The New Nation - Internet Edition

Traffic jam turns acute: Commuters suffer most

Talha Bin Habib

Traffic congestion in the capital has been taking a worse turn with every passing day causing immense sufferings to the commuters and wasting their valuable time.

Haphazard car parking, excessive number of vehicles plying on the road, poor knowledge of drivers on traffic rules and encroachment of footpaths by hawkers are mainly creating unbearable traffic jam across the city.

The traffic gridlocks are a regular phenomenon on different roads in the city from morning to evening and even late at night at some places.

The traffic scenario in the old parts of the capital city is horrible. Commuters have to spend at least one hour to reach Gulistan from Sadarghat by bus, whereas it should not take more than 10 to 15 minutes to cover the distance.

Residents of the old parts of the city called upon the concerned authority to take remedial measures to reduce their woes caused by traffic jam.

Visiting this area this correspondent found that buses, cars, auto-rickshaws and manually handled rickshaws were found standstill at the same place for a long time.

Traffic department sources said there is 6-7 hour of traffic snarl every day at different intersections and railway level crossings.

Traffic congestion usually occurs at 35-road intersections and 20 railway level crossings in the city. Besides, every year thousands of new vehicles are being pressed into operation on the city roads. The new vehicles and the existing ones have been putting a heavy pressure on the limited roads in the capital, sources added.

Experts and town planners said computerised traffic signalling system alone could not reduce traffic gridlock in the city. They suggested banning all slow driven vehicles and construction of new roads and bypasses in the city to ease this nagging problem.

An official of BRTA said that many unauthorised vehicles from outside the capital are adding to the problem of traffic snarl every day.

Hasina's trial in power plant case continues

BSS, Dhaka

The trial of detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and others in the barge-mounted power plant case continued for the third day on Sunday at a special court here with the complainant testifying before the judge as the first witness.

Judge Mohammad Feroz Alam set May 26 as the next date of hearing of the case.

Earlier, Sheikh Hasina was brought to the Court from the nearby makeshift sub-jail at the Sangsad Bhaban area.

Another accused, former Energy Secretary Dr Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, now detained in Dhaka Central Jail, was also produced in the court to face the trial under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR).

Complainant of the case AMM Sabbir Hassan, a Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), denied the suggestions of the defence counsel that he lodged the case under the instruction or pressure of an interested powerful quarter or to win prize by filing the case, while he was cross-examined.

The ACC charge-sheet alleged that Hasina had accepted about Taka 3 crore in exchange for the contracts.

The ACC lodged the case with Tejgaon Thana on September 2 last year, accusing Sheikh Hasina, Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury and five others of giving undue favour by misusing power to Wartsila Power Development Limited for installing a barge-mounted power plant in Khulna by depriving the lowest bidder, New England Power Company.

In the complaint, it was alleged that Sheikh Hasina took Taka 3 crore as kickbacks through eight pay orders for Bangabandhu Memorial Trust from Wartsila Power Development Limited to approve its proposal for installing the plant while Awami League was in power from 1996 to 2001.

Summit Group and United Group as the local agents took part in the bid on behalf of Wartsila Power Development Limited.

The accused also included former chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) Nooruddin Mahmud Kamal, Chairman of Summit Group Mohammad Aziz Khan and Director Mohammad Farid Khan, Chairman of United Group Hasan Mahmud Raza and Director Abul Kalam Azad.

Later, curator of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum Syed Siddiqur Rahman was made a co-accused in the charge-sheet.

Hasina was arrested from her residence on July 16 last year on extortion charges.

Other accused persons are absconding.

Spread Nazrul’s literary works globally: CA

BSS, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday called upon all concerned to spread globally the immortal and versatile literary works of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, which is a unique asset of human being.

Study and practice of Kazi Nazrul's works including his literature and songs are inevitable for establishing a knowledge- based society, he added.

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed today made this call while inaugurating national-level celebration of 109th birth anniversary of Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.

The Poet's birth-day 11 'Jaishtay' is being celebrated with due respect and enthusiasm across the country including Dhaka- Trishal- Comilla- Daulatpur and Chittagong.

Ministry of Cultural Affairs organised the colourful programme at Osmani Memorial Hall followed by a cultural show that included Nazrul songs, dances and recitation. Chief Adviser's spouse Begum Neena Ahmed attended the function. The Speaker, Advisers, Special Assistants, educationists, high civil and military officials, Nazrul researchers, singers and Nazrul devotees were present.

Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, who is in charge of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, chaired the function.

Cultural Affairs Secretary Sharaful Alam gave address of welcome while Kazi Nazrul Islam's grand-daughter Khilkhil Kazi gave address of compliments. Prof. Dr Abdul Qaiyum was the commemorative speaker.

The Chief Adviser said Nazrul was great source of inspiration during the country's War of Liberation.

Paying rich tributes to the memories of the great poet, Dr Fakhruddin said "Nazrul in true sense was a poet of mass people, and till he is. Crossing the geographic boundary, the poet occupied his position amid the heart of struggling people across the world."

Referring to fundamental works of Nazrul in the fields of literature, music, society and politics, the Chief Adviser said we must take inspiration and teachings from his works.

"As a nation whatever tough time we face, we must face it boldly and achieve victory" he said and called upon country's poets, litterateurs, intellectuals and cultural workers to play a spontaneous role in this field being imbued with the spirit of progressive, reformist, non communal and public welfare.

Quoting the national poet, Dr Fakhruddin said "We must reach the destination whatever rough is the way being united and firm in our determination."

Like literature, Nazrul is a great contributor to the field of music also, the Chief Adviser said and added Nazrul has written innumerable songs and brought fundamental changes in music.

He said, besides, Nazrul was a successful journalist, editor, dramatist, actor and script writer. Nazrul's contribution to building social and cultural mind of the nation is unparallel.

Dr Fakhruddin said Nazrul's genius is yet to be introduced to the world arena and put emphasis on more research and promotional work on the national poet at home and abroad.

Referring to wonderful relevance of Nazrul's genius, Dr Fakhruddin said he (the poet) through his writings and songs upheld the cause of the suppressed womenfolk sincerely.

Terming Nazrul as the poet of youth, the Chief Adviser said the poet expected new creation through destruction of the old and degenerated social system.

Pointing to his success in using Arabic, Persian and Urdu words in his literature, Dr Fakhruddin said he had not only enriched Bangla poetry but also proved the internationalism and power of absorption of Bangla language.

Nazrul is the pioneer of our national renaissance, Dr Fakhruddin said and added he introduced a new era in Bangla language and literature where he upheld love and rebellion simultaneously.

Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said Nazrul is an everlasting source of inspiration for people of all strata.

Nazrul's grand-daughter Khilkhil Kazi said website on the national poet is the demand of the time to spread his message globally.

Rehabilitation of street children emphasised

BSS, Dhaka

Liton, a 12-year old boy sells betel leaves in a park and lives with his distant aunt and her son in a slum at city's Tejgaon area.

His father is no more and his mother died when he was minor. He used to live with her grand-mother initially and then moved to his aunt, previously known to her late mother. His aunt, abandoned by her husband, earns her livelihood begging.

Like his aunt, Liton also begs along with selling betel leaves. His companion Roni is a nine year old boy, who lives in the same slum with his mother, crippled father and a four-year old sister. Roni's father was a rickshaw puller and sustained injuries in a road accident that left his parents beg door to door.

Eight year old Moyna sells rejected flowers from Shahbagh area to the nearby campus. She stays with a floating family at the High court area. She lives with her grandmother and aunt following deaths of her parents died at her early age. Abandoned by their husbands, both her grandmother and aunt are beggars.

There are a large number of these kinds of street children, who earn their living by selling flowers, collected papers, chocolates and working in garages temporarily. These street children take up such professions at the instigation of their guardians.

Although Liton, Roni and Moyna seem to earn some money by selling flowers, water and collecting thrown away papers, their main earnings are from asking alms from the passerby.

They said that there are lots of children who are forced to join in this kinds of profession as no other opportunity are available to them and also that their parents are also engaged in this profession.

Sometimes they cannot find other jobs, as they have no identity to give to work in a shop or a garage. Even if they are employed, are often denied wages. All these reasons left them with no choice but to take up their parents' profession - begging.

These children also adopt new techniques such as asking monetary help from the passerby in the name of treatment for their sick family members.

According to social scientists these children might fell prey to unsocial elements and they could involve them to destructive activities in future and they might become members of organised crimes as there is none to guide them to chose between right and wrong. When grown old they might also turn to criminals.

Society has also obligations towards these children, they said adding appropriate steps must be taken to protect these street children and proper measures should also be taken to rehabilitate them, so that the society cannot turn to a sanctuary for criminals.

