The New Nation - Internet Edition

CPD dialogue on food autarky: Boro procurement price should be fair

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a dialogue yesterday laid emphasis on proper procurement of 'Boro' rice by the Government and timely storage of it with a view to attain food autarky at the national level.

They said that the 'Boro' procurement price set by the Government should be fair for the interest of the producers and the consumers.

These observations came at a dialogue on " Boro Procurement and Food Security Strategy: An Actionable Agenda" organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at the CIRDAP auditorium yesterday afternoon.

M Syeduzzaman, member, CPD Board of Trustee presided over the event and Dr AMM Shawkat Ali, Adviser for the Ministries of Food and Health and Family Planning and Disaster Management and Dr CS Karim, Adviser for the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources were present as special guests. Dr Mahabub Hossain, Executive Director, BRAC was present as guest of honour.

They were of the opinion that the budgetary initiatives and allocations were needed for drawing an action plan to increase food production in the fiscal year 2008-09

They also called upon the Government to supply all kinds of agriculture inputs to the farmers within affordable price with a view to maintain the continual increase of rice production.

They also pointed out that proper distribution of fertiliser, seeds, ensuring irrigation, using modern technology and cash subsidy were important for the development of agriculture.

Mentioning the Government initiatives Dr AMM Shawkat Ali said necessary directives were given to the concerned officials for attaining the Government Boro procurement target.

"We are keeping watch and reviewing the situation of the ongoing harvest of Boro for ensuring timely procurement," he said adding that the farmers would get their deserved price of products.

The Food Adviser said necessary steps were taken for the farmers to sell their products without facing any trouble or middlemen interferences.

Dr CS Karim said necessary steps would be taken by the Government to increase food production of the country.

He said if the supply chains of fertiliser were bigger than the price of it would be higher. He called upon the farmers to use fertiliser judiciously.

He said the government could not solve all problems relating to agriculture at a time.

The government has announced that it will procure 12 to 15 lakh metric tonnes of rice and paddy from the domestic market. Accordingly the government has fixed the procurement price for Boro rice at Tk 28 per kg and Boro paddy at Tk 18 a kg.

Ex-librarian of Udayan School stabbed to death

Momena Ahmed

Staff Reporter

Momena Ahmed, writer, publisher and ex-librarian of Udayan School was stubbled to death at her Dhanmondi apartment in the city yesterday. She was 65.

She was the wife of the late chairman of Dhaka University's Applied Physics Department Sultan Ahmed.

The police arrested a youth, named Faruq, on charge of his alleged involvement in her killing.

Security guards held Faruq and handed him over to the police.

A housemaid said Momena was going to take rest in her room after lunch. Faruq used to come to Momena's apartment regularly from the latter's village. The housemaid said she saw the body of Momena when she entered her room. Faruq was held when he was fleeing the apartment soon after the incident. Quoting Momena's relatives, the police said the killing might have take palace following her row with a publishing house.

Sub-inspector of Dhanmondi police station Monwar Hossain said the police would investigate the alleged link of the publisher in the killing.

Momena's husband Prof Sultan Ahmed died in 1994.

A case was filed in this connection with the Dhanmondi Police Station.

New move to make: Postal Department profitable

BSS, Dhaka

Out of 16,879 posts in the Postal Department 2,787 posts are lying vacant for a long time having its ramifications on the services of this department.

The department has suffered losses of Taka 150 crore last year, authoritative sources said here on Monday.

Now, different steps are being taken to turn the service oriented department into a profitable one. And the Postal Department has now entered into modern service oriented services.

These includes delivery of passports, delivery of money to recipients through e-mail, distribution of remittances of Bangladeshis working abroad through Citi bank and Standard Chartered bank in the remote areas by the post offices. Already a number of services have been started.

DG of Postal Department (on current charge) Mobasherur Rahman told BSS the postal department is a service oriented organisation of the government. But, it performs most of its works manually. Receiving the mails, sorting, transportation and distribution-all are done manually by the class III and class IV employees.

Although postal department is an essential service it needs permission from the ministry to fill up its vacant posts of class III and class IV employees. Due to different reasons for a long time some 2287 sanctioned posts are lying vacant causing interruptions in services, the DG said.

Mobasherur Rahman observed that the postal department could regain its lost tradition by turning it into a profitable organization with the infusion of fresh capital, power to appoint personnel, promotions and prepare budgets.

Change in office timing suggested

BSS, Dhaka

Discussants at a roundtable on 'power crisis in business and industries during the peak summer' emphasized the need for changing the office timetable to 8 am to 2 pm to save more electricity for using during the evening peak hours.

" We can save 350 MW at Dhaka and Chittagong daily to put it to households or industry during peak hours," said Engineer BD Rahmatullah of Rural Electrification Board taking part in the discussion.

The Media Foundation for Trade and Development organized the discussion at Jatiya Press Club chaired by Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) Prof Dr Anwarul Azim. Columnist Sadeq Khan was in the chair.

