The New Nation - Internet Edition

Anwar Chy pays farewell call on President

Outgoing British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury
paid a farewell call on President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed at
Bangabhaban yesterday. PID photo

BSS, Dhaka

Outgoing British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar paid a farewell call on President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban here yesterday.

During the meeting, the President expressed his satisfaction over the present bilateral relation between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom (UK), and thanked the outgoing UK envoy for his outstanding performance for further developing and strengthening the ties.

Prof Iajuddin said Bangladesh attaches great importance to its relations with the UK and considers it as a dependable trade, development and strategic partner.

He said trade, investment and economic relations between the two counties have expanded over the years as the UK at present is the third largest destination for the Bangladesh's export with an annual growth of 15 percent.

The President also appreciated the role of the UK for duty and quota-free access of Bangladeshi goods to the European Union market and hoped that the UK government continued its support for the LDC-friendly Rules of Origin.

Dr Iajuddin also praised the British government's development cooperation in various areas of Bangladesh through the DFID.

He said the government has undertaken steps for building electoral and other institutions, preparing the voter list and taking preparations for holding the general election as per the roadmap announced by the Election Commission.

The British envoy thanked the President and the government for extending cooperation to him in discharging duties during his office in Bangladesh.

He also expressed his satisfaction over the various reform programmes undertaken by the present government to strengthen democracy and curb corruption, and hoped that the next general election would be held by December this year.

Anwar Choudhury informed the President that a number of senior British ministers are expected to visit Bangladesh before the next general election. He said Bangladesh has huge potentials and hoped that it would achieve its expected development soon.

Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohd Aminul Karim, Secretary of the President's Office Md Sirajul Islam and Press Secretary to the President Abdul Awal Howlader were present.

Countrywide mass hunger strike on May 20: AL to join dialogue only under Hasina’s leadership

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League central working committee, the decision-making body, Wednesday decided that the party can only participate in the government-sponsored dialogue along with its president Sheikh Hasina now in jail.

The working committee after 2-day deliberations announced mass hunger strike in every district, upazila and union on May 20 to press for releasing Hasina.

The party would also form human chain in the capital, but the date has not been fixed.

An extended meeting of Awami League will be held on May 26 to discuss the latest development and map out its future action programme.

The central committee demanded immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency, lifting all undemocratic conditions imposed on indoor politics, holding of the parliamentary elections first and stop intimidation and interference into media industry.

The working committee meeting began on Tuesday and ended yesterday afternoon at the party's Dhanmondi office. Acting president Zillur Rahman presided over the meeting that warned that any conspiracy of holding parliamentary elections under the emergency would not be acceptable.

The meeting observed that election and dialogue process and preparing effective national charter would not be possible without the presence of people's trusted leaders.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, AL acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam termed the Chief Advisor Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed's Monday address to the nation 'unacceptable' and said the nation has disappointed, frustrated and upset by the CA's address.

He said the caretaker government has failed to create credible atmosphere for holding the dialogue. The government also failed to realize that acceptable election and preparing fruitful national charter is not possible without Sheikh Hasina.

Ashraf observed that the country is passing through a very crucial period and only an elected democratic government can salvage the country from this situation and steer the nation towards democracy, stability and progress.

The meeting urged all democratic and non-communal forces to get united and join the AL's movement for realizing their six-point demand.

The meeting demanded of the caretaker government to take effective initiatives immediately for trying the war criminals and declaring them disqualified for the election.

40 pc seats for women in local govt body demanded

Police snatching banner from women activists while
they were trying to form a human chain to drum up support
for their demands near the National Press Club in the city
yesterday. NN photo

Staff Reporter

The Government should preserve 40 per cent seats for women in local government body to empower them.

The constitution of Bangladesh endorses equal rights for women in all spheres of life, said Former Adviser to the Caretaker Government Sultana Kamal, also Executive Director of Ain O Shalish Kendra at a press conference after the National Convention on "Elected Women Representatives of Local Government" organised by Nari Uddog Kendra (NUK) at LGED auditorium yesterday.

The contribution of women in social and economical development of the country are noteworthy. They played vital role in all the movements in the history of Bangladesh, which helped the nation to be independent, she added.

She also urged the women who were present at the convention to take oath to carry on movement until the establishment of their equal rights in every sphere. Prof Muzaffar Ahmed, Chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh, said

"All the previous Governments ignored the issue of establishing equal rights for women. They tried to confine the women community at home on the excuse of religious or social barriers. But we believe that the Caretaker Government will take the issue seriously and will approve the proposal for preserving 40 per cent seats in the local Government body."