Firstly their parents should see to it that their children do not go for begging and they should be sent to rehabilitation centres for their proper mental and physical growth. If necessary, the government should make it mandatory to enroll the street children into the rehabilitation centres.

Besides, the parents might be provided with employment who send their children to the centres. A massive publicity is needed to create awareness among the people to send the street children to the rehabilitation centres.

Secondly, adequate rehabilitation centres should be set up in the major cities of the country and the parents should be encouraged to send the street children to those centres.

Thirdly, the centres should have arrangements for providing vocational training to the street children, besides providing training to a particular vocation so that they could take up professions in the future.

7th Newspaper Wage Board gazetted with 90pc wage hike

BSS, Dhaka

The Government has issued the gazette notification of the 7th Newspaper Wage Board Award 2008 for the journalists, workers and employees of all newspapers and news agencies effective from May 22, 2008.

The nine-member Board constituted on February 26 this year proposed increase of salary of journalists and media workers around 90 percent from the fifth Wage Board award.

Earlier, the 6th Wage Board award was announced on October 2006, with effect from July 2006.

Headed by retired Justice of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court Justice Habibur Rahman Khan, other members of the Board included Editor of the Independent Mahbubul Alam, Chief Editor of the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Editor of the Jugantor Golam Sarwar, Editor of the

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Prothom Alo Motiur Rahman, Co-convener of Journalists Workers and Employees Oikyo Parishad Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Member Secretary Ruhul Amin Gazi, and members Abul Hashem and Khairul Islam.

Deputy Secretary of the Information Ministry Khurshid Alam was the Member Secretary of the 7th Wage Board.

In the recommendation of the award, the 7th Newspaper Wage Board mentioned that the 6th Wage Board was constituted after 11 years of the announcement of 5th Wage Board in 1997. But, the journalists community protested the anomalies in the 6th Wage Board Award and demanded removal of the distortions and shortcomings of the 6th Newspaper Wage Board Award.

Considering their demands, the government formed the 7th Newspaper Wage Board on February 26 this year to recommend its proposals within two months.

Considering 67 percent hike in prices of essential commodities since 1997 and inflation rate of 192.39 percent, till January 2008, the Board recommended around 90 percent rise in wages for journalists, newspaper workers and employees.

In the recommendations, it was suggested for cancellation of zero tariff import of newsprints and government advertisement benefit for the owners of the newspapers for failure of implementation of the proposals of the 7th Wage Board Award.

The Board suggested for constituting a monitoring committee to ensure implementation of the 7th Wage Board Award comprising the representatives of journalists, newspapers workers, employees and newspaper owners.

The Board also recommended formation of a similar Wage Board for fixing the wages for the journalists and workers in the private television channels including radio and other electronic media.

Besides, the suggestions were made to form a welfare fund for the journalists, workers and employees so that they are financially supported after termination of their jobs, sickness, and providing supports to the family members of journalists after their expiry.

According to section 6 of the Labour Law 2006, the Board categorically said that any owner of a media house will not be able to appoint any journalist, worker or employee without issuing an appointment letter and it has to issue an identity card with photographs to them.

The Board recommended for constituting a separate law for the Newspaper Industry or reinstating the recently abolished "The Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Services) Act 1974 with necessary amendments, corrections, expansion, inclusion and recast in order to infuse dynamism in the industry and protect the rights of the journalists and media workers.

The wages for journalists and newspaper workers and employees were classified in three categories of newspapers and news agencies namely 'A', 'B', and 'C'.

For journalists of 'A' category newspapers and news agencies, the scale of the Special Grade journalists has been fixed at Taka 20500-800- 32500, while for Grade I Taka 18200- 700-28700, for Grade II Taka 13775-600-22775, Grade III Taka 9100-450-15850, Grade IV Taka 7200- 400-13200 and Grade V Taka 6250-300-10750.

For employees of 'A' category newspapers and news agencies, the scale of the employees has been fixed at Taka 18200-700-28700 Grade I, Taka 13775-600-22775 for Grade II, Taka 9100-450- 15850 Grade III, Taka 7200-400-13200 for Grade IV and Taka 6250- 300-10750 for Grade V and Taka 5300-275-9425 for Grade VI.

For workers of 'A' category newspapers and news agencies, the scale of the employees has been fixed at Taka 18200-700-28700 Grade I, Taka 13775-600-22775 for Grade II, Taka 9100-450- 15850 Grade III, Taka 7200-400-13200 for Grade IV and Taka 6250- 300-10750 for Grade V and Taka 5300-275-9425 for Grade VI.

