during the due time.

The left out voters of the city would get an opportunity of enlisting their names at the centres on April 11, 12 and 13, an Election Commission press release said yesterday .

The centres are: Mirpur-10 Community Centre (wards 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14) for residents of Mirpur, Pallabi and Shah Ali thana (phone - 8034464).

Mohammdpur City College (Wards 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 and 51) for residents of Mohammdpur and Adabar thana (phone - 9135558).

Wari Abdur Rahim Community Centre (Wards 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 and 82) for residents of Suttrapur and Kotwali thana (phone - 7171719).

Panchayet Communiti Centre, Jattrabari (wards 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89 and 90) for residents of Jattrabari and Shyampur thana (phone - 7554742).

Matijheel AGB Colony (wards 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36) for residents of Paltan and Matijheel thana (phone - 9356681).

Sabujbag Community Centre (wards 27, 28 and 29) for residents of Sabujbag thana (phone - 8251863).

Haji camp, Uttara (wards 1, 17 and 21) for residents of Uttara, Airport and Badda thana (phone - 8932855 and 8932877).

Army Stadium, Banani (wards 17 and part of 15) for the residents of Khilkhet and Dhaka Cantonment (phone - 875001, ext. 7766).

Mirpur Model High School, Senpara Parbata (wards 4, 14, 16 and part of 15) for residents of Kafrul (phone - 8713173).

Banani Bidya Niketan (wards 18, 19 and 20) for resodents of Gulshan thana (phone - 8713173).

Ideal School and College (wards 49, 50, 51, 52 and 86) for residents of New Market and Dhanmondi (phone - 9669630).

Leather Technology College (ward 48) for residents of Hajaribag (phone - 9669630).

Lalbag Model School (wards 58, 59, 69, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66 and 67) for residents of Lalbag and Hajaribag thana (phone - 9665933).

Khilgaon Model University College (wards 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26) for residents of Khilgaon thana (phone - 8833280).

T & T High School (wards 53, 54 and 55) for residents of Ramna and Matijheel thana (phone - 911288).

Jatiya Natyashala (wards 56 and 57) for residents of Shahbag (phone - 9111288).

Rajdhani High School (wards 38, 39 and 40) for residents of Tejgaon thana (phone - 911288).

Textile Engineering College (wards 20 and 37) for residents of Tejgaon Industrial Area (phone - 9111288).