The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jail escapee held after firing: 3 still at large: Combing operation launched, red alert in dists

Hamid, one of four fugitives of Chuadanga jailbreak,
was arrested with bullet injuries yesterday. Focus
Bangla

Chuadanga Correspondent

One of the four convicted extremists, who fled away from Chuadanga District Jail by scaling over its boundary wall Thursday night, was arrested from village Chhaighoria under Sadar upazila of the district yesterday morning.

Abdul Hamid, 55, leader of Hamid Bahini, who was sentenced to 44 years in jail, was arrested from a house of the village where he was hiding, said Rabiul Islam, officer-in charge of Chuadanga Sadar Police Station.

Police said the local people encircled the house of one Sirajul Islam learning that the convict was hiding in the house.

Receiving information, police went to the spot to arrest Hamid. But, Hamid, sensing the presence of law enforcers, tried to evade the arrest. At one stage, police opened fire on him when he was trying to flee the scene and he fell down on a paddy field. Police caught him at about 9:30am.

Bullet wounded Hamid was taken to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital on board a van at about 10:30am and admitted there. He has been undergoing treatment at the hospital under strong police vigilance after a surgical operation carried out to remove a bullet from his leg.

Hamid, who was arrested in 2001, was accused in at least 15 cases, including eight for murders. He was given 44 years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) in just two cases -- one for murder and the other for possessing illegal weapons.

On Thursday night, Aktaruzzaman Sohag, Hamid, Jorap Ali alias Bachchu and Ashiqur Rahman Tagar scaled the boundary wall of Chuadanga Jail and jumped themselves free, putting all police stations in the 10 southwestern districts on alert. Special security measures were also taken in all jails in the region.

A combing operation by police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) was also going on in Chuadanga, Meherpur, Jhenidah and Kushtia to nab the remaining escapees.

Chuadanga police super Mofiz Uddin Ahmed ordered the combing operation to arrest rest of the three absconding convicts.

Four convicted prisoners Ashiqur Rahman Tagar, 45, chief of Tagar Bahini of Kushtia Housing Estate area, Akhtaruzzaman Shohag, 40, of Purba Bangla Communist Party, and extremist leaders Abdul Hamid, 42, and Jurat Ali Bachchu, 43, escaped from the jail at around 1:30am on Friday.

Tagar was sentenced to 50 years in jail, Sohag 80 years, Hamid 44 years and Bachchu 70 years.

Five prison guards were suspended in connection with the escape incident.

The prison guards, who were suspended are Alauddin Malitha, Mokhlesur Rahman, Moniruzzaman, Abul Kasem, Monirul Islam, Abdul Latif Sarker and Sirajul Mollah.

Local BDR officials said red alert has been created in 24 border points and Chuadanga, Meherpur and Jhenidah districts have been sealed off to prevent the three convicted prisoners from crossing into India.

BDR jawans have also been provided with the photographs of the escapees for their recapture.

Lack of manpower, poor building structure of the jail and negligence of duty by some were stated to be the reasons behind the escape of the prisoners from the jail near the district town, which was inaugurated on September 21 last year.

Source said two investigation teams have been formed to identify the causes of the incident and submit its report within 10 to 12 days.

One of the committee is headed by DIG of Rajshahi Maj Hafiz and the other committee is led by ADC Subash Chandra.

DIG (Prisons, Khulna-Rajshahi) Maj Hafiz took the action following an order issued by IG (Prisons) Brigadier General Zakir Hasan.

'Stay well,’ says Anwar in tears as he departs for UK

Anwar Choudhury

UNB, Dhaka

British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury yesterday morning said his farewells in tears as he left Bangladesh for London, ending his four-year extended diplomatic assignment in his paternal place.

"Farewell Bangladesh, stay well, see yout(inaudible)," he told reporters in emotion-charged broken words before boarding a British Airways aircraft at Zia International Airport. Choudhury did not use the VIP lounge perhaps to avoid journalists from print and electronic media. But just before boarding the aircraft, he turned back to reporters and made the brief remarks. Emotion was so intense he could not finish off his last word.

