The New Nation - Internet Edition

SCF for debarring war criminals from politics, polls

Convener of Sector Commanders' Forum Air
Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandker briefing the newsmen after
holding a meeting with the Election Commissioners at the
Election Commission Office in the city on Sunday.
FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

Sector Commanders' Forum (SCF) yesterday put up five-point demand to the Election Commission (EC) including debarring war criminals from politics and participating in the elections.

The demands were made while a six-member SCF delegation, led by Air Vice-Marshal (Retd) AK Khandakar, chairman of the organisation, met with the EC at the Commission secretariat.

During the hour-long meeting, the SCF delegation also demanded announcing all the individuals or organisations or parties who, directly or indirectly, opposed the war of liberation and committed killings, rapes, plunders, arsons and other war crimes during the period disqualified from the elections.

The other demands include not allowing the political parties that opposed the independence of Bangladesh and the parties whose constitutions are against the main spirit of country's Constitution to be registered with the EC and making it mandatory that each intending candidate should state their very individual positions during the war of liberation.

Agreeing with the demands placed by the SCF in principle, the EC assured the delegation that it would consider the demands properly and also discuss the matters with the Government.

Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda told reporters that work should have to be done on the matter and information has to be collected in this regard.

Referring to the time limit for scrutiny of the information given by the candidates in the nomination papers he said the EC officials get only three days from the filing of nomination papers.

The CEC said the concerned registration officers should have the information of the convicted ones in advance otherwise, the process of disqualifying a certain candidate will get delayed, as the process of appeal against the candidature is very lengthy.

He said the Commission could ask the Government to take necessary initiative regarding the war criminal and anti-liberation element issue.

"We will try our best. We are taking it. We will consider it properly and also discuss it with the Government," he added.

SCF leader AK Khandakar told reporters that each and every one convicted under the Collaboratorss' Act, and were under the process of trial after the liberation should be declared disqualified from the election.

"The list of the war criminals convicted under the Collaborators' Act

will be available to the Government. There were 752 convicted war criminals who got freed as the act was scrapped on December 30, 1975," he said.

Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain told the delegation that the Commission agreed cent percent with the logic, statement and sentiment of SCF's position, but the EC's hands are tied in the legal process.

Nobel win, a disaster: Lessing

Doris Lessing

Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing has said winning the prestigious award in 2007 had been a "bloody disaster".

The increased media interest in her has meant that writing a full novel was next to impossible, she told Radio 4's Front Row.

Lessing, 88, also said she would probably now be giving up writing novels altogether.

Her latest book is the partly fictional memoir entitled Alfred and Emily.

Since her Nobel win she has been constantly in demand, she said.

"All I do is give interviews and spend time being photographed."

Speaking about her writing, she said: "It has stopped, I don't have any energy any more. "This is why I keep telling anyone younger than me, don't imagine you'll have it forever. "Use it while you've got it because it'll go, it's sliding away like water down a plughole."

Lessing is the 11th woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature in its 106-year history. Her best known works include The Golden Notebook and The Good Terrorist.

'Long deserved'

"Thank you does not seem enough when you've won the best of them all. It is astonishing and amazing," she said at the time of winning.

She also recalled that, in the 1960s, she had been informed that the Nobel Academy's judges did not like her and she would never win.

Ill-health prevented her from attending the prize ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.

Instead the Swedish Ambassador to London, Staffan Carlsson, presented the award to her in the UK.

He told her she was being "crowned with a prize you have long deserved".

Lessing was born in Iran and moved to Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe - as a child before settling in England in 1949.

Her debut novel The Grass is Singing was published the following year. Altogether she has written more than 50 novels, plays, memoirs and collections of short stories. The Golden Notebook is considered by many to be a feminist classic, though Lessing has distanced herself from the movement.

Doris Lessing's interview will be broadcast on Front Row on 12 May at 1915 BST on BBC Radio 4.

Jenna Bush ties the knot

Jenna Bush with Henry Hager

AFP, Texas

In a welcome break from two wars, terrorism and soaring oil prices, US President George W. Bush on Saturday celebrated his daughter Jenna's wedding on his Texas ranch.

Far from the pomp and publicity of past White House nuptials, Jenna, 26, wed fiance Henry Hager, 30, less than one year after he proposed at dawn atop Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park on Maine's coast.

