The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League leaders on Saturday strongl demanded unconditional and immediate release of the party president and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina They also urged the government to arrange proper medical treatment for her ears and eyes, allowing her to travel to United States for treatment.

"Our leader Sheikh Hasina's release is very necessary at this moment," AL acting President Zillur Rahman said while inaugurating a mass signature campaign at the Diploma Engineers' Institution in the city.

Dhaka City Awami League organized the programme attended by AL presidium members Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Suranjit Sengupta, Tofael Ahmed, Begum Matiya Chowdhury, Al acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam and City AL leader Qamrul Islam. Acting president of Dhaka City Awami League MA Aziz presided over the function.

Zillur Rahman said the situation in the country is very critical and only Sheikh Hasina's release can help overcome the prevailing crises. He said the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasia had efficiently handled a situation of food shortage in 1991 and the staggering floods in 1998. Not a single man died of hunger during the severe floods in 1998.

Zillur Rahman urged all party leaders and activists to unitedly work for the country and expressed the hope that their leader Sheikh Hasina would soon return to them.

Appreciating the city Awami league for holding such a programme, Tofael Ahmed said the mass signature campaign would continue till the release of Sheikh Hasina. "If Sheikh Hasina is not released, a new movement will be launched," he said.

He also urged the government to immediately release the Sheikh Hasina on humaitarian ground, allowing her to travel to United States for better treatment.

Suranjit said The Awami League's demand for release of Sheikh Hasian and her treatment abroad is 'legal and democratic' right, adding that the mass signature campaign would turn into a mass movement for her release.

About the proposed Truth Commission, he said the constitution of the country does not allow such a 'strange commission' where anybody would be allowed to go without trial after committing crime. Suranjit also urged the government to hold the general election without delay, realizing the demand of the people. Matiya Chowdhury strongly criticized the caretaker government for unabated price-hike, deterioration of law and order, unemployment and the downturn of the country's economy.

Staff Reporter

Nipun is the pioneer to have the revolution in the dress pattern that has a meaningful combination between modern trends and traditional culture, said Ashraful alam, Managing Director of Nipun, while inaugurating the 8th outlet of Nipun at Mirpur yesterday targeting Bengali New Year.

Abu Alam Chowdhury, vice president of FBCCI, was present as chief guest to inaugurated the latest outlet. Golam Ahsan, President and S U Haider, Former President of Bangla kraft, Hasmot ara Rahman, Director of Nipun, among others were also present in the inaugural ceremony.

Nipun has a huge collection of men, women and kids wear. Keeping in mind the special demand of the customers for the Pohela Baishakh Nipun has enriched its collection. Some domestic essential and gift items are also available at Nipun.

It may be mentioned that Nipun is a fashion house dedicated to serve the customers with the best qualities of dress since 1973. The slogan of the fashion house is "Fashioner Nipun Karigor."

Address of the new outlet is: plot-15, Block-Kha, Road-1, Section-6, Mirpur Housing state, Mirpur, Dhaka.

BBC Online

Women are discriminated against in almost every country around the world, a UN-commissioned report says. It says that this is despite the fact that 185 UN member states pledged to outlaw laws favouring men by 2005.

It adds that 70% of the world's poor are women and they own just 1% of the world's titled land.

The report, which was prepared for UN Human Right Commissioner Louise Arbour, says rape within marriage has still not been made a crime in 53 nations.

The report was compiled by Fareda Banda, a law professor at London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

At a news conference in Geneva, Prof Banda said that other laws discriminating women included statutes on divorce, maternity benefits and pensions.

She said that even basic laws like the legal ages for marriage could have a huge impact on women's lives:

"Many states still have different ages of marriage for young women than they have for young men, and the age for girls is always lower then the age for boys.

"This leads to violations, for example of a girls' right education, if she has to leave school at 14 to get married, and this impacts upon her life chances.

"It ends up being a life-long violation of her rights in terms of forfeiting education, having children too early, possibly being damaged herself." The report recommends the introduction of a new, separate mechanism to fight discrimination because existing UN and international human rights laws are not being upheld.

It also calls for a new UN expert to focus specifically on laws which damage women's chances in life.

Staff Reporter

BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain yesterday accused the government of creating a chaotic situation in every sector in the country.

The Government has created a chaotic situation not only in politics, but also in every sector, including the judiciary and food, he said this while exchanging views with the leaders of Dhaka City Juba Dal (North) and Kafrul thana unit BNP when they met him at his NAM Flat Apartment

Referring to the sufferings of the people due to price spiral Khondoker Delwar Hossain said people remained without food and all are fed up with this government. He said the BNP would take next course of action in consultation with leaders of party and its front organisations.

The BNP Secretary General alleged that the Government is pursuing a policy of curbing politicians in the name of curbing corruption.

