The New Nation - Internet Edition

Protest programme against women policy postponed: Unprecedented security around Baitul Mukarram mosque

Members of the law-enforcing agencies calling upon
the devotees to return home in disciplined manner after
performing Juma prayer, at the Baitul Mukarram Mosque.
Banglar Chokh

Leaders of Islamic organisation addressing a press
conference in the city yesterday. Focus Bangla

Staff Reporter

Religious hardliners Friday called off a public rally against the National Women Development Policy, easing fears of the repeat of violence in and around the Baitul Mukarram Mosque after Jum'a prayer yesterday.

The decision came after the Government assured them of meeting their demand and the police tightened security around the national mosque.

Islami Shasantantra Andolon (ISA) and other radical Islamic groups had set April 17 deadline for the Government to scrap the proposed women development policy, which they termed anti-Quran and Sunnah.

They were scheduled to announce an action programme after Jum'a prayer yesterday, which was postponed.

Home Affairs Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) MA Matin on Thursday 'cautioned that tough action would be taken if anyone tries to create chaos on Friday over the women development policy.'

Witnesses said huge contingent of riot police was stationed outside the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and the Musallis, who went to join the Jum'a prayer were given a thorough body search.

After the prayer, some activists gathered at the north gate of the Mosque, but senior ISA leaders prevented them from staging any agitation, since the programme was called off in the morning.

On last Friday (April 11), Islamic activists engaged in serious clashes with police demanding the cancellation of the policy, in which 200 people including 77 policemen were injured. Meanwhile, a 19-member Alem Committee headed by acting Khatib of Baitul Mukarram Mosque Mufti Noor Uddin submitted its recommendations to the Law and Religious Affairs Adviser Hassan Ariff on the controversial policy.

Several others Islamic groups arranged a joint press briefing yesterday at Baitul Mukarram national masque after juma prayer. The leader of the Islamic groups demanded resignation of Women and Children Affairs Adviser Rashed K Chowdhury. They also cautioned, 'if the Government implements any law against Quran and Sunnah it will be resisted at any cost.'

ISA Ameer and Peer of Charmonai Maulana Mufti Syed Mohammad Rezaul Karim, Islami Shasantantra Andolon joint secretary general ATM Hemayet Uddin, Khelafat Majlis secretary general Yousuf Ashraf, Shaikhul Hadith's son Mamunur Rahman and Maulana Abdur Rob Yusufi, chief of Khelafat Majlish, were present at the meeting. The Government repeatedly assured that it would not enact any law against Quran and Sunnah.

News Analysis: World Bank move for regional integration

Mostafa Kamal Majumder

The World Bank is signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) for use of its satellites to observe river flow data that would be extremely helpful in making flood forecasts.

WB's senior water adviser David RC Grey who visited Dhaka as member of a Bank team to explore South Asian Regional Integration said this in an informal exchange of ideas with water experts following a panel discussion in Dhaka city early this month.

He was responding to comments made by a participant of the panel discussion about the inadequacy of sharing water flow data of common rivers in the subcontinent which made timely forecast of floods and preparedness to face their devastation difficult.

David Gray said, satellite technology has by now developed so much that using their data countries would be able to know the water flow situation.

A great news for Bangladesh's flood forecasters who had to deal with two big floods during the immediate past rainy season, because they had to depend on the Internet to collect river flow data of the Ganges to be able to make 3-day forecasts. They had to do this because data on the Ganges was officially unavailable from above the Farakka Barrage point to Bangladesh's flood forecasters. For the Brahmaputra they have data available from the Dhubri point and this gives them adequate information to make 73-hour forecasts.

David Grey and his colleague Sadik Ahmed, senior manager of the South Asia Regional Vice President's office of the WB, made two presentations at the panel discussion on regional integration.

The World Bank experts deplored that South Asia is the world's least integrated region with intra-regional trade being a mere five percent of total official trade as against 45 per cent in East Asia. Giving impressions of their meetings with leaders of the governments of the region they said all of them are in favour of regional cooperation and integration for mutual benefits but were not sure how to give such an initiative a boost. Water is one area where cooperation could mutually benefit the riparian countries most.

They said, the bank was receiving requests from national governments to solve their water problems which, in fact, could have been better resolved through regional cooperation.

They underscored the need for understanding the benefits of cooperation and disbenefits of non-cooperation, if necessary, by way of research studies. The visibly most beneficial projects of cooperation should first be identified for implementation for confidence building, they suggested, adding that the countries of the region would be able to maintain their high growth rates if the resources are utilised equitably and sustainably. For this the prospects of cooperation should be visualised to overcome historical mistrusts that obstruct cooperation, they said.

In the water sector alone, according to the World Bank experts, a huge hydropower potential remains untapped. Only 20 per cent of hydropower potentials of South Asia has so far been tapped. While environmental activists groups may sense from this World Bank's traditional weaknesses for large contractor-driven projects, the urge of the bank's experts for regional integration merits proper evaluation by all.