"Today is my daughter Jenna's wedding day. This is a joyous occasion for our family, as we celebrate the happy life ahead of her and her husband Henry," the president said in his weekly radio address.

"It's also a special time for Laura, who this Mother's Day weekend will watch a young woman we raised together walk down the aisle," he said, hours before the ceremony on the 1,600- acre (850-hectare) estate.

With twin sister Barbara as her maid of honour and Hager's brother Jack as best man, 14 young women attendants and 14 male ushers, Jenna and Henry married at 7:30 pm (0030 GMT Sunday) before a cream-coloured Texas limestone cross that the president ordered erected near a lake on the ranch.

A Houston minister, Kirbyjon Caldwell, officiated. Caldwell recently announced he was supporting Democratic Senator Barack Obama, a fierce Bush critic, for president in the November election.

"He is a family friend," said Laura Bush's press secretary, Sally McDonough.

Hours before the outdoor ceremony, tiny Crawford-population 751--sat under a gray ceiling of clouds, and the weather forecast called for a partly cloudy evening with 91- degree (33-degree Celsius) heat.

The more than 200 family and friends-including former president George Bush and wife Barbara-gathered by a lake on the property for the event, followed by a reception under a tent.

"She just wanted to get married at home. She just feels a lot more comfortable there. And it will be really beautiful. This is the time when the wildflowers are all blooming," Laura Bush said Monday.

Guests were to shake their tail feathers to the funk, classic rock, and rhythm and blues tunes of The Tyrone Smith Revue party band, according to McDonough.

Best wishes messages could be seen at a local church as well as some of the tiny town's souvenir shops, which were making the most of the attention, selling 11-dollar computer mousepads and 10-dollar coffee mugs adorned with the happy couple's picture.

Jenna was to wear an Oscar de la Renta gown with matte beading and embroidery, and the ring was to be a Hager family heirloom reset with sapphires, said McDonough.

She declined, however, to confirm that the newlyweds would honeymoon in Europe before settling down in Baltimore, about 45 minutes drive from Washington and the most powerful father- and mother-in-law in the world.

Hager, who is set to receive his business degree in a few weeks, met Jenna during the president's 2004 reelection and worked as an aide to Bush's since-departed political guru, Karl Rove.

The White House managed press attention with near-surgical precision, claiming that key details were "private," then doling them out either in dribs and drabs sure to stoke media interest, or in splashy exclusive interviews like a Vogue magazine article that drove early coverage.

The menu was not publicised because the Bushes wanted their guests "to be surprised by the festivities," said Laura Bush spokeswoman Sally McDonough, who declined to list any names.

But the president himself proudly announced that he was erecting the cross, which he said would stand as a permanent landmark on the "Prairie Chapel" ranch.

"Neither one of us are nervous," Laura Bush said Monday. "It's a very interesting passage of life when you get to that time in your life when your first child is getting married. And we're getting, for us, our first son."

The wedding was by no means a foregone happy ending. Back in February 2005, Laura Bush had panned Hager, telling ABC television: "This is not a serious boyfriend-I hate to have to be the one to say it on television."

"But he's a very nice young man."

Jalil's parole extended for two months

Abdul Jalil

BSS, Dhaka

The Government yesterday extended the parole of former minister Abdul Jalil for another two months under the same conditions he was allowed to go abroad on March 2 for treatment.

Jalil is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore since March 3 last after being released from Dhaka Central Jail on a 30-day parole initially.

"The parole of former minister M A Jalil has been extended for another two months on a humanitarian ground and for his treatment considering his appeal", a Home Ministry notification said on Sunday.

One in 5 adult suffers from high blood pressure

BSS, Dhaka

One in five adults in the country suffers from high blood pressure, cardiologists said here yesterday, asking people to measure blood pressure at home with auto or semi-auto device to prevent stroke and heart ailments.

"High blood pressure is solely responsible for half of all heart diseases and over 60 percent of strokes," Dr KMHS Sirajul Haque, secretary general of Hypertension Committee of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh (HCNHFB), said at a press conference on Sunday.

The press conference was organised at the National Press Club on the eve of World High Blood Pressure Day on May 17 in the country as elsewhere in the world. An estimated 150 crore adults suffer from some degree of high blood pressure in the world.

"In Bangladesh, the number of high blood pressure patients are around 1.5 crore and most of them do not know about this health problem," Dr Sirajul said adding, the lack of awareness about the disease among rural elderly was acute.

