The New Nation - Internet Edition

Hossain Zillur optimistic about success of dialogue

BSS, Dhaka

Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman on Tuesday expressed optimism about success of the proposed dialogue between the government and the political parties.

He said the government is marching forward to fulfil the aspirations of the people.

She was talking to journalists at the Education Ministry on the Chief Adviser's address to the nation.

About reactions of political parties to the Chief Adviser's address, he said many people may give different types of reaction, but the government would lay importance on the next steps.

All know that May 22 has been fixed as the date for the dialogue, and sending letters to the political parties will begin today, he said.

The adviser said the government has a good number of jobs to do as preparatory to the dialogue and it is progressing forward step by step in this regard.

Dr Zillur said the Chief Adviser's address and the pre- dialogue talks were two of the steps of the dialogue. We have crossed those steps and now will have to complete the next dialogue successfully, he added.

In the whole process, the main ingredients are aspirations of the people, keenness of the political parties and preparations of the government, he said.

The whole nation is looking forward to the dialogue, the adviser said and hoped the people's aspirations would be fulfilled though success of the dialogue.

Govt urged to formulate women-friendly budget

BSS, Dhaka

Speakers at a view-exchange meeting here on Tuesday urged the government to formulate a women-friendly budget for ensuring equal rights of women in society.

They said such a budget is necessary for empowering women so that they can contribute to national development at all levels.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad organised the meeting on 'Demand for specific allocation for women in next budget' at the Jatiya Press Club with Parishad President Ayesha Khanam in the chair.

Chairman of Unnayan Samanny Dr Atiur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Selima Ahmed, Gender Specialist Tapati Saha and Chairman of Women Affairs of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Shirin Khurshid Jahan spoke as the panel discussants.

General Secretary of the Parishad Maleka Banu also addressed the meeting, while Research Fellow of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Dr Nazneen Ahmed was the key discussant. Secretary of movement sub-committee of the Parishad Rekha Chowdhury conducted the meeting.

Dr Atiur Rahman said equal rights of women would not be possible in the budget without ensuring women empowerment in family, society and politics.

He urged the government to strengthen the women affairs ministry to serve efficiently for ensuring equal rights for women.

Dr Nazneen stressed the need for formulating a gender sensitive budget removing discrimination between male and female.

She said, "We have to ensure a favourable atmosphere for women so that they can work in all sectors with their male counterparts equally."

Selima Ahmed urged the government to keep allocation in the budget for women entrepreneurs for flourishing their business, which will help their empowerment.

Maleka Banu demanded sector-wise allocations for women in the next budget to implement the national women development policy.

JICA VP visits LGED More help assured

Staff Reporter

Masafumi Kuroki, Vice Presiden, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), while visiting the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and its Rural Development Engineering Centre (RDEC) Project (Phase-2) at LGED Headquarters in Dhaka on Monday said, rural development is a top priority area in Bangladesh and JICA has been giving adequate importance to this sector accordingly. He lauded the strong leadership and the people of high capacity working in LGED.

Md. Shahidul Hassan, Chief Engineer, LGED had earlier welcomed the Vice President of JICA to LGED premises and invited him to a brief presentation session on the rural development strategies and policies of the Government of Bangladesh and LGED's core involvement in those processes.

JICA Vice-President, in his remarks, said, co-operations in hardware and software development is very important. He said, money alone cannot solve everything. Technological development and capacity building are equally essential, he added.

Itsu Adachi, Senior Assistant to Director General, Department of General Affairs, JICA, Ms. Nobuko Kayashima, Resident Representative, JICA Bangladesh and Mr. Yasuo Fujita, Chief Representative of JBIC, Dhaka accompanied the JICA Vice President during his visit.

Md. Shahidul Hassan, Chief Engineer, LGED in his deliberations, had recalled with gratitude the history of co-operation between Bangladesh and Japan. He said the bondage between the peoples of Japan and Bangladesh are unique in the sense that they happen to be rice-eating Asians.

Proximity between the government and the peoples of the two-countries came closer first in 1971 during the War of Liberation in Bangladesh and thereafter in 1977 when a passenger carrying aircraft of JAL was hijacked and landed in Dhaka airport for a peaceful negotiation to free the hostages.

Earlier, Md. Wahidur Rahman, Additional Chief Engineer, LGED and Project Director, RDEC Project, LGED delivered a brief presentation on LGED Activities, specially JICA assisted projects in LGED.

M Phil degree conferred

University of Dhaka has conferred M Phil degree in Chemistry on Md. Abdul Hannan. Title of his thesis was "Studies on interactions of chromium (VI) with SiO2-Iron oxide composite obtained by Sol-Gel method". His research work was supervised by (i) M. Muhibur Rahman, PhD (Cambridge), Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Dhaka. (ii) Md. Yousuf A. Mollah, PhD (Australia), Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Dhaka.

Hannan is working as an Assistant Director of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission. He is the eldest son of Late M.A. Mazid and Guljan Begum, of Upazila-Kamalganj, District-Moulvibazar, says a press release.

Academic feat

Fahmida Akter Mouri has obtained talentpool scholarship in primary scholarship examination held in 2007 from Wahedpur Govt. Primary School, Debidwar, Comilla. Her father Md. Mosleh Uddin and mother Rina Begum. She seeks blessings from all, says a press release.

Academic feat

Md.Shahrukh Islam, son of Shafiul Islam, a lawyer and Parveen Aktar Rubi, a teacher of Viquarunnisa Noon School, Dhanmondi branch has obtained Primary Scholarship with talentpool from Birshrestha Nur Mohammad Rifles Public School and College Pilkhana, Dhaka. He seeks blessings from all, says a press release.