During his series of press interviews, Choudhury has said he leaves Bangladesh as a fulfilled man. "I'm leaving Bangladesh with a song in my heart," he said.

In London, Choudhury will assume a critical senior diplomatic position at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

His new role as Director for the UK's policy and relations with International Institutions, particularly the UN, the EU, NATO, the G8, the Commonwealth, the US, the World Bank and the IMF, encompasses one of the UK's top international priorities, and will involve working very closely with Number 10 Downing Street (the Prime Minister's office).

Stephen Nicholas Evans, a highly experienced and accomplished diplomat with in-depth experience of South Asia, replaces Choudhury in June.

Separate cadre service for pry edn underway

Staff Reporter

The government is going to form a separate cadre service for primary education to improve the quality and to bring more accountability in field level basic education system across the country.

The Primary and Mass Education Ministry has recently sent the summery to the Chief Adviser in this regard for his approval, ministry sources said.

The move is likely to be approved at the next adviser committee meeting, ministry sources added.

Primary and Mass Education Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury said the Ministry has been run by officers from other cadres since long which hinders the dedicated improvement of the primary education system.

Rasheda K Chowdhury said the initiative has been taken for a separate primary education cadre few years ago, the step now at the last stage and it is expected that the decision would be approved soon by the advisers.

She hoped that the new cadre would help improve the quality of the primary education.

Around 3 lakh teachers and other officials are working at a total of 83,000 government and private primary educational institutions across the country. The adviser also hoped that introduction of the cadre will must help bring back discipline to the huge establishment.

The government has 29 cadres for 8 lakh officials but it dose not has cadre services for 3 lakh primary and mass education officials.

Khandker Asaduzzaman, Director General of the Directorate of Primary and Mass Education submitted a summery on the issue to the Chief Adviser where he said young and brilliant student feel discourage to join education services as the service has no future.

Due to the absentia of bright carrier primary education department fails to improve the overall quality of primary education.

He said the information and technology emerged as the major component for education and the technology should be adopted for the primary education to qualify the level internationally and establish a separate cadre to run the changing educational system successfully.

At present on an average 500 teachers and other officials of the primary education are working under a Thana Education Officer meant an unmanageable responsibility to a single officer. The primary education system do not get momentum as a single officer needs to manage 500 to 1200 teachers and officials under him.

The delay in implementation of the separate cadre service for primary and mass education create resentment among the donor community as the Government promised them to implement the decision under the second phase of Primary Education Development Program project by December 2005.

A high-powered taskforce on development of Primary Education in 1992 suggested the then government to implement a separate cadre service for primary education did not consider by the successive governments. While the then Prime Minister approved suggestions to introduce primary education cadre was not finally implemented during her tenure.

Under the present Directorate of Primary Education a total 10 category of 257 posts are eligible for BCS first class gazette officer and other 10 category officers are also eligible for first class but excluded from BCS cadre.

A summery was prepared by the ministry and was sent the then Prime Minister in June 07, 2006. At the summery it was describe that the primary education do not get proper guidance from the officers as most of them come from other cadres and they did not get proper chance to apply their intellectual input to the ministry.

The summery concludes that Primary Education belongs the highest number of teachers and officials and in order to guide them properly, to enhance capacity and to bring dynamism a separate cadre is must for directorate.

GATCO case arrest warrants fuel endless speculation

Staff Reporter

A court in Dhaka on Thursday issued warrants of arrest of against 12 'absconding' accused in the GATCO scam case, including six former ministers of the immediate past BNP-led four-party alliance Government but the warrants are yet to be served.

The ministers include M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury of BNP, and Jamaat Ameer Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami.

Confusion persists over the arrest of high-profile accused in the case as most of the wanted leaders are staying in their residences till yesterday but are being identified as absconders.

The accused have been charged with misuse of power in awarding a container-handling deal to the company and caused a loss of Tk 14.56 crore to the national exchequer.

But initially in the first information report (FIR) it was alleged that the national exchequer incurred a loss of over Tk 1,000 crore for awarding the work to GATCO.