He said, only 17 percent rural elderly know that they have been suffering from high blood pressure, a contrast to their urban cohort who were better health educated and around half of them were aware about it. However, very few of them have been able to keep the pressure under control.

Chairman of HCNHFB Professor RK Khandaker said, the detection and treatment of high blood pressure was inadequate in the country, but things could be controlled through popularising the measurement of blood pressure at home.

The self-care at home can save many lives, especially for those the disease remains asymptomatic.

Professor Khandaker also suggested for changing lifestyle and consulting doctors once the blood pressure goes above 135/85 mm of mercury. However, the diabetics should talk to doctors' even if the pressure shown below the border mark.

He also asked for taking higher precaution for the people who have already been affected by diabetes and heart ailments.

High blood pressure is attributed to consumption of more salts, intake of imbalanced food lack of physical activity and mental stress. The disease can be prevented and controlled through public health measures and be cured by proper treatments and timely drug administration.

Next budget aims at 17pc revenue growth, 6.5pc GDP

Staff Reporter

The Government revenue earnings have been estimated to grow by 17 per cent next fiscal year 2008-09 compared to the target of the previous fiscal year budget, said Finance Adviser Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday at the Planning Ministry.

"The revenue estimate was based on the nominal GDP estimate of 6.5 per cent and inflation at 9 per cent during the next fiscal, Finance and Planning Adviser informed reporters.

The authority expects that the Government revenue earnings of the current fiscal year to exceed the target for the first time.

The revenue target for the current fiscal year was fixed at Tk 43,850 crore. The revenue earnings stood at Tk 31,300 crore during the July-March period. It is registering 24 per cent growth over the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Earlier, he had a meeting with NBR Chairman Muhammad Abdul Mazid on budgetary proposals to be placed early next month.

The Finance Adviser said he asked revenue officials to make the tax-structure more business-friendly, reduce discretionary powers of the tax officials and simplify procedure so the taxpayers could pay tax collection easily.

At the same time, he ordered the officials to increase revenue earnings through tax. Replying to another question, the Finance Adviser said the income tax exemption limit for an individual taxpayer was increased substantially in the last budget from Tk 120,000 to Tk 150,000.

Hasina asks party leaders : Play constructive role to make dialogue meaningful Guard against stage-managed polls

UNB, Dhaka

Detained former premier Sheikh Hasina Sunday asked her party leaders to know beforehand the agenda of dialogue with the government, as preparation for the talks aimed at a smooth transition from the interim regime is now afoot on the caretaker government's part.

Talking to her lawyers during consultations in the courtroom, the Awami League president also asked them to play a constructive role in making the dialogue with the government meaningful. Hasina, detained in several corruption cases, advised her party leaders and workers to remain vigilant so the government cannot hold a 'stage-managed' general election. The detained leader also called for taking preparation to realize the elections as quickly as possible. "There is no alternative to movement to push forward a non-elected government towards the path of elections," she reminded her party faithful.

Hasina, who ruled the country as Prime Minister for five years from 1996, said the nation is passing through a crucial phase and the only way to overcome the challenge is election. Because, she observed, a non-elected government cannot bring any good for the country if it hangs on to power for long.

Earlier, the special court trying her fixed May 19 for order over a legal dispute whether the charge hearing could proceed on in the absence of accused former army chief Gen (retd) Mustafizur Rahman.

Mustafiz, who is on bail, is undergoing treatment at Apollo hospital. Dhaka Divisional Special Judge's Court, relocated to the parliament complex, resumed today at 10am after Hasina was brought in the courtroom amid tight security in connection with the Mig-29 scam case.

Jamaat's concern over GATCO case chargesheet

Staff Reporter

Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday expressed deep concern over the approval of submission of GATCO case's charge sheet against Begum Khaleda Zia and Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, said a press release signed by its publication secretary Prof Tasnim Alam.

The party's central executive council at a meeting with its chief Nizami, expressed concern and said they were implicated in false case for political harassment and for keeping them out of the next general election.

The people do not expect such vindictive behaviour from the non-political government, said Jamaat leaders at the meeting held its office.

They claimed Nizami discharged responsibilities with honesty in the two ministries as a cabinet minister. Till now, none could prove any corruption done by Nizami, they added.

