The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

The government has moved much ahead in shaping the port city up to the level of the world cities, according to Adviser to the caretaker government on education and commerce Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman.

"Practical move in this regard will soon be launched after defining the actual meaning of the words - world class city - and earmarking the prerequisites for it," he said while sharing the government's action and achievements with the senior workers of the mass media.

He claimed that the issue had been raised and discussed at the recent inter-ministerial meetings with due significance and positive attitude. As part of the move, the government is to address the city's water-logging problem on priority basis.

He said that a detailed plan of action had been drafted after consulting the representatives of different public and private bodies. "You people will soon start noticing the progress," the education and commerce adviser reaffirmed.

Referring to accommodation crisis in the public schools, the adviser said that they had been expecting better coordination between the schools in the city and its outskirts so that additional teachers from the remote areas are deployed at the city schools now under teacher shortage.

"Double shifting has already been introduced at five public schools. We're on the road to enhance volume of intake," Dr. Zillur said hinting about five other schools to be brought under the scheme. He said that decentralization of educational institutions is a must to build up worthy citizens from all levels of the society.

He informed that Karnaphuli Marine Drive project had been pending simply because of internal complications. Feasibility study of the project will begin soon. Admitting the cost of living in the recent time, the adviser claimed that the government had been working hard to make the essentials affordable.

He pointed out doubling the allocation and supply of rice for open market selling. "It will go on until the essentials become affordable," he added.

1000 voluntaries deposit income tax in Ctg

More than a thousand firms and individuals in the port city has reportedly made spontaneous deposits of income tax worth approximately Taka 250 million.

It was an instance of good citizenship amid the long lasting culture of tax evasion.

The spontaneous tax payers joined a function hosted by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) at the office of Commissioner of Taxes in Chittagong yesterday.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) earlier welcomed the individuals and the firms to pay income tax voluntarily marking March 30 as the deadline.

Representative of Consolidated Tea State and Sylhet Tea Company Akhter Hossain paid Taka 12.5 million while Chairman of Hotel Saint Martin Sufi Ahmed handed over a cheque of Taka 350 thousand to the members of the NBR Ahmed Ali and Khorshed Alam.

The NBR officials said that they would be friendly and flexible for the spontaneous tax payers while tough against the dodgers.

The NBR member (administration) Mohammad Ali joined the function as chief guest while commissioner of Chittagong region Romendra Chandra Bosak presided over it.