It may be mentioned that a committee coordinated by the Ministry of Local Government drafted an ordinance that includes the proposal of preserving 40 per cent of seats for women in the local Government body. But the proposal was suspended in the meeting of Adviser's Committee on April 24. The body decided to revive the previous system of preserving 33 per cent.

Rejecting the decision of the committee Shamima Sultana Sima, Convener of National Federation of Local Government Women Representatives, said, " We have sent an application to the President demanding approval of 40 per cent. We will go for tough action, if the President refuses to meet the demand."

Taleya Rehman, Executive Director of Democracy Watch, Dr Badiul Alam Mazumder, member of Local Government Reform Committee, Masuda Khatun Shefali, Executive Director of NUK also spoke.

From the Foreign Press : Power of One, Act Now, Eat Later

Jeffrey D. Sachs

The world saw it coming but did little. Now the global food shortage has become a crisis. Here's how to end it

The world economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a looming hunger crisis in poor countries and a looming energy crisi~ worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years, and oil prices have more than tripled since the start of 2004. These food-price increases, combined with soaring energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even undermine political stability, as evidenced by the protest riots that have erupted in places like Haiti, Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. Practical solutions to these growing woes do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally.

The crisis has its roots in four interlinked trends. The first is the chronically low productivity of farmers in the poorest countries; caused by their inability to pay for seeds, fertilisers and irrigation. The second is the misguided policy in the U.S. and Europe of subsidising the diversion of food crops to produce biofuels like corn-based ethanol. The third is climate change; take the recent droughts in Australia and Europe, which cut the global production of grain in 2005 and '06. The fourth is the growing global demand for food and feed grains brought on by swelling populations and incomes. In short, rising demand has hit a limited supply, with the poor taking the hardest blow.

So, what should be done? Here are three steps to ease the current crisis and avert the potential for a global disaster. The first is to scale-up the dramatic success of Malawi, a famine-prone country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertiliser and high-yield seeds. Malawi's harvest doubled after just one year. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or $10 billion in all. Such a fund could fight hunger as effectively as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is controlling those diseases.

Second, the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of subsidising the conversion of food into biofuels. The U.S. government gives farmers a taxpayer financed subsidy of 5I¢ per gallon of ethanol to divert corn from the food and feed grain supply. There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods-tree crops (like palm oil), grasses and wood products - but there's no case for doling out subsidies to put the world's dinner into the gas tank.

Third, we urgently need to weatherproof the world's crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond - which collects rainwater to be used for emergency irrigation in a dry spell - can make the difference between a bountiful crop and a famine. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Fund to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and healthcare but has not yet acted upon the promise.

What is true for food will be true for energy, water and other increasingly scarce resources. We can combat these problems so long as we act rapidly. New energy sources like solar thermal power and new energy-saving technologies like plug-in hybrid automobiles can be developed and mobilised within a few years. Environmentally sound fish farming can relieve pressures on the oceans. The food crisis provides not only a warning but also an opportunity. We need to invest vastly more in sustainable development in order to achieve true global security and economic growth.

Relaxing indoor politics: Political leaders in Ctg back in business

Chittagong Correspondent

Offices of different political parties especially the two archrivals - the Awami League and the BNP - in the city turned the points of reunion of leaders and workers after a long pause of no politics.

Several hundred workers and the leaders of both camps, though not the top ones, started gathering the office premises after 'indoor-politics has been made valid.

Leaders welcomed the government's move to make 'indoor politics' free and demanded immediate lifting of emergency for creating environment of holding a free, fair and credible election.

Cleaners were engaged for making the office and its furniture fit for routine use apart from necessary renovation and changes in the wake of vacuum of leadership.

Offices of the Awami League, BNP, Jamat-e-Islami, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Jatiya Party (Ershad) opened their respective offices and held opinion exchange meetings, milad mahfil and offered special prayer for quick freeing of their detained leaders and workers.

The Awami League leaders claimed that the city office of the party located at Darul Fazal market was opened at about 11:00 a.m. Alhaj Nurul Islam, Kazi Enamul Haque Danu, Dr. Afsarul Amin, Advocate Ibrahim Hossain Babul and Advocate Sheikh Iftekhar Saimul Chowdhury were among others who led the reopening of the party office.

Later, they held a meeting in the evening. The AL leader Alhaj Nurul Islam presided over the meeting. A milad mahfil was also held there. The BNP leader Dr. Sahadat Hossain together with the office caretaker Nur Hossain opened its Nasiman Bhaban office at about 10:00 a.m. None of the BNP bigwigs - Abdullah Al Noman, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Sayed Wahidul Alam and M Morshed Khan - was seen at the party office.