Speakers demand formulation of river transport policy

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar yesterday urged the government to formulate a proper river transport policy for bringing dynamism in this sector.

A short, medium and long-term policy is needed to protect and develop the river transport sector and river routes of the country, they emphasised.

They made this call at a seminar titled "Internal River Route: Problems and Solution " jointly organised by Journalists' Forum for Communication and Environment (JFCE) and Green Club of Bangladesh (GCB) in the city's Paltan area.

Former Shipping Minister ASM Abdur Rab, President of Trade Union Centre (TUC) Nurul Islam, Vice Chairman of Internal River Transportation (Passenger) Organisation Sahabuddin Milon, Executive President of Bangladesh Farmers' Association Adv SMA Sabur, environmentalist Ruhin Hossain Prince, General Secretary of Nagorik Songhati Sharifuzzaman Sharif, Secretary General of Citizen Rights Movement Tusar Rehman and Lunch Owner Badiuzzaman Badol among others, addressed the seminar.

Speakers demanded allocation of total Tk 500 crore for development of the river transport sector and at least Tk 60 crore in the national budget for dredging of rivers.

They said corruption should be removed from all branches of the river transport sector.

ASM Abdur Rab regretted the country could not adopt a proper river policy even 36 years after the liberation war.

He said continuous dredging of rivers is essential to facilitate save navigation though the country's rivers.

SMA Sabur said the drying up of rivers would impact badly on the country's agricultural production.

Bangladesh's manpower market expanding

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh's manpower market is expanding around the world with workers going to different countries over the recent months.

Officials of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment told BSS that Bangladeshi workers would soon fly to Russia while all arrangements were already complete to send such wage earners to Canada from the current year.

Export of manpower to Bulgaria and Rumania has already begun, they said adding, Bangladesh already signed a deal with Oman on May 10 to enhance export of manpower to that country. According to the officials concerned, a Canadian company has been appointed to send Bangladeshi workers to that country. At the first stage, 1,156 workers will fly to Canada in three phases.

On the other hand, they said, the process of sending manpower to Malaysia is going to be easier soon. The government is continuing diplomatic efforts to this effect. Over the next 10 years, Malaysia will require 2/3 million foreign workers to carry forward its development activities. Besides Bangladeshis, workers from Vietnam and Indonesia have been working in Malaysia for a long time. Since the demand for labourers is increasing in Vietnam and Indonesia due to their internal development activities, the prospects of Bangladeshi workers is bright in Malaysia, they said.

According to the official statistics, as many as 34,635 Bangladeshi workers went to Malaysia this year, bringing the number to a total 589,207 so far.

In April this year, the government gave clearance to 68,030 workers for going abroad. Among them, 40,695 workers have already gone to various countries, the statistics said.

Besides, they said, 64,659 Bangladeshi workers in January, 61,592 in February and 47,458 in March went to different countries with jobs.

As Canada wants skilled manpower from Bangladesh, officials said in the first phase, workers would be recruited for the post of pipe fitters, wielders and carpenters.

They will get 15 to 18 Canadian dollars as remuneration per hour, enabling a worker to earn Bangladeshi Taka 9,800 everyday except overtime job.

Therefore, they said, the monthly income of a Bangladeshi worker will stand at around Taka 300,000. The income will go further high if the earning from overtime works is added.

According to official sources, a worker will be able to go to Canada by spending Taka 300,000, equivalent to a month's earning, through the state-controlled Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited [BOESL].

They said the Bangladeshis would be able to go to Canada legally through the government channel and send remittance to the country. This scope was created recently at the initiative of the government, they added.

The sources said 60 garment workers would get job in Russia very soon. The matter is at the final stage, they said adding, 187 workers have already gone to Rumania.

Another 500 garment workers will also go to Rumania, they said adding that the work order for sending 20 Bangladeshi workers to Bulgaria was already received.

The Bangladeshi workers are being sent to these three countries with the cooperation of the private sector entrepreneurs, the officials said.

Call to increase elderly allowance to Tk 500

Staff Reporter

The monthly allowance for senior citizens should be increased to Tk 500, speakers demanded in a pre-budget discussion meeting yesterday.

They called for giving the elder's family priority in safety-net programme and subsidy in the payment of utility service charges like gas, water, electricity and tax. Some 17 lakh elderly people are now getting an allowance of Tk 220 each per month from the Government.