AL, BNP convinced to join dialogue, says Ghulam Quader

UNB, Dhaka

Communication Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader Sunday said Awami League and BNP are already convinced to participate in the political dialogue, but the question of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia's participation is a legal matter.

"I am optimistic and sanguine that Awami League and BNP will take part in the dialogue. We're making all efforts. They are already convinced," he told reporters at his Communication Ministry office. The Adviser said Awami League and BNP would obviously want success of the dialogue.

Their cooperation is necessary at this juncture of the nation.

Asked if detained Hasina and Khaleda would join the dialogue as demanded by their parties, Quader said it is a legal question to decide whether or not they would participate. "I've nothing to say on this point," he added.

Mastermind of Wari murder held in city

Staff Reporter

Police yesterday arrested the alleged mastermind of Fridays' gun attack at Wari that left a young man, Ashiqur Rahman Khan alias Apu, dead.

Three others, including Ashique's two brothers-- Atiqur Rahman Khan and Arifur Rahman Khan -- were also injured in the attack.

Plainclothes police and Sutrapur thana police conducted a joint manhunt in the area soon after the incident and arrested Iftekhar Begh Jhalak, the "mastermind" of the incident, from Sutarapur area Saturday noon.

DB police was interrogating Jhalak.

Robin, an accomplice of Jhalak, was arrested with bullet wounds as he was trying to escape soon after Friday's incident.

Injured Arif, who is being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, alleged that Jhalak had been pressing them to leave their house at Wari.

According to Arif, the youth also demanded Tk 12 lakh from his family three days ago and threatened to kill them if they fail to give the sum.

Thailand keen to double bilateral trade

UNB, Dhaka

Thailand has set its sights on doubling bilateral trade with Bangladesh to at least US$1 billion within five years, Thai Deputy Commerce Minister Viroon Tejapaibul said after meeting with trade representatives and authorities from Bangladesh. He said the two governments also pledged to accelerate talks on a free trade agreement and promote joint investment, Bangkok Post reported on May 24.

Thailand has a large trade surplus with Bangladesh. Out of two-way trade worth US$525.38 million last year, Thailand's shipments accounted for $511.16 million. Major export products included cement, fabric, yarn, plastic pellets, machinery, and chemicals. Thailand's key imports from Bangladesh were fertiliser, pesticides, raw hides and leather, and scientific equipment.

According to Viroon, the relatively high trade deficit has led Bangladeshi authorities to urge the Thai government to purchase more products such as pharmaceuticals, seafood, spices and cosmetics. Bangladesh has also called for more investment from Thailand, particularly in construction, automobiles, shrimp farming, black goat farming, sugar, leather finishing, and power plants. Chalermpol Thanchitt, the Thai ambassador to Bangladesh, said Bangladesh offered attractive investment opportunities now that its government was allowing full foreign ownership in almost all businesses.

Bangladesh is rich in natural gas and has relatively cheap labour. More importantly, it has enjoyed Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) tariff privileges as a least developed country (LCD) from developed economies such as the European Union, the United States and Canada. "The Bangladeshi government is now looking for joint investments from Thai investors in developing hotels in Dhaka and hospitals and Foy's Lake in Chittagong," said the ambassador. "They are also interested in a skytrain development project and need Thai investors to forge such joint ventures."

According to Chalermpol, daily direct flights between the two countries have led many cash-rich Bangladeshis to visit Thailand not only for tourism but also for medical treatment. Bangladeshi tourists spent about $2.6 billion in Thailand last year. About 13 Thai private companies already have a business presence in Bangladesh. They include CP Animal Feed and Thai Classical Leathers.

Reform in taxes appellate tribunals demanded

Staff Reporter

Tax lawyers have demanded reform in Taxes Appellate Tribunals by including judicial service officials in the two-member benches and by introducing two-tier tribunals.

To bring back judicial character in the Taxes Appellate Tribunals and to ensure justice, inclusion of a judge in every bench is a must, they said at a pre-budget press conference yesterday.

Bangladesh Tax Lawyers' Association (BTLA) and Dhaka Taxes Bar Association (DTBA) jointly organised the press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium to press home their 19-point demand.

"There is no judge in the existing tax tribunals. Revenue officials are giving verdict on tax related cases. Is it a court where there is no judge?" former president of DTBA and senior lawyer Shah Jikrul Ahmed said at the press conference.