Later, a good number the BNP workers including Ershad Ullah, ward commissioner Shamsul Alam, Abdus Sattar and Mohammad Nazim Uddin rushed the party office in the afternoon.

Joint Secretary of city unit of the AL Advocate Ibrahim Hossain Babul said that ban on politics should be lifted right now.

General Secretary of AL, north MA Salam said that it was not a wise decision of partial and conditional freeing of politics. "We demand immediate withdrawal of ban on politics," he added.

Former Joint Secretary of city unit of the BNP Abdus Sattar said that they would establish contacts with their leaders and workers in the grassroots from now on wards and urged the caretaker government for unconditional freeing of politics.

General Secretary of Bangladesh Communist Party, Chittagong district, Shah Alam also demanded free environment of politics.

Women's rights in light of Islamic laws urged

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday stressed on ensuring balanced and appropriate rights of women in the light of Islamic laws to restore social order and for their empowerment.

They demanded full implementation of the present Islamic inheritance laws in the country for empowerment of women, adding that about 80 per cent of the women do not inherit landed property.

They were addressing a roundtable on "National Women Development Policy: A Nationwide Agreement is Needed" organised by Islamic Law Research Centre and Legal Aid Bangladesh at the National Press Club in the city.

Former Secretary Shah Abdul Hannan presided over the function, while former Justice Abu Syeed Ahmed as chief guest, former Minister Syeda Razia Fayez, former MPs Rasheda Begum Hira and Adv Ferdous Akter Wahida, General Secretary of the centre Adv Nazrul Islam, Executive Editor of the daily Inqilab Moulana Ruhul Amin Khan, Prof Abdul Mabud of the University of Dhaka, Moulana Kamal Uddin Jafferi, Dr ABM Hizbullah, Kushtia Islamic University and Prof Dr ABM Mahbub Islam, among others, addressed it.

They urged the country's Muslim males to change their negative attitude to the women in the country.

Former Justice Abu Syeed Ahmed said the Holy Quran is the best constitution and the sections in the women policy which are contradictory to the Quran should be avoided.

Shah Abdul Hannan said justice or balance is needed for the wellbeing of the human being, saying that the "equality" does not always bring welfare for the society.

Syeda Razia Faiz said the policy-which is anti- family and social system- would push the women to destruction like the jute policy that led the sector to destruction.

She said the Caretaker Government has no mandate to formulate the National Women Development Policy.

She criticised the government for not including the woman representative in the policy review committee.

Dr ABM Hizbullah said the Islamic laws are needed to be implemented to abolish eve-teasing and creating women friendly environment in the country.

Lawyers firm to boycott Appellate Divn today

Staff Reporter

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) stuck to its decision to boycott the court proceedings of the Appellate Division today despite opposition to it by a group of lawyers.

The association has already informed the Chief Justice its decision through a letter. The token two-hour court boycott kicks off at 9 am today.

SCBA will observe the programme to protest against the Supreme Court's series of 'highly controversial' rulings that validated the stringent Emergency Power Rules, which revokes the right to bail of an accused facing trial under it.

SCBA leaders in a press briefing yesterday warned the dissident members of disciplinary action if they join the court violating the decision of the association.

"The Bar will take disciplinary action against the members for any act contrary to the constitution of the association," SCBA president Barrister Shafique Ahmed said.

On May 11, an emergency general meeting of the SCBA unanimously decided to boycott the Appellate Division in protest against its recent rulings on EPR which they think resulted in 'degradation of dignity of the highest judiciary and the rule of law'.

The association has already informed the Chief Justice of its decision through a letter, Barrister Shafique said.

Meanwhile, Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a Hong Kong-based regional NGO that monitors and advocates HR issues in Asia, congratulated the SCBA boycott move, said Shafique.

The HR watchdog termed it a courageous step towards safeguarding the authority of the Supreme Court and the independence of the judiciary.

Bangladesh envoy to UAE sued for corruption

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday filed a case against Nazim Ullah Chowdhury, Bangladesh ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, for financial irregularities and causing loss to the national exchequer through misuse of power.

Deputy director of the ACC Abdullah Al Zahid filed the first-information report (FIR) with Shahbagh police station, alleging that the envoy "caused a loss of about Tk 20 lakh to the state, committed corruption in appointing gardeners and misappropriating money".

This happens to the first graft case against any incumbent ambassador of the country under the ongoing drives in the interim period against corruption.

The FIR states that the ambassador caused loss to the country's exchequer by shifting the ambassador's residence to a "farer place at more expensive price".