In this respect, he mentioned that the TIB report published in newspapers shows that corruption is still widespread under the present government.

Mentioning the suggestions and options being discussed at various levels, Khondoker Delwar Hossain said the people do not understand anything other than elections.

"We are accountable to the people. If our Chairperson remains in prison or if I die, BNP will be there," he said.

He called upon the party leaders and activists to get united and activate the organisational activities at district and upazila levels and take preparation for the future programmes.

"I am optimistic about the future of the party and its front organisations," he said.

Juba Dal (North) General Secretary Saiful Alam Nirob led the delegation. BNP Joint Secretary General Selima Rahman, Krishak Dal Secretary General Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Acting Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed and former lawmaker Sohrab Uddin were present on the occasion.

BBC Online

Russia and NATO have signed a deal allowing the alliance to transport non-lethal freight to Afghanistan through Russian territory.

A NATO spokeswoman said the agreement covered everything from food to certain military equipment.

NATO says the signing of the agreement was one of the main aims of President Putin's visit to the summit in the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

The Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai, welcomed the deal as significant.

Russia and Afghanistan have no common border so goods would have to travel through Uzbekistan.

The Uzbek president, Islam Karimov, has already told the Nato summit that he will allow Nato to send supplies through his country.

Staff Reporter

Expressing deep concern over the concerned body's decision for curtailing gas supplies to the export oriented industries, leaders of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) yesterday demanded of the government to withdraw the decision, otherwise the country's most potential export sector might face a great disaster.

"We are stunned by the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company's decision for halting 40 percent gas supply to he Knitwear industries. If this situation is going on then this sector would incur a loss of $360 million" said Fazlul Hoque, president BKMEA at a press briefing at its office in the city yesterday.

Mentioning the potentiality and high rate of growth the BKMEA President said that the knitwear industries usually required uninterrupted gas supply for well finishing of its products dyeing.

He said that if the gas supply halted for at least six hours then the volume of daily production would be drastically reduced that would hamper timely shipment to the foreign buyers. And the quality of products could also not be possible to maintain, he added.

BKMEA president Fazlul Hoque said from last July to January of this year knitwear sector has earned $ 3014.60 million. He said that in last December the growth of this sector was 40 percent and it has surpassed to 68 percent in the first month of this year.

He said that the Titas authority did not even discuss with the owners of the export oriented industries while taking this decision on April 3.

He said that BKMEA is ready to discuss with the government in order to maintain the continuity of smooth knitwear products and exports to foreign countries.

He called upon the government to cooperate for supplying normal gas to the knitwear industries.

It was attended, among others, vice presidents Al-Haj Abdur Rashed, Dr Bahauddin Mohammad Yousuf, AKM Zahidul Hoq Bhuiya, Kashem Jamal and board of directors MA Rahman, Al-Haj GM Haider Ali, Mohammad Hatem and Masud Kader Mona, vice president of Garments Washing Industries Association.

Staff Reporter

The Square Group of the Industries is going to hold a two-day cultural show titled as Radhuni Bangladesh Night in the City of Rome, the capital of Italy and a major global centre of art and literature, on April 13 and 14 (2007) with a view to market its consumer products in Europe.

Top officials of the Company announced this yesterday at a press conference, held at the head office of the Impress Telefilm at Shantnagar in the capital. Chirocola Artistee, an Italian TV Channel, and Bangaldeshi Channel I are media partners of the event that would be participated by both Bangladeshi and Italian performing artists, including singers and fashion models, they said.

The performers, who would be flown to the City of Rome from Dhaka, includes renowned singers-Sabina Yasmin, Kumar Biswajit and Akhi Alamgir, film artists Purnima and Mahfuj Ahmed, model Nobel and Tisha to attend the gala night.

The press conference was attended, among others, by Head of Marketing of the Square Group Malik Mohammad Sayeed and Director of Channel I Abdul Mukit Majumder.

Staff Reporter

Micro credit has been plunging people deeper into debt in Bangladesh instead of alleviating poverty, France based news agency FRANCE 24 reported Friday.

It said most of the micro credit borrowers in Kalihati village, one of the first Bangladeshi villages to benefit from Grameen's low interest credit scheme, are unable to reimburse their credit, and claim to be harassed by Grameen Bank representatives. Khorshed Alam, a former debt collector, was put into early retirement for having questioned the Grameen Bank's methods.

"Their technique is to scare borrowers and insult them. We tell them to sell their clothes, that they have no other choice. I'm not proud of myself, but several times, I had even been obliged to say 'sell your children."

The report said, "Bank's representatives choose not to respond to these accusations. It is impossible to obtain an interview with Mohammad Yunus, and the Grameen Bank headquarters are off-limits for journalists who are too curious." The report, however, mentioned a success story of a micro credit borrower.

It said," The Grameen Bank counts more than 100 million clients in the world's poorest countries. It targets 500 million clients in 2020."

