The New Nation - Internet Edition

DU open debate held

DU Correspondent

The teachers and the students of Sociology Department of the Dhaka University yesterday organised an open debate on 'whose role is vital in rebuilding a society-students or teachers'? at the Lecture theatre of the university.

Prof Mahbuba Nasrin, Dr Zinat Huda and Mashiur Rahman, teachers of the university, participated in the debate playing the role of students while the students participants spoke as teachers.

Students of the university enjoyed the lively debate thoroughly because of the participation of the teachers and the students in the opposite role.

Earlier, the Chairman of the department Prof S Aminul Islam inaugurated the debate organised by the Debating Club of Sociology Department.

BDR clarifies Satkhira incident

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has denied physical assault of anyone or damaging shops by its jawans in Satkhira town on Monday as reported in a section of the press.

In a clarification BDR headquarter on Tuesday said a team of BDR during its usual patrol happened to meet ward commissioner Shafiquddoula Sagar in front of Sundarban Hotel on May 19. During conversation he had an altercation and scuffle with the patrol team when Sagar made certain objectionable remarks about BDR.

Following that Sagar with his men tried to put up barricade on the road. On information Major Kamrul went to the spot and requested to remove the barricade. Soon came there BDR Battalion Commander and Police Super when supporters of Sagar attack them with brickbats. BDR jawans and the police refrained from retaliation.

It said Satkhira is a smuggling porn area. A section of people use to foment such incident when BDR intensify anti-smuggling operation.

The BDR press release however assured of investigation into the incident and take action against persons responsible.

Body to probe abusing charge against DU teacher

UNB, Dhaka

The Syndicate of Dhaka University has formed an inquiry committee for investigating allegations brought against a teacher of Psychology Department for sexually harassing a female student at the department.

A DU release asked anyone having any information about the incident to appear before the committee at 3:30pm on May 31.

It said if anyone intends to give any written statement may send the same to the committee's member secretary and DU Proctor by that date.

The release said that identity of information providers would not be divulged.

Biman stops catering services to GMG Airlines

UNB, Dhaka

As GMG Airlines is planning to go for nearly one billion US dollar purchase of six wide-body Boeing aircraft, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited stopped catering services to the airlines on Wednesday for default in payment of Tk 4.3 million.

Biman also owes around Tk 6.3 million from GMG Airlines for cargo handling.

Sources in Biman said GMG Airlines also defaulted in payment to International Air Transport Association (IATA) Clearing House. For this reason, Biman has not received US$ 259,747.88 for ground handling charges provided to GMG Airlines.

On cargo handling account, GMG Airlines gave a bank guarantee of Tk 1 million whereas the dues stand at Tk 6.3 million, while its bank guarantee is Tk 4 million against supply of food items from Biman Flight Catering Service (BFCC).

A Biman high official said the cheques they received from the GMG Airlines on account of food services were dishonoured by the respective bank. The amount of such dishonoured cheques is Tk 3.2 million.

For ground handling of GMG Airlines flights, Biman is waiting to get US$ 259,747.88 from the IATA Clearing House.

As per the IATA rules, all ground handling payments would be provided through the IATA Clearing House.

Recently, IATA Clearing House informed all its members in writing that GMG Airlines, Air Botswana and Mahan Air have defaulted to pay their dues.

The Biman high official said this letter is a warning to all IATA members. "IATA by this letter to all its members gave the signal to be more cautious before making any deal with the three airliners."

But a GMG Airlines official denied the allegation that they had defaulted in payment to the IATA Clearing House. Asked about the IATA letter to its members, he said GMG Airlines always pay its bills in time to the IATA Clearing House.

GMG Airlines spokesman ATM Nazrul Islam, however, admitted they had defaulted in paying the cargo handling charges, BFCC payments and dishonoured bank cheques.

"We had requested Biman to give us some more time to pay the arrears to BFCC, but they didn't accept our request," he told UNB.

World Islamic League to organise confce in Makkah

UNB, Dhaka

World Islamic League, under the patronage of Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, will hold a three-day world Islamic conference at Makkah Al-Mukarramah in Saudi Arabia on May 31. The League has organized the conference for dialogue between the followers of different religions and civilizations for propagation of common evaluation amongst them.

About 383 distinguished persons, researchers and professors from 161 countries will participate in the conference, said a Saudi Embassy press release.

DCCI workshop on market research for export to Europe begins

UNB, Dhaka

Seeking to train-up private business individuals about the marketing research for promoting exports to the European countries, a two-day training workshop began at the DCCI auditorium on Thursday.

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and CBI, Netherlands - the Centre for Promotion of Imports from Developing countries, jointly organized the workshop.

Some 35 people, including six women entrepreneurs, from various business organizations and companies are taking part in the workshop. Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh Bea Ten Tusscher inaugurated the workshop as chief guest. DCCI president Hossain Khaled was the as special guest at the opening ceremony. Terming the training workshop a wonderful initiative, Ambassador Bea Ten Tusscher said such training programmes could help improve the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the Netherlands. She highly appreciated the participation of female entrepreneurs in the training programme and said the female business entrepreneurs should take more active interest in the country's economy. The Ambassador stressed the need for encouraging the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country to boost the economy. "Small is beautiful… some 80 percent of our business in the Netherlands is the SMEs," she said.

DCCI president Hossain Khaled thanked the CBI, the Netherlands business institute for providing the necessary help to the DCCI training workshop.

He said the participants, after being trained, would be able to find out the essential information for exporting their products to the markets of the European Union. "The EU is the largest market for Bangladesh," he added.

Second secretary of the Economic Affairs and Private Sector Development, Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka Saskia Bezoen-Cachia, CBI consultant Joost Vander Kooij, CBI expert Onno Roukens and DCCI vice president Khondaker Shahidul Islam were present at the opening function.

Al-Arafah Bank goes online

UNB, Dhaka

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam Thursday asked the commercial banks to publish financial information objectively to ensure corporate governance as the depositors have no representation yet on the board of directors.

"The banks operate on the depositors' money," he said, launching the online banking services of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited at Hotel Sheraton. Local IT engineers developed the complete software and on-line systems for the bank.

Established in 1995, the bank having 46 branches offered online banking services to its clients from on Thursday. The Finance Adviser called upon the commercial banks to give special attention in publishing financial statements through which depositors could know the poor or better performing banks. Bangladesh Bank recently instructed the commercial banks to nominate two directors in their respective boards from the depositors, but the banks have so far found it difficult to choose such nominees from a huge number of depositors.

Dr Aziz also asked the banks to comply with the banking rules and regulations as well as to improve banking services. He expected that the online services would help improve the services of Al-Arafah Bank. The bank's chairman, Mohammed Anwar Hossain, and managing director MA Samad Sheikh also spoke on the occasion.