The New Nation - Internet Edition

Working women’ s convention: Equal rights for all stressed

Former Chief Adviser of the caretaker government
Justice Habibur Rahman (2nd from right) was present as the
chief guest at the national conference of working women at
Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city on
Wednesday. Adviser for For

Staff Reporter

The Women Development Policy should be implemented immediately to ensure equal rights for women in every sphere, said Former Chief Justice and Chief Adviser Mohammad Habibur Rahman at the inaugural ceremony of a grand rally of Karmajibi Nari, a working women's platform.

The Constitution of Bangladesh preserves equal rights for the women. The government should implement the policy to respect the constitution, he added.

Rasheda K Choudhury, Women And Children Affairs Adviser to the caretaker Government, said the contribution of women to the country's socio-economic development had always been praiseworthy. The women are playing a vital role in a family for achieving financially solvency. They are also putting labour and merit in different sector. So it is their logical demand to have equal rights in every sphere, she noted.

Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Foreign Affairs Adviser to the caretaker government, said the Government showed positive approach to implement the policy. But due to some unavoidable circumstances the procedure had been lingering on. The initiative would be taken to end the delay.

Shirin Akhter, President of Karmajibi Nari, said, the national economy would never achieve sustainable growth under the pressure of free market economy, as it directly interferes with the country's internal policy. So the government should implement WDP immediately to empower the women, so that they can play their due role in the country's economic development to face the challenges of the 21st century.

Some 3,000 councillors from different districts attended the grand Conference at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

Sharmin Kabir, General Secretary, Gulshan Manju, Vice-President, Khaleda Akhtar, member of the executive committee, also present at the inaugural ceremony.

Balda Garden inspired Tagore’s Camellia

Balda Garden

BSS, Dhaka

Great poet Rabindranath Tagore's sojourn to Dhaka 's Balda garden inspired him to compose his famous romantic poem 'Camellia' in the late 1920's.

History has it that the nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote his famous romantic poem 'Camellia' when he visited Dhaka was inspired by the beautiful camellia flowers in Balda Garden.

According to Nazir Hassain's book 'Kingbodontir Dhaka' that during his visit to Balda Garden, Tagore actually came up with Bengali names for some foreign plants.

Tagore's Camellia is a poem written about a young man who falls in love with a beautiful girl. After gazing at her by chance through a crowded bus, he instantly falls in love with the elegantly dressed Kamala. His desire to see her everyday leads to travel on that same bus day in day out, hoping that one day she will turn around and notice him.

The young man in the poem is a classic dreamer and of all the dreams he has, he wants this one to come true. But, in his mind he strongly believes that sometimes more things could happen in his imagination than in real life.

Tagore, whose birth anniversary falls on May 8, was frequent visitor to this part of the sub- continent where life and people inspired him to write many of classical literary works.

He visited Dhaka twice. First time, he came to Dhaka to join the 10th session of Bengal Provincial Conference in 1898 and stayed for three days. Second time, the noble laureate came to Dhaka in 1926 to participate over a week programme from February 7, 1926 under auspices of Dhaka University authorities.

During his stay in Dhaka at that time, Tagore had different types of programmes that ranged from meeting his fans to attending civic receptions.

Call to check price spiral of essentials

Chhatra Federation brought out a procession on Dhaka
University Campus yesterday demanding the cancellation of
seismic survey at Lawachhara. Focus Bangla

DU Correspondent

Bangladesh Chhatra Union (BCU), a left leaning organisation, yesterday demanded control on price soaring and punishment to those who attacked the students of Dhaka College.

Addressing a rally in front of Arts Building of Dhaka University, they said the silent famine is prevailing across the country but the government was not taking proper steps to solve the problem.

The Government should introduce rationing system in the country to reduce people`s suffering, they added.

Presided over by BCU president Khan Asaduzzaman Masum, the rally was participated by general secretary Manabendra Dev and Ferdous Ahmed Uzzal, among others.

Earlier, the BCU staged a demonstration from modhu`s canteen and marched on the campus.

8-pt recommendations to stabilise MS rod market placed

Staff Reporter

Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday said that the government will implement the recommendations of the committee which was formed to stabilise the steel rod market.

The committee had been formed to find out the reason for instability in the rod market. The committee submitted the report yesterday that comprises eight recommendations to stabilise the price of MS rod.

The recommendations included revenue policy, import policy for rods, keeping market prices at a "rational level", creating competitive market and an end to monopoly, Zillur said briefing the newsmen after the submission of the report.

To come to a final decision, home, finance, commerce and shipping ministries would have to sit together and review the recommendations, the adviser added.

"We have to keep the rod market at a rational level. Those connected to this market should look into the matter," the adviser said.

The government will not accept any irrational suggestion by any party in this regard. “Prices will not be fixed by force."

Earlier, the committee led by ASM Rashidul Hai, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and a taskforce team visited several ship- breaking yards at Bhatiary in Chittagong on Monday and held a meeting with scrap ship traders, re-rolling millers and rod traders at the Circuit House.