The speakers also pleaded for providing free medical service in public hospital, reducing transport fare to half for aged people and facilitating accommodation especially, for the lone older people.

Realising the Rights of Older People (RROP) and Resource Integration Centre (RIC) jointly organised the meeting on "National Budget 2008-09 and the Expectation of Older People" at the National Press Club.

Presided over by Abul Hasseb Khan, Director of the RIC, the meeting was attended, among others, by Dr Shah Md Keramat Ali, member of Forum for the Right of Elder (FRE) and by Dilara Zaman, prominent drama artiste. Dr Sharefa Begum, researcher of the BIDS, presented keynote paper in the programme.

"If the Government pays Tk 500 per month to 5.13 million older people, the total amount will be Tk 30.90 billion which is 0.66 per cent and 5.9 per cent of GDP and Revenue Income respectively of 2006-07, said Sharefa Begum.

Hasseb Khan said development is not possible without the experience of the aged people. We could use their experience in public and private sectors. "For that we must ensure a better life style for them," he said.

Hasseb Khan further said the Government should allocate money for the institutions or NGOs who had been serving the older people.

Dilara Zaman said aged people are our resource. "I think," she said, "The proposed Tk 500 per month allowance is not enough for them and should be increased to Tk 1000 or more."

Raushan apprises EC of inconsistencies in delimitation of constituencies

Staff Reporter

Two Jatiya Party leaders yesterday submitted separate applications to the Election Commission (EC) to bring about coordination in the delimitation process to their respective constituencies.

Jatiya Party presidium member Raushan Ershad and secretary general Ruhul Amin Howlader went to the Commission separately and met with Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda together.

Raushan Ershad referred that two unions of her Mymensinh-4 constituency have been taken a way to the Mymensingh-7 constituency and urged to consider as to whether it could be coordinated.

Mentioning some inconsistencies in delimitation process in all constituencies in Patuakhali district, Ruhul Amin Howlader also demanded to bring coordination in those seats.

Sources said the Commission assured the JP leaders that they would consider their demands.

DU female students form human chain against sexual abuse

DU Correspondent

About fifty female students of the Dhaka University formed a human chain on the campus yesterday in protest against the sexual harassment of a student by a teacher of the university.

The students under the banner of 'Alokito Chhatri Forum' demanded formulation of a policy for awarding exemplary punishment to rapist so that such incident no longer takes place on the campus.

The leaders of the forum called for adequate arrangements for the security of the female students on the campus.

Sabrina Sultana, a leader of the forum, was critical of the lukewarm attitude of the women dominated human rights organisations toward the sad incidents of sexual harassments of female students on the campus across the country.

She hoped that these organisations would play their due role in upholding the rights of womenfolk.

The forum leaders also condemned the attack on the female students by some activists of a student organisation when they were demanding the resignation of Dr. Kamal Uddin, a teacher of the Psychology Department.

Bangladesh Chhatra Union in a statement yesterday demanded proper investigation into the attack on the female students of the forum.

B. Chowdhury for conclusion of trial of corrupt politicians

Staff Reporter

The Government should take initiative to conclude the trial procedure of the corrupt politicians as early as possible because justice delayed is justice denied, said Former President Dr AQM Baduruddaza Chowdhury, also Chairman of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) at a discussion meeting yesterday.

BDB organised the meeting with the party leaders of Noagoan district at its party central office.

B Chowdhury also urged the Chief Adviser to the Caretaker Government to announce the schedule for both local government and parliament elections in his address to the nation expected to be delivered today.

He also placed some proposals. The proposals include: to complete the voter list with photographs immediately, to reserve at least 25,000 MT of foodgrains, the remove the bureaucrats and officials who were appointed during the tenure of BNP-Jamaat government, to ensure the positive atmosphere for holding a free and fair election and to resolve the crisis of electricity and gas.

Maj (Retd) Abdul Mannan, Secretary General of BDB blamed the two major political parties for the crisis prevailing in the country.

Admiring the anti-corruption drive of the Government he said, " We want to sit with the Election Commission separately rather then collectively with other parties."

He also expressed his hope to sit with the Chief Adviser to talk on the current political context and the next election.

MA Halim, Presidium Member of BDB, Saju Kamal, Suraiya Mannan, Abdul Salam and other senior leaders of BDB spoke, while Abdul Rouf Mannan, Joint Organising Secretary of BDB presided over the meeting.