FBCCI President Anisul Haque, Prof Mahbub Ullah, journalist Amanullah Kabir, president of Bangladesh Engineering Industries Owners Association Abdur Razzak, President of Bangladesh Dukan Malik Samity Amir Hossain Khan, Chairman of Bangladesh Cold Storage Association Eng Major (Retd)Jasim Uddin, General secretary of Bangladesh Re-rolling Mills Association Sheikh Masadul Alam Masud, and Vice President of Bangladesh Steel Mills Owners Association Abul Qashem Majumder spoke.

The speakers demanded the government to free the captive power generation to private sector as a way to mitigate the growing power shortage from which the country's private sector business and industries are severely suffering.

Anis said," Open talk on the terms and condition, tell us where such captive plants can be set up to support the national grid, in addition to supplying private entrepreneur's own needs."

He also emphasized the need for switching to coal based power generation saying, the world's 68 percent power come from coal. He suggested the government should sit with the proponents and opponents of open pits mining saying, "We must find a solution to the problems hindering the development of coal mines."

Letters invited for appointment of public university VCs

BSS, Dhaka

Nominations or letters of intention have been invited for appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) to the seven public universities.

The member secretary of the Search Committee has invited the letters for appointment to the posts of VCs, pro-VCs, and treasurers. The Search Committee will make recommendations for appointment to these posts, said an official handout. The universities are National University, Gazipur; Khulna University, Khulna; Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University, Dhaka;

Haji Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur; Dhaka Engineering and Technology University, Gazipur; Rajshahi Engineering and Technology University, Rajshahi and Jessore Science and Technology University, Jessore.

Interested persons have been requested to send their letters with full bio-data to the member secretary of the Search Committee and Joint-Secretary (University), Ministry of Education, Room No 1718, Building No 6, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka within three weeks.

Erase all doubts about polls, CPB urges govt

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The Communist Party of Bangladesh has asked the government to erase doubts about national polls by December, a party leader said yesterday.

At an informal meeting with advisers, to prepare for forthcoming formal dialogue with the government, CPB called for the election be held by year-end as per the roadmap laid out by the Election Commission.

The party's general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim told reporters after the meeting that they had also suggested an 'election countdown' through public billboards in a bid to prevent confusion or doubt in the minds of people.

"If something like this can be done, there will not be any doubt among the public about the election," he commented.

Selim told reporters: "We raised a number of proposals to the government including lifting the state of emergency, curbing spiralling prices, maintaining the anti-graft campaign, implementation of national women's policy and holding national elections by December."

"We have also asked the government to set up a special tribunal for the trial of war criminals and barring them from contesting in the elections," he said.

Assault on UK nat'l at ZIA: UK embassy demands stern action

UNB, Dhaka

The British High Commission in Dhaka expects a swift and stern action over the recent alleged assault of a British national by security personnel at Zia International Airport.

A spokesman for the British High Commission yesterday said, "We're fully aware of, and engaged on, this incident. The UK takes any allegation of abuse very seriously. We've consistently urged Bangla-desh's government, military and law enforcement agencies to act proportionately, with respect for human rights and the rule of law."

"The British High Commission has taken up the matter at the most senior levels of the Bangladeshi government and military, and has been assured that swift and stern action will be taken. We continue to provide full consular assistance," the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Air Force has formed a three-member high-level probe body, headed by a group captain of the Air Force, to investigate the incident.

An ISPR release Monday said the Air Force has already taken steps for taking punitive actions against those involved in the incident after proper investigation into it.

The Bangladeshi-born British citizen, Barrister Rezwan Hossian, an adviser to charity department of London-based TV Channel S, at a press conference in London on April 17 alleged that he was tortured by a group of security personnel at the Bangladesh international airport.

Agrani Bank peon gets 13 yrs jail term

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

A peon of Agrani Bank's Brahmanbaria branch was sentenced to 13 years in jail for amassing money and concealing information about wealth.

Judge Md Sirajul Islam of the Special Judge's Court-7 on the Jatiya Sangsad complex jailed Md Anwar Hossain known as Kotipati Peon.

Strike over rising prices in West Bengal

Reuters, Kokkata

A strike over rising prices shut schools, offices and businesses in West Bengal on Monday as nationwide protests against inflation continued, police said.

Protesters stopped trains by throwing banana leaves on overhead wires and blocked roads in state capital Kolkata, as a dawn-to-dusk strike called by the state's main opposition party took hold, witnesses and police said.

In Kolkata, strike supporters threw stones at a state-run bus and smashed its windscreen with rods, as authorities and private owners took off buses from the roads fearing attacks.

At least 300 people were detained in West Bengal for causing violence, Raj Kanojia, a senior police officer said.

In many places strike enforcers wore garlands of onion and potato and shouted: "We want answers now." Most trains were cancelled or delayed for hours.

"Other than long-distance trains, the suburban locals on which millions commute every day have been affected the most," Samir Goswami, a railway spokesman said on Monday.

Protests against inflation caused traffic snarls in New Delhi and many other parts of the country last week, while opposition lawmakers, protesting against rising prices in parliament, halted proceedings in the lower house.

