The New Nation - Internet Edition

Cop killing, arms looting at Bagmara: Security alert in 3 dists: 100 held

IGP Noor Mohammad on Saturday visiting the spot of
the killing of a policeman and looting arms by the
extremists at Taherpur under Bagmara Upazila of Rajshahi
district. Focus Bangla

Staff Reporter

The law enforcement agencies, including joint forces yesterday tightened security in the border area and launched a string of raids in six districts, a day after the killing of a policeman and looting of firearms by outlawed operatives in Bagmara upazila of Rajshahi.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Noor Mohammad visited the scene of the murder in Taherpur area yesterday.

At least 100 people were arrested from different upazilas here in overnight drives till yesterday morning in connection with Friday's gun attack.

Superintendent of police for Rajshahi Didar Ahmed said security was tight.

Joint forces tightened security in Rajshahi including border district Chapainawabganj, Natore and Naogaon and conducted house-to-house raids in different areas.

About 5000 members of joint forces were deployed in and around Taherpur area said Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bagmara police station Faizul Islam.

The law enforcers raided Taherpur, Amrama, Gopalpara of Bagmara upazila, some areas of Durgapur and Putia upazilas and Atrai upazila of nearby Naogaon district and arrested over 100 people till yesterday morning.

Outlawed operatives shot and killed one policeman and hurt four others before they seized five firearms from the law-enforcement team in Bagmara upazila of Rajshahi Friday evening.

Four of the lost firearms were Chinese-made, Bagmara offcers-in- charge (OC) Fayzul Islam said

The police team was patrolling a weekly cattle market in Taherpur area," he said. Mizanur Rahman, a constable from Panchagarh, died from wounds after he was shot in the head. His body was retrieved from a pond near Taherpur Degree College.

Four injured people were Naik Shahinpur, constables Samiul Kabir and Sarwar Hossain and Ansar member Abdul Aziz.

An hour after the daring incident, the wounded were rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital at 9:00pm.

A group of 25-armed attackers launched the attack around 6.30pm while the patrol team was preparing to return to the police station.

The attackers first stabbed the policemen and then opened fire on them forcing the law enforcers to fight back. But the police were overpowered soon by the gang.

The Rapid Action Battalion rushed to the scene and rescued the wounded law enforcers an hour later, a police officer said.

The Bagmara police chief said Purbobanglar Communist Party (Lal Pataka) left leaflets on the scene after the attack.

Strong Press Council will ensure freedom of press

Law Adviser AF Hasan Ariff was present as the chief
guest at a seminar on 'Is it essential to amend the Press
Council Act-1974 to make it more functional' organised by
the Press Council at the National Press Club yesterday. NN
photo

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar laid stress on strengthening the Press Council to ensure freedom of press and protect the rights of the people.

Bangladesh Press Council arranged the seminar on "Is it essential to amend the Press Council Act-1974 to make it more functional" at the National Press Club yesterday.

Adviser for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs AF Hassan Ariff was the chief guest at the function while Information Secretary Jamil Osman spoke as the special gues.

Presided over by Justice Kazi Ebadul Haq, Chairman of Bangladesh Press Council, the seminar was addressed, among others, by former minister Dr Mizanur Rahman Shelley, former advisor of the caretaker government and Editor of The Independent, Mahbubul Alam, Editor of the New Nation, Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Editor of the Daily Bhorer Kagoz, Shaymal Datta, President of the National Press Club,Shawkat Mahmud,and President of Bangladesh Federal Journalist Union, Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul.

Hasan Ariff said in a democratic system people expect objective news and noted that lack of objectivity is fraught with many hazards.

He also pleaded for co-ordination between freedom of press and protection of people's rights.

Referring to the demand for amendment of the press council act, the Law Adviser said the issue should be discussed widely.

In his keynote speech, Dr.Shelley said change of time and situation demanded amendment to the press council act to make the law time befitting.

Jamil Osman called for making the existing law effective before thinking of making amendments to it.

Justice Ebadul Haq pointed out that freedom of press was essential to preserve the sovereignty of the country. He was of the view that due to its weak structure the council was unable to fulfill the aspirations of the people as well as media practicioners.

He termed the existing laws of the press council out-dated and called for updating them in the backdrop of changed socio-economic and political realities.

