Internet Edition. May 18, 2008, Updated: Bangladesh Time 12:00 AM |
Internet Edition. May 18, 2008, Updated: Bangladesh Time 12:00 AM |
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AL plans tougher movement to free Hasina
Awami League leaders sending a bouquet to the party chief Sheikh Hasina through a jail official near the special jail gate at the Sangshad Bhaban premises marking the homecoming day of Hasina on Saturday. Focus Bangla UNB, Dhaka Awami League will go for tougher movement to free detained party president Sheikh Hasina after consultation with the allies in 14-party combine, but hope she will be released before declaring any such programme. Senior Awami League leaders made the remark at a gathering outside the special jail in the parliament building complex where Hasina has been detained since July 16 last year. They went there to greet the detained party chief at about 10am on Saturday marking her homecoming on this day in 1981.The party’s central leaders were allowed to go near the makeshift jail. They brought bouquets and packets of sweets for Sheikh Hasina and handed those to the jail officials at about 9:50am. AL presidium member Amir Hossain Amu said they want to see Sheikh Hasina as a free person and they would join dialogue and take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections under her leadership. He, however, said they would decide whether to join the dialogue after consulting with the AL’s allies in the 14-party combine and after getting Hasina’s nod. “We’ll have to continue our movement besides the legal battle to ensure the release of Sheikh Hasina, as the legal battle is not enough for her (Hasina) release,” said Abdur Razzak, another presidium member of AL. He also demanded immediate withdrawal of emergency from across the country, cancellation of all undemocratic conditions imposed on indoor politics as well as early announcement of election schedule and sending Sheikh Hasina abroad for treatment after her release. Terming all the allegations brought against Sheikh Hasina as false and baseless, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury said conspiracy was being hatched to convict Sheikh Hasina by such “fabricated” case. “But this is not acceptable to the people… Sheikh Hasina should be freed immediately for the greater interest of the nation.” Hundreds of AL leaders and activists, who came with bouquets and wreaths, gathered in front of the western gate of the parliament complex near Asad Gate. They handed over the bouquets and wreaths to the special jail authorities. AL presidium members Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta were also among the group. Vehicular movement on the roads nearby the parliament complex was stopped from 9am-11 am. One in five adults suffer from high blood pressure Staff Reporter One in five adults in the country suffer from high blood pressure, said cardiologists. “High blood pressure is solely responsible for half of all heart diseases and over 60 percent of strokes,” Sirajul Haque, Secretary General of Hypertension Committee of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh (HCNHFB) said. “In Bangladesh, the number of high blood pressure patients are around 15 million and most of them do not know about this health problem,” he said, adding there is a lack of awareness about the disease among rural elderly. Only 17 per cent rural elderly people know that they have been suffering from high blood pressure, a contrast to urban elderly people who were better health educated and around half of them were aware about it, said Sirajul. The Chairman of the HCNHFB Prof RK Khandaker said, “The detection and treatment of high blood pressure were 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 whose disease remains as symptomatic, he said. 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, said the health experts. BCL observes Hasina’s home-coming day DU Correspondent Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of Awami League, observed 'Home coming day’ of their Party Chief Sheikh Hasina on the Dhaka University campus yesterday. Sheikh Hasina, who survived the August 15 massacre alongwith her younger sister Sheikh Rehana as they were abroad at that time, returned home on May 17, 1981 after she was elected Awami League President unanimously in the party council. Marking the day, BCL as part of their party’s programme brought out a peace procession from Modhu`s canteen and paraded the campus hoping her recovery from illness and demanding unconditional release. Later, a rally was held at the Battala near the Arts Building of the University. Addressing the rally, BCL president Mahmud Hasan Ripon said Sheikh Hasina is the leader of people that’s why nobody could detain her in the jail. He also said the Government should realise the people’s feelings otherwise it may have to pay for this. Besides, acting general secretary Syed Abul Kalm Azad, vice-president Golam Sarwar Kabir, Aminul Haque Kabir, Suzadur Rahman, Assistant Secretary Nazmul Hossain Jonny, office secretary Nasir Al Momen Rupok, DU unit president Sheikh Sohel Rana Tipu and general secretary Sazzad Sakib Badsha, among others, spoke in the programme. Qureshi urges govt to try top corrupts before polls UNB Dhaka Convenor of Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Dr Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi yesterday urged the government to take immediate steps against top corrupt elements at the district and upazila levels before the elections. “Take actions against the corrupt elements at the district and upazila levels, or else, they would capture the top political and economic positions at the national level by using their arms and black money,” he told a press conference at his party office. Qureshi said there are 2-3 serious graft cases in each district while 2-1 in each upazila which could be brought under the speedy trial act. The press conference was arranged to express the party’s view about the country’s current political situation and give its formal reaction to the CA’s address to the nation. “The root of corruption in our national life is much deeper than what we think and it cannot be uprooted by merely taking steps against a handful of high-profile people,” Qureshi told journalists. He said the government could set an example by taking steps against the top corrupt people at the district and upazila levels alongside its ongoing drive against the national-level corrupt elements. “The message should reach the people at the district and upazila levels that nobody is above the law and anytime they may be caught and punished by the law,” Qureshi said. Dr Qureshi, however, hailed the Chief Adviser’s May 12 address to the nation saying that it has reflected the people’s expectations. “It was very suggestive for the nation.” He said the CA’s address has made the government’s stand about many issues clear and removed the people’s confusion over the upcoming parliamentary and local body elections. “The announcement to hold the parliamentary elections in the third week of December as per the declared roadmap and completion of upazila and municipality elections before it has ended all the speculations,” he added. The PDP convenor advocated for keeping the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) in force during all elections, including parliament. “It’s indispensable to keep in place the EPR for holding free and fair elections.” Replying to a query, Dr Qureshi said there is no relation between the state of emergency and the election. “Those who are crying for withdrawal of the EPR have their motives behind it.” When asked about the dialogue, he said the government’s dialogue with political parties is not so important as the government would take its final decision on any issue. “It (govt) should decide its own course of action….” Replying to another question about the release of Khaleda and Hasina, he said it might be the demand of BNP and Awami League and he had no comment to make about it. Environment agencies react: UK’s climate grant converted into loan Staff Reporter British Prime Minister Gordon Brown administration is planning to turn its 800 million pound sterling grant for the poorest countries in the world to adapt climate change project into loan and repay with interest. Most of the least developed countries, victim of climate change created by rich countries, have reacted sharply to the UK's move after the Britain's Guardian newspaper disclosed this disconcerting information Saturday. "We need urgently to prepare for climate change, but we are not in a position to pay back loans," said on official of the Bangladesh High Commission in London. "The climate situation has not been created by us. The money should come spontaneously from rich countries and not be a loan," he added. The UK environmental transformation fund was announced by the prime minister Gordon Brown to international acclaim in November 2007, and it was widely expected to be made in direct grants to countries experiencing extreme droughts, storms and sea level rise associated with climate change. But the Guardian has learned that the money is not additional British aid and will be administered by the World Bank mainly in the form of concessionary loans, which poor countries will have to pay back to Britain with interest. A letter signed by two British Ministers shows that Britain has been pressing other G8 countries to also give money to the new fund, which will be launched in July in Japan at the G8's annual meeting. "UK contributions from the environmental transformation fund t will need to be primarily concessional loans. We will also talk to other donor countries about the possibility of grants," the letter, signed by UK's Environment Minister Phil Woolas and international aid counterpart Gareth Thomas revealed. The letter shows that the US has resisted the idea of loans, preferring to give developing countries grants. "We understand that grants would be the US preferred approach," the British ministers said. Both their departments are understood to have argued strongly that the money should be in direct grant form on principle, but were overruled by the Treasury. On Friday night several countries joined environment and development groups to condemn the loans. A senior Brazilian diplomat was "indignant" that poor countries should have to borrow the money to prepare their populations for climate change. "It is not nearly enough money to tackle the problem, but I am not surprised. Increasing the debt of countries is not a good idea", according to him. Development groups said they were dismayed that climate adaptation funds would be funded by any sort