Emaduddin Ahmed, Managing Director of the Institute of Water Modelling that has attracted international attention for its pioneering studies, said experts from all corners of the world now believe that problems of water of common rivers should be solved through a basinwide approach. Basin models would answer many questions in a scientific and transparent way to help pursue the same.

Call to hold local polls before JS election

A roundtable on Rationalisation of Local Government
Election jointly organised by the Bhorer Kagoj and
Bangladesh Union Parisad Ukkajot held on Friday at Jatiya
Press Club. Focus Bangla

Staff Reporter

Local government election should be held before the national election, speakers opined at a roundtable discussion yesterday.

Referring to Local and National government as the base and the superstructure of a country, participants at the discussion emphasised on strengthening local government.

Bangladesh Union Parishad Oikya Jote and the Daily Bhorer Kagoj jointly organised the roundtable titled 'The Rationality of Local Government Election' at the National Press Club.

Presided over by Mahabubur Rahman Tulu Chairman of Bangladesh Union Parishad Oikya Jote, the table was filled up by former Professor of Chittagong University Dr Tofael Ahmed, advisor of BNP chairperson's Abul Hasnat Mofazzal Karim, AL leader Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan, presidium member of JAPA GM Kader, President of JSD Hasanul Haque Inu, former Abul Hasan Chowdhury, former Fakhrul Islam Munshi, Bir Protik Anwar Hossen and others. Shyamal Dutta, Editor of the Daily Bhorer Kagoz, moderated the discussion.

Prof Tofael Ahmed read the main article of the programme. He recommended that Election Commission should be given power to hold local election. As a result election will be held without party interference. Tofael Ahmed urged for reformation of Local Government Act.

Shyamal Dutta pointed out two benefits of holding local election before national election- 1. Caretaker Government will lift state of emergency. 2. Local government election will prove the neutrality and skill of Caretaker Government.

Mofazzal Karim said, "Government should make people believe that holding local elections would not hamper the national election".

As the government has only four months to hold election and there are a lot of pending works regarding the national election AL leader Faruk Khan expressed doubts about the possibility of holding of local election before national election. He assured that AL would ensure holding of local elections within one year if it return to power.

Hasanul Haque Inu emphasised on reformation of local government. He recommended giving constitutional power to Union Parishad Chairmen.

Golam Mortuza of Union Parishad Oikya Jote expressed firm suspicion about holding local election by the elected government and urged Caretaker Government to hold it before the national election.

DU female students more prone to committing suicide

Md Jamal Uddin

The tendency to commit suicide among the students of the Dhaka University is increasing at an alarming rate mainly due to mental stress despite counselling by renowned psychologists.

The propensity to self-annihilation is particularly strong among female students.

A total of 10 students of different halls of the university-eight of them females- committed suicide during the last five years because of psychological pressure especially failure in love.

Sandhya Rani Sarker, a fourth year student of the Institute of Education and Research (IER) and resident of Begum Rokeya Hall, committed suicide on Tuesday by hanging herself from a ceiling fan inside her room .

Though the hall authorities are yet to find out any reason behind the incident, they assumed following talks with her roommates that Sandhya ended her life due to mental problem.

Some students of the university feel that the university authorities should dig out the reasons behind this sad aspect of suicide.

The university authorities said that the tendency to commit suicide among female students prevails despite adoption of motivational programmes.

It is a matter of great concern that this tendency even grips brilliant students of the university, said Vice-Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz.

He said the guardians of the students should be more careful about the activities of their offspring to avert such incident.

Failed love often prompts the female students to commit suicide, according to University sources.

Just take the case of Sabera Yeasmin Papry, a third-year student of Fine Arts Institute of Kuwait-Matree Hall, who ended her life in August last year. She left the world for good as her lover, a TV model, finally wrapped up all relations with her.

Zohra Khan Proggan, a second-year student of Law Department, courted the same fate for the same reason in June last year.

Humayun Kabir, a master degree student of Marketing Department of Surjasen Hall committed suicide in March 2005 as he was unable to bear the burden of family problems.

Overwhelming majority of these female students had chosen the path of self-destruction following rejection by their lovers, said a female teacher of the University preferring not to be identified.

Oil fired 40mw rental power plant by May: Coal-based power plants in Khulna, Chittagong soon

Staff Reporter

A 40MW rental oil-fired power plant is expected to start production in coming May, said Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Dr M Tamim said.

"If everything goes as planned, production will begin on May 28," he said while addressing a meeting with officials of the West Zone Power Distribution Company in Khulna city.

He also informed that the present Government has a plan to set up coal-burnt power plants in Khulna and Chittagong. Work in this regard is progressing, he added.