Some speakers were of the view that strong Press Council could have protected newsmen from libel and defamations cases filled in courts all over the country. They also suggested amendment of laws in such a way that journalists cannot be arrested without making reference to the Press Council in respect of cases related to the discharge of their professional.

Other called for strength the ring the institution by equipping it with adequate manpower, logistics and enforcement of all powers that have been vested in it with a view to establishing its moral authority in cooperation with editors and publishers of newspapers.

Johnson elected London Mayor

Johnson

BBC online

Boris Johnson has won the race to become the next mayor of London - ending Ken Livingstone's eight-year reign at City Hall.

The Conservative candidate won with 1,168,738 first and second preference votes, compared with Livingstone's 1,028,966 on a record turnout of 45%.

He paid tribute to Livingstone and appeared to offer him a possible role in his new administration.

Lib Dem Brian Paddick came third and the Greens' Sian Berry came fourth.

Johnson is expected to stand down as MP for Henley, triggering a by-election.

In his speech Johnson described Livingstone as a very considerable public servant.

He added: "You shaped the office of mayor. You gave it national prominence and when London was attacked on 7 July 2005 you spoke for London."

Johnson also paid tribute to his "courage and the sheer exuberant nerve with which you stuck it to your enemies, especially in New Labour".

Johnson told Livingstone he hoped to "discover a way in which the mayoralty can continue to benefit from your transparent love of London".

He said he would work to earn the trust of those that had opposed him, or who had hesitated before voting for him.

"I will work flat out to repay and to justify your confidence. We have a new team ready to go into City Hall.

"Where there have been mistakes we will rectify them, where there are achievements we will build on them, where there are neglected opportunities we will seize on them."

He promised to focus on crime by promoting 24-hour policing, transport, including promoting cycling, green spaces, affordable homes and getting value for money for taxpayers.

Livingstone's defeat ended what Gordon Brown called a "bad" day for Labour, in which it suffered its worst council results for 40 years.

Asked by the BBC what his views were on the poor Labour showing, Johnson said: "The smart thing for Labour to do would be to quietly to remove Gordon Brown and install [Foreign Secretary David] Miliband, is my view, but I don't think they'll do it."

In his speech after the result was declared at City Hall, Livingstone thanked the Labour Party for all its help with his campaign.

Ken Livingstone accepts electoral responsibility.

Ottoman legacy

Boris Johnson was born in New York to English parents in 1964 and was, until recently, an American citizen.

He is of Turkish descent. His great-grandfather, Ali Kemal, a Turkish journalist, was briefly interior minister in the government of Ahmed Tevfik Pasha, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire.

His grandfather Osman Ali settled in the UK in the 1920s and changed his name to Wilfred Johnson.

Johnson appears to have had an idyllic childhood spent, in part, on the family farm on Exmoor.

The Johnsons were a close-knit, boisterous clan, forever trying to outdo each other

at table tennis or general-knowledge quizzes, or even who could learn to read the fastest.

In competition with his brother and two sisters, Boris always had to come out on top, but his ambition did not end there.

Asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he would say: "The world king."

In the early 1970s his father, Stanley, moved the family to Brussels after landing a job as one of the first European commissioners, in charge of pollution control.

Boris attended the European School in the Belgian capital, where he befriended his future wife Marina Wheeler, daughter of BBC journalist Charles Wheeler.

But in 1973, with his parents' marriage falling apart, he headed off to boarding school in England.

He shone at Ashdown House Preparatory School in East Sussex, developing a lifelong passion for the Classics and winning a scholarship to the UK's best-known public school, Eton, where he quickly made an impression.

His headmaster at the school which Prince William and Prince Harry were later to attend, Sir Eric Anderson, was also Tony Blair's housemaster during his schooldays at Fettes - often dubbed the Scottish Eton.

1000 MW loadshedding even in weekend: Power situation may worsen

UNB, Dhaka

The country experienced over 1000 MW of load shedding on the second day of the weekend yesterday demand for electricity is relatively low compared to working days.

According to officials at the state-run Power Development Board (PDB), the country generated about 3,511 MW of electricity against the demand for more than 4600 MW.

However, the PDB claimed that the demand was below 4,500 MW and the load shedding was about 850 MW.

To tackle the situation, the PDB had to go for massive load shedding across the country.

The PDB officials said at least 24 small and large generation units at different power stations remained closed forcing the PDB to resort to the huge load shedding on the weekend.