of loan. "The money should be additional to aid," said Toby Quantrill, head of international government at WWF. "It should be grants and not loans, otherwise developing countries will have to pay twice, once for the emissions that caused the problems and then again to clean up the mess," said Tom Sharman, a policy adviser with ActionAid in London. "This is not money that is additional to Britain's aid budget. It seems strange to be cancelling debt and then inviting poor countries to take on new debt," he added. The fund will be promoted as the G8's showpiece contribution to developing countries at the next meeting of the organisation, in Japan in July. The US and Japan are understood to have agreed to contribute but figures have not yet been decided. Britain hopes that the fund will attract more than £1.5 billion. The principle of a major fund to help poor countries adapt has been widely welcomed because the international community has so far contributed very little. The World Bank administers 10 climate funds but the majority have little money available. Concerns were also expressed that the World Bank, to which Britain is now the largest contributor, is now becoming the main disburser of international money for climate change as well as a major funder of climate change emissions. "Between 2005 and 2007 the Bank financed greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuel projects from coal, oil and gas to the tune of $1.5bn . At the same time the Bank acts as trustee to 10 greenhouse gas-reducing funds, pocketing an average 13 per cent 'overhead' in the process", said Janet Redman, an analyst with Washington think tank Foreign Policy in Focus. The £800m will be spent over the next three years, focusing on projects that support development through environmental protection and which help poor countries to tackle climate change. Of the money, £50m has been earmarked for helping 10 countries in central Africa to tackle deforestation in the Congo basin. Tk 1,000cr fund for pvt varsities sought: UGC BSS, Dhaka Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Professor Nazrul Islam yesterday said a Taka 1,000 crore fund could be floated for development of infrastructures and other facilities of private universities in the country. "As the government provides various supports including land and money for development of the industries sector, a big fund amounting to Taka 1,000 could be floated for private universities to ensure better education there," he said at a seminar on better education at the CIRDAP auditorium here. Prof. Nazrul Islam said UGC has already proposed formulation of a service rule for the teachers of private universities, especially to ensure their salaries at standard levels. One in five adults suffer from high blood pressure Staff Reporter One in five adults in the country suffer from high blood pressure, said cardiologists. "High blood pressure is solely responsible for half of all heart diseases and over 60 percent of strokes," Sirajul Haque, Secretary General of Hypertension Committee of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh (HCNHFB) said. "In Bangladesh, the number of high blood pressure patients are around 15 million and most of them do not know about this health problem," he said, adding there is a lack of awareness about the disease among rural elderly. Only 17 per cent rural elderly people know that they have been suffering from high blood pressure, a contrast to urban elderly people who were better health educated and around half of them were aware about it, said Sirajul. The Chairman of the HCNHFB Prof RK Khandaker said, "The detection and treatment of high blood pressure were 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 whose disease remains as symptomatic, he said. 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, said the health experts. Dev of cultural institutions urged Staff Reporter Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday laid emphasis on the development of cultural institutions with due importance for the flourishment of our culture. He pointed out that development of cultural organisations and promotion of culture called for collective efforts by all sections of people in the society. The education adviser was speaking as chief guest at a discussion meeting organised by Bangladesh Film Archive (BFA) at the Sufia Kamal auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum in celebration of the 3oth anniversary of the archive. Presided over by Jamil Osman, Secretary of Information Ministry, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Managing Director of BFA Dr Jahangir Hossain, Film Personality Shuvas Dutta, and Film Producer Tareq Masud. Jamil Osman said we feel proud of Bangladesh Film Archive for its success in collecting and preserving rare films. He told the meeting that the budgetary allocation for BFA should be increased to enable it to collect more rare films. ICT facilities for disabled persons urged Staff Reporter Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) M A Malek in charge of Post and Telecommunication Ministry yesterday urged all to promote ICTs' user-friendly environment to ensure its benefits and opportunities to all including people with disabilities. He informed that a countrywide ICT infrastructure was being developed to ensure access to information for all and facilitate empowerment of the people. "Telecommunication projects are now considered with extreme care despite limitations," he added. He was addressing a function held in observance of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day-2008 at the Dhaka Sheraton hotel. Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Manik Lal Samaddar, in charge of Science, Information and Communication Technology Ministry, addressed as special guest at the function. Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Maj Gen (Retd) Manzurul Alam delivered the welcome speech. Chairman of Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) Asraful Alam also spoke on the occasion. Prof Dr Saiful Islam of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), presented the keynote paper. This year the theme of the day is "Connecting Persons with Disabilities: ICT Opportunities for all" M A Malek said if we could provide Internet facilities to all sections of people including those living in rural areas job opportunities for them would be enhanced. He said the government has constituted a high-powered ICT Task Force. The government ICT policy aims at building an ICT-driven nation and knowledge-based society. A new project namely Project Infobahon is going to be implemented soon. Under the project, a high-speed strong data backbone would be created which will cover areas under the divisional headquarters excluding Barisal. It will make broadband data/internet services easily available to mass people, he added. He further said the government is trying to use total capacity of the submarine cable soon at a minimum cost. We can use only 20 to 50 per cent of the total capacity of the link, he noted. Manik Lal Samaddar said it was essential to ensure ICTs facilities to all. ICTs could a powerful role for the development of the society by promoting trade locally and internationally, he observed. Manzur Alam said the disabled people might develop their latent talents and overcome their disabilities with the help of the newly innovated ICTs. Dhaka Bar office-bearers elected Staff Reporter Advocate Khondaker Abdul Mannan and Abdur Rahman Hawlader were elected president and general secretary of the executive body of the Dhaka Bar Association (DBA) for 2008-09. The DBA election was held without any panel and political interference for the first time. Advocate Khondaker Abdul Mannan got 2166 votes while his nearest contestant Md Maqubul Hossain Fakir secured 431 in the election held on May 14-15. Abdur Rahman Hawlader elected general secretary by securing 1865 votes against his nearest opponent Md Anwar Jahid Bhuiyan who got 1214 votes. Advocate Afsar Uddin Ahmed, DBA's election committee commissioner, formally announced the election results on Friday. Other elected office bearers are: Vice-presidents Advocate Fariduddin Ahmed and Advocate Anwar Shahjahan, Assistant Secretaries Prannath and Md Abdul Malek, Treasurer Md Abdul Gani, Library secretary Rumana Jaman Ritu, Cultural secretary Jahanara Islam and Office secretary Md Ziaul Islam Jamal. Abdul Jalil Afrad Kabir, Afroza Farhana Ahmed Orange, Arifur Rahman Chowdhury Sumon, Binay Kuman Gosh Bitu, Md Ziaul Hoque Zia, Sayed Ahmed Mostafa Rana, Sabiha Yasmin, Md Amir Hossain, Khadiza Begum, Shahana Parvin, Md Osman Goni Khan, Md Khalilur Rahman Mokhar, Md Obaidul Hoq Bachchu, Md Shafiqul Islam and Ismail Jabiullah were elected executive-committee members. A total of 3462 voters out of 7200 exercised their voting right. Concerted efforts being taken to develop shrimp industry Staff Reporter Representatives of the international community at a function yesterday said that they would not boycott Bangladeshi shrimps, while the Government and the domestic private sector vowed to keep the industry complaint to global norms by enforcing labour laws and related issues. They were speaking at a seminar on Bangladesh Labour Act in Relation to the Shrimp Industry organised jointly by Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) and Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA). Commerce adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said the Government was serious in monitoring the working environment of local industries, including the shrimp sector, to ensure their compliance with global standards. "We stand very ready and alert to any issues relating to labour standard, compliance and quality of products. These are essential conditions to access the global market," the adviser told a seminar. The adviser said the government and other stakeholders were taking a "proactive and problem-solving approach" towards the issue. Dr Zillur said, "The criticism from some corner has become a positive some game, not a zero-sum game as we have acted expeditiously to the issue. A number of specific initiatives have been taken. This should be a model for Bangladesh as a whole and other sectors should learn from the shrimp sector." He called upon the industrialist to create a "credible body of evidence" within the area that would build confidence in all stakeholders. Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Maniklal Somaddar said, "a lot of improvement has taken place in the shrimp industry since 2007. We want further improvement." The Government and the private sector were taking all out efforts to develop the condition in the shrimp industry, he said adding, "The government will do everything possible to enforce labour law in the industry." David J Welsh, Country Director of the American Centre for International Labour Solidarity, said progress in the area of labour issues had been quite impressive, although he called for stricter measures in the future to ensure greater compliance in all domestic industries. Welsh made it clear that he did not support any boycott of Bangladeshi products. "We are in no way for a boycott, rather we are advocating labour compliance issues for greater global acceptance of Bangladeshi products," he said. In his key note presentation, Dr Mahmudul Karim, an executive director of the BSFF, said it had been decided with frozen food exporters that the BFFEA would issue a declaration that all plants under their purview would have to comply with labour laws. Dr Karim said areas of concern included child labour issues, the provision of complaint boxes, and access for labour rights bodies to assess workplace conditions. Panuddha Bonpala, director of the International Labour Organisation's Bangladesh chapter, stressed the importance of providing children with access to an education to put an end to child labour. Acting labour and employment secretary Mahfuzul Haque said anyone found violating labour laws would face dire consequences. "I would like to say this very clearly: violators of the labour act will not go unpunished," he said. Commerce secretary Feroz Ahmed, fisheries and livestock secretary Syed Ataur Rahman, USAID country director Denise Rollins, BSFF chairman Syed Mahmudul Haque and BFFEA president Kazi Belayet Hossain also spoke. Bangladeshi beheaded in S Arabia AP, Riyadh Saudi authorities yesterday beheaded a Bangladeshi man convicted of killing a Saudi citizen over a money dispute, the Interior Ministry said. Juman Hussein Jalal-aldeen, of Bangladesh, was found guilty of killing Yahyah bin Awadh Al-Mohammad, a Saudi national by slashing his throat. He hid the corpse in a ranch, said an Interior Ministry statement carried by the official state news agency, SPA. Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery can be executed. Saturday's execution brings the number of people beheaded this year to 55, according to an Associated Press count. Saudi Arabia beheaded 137 people last year, up sharply from the 38 executed in 2006. Workers-students clash in Khulna: 5 cases filed UNB, Khulna Five cases were filed with two police stations Friday night and yesterday following early Friday's clash between students and transport workers that left 30 students injured. Of the cases, Botiaghata thana SI Abdus Salam filed a case with the thana against 200 unidentified students of Khulna University. Four other cases were filed with Sonadanga thana. Khulna University students and transport workers clashed in the city' s Sonadanga bus terminal area early Friday as some staffs of "Hanif Paribahan" did not allow four KU students to travel with luggage and books and returned their ticket money. The clash left at least 30 students injured. Later, the KU authority in an emergency meeting on Friday afternoon, declared closure of the varsity for a month. Reformists can return to party by admitting mistakes: Delwar rules out unity meeting Staff Reporter Secretary General of pro-Khaleda faction of BNP Khandoker Delwar Hossain yesterday said that if the reformist leaders want to return to the party they must admit their mistake and cancel the October 29 meeting, which divided the party. "They (reformists) can return to the party by confessing their wrongs and cancelling the decision of October 29 meeting," he told reporters after a meeting with lawyers from Jhalakathi led by Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum president Advocate Khan A Karim at his NAM apartment. The statement was made when leaders of two factions are continuing talks on unity over the last few days but yet to succeed. The BNP Secretary General ruled out any unity meeting with the party's reformist faction. He justified that when there is no disunity, no need to make any joint declaration or statement for unity of the party. The BNP leader said there is no bar to the dissidents returning to BNP after making a better statement than what Saifur Rahman made. "Why should I make a joint declaration? If they (reformists) are sincere let them admit their mistake," he observed. Khandoker Delwar said the reformists' leaders, except those were expelled by the chairperson, could work retaining their previous posts. He, however, said that the reformists' leaders have to gain confidence of party activists as well as people through their work. Khondoker Delwar urged the lawyers to play a role in a movement for establishing the rule of law, human rights and democracy in the country. "There is no alternative to democracy. Certain quarters tried to break BNP but their evil design has failed," he said. The BNP leader emphasised the need for strengthening the BNP at the grassroots level. "Those who have worked for the party in difficult times would be evaluated and recognised," he said. He called for taking preparation for movement to free Khaleda Zia and other political leaders. Earlier, some former party MPs met with Khandoker Delwar Hossain at his apartment.
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