It was also alleged that the envoy showed appointments of gardeners for the embassy in Abu Dhabi but never appointed them. Instead, he allegedly misappropriated the salary the gardeners were supposed to get.

The FIR also said Nazim allegedly showed purchase of furniture for the embassy but "misappropriated the money".

The case was filed under section 5(2) of the Corruption Prevention Act 1947 and 409 of the Penal Code.

Earlier in February, Zahid made a trip to the UAE to inquire into the corruption allegations about the ambassador and other officials of the embassy. The inquiry took place based on a complaint lodged with the Commission.

Launch capsize toll rises to 49: Rescue operation abandoned

Kishoreganj Correspondent

Five more bodies were recovered from the Ghorautra river in Nikli upazila early yesterday, raising the death toll from Monday's launch capsize to 49.

Local people recovered the floating bodies from the river but their identities could not be known immediately.

However, 50 passengers of the launch are still missing.

As the vessel which was lying about 35 feet under the river waters could not be salvaged till yesterday morning, the Kishoreganj District Administration declared the rescue operation abandoned.

But the relatives of the missing passengers claimed that there were many bodies trapped inside the motor-launch and they demanded recovery of those bodies.

The district administration has paid compensation of Tk 1.32 lakh to the families of the victims. Each family received Tk 4,000. The Mitamoin-bound launch, MV Chandpur, carrying over 150 passengers capsized in the river at the point at about 5:00pm on Monday as it was caught in a storm, leaving scores of people missing.

Soon after the mishap, local people recovered four bodies from the river.

Later, the divers of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Fire Brigade and Civil Defence in a joint salvage operation pulled up 40 more bodies from the sunken launch on Tuesday, raising the death toll to 49.

Most of the victims hailed from Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Narayanganj and Narsingdi. Majority of them were ready-made garment workers.

NU cheating case: HC order revival of case against two officials

Staff Reporter

The High Court ordered the lower court to revive the rejected forgery case filed against two officials of the National University in 2006.

The order was given by the bench comprising justices of high court division Mozammal Hossain and AB Mahmud on Tuesday.

The bench ordered to form the charge of the cheating case against Director of Human Resource of the university Shamser-Uz-Zaman and Acting Treasurer Prof Sher Mohammad.

Additional Magistrate of Dhaka Metropolitan police filed the cased against them for their alleged involvement in the corruption and forgery last year. But the lower court released them, rejecting the case on November 21, 2006..

Factional clash: 10 JN Varsity BCL activists injured

Staff Reporter

At least 10 students were injured in a clash between two rival groups of Bangladesh Chattra League (BCL) Jagannath University unit on Wednesday noon at the university premise.

Source said, a group loyal to Kamrul Hasan Ripon, President of JU unit was attacked by another group loyal to Gazi Abu Sayed, General Secretary of Jagannath University unit, while both the groups were marching on the campus aiming to establish supremacy on the campus.

During that time police blocked the from Rayshab Bazar Road to Shadargaht and the situation came under control after presence of university proctor Gazi Asaduzzaman.

The injured students got admitted in Sumana Clinic. Several hundreds of police were deployed around the campus.

Anwar Chowdhury meets CA: Dhaka-London ties reach new heights

UNB, Dhaka

Outgoing British High Commissioner Anwar Chowdhury Wednesday said Bangladesh has become an important international player in many international issues like climate change and poverty alleviation.

He observed that UK values Bangladesh's partnership, as its intellectual and moral values are important to the United Kingdom. The High Commissioner made the remarks while he paid a farewell call on Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at the CA's office. The Chief Adviser appreciated the contributions of the outgoing High Commissioner in expanding multifaceted relations between the two countries and congratulated him for successfully completing his tenure in Bangladesh.

He mentioned that a number of high level visits took place between the two countries during the tenure of the High Commissioner, which helped to further deepen the bilateral relation between Dhaka and London and taking it into new heights.

Dr Fakhruddin said Bangladesh can share its experiences in women empowerment and poverty alleviation with whoever in the world so wants.

The High Commissioner said Bangladesh and UK have now a strategic partnership.

Three UK Ministers would visit Bangladesh within next six months, he informed.

He appreciated the caretaker government's positive steps and welcomed the Chief Adviser's latest address to the nation.

Anwar Chowdhury said he leaves Bangladesh with positive feelings and notes.

He said he would be able to work closely with Bangladesh after assuming his new assignment in London when he will work for the UN and Commonwealth affairs.

Dr Fakhruddin sought cooperation of the outgoing high commissioner so that the Bangladeshi curry industry in UK could adjust in the interim period against its new immigration system.