Though there were reports that the warrant orders reached respective police stations-Ramna, Gulshan and New Market-the officers-in-charge of those police stations told The New Nation that they were yet to receive the warrants of arrest till last night.

Meanwhile, informed source said four former cabinet ministers-- Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam and Motiur Rahman Nizami-are likely to move the High Court today for bail in the case.

Of the accused shown as absconders M Saifur Rahman and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury are now outside the country.

Counsel for the accused are examining the pros and cons of the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on May 13 submitted charge-sheet to the CMM court against detained ex-PM Khaleda Zia, her son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 others, including eight former ministers, in the GATCO graft case.

Of the 24 charge-sheeted accused, 12, including the detained former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and her youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko were shown arrested in the case.

I am not absconder, says Nizami

UNB, Dhaka

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami who has been charge-sheeted as an accused in the GATCO corruption case said Saturday that his party would resort to both legal and political means to fight against the case he termed politically motivated.

"When the court process will start in the case, my lawyers and the party will definitely face it legally. But since it does not seem merely a legal matter, rather politically motivated, political workers will obviously face it politically besides the legal means," he said.

Talking to UNB at Jamaat central office, Nizami claimed himself above any corruption or irregularity as Agriculture and Industry Minister and said, "The way it is unacceptable to me to be an accused in corruption, it is also unacceptable to those who know me and love me."

The Jamaat chief, who was an influential figure in the past BNP-led coalition government, said he had no involvement in any corruption whatsoever. "My only offence is I was a member of the purchase committee. I have no other offence."

He questioned if one is accused of corruption only for being member of the purchase committee, then the question obvious comes to public mind why the Secretaries of the ministries concerned who played important role on the purchase committee were not charge-sheeted.

Last Thursday a metropolitan court issued arrest warrants against 12 'absconding accused', including Nizami and four other cabinet ministers of the 4-party alliance government, in the GATCO scam case principally pressed against detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

Nizami said his name was not on the FIR but later on he was included.

"What is most painful is I was shown absconding in a disgusting way. This is a blatant falsehood, which does not suit the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)."

He noted that corruption originates in falsehood. "If the ACC takes recourse to falsehood to arrange a case against a person, how the corruption could be curbed by such an institution. Rather, it becomes an instrument of repressing politicians, which is damaging for the ACC," he said.

Nizami said none could raise the allegation of corruption or irregularity during his 20 months as Agriculture Minister and 40 months as Industry Minister. A corrupt person cannot run a ministry so transparently. Even such charge didn't come 16 months into the state of emergency.

He said different agencies and media tried to detect irregularities by looking through microscope but they failed. Similarly, there is no evidence of corruption against Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujaheed who was the Social Welfare Minister.

Asked when he plans to go to court, Nizami said he would act on advice of his lawyers.

Asked whether Jamaat would go for movement alone or with other parties if he was arrested, he said all past movements were launched unitedly whenever an unelected government was imposed on the nation blocking the road to democracy and people's voting right.

He observed it is being noticed that efforts were made to create rift among political parties and within the parties since the declaration of the state of emergency. Perhaps it is being done as part of a plan to seal the path of a united movement.

"Despite this, people of this country are sentinels of democracy and Bangladesh is the fruition of democratic movement. There is no reason to think that people's indomitable spirit for democracy would not be rekindled."

Asked if he foresees political unrest after his arrest, he said, "If arrested, I would have nothing to do as other leaders of my party will be in charge in his absence. Our party is based on democratic values. Whatever the party thinks fit, it will take the decision accordingly."

Asked about Jamaat's stance on the government-proposed dialogue, Nizami said there is no instance from the government to create an enabling environment to make the dialogue fruitful through participation of all parties.

Rather, he alleged, the government, having failed to realize the present political reality, is taking steps to spoil the pre-dialogue atmosphere.

"I like to say in clear terms our party view is that this government is backed by the army. Army is the symbol of the nation's independence and sovereignty. Failure of this government will have far-reaching effect."

Nizami said, "We apprehend a national disaster if there be any deviation from holding credible elections according to the roadmap and handing over power to elected representatives."