Micro credit changed Shobi Rani's life. An impoverished yoghurt seller, Rani travels across her region in northern Bangladesh on a cycle rickshaw, selling her dairy produce. She is a beneficiary of micro credit, the much touted development scheme to help eradicate poverty.

Three months ago, Rani received a loan for 500 euros from the Grameen Bank to start her little dairy enterprise. Every week, a bank official carefully checks how her business is going.

"The brainchild of Rani's fellow countryman Mohammed Yunus, who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, the Grameen Bank has been hailed for executing the micro credit mantra: giving the poor a helping hand, not a handout."

Called "the banker of the poor," Grameen has been attracting big businesses such as Danone, the French food giant, who supplies the yoghurt to Rani and thousands of other women in the area involved in similar projects.

UNB, Dhaka

The global rise in the installation cost of power plants has been a major concern for the Power Development Board (PDB) as it is struggling to meet the country's growing electricity demand.

In 1998-2000, installation of a one-megawatt plant cost US$ 0.6 million and it shot up to 0.8 million internationally within a decade, according to official sources.

For instance, they said, 450MW Meghnaghat Power plant was installed at a cost of US$ 290 million. Now the cost of installing similar capacity power plants like Bibiyana and Sirajganj is being estimated at US$ 400 million.

The cost of 80MW Tongi peaking power plant was US$ 45 million in 2004. Now a similar capacity power plant is said to cost US$ 65-70 million.

PDB officials said the installation cost of power plant has gone up by 30-40 percent internationally in recent years. They said the booming economies like India, China, Brazil, Russia and some African and Middle East countries have driven up a huge demand for power plants, pushing up the prices of power plant equipment, particularly that of gas turbine.

Besides, the global rise in the steel products has added to the rise in the power plant equipment prices, he said.

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Swadhinata Party demanded food for all, including the working class-people rationalising the price of the essential commodities.

The party led by Abir Hasan, at a discussion meeting on "Price-Hike of Commodities and Misery of the Working Class held at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity yesterday, demanded to boost the internal food production of the country by providing direct subsidy to the farmers.

Prof Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque of Bangla Department of Dhaka University, Golam Sattar, President of Bangladesh Sramik Federation, Subal Sarkar, General Secretary of Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity, among others, addressed the meeting presided over by the party Chairman Abir Hasan.

Faiz Hossain, General Secretary of the party presented keynote paper.

Criticising the caretaker government for the price-hike of essentials, Prof Abul Kasem said, "The present government is not the government of the people as it is serving the interest of the capitalists and has no control on the business.

The speakers said the Government should introduce rationing system and continue open market sale (OMS) and VGF to control price-hike of essentials.

The party demanded to establish union level food stores and Agro-based industry in the country.

They also said the interest of bank and NGO loans should be curtailed to 3 per cent for the farmer and working class-people.

The party threatened mass resistance programmes against the government, if it failed to rationalise and control the price of the essentials.

BBC Online

At least four people were killed and 20 wounded when demonstrations against rising food prices turned into riots in southern Haiti, officials say.

Reports say scores of people went on the rampage in the town of Les Cayes, blocking roads, looting shops and shooting at UN peacekeepers.

The UN said its personnel had opened fire at some of the armed protesters.

For two days running, parts of Haiti have been erupting into violence triggered by the soaring cost of food.

The prices of rice, beans and fruit have gone up by 50% in the last year.

Earlier this week, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a report saying that the food crisis threatened the Caribbean nation's fragile security. The demonstrations against the high cost of living began on Thursday in a number of towns, but in some areas they turned into riots.

On Friday, thousands took to the streets again, with some blocking roads, burning cars and looting shops. A small group of protesters also broke into the UN compound in Les Cayes and damaged its gate.

We know that these demonstrations have been infiltrated by individuals linked to drug dealers and other smugglers

Some also fired shots at peacekeepers deployed in the town in an attempt to maintain public order. The UN troops fired back in response.

The ensuing unrest left three dead in Les Cayes, including one young man who demonstrators said was fatally shot in the head by the UN peacekeepers. The UN said it was investigating the death.

Haiti's Prime Minister, Jacques Edouard Alexis, condemned the violence, but said the mass demonstrations had been manipulated.

Staff Reporter

Ferdous Ahmed Quraishi, Convener of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) said yesterday a section of politicians were trying to free the detained corrupt people by taking advantage of the issues like food crisis and price-hike of essentials in the country.

Addressing at a press conference at PDP head office in the city Quraishi also blamed the high price-hike of essentials on the conspiracy of a section of politicians and media.

The media exaggerated the issue of rice crisis that resulted in the price-hike of this commodity in the country, he said.

Quraishi said media blew out the rice crisis out of proportion creating panic among the people.