The businessmen were asked to reset the prices of scrap iron or scrap plates in one day.

201 DU teachers express concern over present crises

DU Correspondent

BNP-Jamaat backed 201 teachers of Dhaka University belonging to the White panel in a written statement yesterday expressed deep concern over the country’s present crises including famine, price hike, investment reduction and closure of various industries.

Many people both urban and rural were now living under the poverty line, which would lead the country to a social disaster.

They said the countrymen were deprived of their political rights and freedom of expression as the state of emergency had been prevailing for a long time.

Concern in the public about holding fair and free election has emerged due to the biased and motivated behaviour by the Election Commission, they added.

Immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency, reform of the Election Commission, and handing over the power to the peoples’ representatives are needed to recover the country from the crises.

They also urged the government to release all veteran politicians including former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia for the sake of holding a credible and meaningful election and reviving the general political environment in the country.

The written statement was signed by Prof Sadrul Amin, Prof Dr Aminur Rahman Majumder, Prof Dr Mohammad Sirajul Islam, Prof Dr Tazmery SA Islam, Prof Dr Kamrul Ahsan Chowdhury, Prof Dr Mahbubullah, Prof Ferdous Hossain, Prof Nurul Islam, Prof Zius Shams, Prof Dr Abdur Rashid, Prof Dr Zahidul Islam, Prof Sayeed Salehin Kadri, Prof Laila Noor, Prof GM Chowdury, Prof Shahjahan Mia, Prof M Muzahidul Islam and Dr Mohammad Rafiqul Islam and others.

WB social protection project focuses on urban poor: Country Director visits Narayanganj

Staff Reporter

A World Bank-supported project under preparation is designed to reach around one million poor people in urban areas using cash transfers and early childhood development services. The proposed National Social Development Project is being piloted in Narayanganj and Munshiganj and will be managed jointly by the Local Government Engineering Department, municipal governments, and organised communities in selected pourashavas.

World Bank Country Director Zhu Xian visited Narayanganj yesterday where he met with municipality officials including Dr Selina Hayat Ivy, Chairperson of Narayanganj Municipality, community representatives, households in poor communities, and other stakeholders who will be involved in the proposed project.

'This project is being prepared at a critical time for Bangladesh," he said. "The country has a good record of reaching out to the rural poor but the growing numbers of urban poor need urgent support. At a time of rising food prices, this work is all the more important.'

The Bangladesh government is committed to supporting poor people in urban areas by increasing engagement where existing safety net, school stipend, and nutrition programs do not currently reach. The proposed National Social Protection Project, which is expected to scale up to 15 municipalities around the country over the course of five years, will support about one million people through cash transfers. In addition, sixty thousand urban poor children will receive the childcare they need for early development.

According to the World Bank, Bangladesh has seen rapid urbanisation over the past decade, and Dhaka City's projected 20 million residents will make it the third-largest city in the world by 2020. With continually increasing metropolitan living costs causing impoverishment in areas like Narayanganj, a large number of households face substantial difficulties in making a living. School dropout rates in urban areas have been on the rise, despite overall gains in school enrolment nationally. Malnutrition rates among the poor urban population are also higher.

The project's cash transfers to extremely poor households will increase their incomes and encourage them to ensure regular school attendance for their children. The project will also encourage community organizations to establish day care and early learning facilities for poor children.

Discussions with community groups in Narayanganj yesterday revealed the extent of impoverishment in the area. Community members told Zhu that they had little access to basic services such as water, sanitation and waste collection. They were vocal about challenges in managing both work and child-care responsibilities. The combination of continually increasing living costs and low incomes meant a large number of poor urban households faced difficulties in making ends meet. Zhu said the World Bank had designed this new project because it understood that many of the lowest-income households were unable to meet the basic educational and nutritional needs of their children.

In a meeting with municipal chairperson and residents, Zhu noted that the Narayanganj Pourashava had forged strong links with its poorest communities. Their community organizations are expected to cooperate closely with the pourashava in the implementation of the project.

New insulin therapy launched in country

Staff Reporter

Medtronic for the first time in the country launched 'Integrated Insulin Therapy,' a therapy system with insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring system for the patients who use insulin to treat diabetes.

It is the first therapy to combine an insulin pump with continuous glucose readings and trend graphs, allowing patients to make immediate self-management decisions to improve their glucose control after confirming readings with a finger stick measurement.

The MiniMed Paradigm Real-Time System, the therapy system, will take immediate corrective or preventive action to help patients' healthy glucose levels in order to delay or prevent diabetes-related complications, including coma, blindness, kidney failure, amputation, impotence and heart disease.

This was disclosed at a press conference organised by Sonargaon Healthcare Pvt Ltd, a sole agent of Medtronic, at a city hotel yesterday.