The Jamaat chief said, "It is no one's expectation that the army-backed government should face off the people. But it seems that the government is pushing the country towards that end."

Nizami said the only responsibility of the caretaker government is to hold a credible election to parliament with the participation of all political parties.

By realizing the reality, he said, the government should release all political leaders, including the two top leaders-Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.

He said the government must refrain from arresting politicians afresh. Otherwise, it would not be possible to hold an election participated by all.

Illegal Bangladeshis to be deported from Rajasthan

Bdnews24.com, Jammu

The right-wing Hindu government in Rajasthan declared Friday their decision to deport "illegal Bangladeshi migrants" in Jaipur within 30 days in the wake of growing concerns over the alleged role of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami in the May 13 serial bomb blasts in the tourist city.

Now, the chief of the Indian Border Security force (BSF) has added his voice to a growing number of officials calling for the move, criticising Bangladesh for "living in a state of permanent deniability".

"We need to find an easy way of deporting these illegal Bangladeshis," Ashish K Mitra, director general of the BSF told bdnews24.com while returning from the Indo-Pakistan border.

"So far as Bangladesh is concerned, deportation is a very long drawn process. The Bangladeshi authorities deny most of the cases we put forward," added Mitra.

Emphasising India's need for a tough and effective anti-migration law; Mitra, however, did not endorse the idea of pushing back illegal migrants from all neighbouring countries, which has seen increased support since the Jaipur blasts.

"Pushing back is not a solution. If we push back illegal Bangladesh migrants, their border guards will immediately push them back."

"Then their will be a humanitarian crisis with a certain set of men, women and children whom no one will own up," Mitra added.

Barge-mounted graft case: Special court order today

UNB, Dhaka

The special corruption-trial court orders today whether charges would be framed against former Prime Minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and 7 others in the Khulna barge-mounted power plant graft case.

On Thursday, Judge M Firoze Alam, after closing arguments by both the prosecution and the defence lawyers on the arraignment hearings that had exhausted long 21 working days, fixed Sunday for its ruling that decides the fate of the high-profile persons.

The special court, set up in the high-security parliament complex to try corruption suspects under the current purge in the interim period, took up the case on February 7 for hearing.

On March 9, the Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor proposed framing charges against Hasina and the co-accused, while the defence counsel kicked off arguments for discharge of the accused from the case on April 3.

On September 2 last year, ACC Deputy Director Sabbir Hasan filed the case with Tejgaon police station, accusing Hasina and six others of using their influence through collusion in helping a foreign company and its local partners win a deal for setting up three 100-MW barge-mounted power plants at Haripur, Khulna and Shikalbaha sites, depriving the lowest bidder.

The co-accused are former energy secretary Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former Power Development Board (PDB) chairman Noor Uddin Mahmud Kamal, Managing Director of Summit Industries and Mercantile Corporation Private Ltd Aziz Khan, its Director Farid Khan, United Group Chairman Hasan Mahmud Raja and its Director Abul Kalam Azad.

Morshed Alam, deputy director of the ACC, submitted the charge sheet of the case on January 10 this year, incorporating the name of Bangabandhu Memorial Trust (BMT) curator Siddiqur Rahman.

Of them, the detained former PM, Hasina, and Dr Towfiq appeared in the dock to stand the trial while the rest seven absconding.

SAARC nations urged to fight natural disaster unitedly

ADB Country Director Hua Du addressing a round-table
on 'Future of SAARC: Expectations of Citizens' at the
National Press Club on Saturday. Banglar Chokh

Staff Reporter

Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury yesterday described poverty and natural disaster as the two major challenges before the South Asian countries and called for launching collective efforts to address these challenges.

He pointed out that food crisis, energy crisis and environment change were posing challenges to the South Asian countries at the moment.

Iftekhar was speaking at a roundtable on "Future of SAARC: Expectation of Citizens" jointly organised by SAARC Citizens Council and Grameen Nagorik Federation at the National Press Club.

Collective regional approach is the prime prerequisite to face the growing challenges posed by volatile global financial market, increasing protectionism, growing energy crisis and changing global political environment, he noted.

He appealed for reduction and elimination of non-tariff and Para-tariff barriers for greater market access.