They said a good number of generation units remained off the production due to short supply of gas reducing power generation by about 600 MW. Some other units remained closed for either overhauling or maintenance causing a shortage of 318 MW of power.

Capital Dhaka received about 1400 MW of electricity against the demand for about 1800 MW.

The officials indicated that the extent of load shedding would go up further from tomorrow (Sunday), as the demand for electricity is usually higher on working days.

Car-plunge into Padma: Three bodies recovered

UNB, Munshiganj

The bodies of three members of a family who went missing as their private car plunged into the Padma River at Maowa ferryghat Friday were recovered Saturday morning.

Officials said divers salvaged the car at about 9am with a tugboat from 40 feet of water near terminal No 1 of the ferryghat.

They recovered the bodies of architect Rezaul Karim, 55, his wife Shahana Karim, 42, and their son Kaushik from the car.

Police and witnesses said the accident occurred at about 6pm Friday when Rezaul's car carrying his family slipped into the river following its brake failure.

After an hour of the incident, Razaul's daughter, Nusrat Jahan Promity, 20, was rescued from the river in a semiconscious sate.

Rising food prices make people vulnerable: ADB’s fiscal support for Asian govts

Staff Reporter

The Asian Development Bank will provide immediate budgetary support to the hardest hit countries in Asia and the Pacific to alleviate their fiscal burdens and cushion the impact of rising food prices on the poor and vulnerable, says ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda said.

Kuroda told a news briefing on the eve of the 41st Annual Meeting of ADB in Madrid, Spain that rising food and fuel prices have placed many governments in the region under significant pressure to put food on the tables of the poor and vulnerable, according to an ADB release. Over a billion people in the region are seriously impacted by the food price surge as food expenditure accounts for 60 per cent of total expenditure basket. Food and energy together account for more than 75 per cent of total spending of the poor in the region.

Rising food prices threaten to undermine the region's efforts to fight against poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, he said.

Many governments have provided generous subsidies, imposed price controls, and banned exports to keep food grain prices in check.

"We believe targeted interventions to protect food entitlements of the most vulnerable and poor are more effective to mitigate the immediate impact of rising food prices," Kuroda said.

ADB has outlined the nature of the food price crisis, its underlying causes, expected impacts and possible responses in a paper titled "Soaring Food Prices: Some Possible Responses."

Kuroda said, in the short run, ADB will closely work with the affected governments in the region to strengthen safety net programs for food-stressed populations and emergency food security reserves systems.

ADB is also supporting the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to boost research and provision of inputs to farmers to help overcome key constraints, he said.

"In the medium to long run, governments need to step up investment, boost rural infrastructures and strengthen institutions to sustain higher farm output," he added.

Meanwhile, ADB has secured US$11.3 billion for the next four-year phase of its concessional development fund to fight poverty in the Asia and Pacific region.

"The generous contribution of donor nations will help developing Asia-Pacific countries meet Millennium Development Goal targets, and bring better opportunities and a brighter future to people living in the region's poorest nations," Haruhiko Kuroda said.

The Asian Development Fund (ADF) provides grants and low-interest loans to the Asia and Pacific's poorest countries, which are home to some 400 million people living on less than US$2 a day. The new ADF will cover the period of 2009-2012.

Roads, clean water and sanitation, electricity networks and other essential infrastructure that improve the lives of the impoverished and accelerate growth will continue to be a cornerstone of ADF support.

Lending rates cut soon, says BB Governor

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed yesterday said the central bank would see the outcome of the commitment made by commercial banks in reducing the lending rates and various bank charges shortly.

Dr Salehuddin said BB would monitor the development of the banks to see the progress. He said as chief guest while inaugurating a training programme on Corporate Governance at Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI).

BEI president Farooq Sobhan made welcome address while GCGF senior project officer Gene Spiro and M Jashimuddin from Commonwealth Secretariat spoke on the occasion.

On the issue of interest rate the central bank Governor said some 10-12 banks have already started reducing their interest rates and bank charges. He also said that the reducing interest rates would not be possible through Bangladesh Bank orders.

The banks have agreed on a package to reduce the interest rates and service charges over a three-month time, he added.

Replying to a query on ensuring governance in the financial institutions the BB Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said the central bank has issued prudential guidelines and norms for the operation of banks and non-bank financial institutions.