Dr Prof AK Azad Khan, President of Bangladesh Diabetic Association, presided over the conference, while Dr Sudip Chatterjee, Consultant Endocrinologist of Park Children Centre for Treatment and Research in Kolkata, Prof Hazera Mahtab, Chairman of Board of Management of BIRDEM, Paul Chatterjee, Business Development Manager of Meditronic, among others, were present on the occasion.

Dr AK Azad said, "The therapy system integrates an external insulin pump with continuous glucose monitoring. The system's glucose sensor takes as many as 288 daily glucose readings per day - providing nearly 100 times more information than three daily finger stick readings provide."

Dr Sudip said, "In order to manage diabetes properly, patients must continually understand what affects their glucose patterns and take action to regain as quickly as possible."

The system is calibrated twice a day (every 12 hours) by entering a blood glucose measurement from a standard metre into the insulin pump. The price range of this therapy system will be available in the market from Tk 1,28,000 to Tk five lakh varies with different models.

Implementation of women dev policy demanded

Staff Reporter

Two women organisations at a press conference yesterday demanded immediate implementation of the women development policy.

Naripakkha and Durbar Network jointly organised the press conference at the National Press Club in the city.

Conveners of the Naripakkha and Durbar Network Begum Shamsunnahar, General Secretary of Durbar Jesmin Khanam, Joint Convener Rawshan Ara Benazir and Joint Convener of Naripakkha Rawshan Ara Baby, among others, were present at the conference.

They urged the government to negotiate with the women's organisations before any change and reform of the policy, not only paying heed to the policy review committee formed by the Government recently.

According to the 27, 28, 29 and 65 section of the constitution, the country is committed to ensure equal rights for the women, they said.

They welcomed the policy, adding that equality between the male and female in the political, economic, social and cultural sectors has been ensured in the new women development policy.

Criticising the recent vandalism by the Islamic extremists in demand of the policy's cancellation, they urged the government to curb such extremists.

Various women organisations' representatives of 16 districts attended the function.

Shafique Ahmed, Sujan elected: SCBA president, Secretary

Staff Reporter

Barrister Shafique Ahmed and Nurul Islam Sujan were elected president and secretary of the executive body of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for 2008-09. The SCBA election was held without any panel and political interference for the first time.

Barrister Shafique Ahmed got 589 votes while his nearest contestant Khandaker Mahbub Hossain secured 431 in the election held on April 28-29.

After a recount of votes, Nurul Islam Sujan was declared elected as a general secretary after stiff competition yesterday. Sujan secured 518 votes against his nearest opponent Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun who got 512 votes.Nizamul Huq Nasim, SCBA's election subcommittee convenor, formally announced the election results at an Annual General Meeting of the SCBA at its auditorium yesterday.

The previous executive committee handed over charge to the newly elected executive body at the AGM.

Other elected office bearers are: Vice-presidents SM Shafiqul Islam Babul and Amatun Noor Begum Panna, Assistant Secretaries Fahima Nasreen and KM Zahid Sarwar Kajol and Treasurer Nahid Sultana Juthi. AKM Nurul Alam, M Jamil Akhtar Elahi, M Shafkat Hossain, M Ali Azam, Najibur Rahman, Nurun Nahar and Sheikh Ali Ahmed Khokon are elected executive-committee members.Meanwhile, Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun, who was unofficially declared, elected as general secretary last night, held a press conference demanding reelection to the SCBA.

Shafique was earlier elected president of the SCBA for the 1999-2000 session.

Lack of navigability disrupts transport of goods: Vessel owners for intensive river dredging

Staff Reporter

Cargo vessels owners yesterday called for intensive dredging of rivers saying that lack of navigability is disrupting transports of goods to various destinations across the country.

They said waterways in the country have now come down to 6,800 kilometres from 28,000 kilometres in 1971.

They pointed out that during the dry season the waterways stand at 3,800 kilometres and blamed lack of navigability and absence of any efforts for dredging for steady decline of waterways.

Nearly 80 per cent goods of the country are being carried by the waterways but the government is not paying any heed to facilitate the transport of goods. Carrying goods through waterways is 80 per cent cost effective than road transport, according to them.

Addressing a press conference at a city hotel President of Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners' Association K M Mahmoodur Rahman said most of the rivers in the country silted up due to lack of dredging for long.

Referring a study of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) he said at present the Government needs 85 dredgers for dredging 5 crore cubic metres of waterways. But in the last 10 years the government has not taken any initiative to import dredger although there were some proposals from the British and the Dutch governments to for supplying the same.

At present, the BIWTA has 7 old dredgers, Water Development Board 10 dredgers and the Chittagong Port Authority 1 dredger, which they use for their own purpose instead of dredging the rivers.

Rahman, also the president of Bangladesh Shipbuilders Association, urged the government to give the shipbuilding sector tax holiday facility and withdraw all kinds of tariffs on capital machinery import to help boost the sector.

The sector already got orders worth Tk 2,000 crore in from the ship importing countries.