Death in custody:3 SIs closed in Narayanganj

UNB, Narayanganj

Three police sub-inspectors were closed testerday night to the Police Lines following preliminary investigation report into the death of a suspected mugger in custody Friday night. The action was taken against sub-inspectors Babul Akter, Saiful Islam and Mamoon.

A three-member committee was formed Saturday to probe into the death of Fakir Chan of Siddirganj following allegation by his family that he was tortured to death in custody.

Fakir Chan was arrested on April 12 in connection with the mugging of Tk 6 lakh from in front of Sonali Bank at Godnyle on April 6. Police had in a press release explained the reason of fatal injuries while Fakir Chan in hand cuff position tried to flee.

Biman-Boeing deal to buy 8 planes today

BSS, Dhaka

The Biman Bangladesh Airlines, in a bid to procure eight new generation brand new aircraft for its ageing fleet, is signing a Definitive Agreement today with the US aircraft manufacturer, the Boeing Aircraft Company.

The two parties will sign the agreement at Bangladesh Airlines Training Centre (BATC) auditorium at 2 pm today, said a release of the Biman here on Monday. The event will be witnessed by, among others Mahbub Jamil, Special Assistant to Chief Adviser in charge of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

Earlier, an Memorandum of Understanding was signed on March 15, 2008 to pave the way for tomorrow's deal under which the airline will purchase four each of Boeing 777 -300 ER and Boeing 787-8.

Seminar on mining and community livelihood: Coal policy should protect local interest first: Tamim: Gas import from Myanmar, Qatar too costly

Staff Reporter

Interests of local residents in the coal mining areas have to be given topmost priority in finalising coal policy, said Dr M Tamim.

"Bangladesh has to shift to other power sources as natural gas is about to exhaust. Coal is most likely the next option but its extraction strategy must have to ensure interests of local livelihood," said the Special Assistant to Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Power and Energy.

According to him, it is high time for Bangladesh to develop its coalmines. But finalisation of national coal policy must consider social, geo-political and geological situations of the particular mining area. Involving local experts and ensuring full compensation is must in coal sector development, he added.

"Beside compensation, coalmine development plan needs to generate employment, particularly for local women. This would ensure local cooperation in the development process," said Dr Tamim.

He was addressing a seminar yesterday on 'Mining and Community Livelihood in Bangladesh', organised by Petrobangla at its auditorium in the capital. Energy Secretary Mohammad Mohsin and Chairman Petrobangla Jalal Ahmed also spoke at the seminar.

"We can't wait. Whatever the decision is, it has to be taken very fast in a transparent and accountable manner," he added.

It has to be worked out how the impacts on the environment and local community could be minimised apart from setting the priorities between food and energy security.

"It is the duty of Government to ensure that the displaced people in coal mining areas would get more benefits than those who were displaced in the Uttara and Purbachal town development projects, because coal mining is more profitable business," he added.

He also said that the reserve of gas, the country's main source of energy on which 85 per cent of power generation depends, is depleting very.

The CA's Special Assistant said there might be more untapped gas reserves.

"If we want to discover this gas reserve, about $8 billion investment will be required. Do we afford to take risk with this huge investment?" he asked.

Mentioning the unaffordable cost involved in gas import from Myanmar and Qatar, he said the cost would be from $5 to $7 per 1,000 cubic feet (mcf) against about 2.5 US dollars in Bangladesh.

Similarly, he said, the cost of coal is going up fast like that of petroleum fuel. He said a few years back the price of per metric ton of coal was $30 to $40, now it has gone up to $160.

Budget to accommodate more affordable projects: Dr Aziz

BSS, Dhaka

Adviser for Finance and Planning Dr A B Mirza Azizul Islam on Monday said, the authorities are placing emphasis on adopting projects in the new budget which are financially affordable and can be implemented within stipulated time.

The finance adviser said it while briefing reporters after a pre-budget discussion with the secretaries of the ministries and divisions which still remain out of the mid-term budgetary framework (MTBF) of the government.

Replying a question, the adviser said, projects would be adopted taking into consideration the government financing and implemention potentials. He said, the authorities would take less number of projects instead of more in the budget to be sure that these would be within implementation limits.

" We will set up bridge between the desire and affordability of the nation," he emphasized.

The adviser said, the secretaries would be firmly associated with implementing the budgets and added to make it possible the government would involve them in overseeing the implementation progress and where impediments would be noticeable they would look into it.

The secretaries would be associated with the entire process from the release of the fund till the completion of the projects, he pointed out.

Dr Mirza Aziz said, many projects see deviation from the initial estimates when they start rolling and so they become meaningless, suffer from time over-run and become source of wastage of public resources.

He said, the government is therefore trying to evaluate each project in detail in the preliminary stage so that they remain in implementation stage.

Replying another question, Dr Mirza Aziz said, the next budget would see the increase of the social safety-net and as part of it see the increase of the amount of honorium now being paid to freedom fighters.