But he mentioned that the central bank has no direct role in ensuring good governance in the insurance companies.

BEI president Farooq Sobhan said the programme aimed at helping participants develop their knowledge base and skill needed to lead direct education programmes that reflect international best practices adapted to regional needs in emerging markets.

Representatives form the institute of Company Secretaries of India, Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance , Capital Market Development Authority of Maldives and Telecom Commission of Sri Lanka are now participating the three day programme.

Rationing system for garment workers begins Monday

Staff Reporter

The first ever-rationing system for the garments workers in the country begins tomorrow (Monday).

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) has initiated the generous move for providing rice to the workers at subsidised price.

The move is expected to ease the sufferings of the garments workers resulting from the price spiral of essentials.

BKMEA would start selling rice at concession rate from 12 noon of the day at Fatullah in Narayanganj and the BSCIC industrial area. Labour and Employment Adviser Anwarul Iqbal will inaugurate the programme.

The decision to introduce rationing system for garment workers came after a fruitful meeting between the government and the BKMEA.

BKMEA would have to provide Tk 10 as subsidy for each Kg of rice.

BKMEA President Fazlul Huq said each worker would get four kg's of rice a week form the BKMEA outlets. BKMEA would also revise worker wages in a couple of months, he added.

"We will continue the sale until the price of rice in the markets come within the purchasing capacity of the workers," he mentioned.

Nearly one million people 70 percent of them women, are now directly associated with RMG sector while five million others are indirectly involved in this export oriented industry.

With an average growth rate of 20 percent in the last 10 years, the knitwear export earned the country $ 3.47 billion in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, he said.

Export of readymade garment's earned $9.12 billion which is 75.64 percent of the national export earnings in fiscal 2006-07 and $ 6.76 billion or $ 76.23 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year.

Non-elected govt cannot continue in power : Delwar

Staff Reporter

Secretary General of pro-Khaleda faction of BNP Khondoker Delwar Hossain yesterday said an elected government must run the country and a non-elected government could not stay in power for long.

He made the observation while addressing a delegation of Rajshahi Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Samity at his NAM Flat residence.

Khondoker Delwar reiterated the demand for unconditional release of two detained former premiers-Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina saying that they would accept the election result whatever the BNP or Awami League wins if the polls is held with the two leaders participating.

He, however, cautioned that any stage-managed or farcical election would not be accepted.

The BNP leader urged the lawyers' community to play their due role as they did in the past to overcome the current crisis what he termed very severe.

The lawyers' delegation was led by Rajshahi Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Samity General Secretary Advocate Enamul Huq. Among others, Rajshahi Bar Association Vice-President Ershad Ali Isha was included in the delegation.

Acting Office Secretary of BNP Rizvi Ahmed, Principal Sohrab Uddin and Maj (Retd) Akhteruzzaman were present on the occasion.

Rice prices further down

Boro harvesting is going on in full swing across the
country. This photograph was taken from Sangkarpur village
under Jessore district on Saturday. Banglar Chokh

Staff Reporter

The prices of different varieties of rice slightly fell in the wholesale and retail market due to the bumper production of 'Boro' across the country. Prices of coarse rice have come down by Tk 50 to Tk 60 per maund in the city during the last few days.Rice traders at Babubazar hoped that the prices of rice would come down to a tolerable level after the completion of 'Boro' harvesting.

"If the procurement of 'Boro' crop is done rightly and stored properly the prices of rice are expected to fall within the purchasing power of the common people," said a rice trader.

They suggested government to intensify vigil at the border belt of the country to check smuggling of the newly harvested 'Boro'.

Coarse rice like 'Lata' was selling between Tk 32 and Tk 33 per kg. Pari Tk 32 and Tk 33 per kg. Fine quality of Nazirshail rice was selling at Tk 39 to Tk 43, Minicate at Tk 38 to Tk 43 per kg while 'Sarna' and Parija were selling for Tk 33 and Tk 37 per kg.

Local variety of lentils was selling at Tk 98 to Tk 102, while imported ones at Tk 85 per kg in the retail markets. Soybean oil was sold at Tk 112 to Tk 115 per kg .The price of chicken was Tk 80 to Tk 90 per kg. Green Chilli was selling at Tk 25to Tk 30 per kg. Potato at Tk 13 to Tk 14, cucumber at Tk 18 to Tk 20, Korola at Tk 22 to Tk 24, Tomato at Tk 22 to Tk 24 and beans at Tk 22 to Tk 24 per kg. The price of different varieties of fishes still remain high as 'Ruhi' was selling at Tk 150 to Tk 180, Hilsah at Tk 280 to Tk 300 per kg. Prices of red meat like beef was at Tk 180 and while mutton at Tk 240 to Tk 250.