About the present political situation in the country he said " we hope the upcoming dialogue will be fruitful, as all the political parties are eager to sit in the dialogue. We will take all the necessary steps to revive political stability in the country."

Hua Du, Country Director of Asian Development, stressed on strengthening connectivity among the nations in the region to change political infrastructure.

Referring to the EU, she said one could travel around all the EU member states with a single visa and currency, which is not possible in this region of 1.4 billion people. "I think it will happen, not too far," she hoped.

She focused on cooperation among all the Asian countries to face the global challenges.

Stefan Frowein, High Commissioner of European Union, focused on setting up a common parliament in the region to address common issues of SAARC nations.

S Talukder, Secretary General of Grameen Nagarik Federation, in his key note paper put forward some proposals which include introduction of arriving /port visa system for all the member countries, free trade relation, launching of SAARC currency like URO, facilitation of borderless education and development of transport system among the SAARC countries.

Ahmed Karim, Afghan Ambassador, Govinda Bar, Representative of ADB, DR Durga P Paudyal, Director General of CIRDAP and envoys from SAARC states were present at the roundtable while Mustafa Allahma, Chairman of SAARC Citizens Council, presided over the programme.

Pvt airlines enhance Dhaka-Ctg route fare

UNB, Dhaka

All the domestic airliners, except Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited, have abruptly raised their fares of Dhaka-Chittagong route saying that the fuel price, taxes and surcharges have increased significantly.

Their new fares took effect yesterday even though the passengers had no idea about the enhanced fare.

The airliners have sent a directive to their officers and sales agents in this connection. "We've re-fixed our ticket fare, including all taxes and surcharges, at Tk 4,995," Best Air chairman M Haider Uzzaman told UNB yesterday.

He said the Padma Oil has increased the fuel used by aircraft up to 15 percent.

The previous airfares of all the domestic airliners of their Dhaka-Chittagong route were more or less below Tk 4,000, including all the surcharges and taxes.

Sources in GMG Airlines, United Airways and Royal Bengal confirmed that they have raised the fares of the most important Dhaka-Chittagong domestic route.

According to the sources, the high officials of the four private airliners sat in a meeting a couple of days back and decided to re-fix the fare at Tk 4,995, including all the taxes and charges.

Talking to UNB, MA Momen, managing director and chief executive officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited, the national flag carrier, said they have not yet taken any decision on enhancing the fare of the route.

Currently, Biman offers two types of fare. One is Tk 2500 plus Tk 225 in its wide-bodied aircraft that connect Chittagong after their takeoff from Dhaka or when they end their destination in Dhaka.

The fare of small aircraft that is dedicated to Dhaka-Chittagong route is Tk 3500 plus Tk 225.

Experts said the growing trend of taking flights by the passengers might shrink due to the enhancement of fare as most of the domestic passengers are of the Dhaka-Chittagong route.

Anti-Bangladesh canard in Indian media

Hasanuzzaman Khan

Indian media seems to have launched a canard against Bangladesh implicating an organisation already outlawed in Bangladesh claiming its involvement in the terrorist attack in Jaipur.

In August last year a similar story was spread when there were blasts in Hyderabad in the Deccan killing 38 people. But India which is a home to a number of militant groups ranging from Maoist rebels to secessionists in its north east can not escape the responsibility. A few days back fourteen secessionists were killed in Nagaland following Indian Army action. The Naga rebels have been fighting a secessionist war for half a century.

A Bangladesh security expert said, the organisation that India had named behind the Jaipur bombings is a non-entity in Bangladesh. It has been marginalised following a security crackdown and its leaders and activists had been imprisoned. The Bangladesh officials in Dhaka urged the Indian media not to jump to any conclusion and point finger at any foreign forces for explosions in Jaipur that killed 61 people. There were both Hindus and Muslims among the dead. Bangladesh officials said, no one should point finger at Bangladesh for any suspected terrorist attack in other countries. The terrorists have no boundaries and now it is a global phenomenon. The media should not jump to conclusion before thorough investigations are concluded.