He stressed that coal-based power plants would resolve the crisis of power in the southwestern part of the country.

"There is no scope to set up power plants run by gas. Khulna and Rauzan in Chittagong are the best places for coal-based power plants," he added.

"Tender has already been floated for setting up a 210-MW power plant in Khulna," he further added.

According to him, some 3,900MW power is being generated daily in the country at present, against the demand of 4,800- 5,000MW during the peak hours, he told the meeting.

Moreover, works on setting up a number of rental power plants are going on, the CA's special assistant said. He also added that, rental power generation in the country would increase by 200MW by next May, which would be raised by some 1,000MW by the end of current year," he said.

"If anybody wants to produce power and sell to other districts, he will be allowed to use the transmission line of the Power Development Board. They will have to pay charges for it," said Dr M Tamim.

AL's hunger strike to be delayed by a few days

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League's countrywide hunger strike, scheduled to be staged before April 20, to press for its 5-point demand including release of party chief Sheikh Hasina, will be delayed by some days.

The central working committee of Awami League took the decision to delay the hunger strike at its meeting on March 29 to mount pressure on the caretaker government to announce the election schedule, contain record high prices of essentials, ensure Hasina's treatment abroad, try war criminals and improve the law and order situation.

Asked why the planned hunger strike gets delayed, a party presidium member told UNB that their front wings are observing token hunger strikes almost everyday. On completion of their programmes, he said, Awami League would go ahead with the scheduled hunger strike.

"Earlier, we had thought the government would lift the ban on indoor politics but it has not been done…We'll carry out our programme with the lifting of the ban," he said adding it would be arranged soon.

Sources said some senior party leaders are not interested in launching any kind of movement before the formal dialogue between the government and the parties as they hope every unsettled issue would be resolved during the dialogue.

AL central committee member Abdul Latif Siddique told UNB that the central leadership is hesitating to launch a movement at this point of time.

"But, we and the people want a systematic movement for the release of our party chief Sheikh Hasina."

He said as the country is passing through a suffocating situation and Sheikh Hasina's leadership could only salvage the country.

Latif urged the party's key leaders to launch a movement by not wasting time any more.

Diarrhoea on rise in city

Staff Reporter

The diarrhoea situation in the country has worsened with the increase in day temperature.

The International Centre for Diarrhoea Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), a special research centre and hospital for diarrhoea patients in the capital, has received hundreds of patients with intestinal disorder over the last week.

ICDDR,B received 418 diarrhoea patients yesterday, said an official of ICDDR,B.

Some 221 diarrhoea patients have been admitted to our hospital till yesterday," she said.

Usually more children are affected by diarrhoea, but this year more adult diarrhoea patients were admitted to the hospital, she added.

High temperature is the reason behind the breakout of the diarrhoea, as the weather has become hotter and hotter since the beginning of April, said the official.

Most of the diarrhoea patients are from the lower-income group who work very hard in the high temperature. They have no access to safe water and healthy food and are easily to have dehydration in the hot weather, which leads to diarrhoea disease.

BNP unity move yet to make headway

Staff Reporter

The unity process of both the factions of the BNP is yet to make any headway as the leaders of two groups still stick to their previous stand and are to get invitation letter from the Election Commission (EC) in their favour

Acting secretary general of pro-reformist BNP Maj (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed yesterday told The New Nation that they are waiting to get letter from the Election Commission.

"If I am invited, I shall try to participate in the dialogue keeping Khondoker Delwar Hossain and his associates with me," he said.

Pro-Khaleda leader and BNP Chairperson's adviser Brig Gen (Retd) ASM Hannan Shah said if the EC invites Khondoker Delwar Hossain by giving him letter as party secretary general he would be able to join the dialogue unitedly within 72 hours

Calling upon Maj Hafiz to resign from his post, the outspoken BNP leader said if he resigns from the non-existent post the unity process would be expedited.

Briefing journalists Hannan Shah however, said that reformist leader Saifur Rahman proposed him to form a committee to run the party in the absence of detained Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

As per the proposal, he said, the proposed committee will formulate modalities to run the party. "If the proposal is accepted, the reformist leaders will return to the mainstream of BNP," he added.

Meanwhile, Maj Hafiz expressed his ignorance about any condition for the unity process and said it would be clear after the recovery of Saifur Rahman who was admitted to Apollo Hospital on Thursday with multiple health complications.

He said everyone in BNP wants unity and it is possible if all could sit together across the table.

About Hannan Shah's call to him to stand down from the post of acting secretary general, Maj Hafiz said he is senior to Shah in BNP politics and he (Shah) cannot say this.

"We want unconditional unity of the party," he said.

Meanwhile, party sources said the informal talks of the pro-Khaleda faction with the government is likely to be held on Sunday or Monday.

Sources said that Khondoker Delwar led BNP would join the dialogue with the government but the date and time have not been fixied.