Abuse of students: Expulsion of JU teacher demanded

JU Correspondent

The students of Drama and Dramatics Department of Jahangirnagar University (JU) demanded expulsion of a teacher of the department for harassing four students of the same department.

To press home their demand, the students of the department brought out a procession and submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor of the University demanding expulsion of the Associate Prof M Sanowar Hossain (Ahmed Sani), chairman of the Department.

In the memorandum, the students complained that the Associate Prof M Sanowar Hossain (Ahmed Sani), Chairman of the Department sexually harassed four female students of the same department under the academic session 2004-2005.

The victim students complained to the other teachers of the department but didn't get any result.

However, the students brought out a protest procession, launched a signature campaign and demanded expulsion of the teacher. While contacted, the JU VC Prof Muniruzzaman told this correspondent that we will form a inquiry committee to probe the allegation and take action as per the report of the committee.

It may be mentioned M Tanvir Ahmed of Business Administration and M Golam Mostafa of Bangla Department were expelled as they abused some female students.

AL gets police go-ahead for mass hunger strike

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League will proceed with its planned mass hunger strike on May 5 to press for release of detained party chief Sheikh Hasina as they yesterday got the go-ahead from the police.

Awami League acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters in the evening that the token hunger strike would be observed from 10am to 4pm at the party's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue and Dhanmondi office.

Earlier, a presidium meeting was held at Awami League acting president Zillur Rahman's Gulshan house under his chairmanship.

Ashraf said the hunger strike would be observed to press for release of Sheikh Hasina and her proper treatment abroad. The strike will be staged without violating the emergency rules.

In reply to a question, Ashraf said, "Since inception Awami League, the party has realized its demands through successful implementation of its programmes."

Asked why Awami League does not observe hunger strike with its allies, he said his party would consult the 14-party alliance for future programmes.

Asked why Awami League is not demanding BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's release, Ashraf said they have not taken any decision at party level to demand release of the leaders of other parties. Asked about army presence at the upcoming dialogue with the government, he said it is a matter of the government since army is also part of government and they would have no objection.

Presidium members Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Tofael Ahmed and Begum Matia Chowdhury were present at the meeting, held in the wake the latest development over an earlier precaution about restriction from the police administration.

787 Bangladeshis languishing in Indian jail to return home

Staff Reporter

Bangladeshi citizens numbering 787, who have been languishing in different prisons in the West Bengal state in India for last two and a half years due to legal complexities, are likely to return to the country as per the Foreign Ministry's initiative that covers travel arrangement for these ill-fated nationals, official sources said yesterday.

These Bangladeshis went to India for various purposes, including visiting their relatives in the next-door neighbour crossing the sprawling border legally or otherwise.

All of them ultimately landed in prisons. Many of them

lost their travel documents after being trapped by unscrupulous persons, while a number of them, including women and children, were smuggled by traffickers promising better employment, a rights group said in Dhaka yesterday.

A leader of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA), which helped repatriate many trafficked women and children from different parts of the neighbouring country and maintains contact with right groups in different countries, including India, said their friends in Kolkata brought issue to the knowledge of the central and the West Bengal governments in January this year, while the BNWLA informed the Bangladesh Government.

The West Bengal government sent a list of all the 787 Bangladeshi detinues, whose prison terms expired, to the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata and requested Bangladesh authorities to make arrangement for their homecoming.

The Deputy High Commission (DHC) forwarded the list to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which ordered the Kolkata DHC to complete bilateral formalities so that Bangladeshi citizens could return home immediately, following a personal initiative by Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury.

A Foreign office source yesterday said, "This is going to be the single biggest incident of homecoming by Bangladeshi nationals (after scrutiny), who were detained in a foreign land in recent time."

The issue was also discussed at bilateral meetings in Dhaka and Delhi recently, he added.

Mohammad Emran, the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata, told the private television channel-ATN Bangla-that the first batch of the detained Bangladeshi nationals would return home from the capital of West Bengal soon.