He pointed out that his organisation has forewarned about the looming food crisis worldover including Bangladesh long ago and suggested the government to build buffer stock of rice by importing it from abroad. But getting assurance of adequate rice supply from India, the caretaker government did not feel the necessity of stocking rice by importing it from other countries, when its price in the international market was cheap and available at less than 300 dollars per ton, he added.

"Dillydally tactic of India on rice supply is not friendly behaviour with its neighbouring Bangladeshi people," according to him.

He urged the government to introduce rationing system for the people of lower income bracket.

He alleged that some Newspapers in Saudi Arabia managed by Indians and Pakistanis were tarnishing the image of Bangladesh by publishing negative reports about Bangladeshi expatriates there.

PDP Convener said the government should take proper steps to uphold the image of Bangladeshi in the Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia.

Joint Conveners of PDP Nur Mohammad, Maj Gen (Retd) Rafiqul Islam, members Lt Col (Retd) HMA Gaffer, Bir Uttam, Maj (Retd) Riazul Islam, Bir Bikram, Moulana Shakhawat Hossain, among others, were present at the press conference.

Staff Reporter

The need for creation of self-confidence among the people to improve their own lot was emphasised at an executive training and diamond celebration programme of the Destiny 2000 in the city yesterday.

The programme was organised to mark the making of a high achievement in sales performance by Biplob leader of Biplob and Associates, a sales group of Destiny 2000 Limited.

Mohammad Hossain, Chairperson of the Destiny chaired the session where Mostafa Kamala Majumder, Editor, The New Nation, was the chief guest.

Rafiqul Amin, Managing Director of the Destiny and Editor of the Dainik Destiny conducted a training programme while Rafiqul Islam Sarker, Adviser of the Dainik Destiny, also spoke on the occasion.

In his address, Mostafa Kamal Majumder called for helping increase self-esteem and confidence of young people to improve their economic conditions and in turn develop the nation.

He said all great people had great ideals and dreams and that's why they succeeded to become high achievers.

Sales executive of the Destiny 2000 were awarded gold and silver medals at the function for their good performances.

UNB, Dhaka

Some take air journey for comfort while some for speed. But one will hardly enjoy the journey when he or she takes flight in local airlines like GMG for its frequent flight cancellations.

"These days we cannot depend on GMG Airlines for its frequent flight cancellations, no matter whether it is domestic or international ones, let alone the theft of luggage," an aggrieved passenger told UNB.

According to sources at Zia International Airport (ZIA), GMG flights to Dubai from Dhaka were cancelled for five times in March alone while once in February last, causing sufferings to its passengers. The GMG Airlines, the country's first private airliner, started operating its flights on Dhaka-Dubai route on February 1 this year. The passengers, mostly workers, face serious difficulties due to the cancellation of its flights to Dubai because they have to reach their destinations in time to join their jobs.

"We hardly make mistakes in confirming and reconfirming our journey so that we can join our jobs in time. But GMG cannot maintain its flight schedules, putting us into trouble. In Bangladesh we can convince our local employers for any unintentional delay, but it's very difficult to do that abroad," said another aggrieved GMG passenger of Noakhali.

He also said he had confirmed his journey in GMG Airlines so he can reach his destination in time. "I thought a private airliner cannot act like Biman Bangladesh Airlines does.

But GMG frustrated metThank God I had two days in hand to join my job, or else, I would have lost it," he said.

DU Correspondent

The students and teachers of the Dhaka University (DU) yesterday demanded the naming of under construction DU Social Sciences Faculty Building after late Prof M Asaduzzaman in recognition of his immense contribution to the faculty.

They placed the demand at a discussion meeting in memory of Prof Asaduzzaman. A large number of students, teachers, relatives and admirers of late Asaduzzaman attended the function, which was organised by the Public Administration Department. In this death, the nation has lost a custodian of higher education.

His life long endeavour was aiming at improving standard of education and glooming the students as worthy citizens of the country.

Paying tribute to Asad, DU Vice-Chancellor SMA Faiz said no praise would be high for him for his outstanding contribution for the promotion of higher education.

He used to take classes regularly though he performed the responsibility as the UGC Chairman and he never compromised with injustice, he added.

DU Treasurer Syed Abul Kalam Azad said Asaduzzamn was very popular and helpful teacher. All students and teachers would love him very dearly for his liberalism, honesty, responsibility and sweet behaviour, he noted.

DU Pro-VC AFM Yusuf Haider, Proctor AK Feroz Ahmed, former DU VC Anwar Ullah Chowdhury, World University of Bangladesh VC Abdul Mannan Chowdhury, Public Administration teachers Prof Syed Giasuddin Ahmed, Prof Mohabbat Khan, Mobassher Monem, late Adaduzzaman's daughter Khadiza Zaman and wife Fatema Zaman, among others, spoke on the occasion.