Hours after the explosions the observers say, the India-based terrorists wanted to undermine a peace process initiated between India and Pakistan. Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee is due to visit Islamabad to review the peace process between Pakistan and India since the civilian government took over in Pakistan. A strong quarter in India including BJP and Hindu Mahasabha are opposed to any peace deal with Pakistan. The observers noted that blasts occurred just days after gun battle in Kashmir erupted between the Indian Army and the militants.

Jaipur is predominantly a Hindu city and has a strong Muslim minority. Recent years have seen rise of inter-faith tension in Gujarat, a neighbouring state where 2000 Muslims were massacred by Hindu mobs in 2002.

Rajasthan of which Jaipur is the capital includes the Ajmeer Sharif, the spiritual capital of all faiths of the sub-continent. Rajasthan is presently ruled by Hindu extremist BJP which also controls neighbouring Gujarat.

Indian police said, they are looking for Indian suspects and have released several sketches of people who could have been the bombers.

An email to local media sent by an Indian organisation claimed the responsibility for the attack. Similar claims were made minutes before a blast in utter Pradesh last year. Indian police said, they were taking the email 'very seriously' although some police officials and BJP Chief Minister of the state have questioned the authenticity of the email.

In the past few years bomb blasts in Indian cities killed hundreds of people. The deadliest was in July 2006 when seven bombs on Mombai's rail network killed more than 180 people. After serial explosions in Jaipur. India has again blamed foreign hand perhaps a euphemism for neighbouring countries.

A US state department report has put India at the top of the list of countries afflicted by terrorism. India has more than 2300 terrorism related deaths. Separatists like ULFA and Maoist rebels in India use serial bombings at regular intervals.

India official said, the Pak intelligence ISI might have been behind the blast. New Pak government promised to hand over Dawood, the mastermind behind Mumbai bombings in 1993 to the India govt. Other forces in Pakistan, however, may not allow this deal to materialise.

Quality education imperative for sustainable dev

DU Correspondent

Quality education has become imperative for sustainable development of the country and achievement of this objective demands proper attention.

This was stated by speakers at a seminar on " Development through Education: Opportunities in Bangladesh and Pakistan" at a city hotel yesterday.

The seminar was organised by the University and industry alliance (U&I), Management and Development Consultants affiliated with the Dhaka University.

Speakers pointed out that thousands of Bangladeshi students were studying in foreign countries to get quality education, but the government still could not formulate any policy on foreign providers by setting up of offshore campuses in the country. This policy could have saved a lot of foreign currency for the country by obtaining same degree from local institute with international standard at their doorsteps, they added.

Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof SMA Faiz inaugurated the seminar. Alamgir Babar, High Commissioner of Pakistan in Bangladesh, was special guest at the seminar.

Nasreen M Kasuri, Founder of Beaconhouse School System, Prof GM Chowdhury, President U & I, Prof Ataur Rahman of Political Science Department of Dhaka University and Dr Zubair A Sheikh of National University of Computer and Engineering Sciences in Pakistan, presented keynote papers at the seminar.

Prof Faiz said higher education commonly refers to university education which by its very diversity transcends a broad spectrum of social arrangements that range from general knowledge dissemination and skill development to good government.

"Higher education has profoundly changed in the past two decades, and those involved in academic enterprises have yet to grapple with many implications of these changes," he added.

He further said that academic institutions and systems have faced pressures of increasing number of students and demographic changes, demands for accountability, reconsideration of the social and economic role of higher education, and the impact of new technologies, among others.

For attaining sustainable development universities as agents for setting societies tune must focus on all aspects of public awareness, education and training to develop the knowledge, skills, perspectives and values which will empower people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating and enjoying a sustainable future, the VC said.

Declaring100 scholarships for Bangladeshi Students in Pakistan, Pakistan High Commissioner said today's world is knowledge based. So, higher education is a must to develop socio-economic condition of a country. He said economic progress is linked with higher education.

Prof GM Chowdhury said with large numbers of students going abroad from Bangladesh annually for higher studies, Pakistan can also offer quality education with the convenience of geographical and socio-cultural proximity as well as other advantages.