He said Taxes Appellate Tribunal should be formed in two tiers introducing upper bench that should act as appeal court. Senior District judges or High Court judges should be appointed in the upper benches. This will help lessening pressure of huge cases on the High Court, he added.

The tax lawyers also suggested re-introduction of whitening black money on condition of its investment in productive purposes.

President of BTLA Golam Sarwar said, "The opportunity to disclose legally earned money should be offered again to bring back huge undisclosed wealth into the formal economy. Tax rate for disclosing the money should also be reduced."

He, however, said that none-should have the scope to avoid punishment availing the opportunity, if he had earned the money by illegal means.

Secretary General of BTLA Kamrul Alam Chowdhury read out the written proposals of tax lawyers when BTBA president Abdullah Shahadat and general secretary Md Abbas Uddin were also present.

Khulna Mayor Shaikh Tayebur gets 7 years RI

BSS, Khulna

A Court here yesterday awarded seven years' rigorous imprisonment to City Mayor Shaikh Tayebur Rahman and Public Relations Officer Sarder Abu Taher of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) for taking bribe.

Judge Shirin Kabita Akhter of the Jananirapatta Bighnakari Aparadh Daman Tribunal also fined each of them Taka 100,000 or, in default, to suffer another six months in jail. KCC Public Relations Officer Sarder Abu Taher is absconding.

The Court acquitted five others but could not give verdict of another accused Tariqul Islam Jahir as the High Court earlier ordered postponement of his trial in the lower Court.

According to the brief prosecution story, one Abu Abdullah Elin filed a case with Khulna thana on November 3 last year accusing eight persons of KCC including Mayor Tayebur for taking bribe of Taka 4,50,000 against Taka 6,00,000 they demanded.

The accused persons received the bribe money on assurance of providing jobs to two nephews of Abu Abdullah. But they did not keep their promise later.

Those acquitted are: Engr Mashiuzzaman, Kazi Saiful Islam Babu, M Khairul Anam, SM Quamrul Islam (absconding) and SM Wahidul Islam (absconding).

The Court examined 11 witnesses out of the total 18 and completed the trial within 60 days from the day the charge was framed.

Additional PP Shamimuzzaman pleaded for the state while Advocate Nurul Hasan Ruba stood for the defense.

Dr Zahid, wife jailed in graft case

Dr AZM Zahid Hossain

BSS, Dhaka

A Special Court here on Sunday sentenced former secretary general of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) Dr AZM Zahid Hossain to 13-year imprisonment for acquiring wealth beyond his known sources of income and concealing information in his wealth statement.

His wife Rifat Hossain was also jailed for three years for helping her husband to accumulate wealth illegally.

Judge of the court Tanzina Ismail handed down the verdict after examining the witnesses and relevant documents in absence of the accused as they were absconding since the case was filed.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lodged the case on October 3 last year with Ramna thana in the city, accusing Zahid Hossain and his wife for concealing information about their actual property in their wealth statement submitted to the ACC.

Zahid was jailed for 10 years for acquiring property disproportionate to his known sources of income and three years for submitting untrue statement to the ACC.

The Court also fined him Taka 10 lakh, in default, to suffer one year more in jail and ordered confiscation of his assets worth Taka three crore, acquired illegally, in favour of the state.

The Court also fined Rifat Hossain Taka 50,000, in default, to suffer one month more in prison.

The punishment will be executed from the day the convicts surrender or are arrested, the verdict said.

280 food godowns to be built

Staff Reporter

The government will construct 280 godowns across the country with a accommodation capacity of three lakh twenty thousand tonnes of rice and wheat.

The Food Ministry has already submitted two separate projects to the Advisory Committee of the Government for its approval. The Ministry is expected to start construction work in July after approval from the advisory Committee. Talking to the New Nation, Pius Costa, Director General of Food, said accommodation capacity the each of the godowns would be between 500 and 550 tonnes.

He said most of the godowns would be constructed in northern districts, which supply bulk of the foodgrains to be procured by the government.

The total storage capacity of 639 godowns all over the country is 12.50 lakh tonnes of rice and 2.85 tonnes of wheat.

Consensus on local govt election underscored

BSS, Dhaka

Speakers at a seminar here yesterday urged the government for reaching to a consensus with political parties before holding the elections of the local government bodies before the national polls.

They said, the present government has taken effective measures for strengthening the local government bodies. But, political support is necessary to the ensure benefit of the reforms measures.

Coalition for Good Governance, a private organisation, organised the seminar on "What shall be the first: Parliamentary polls or local bodies elections and delimitation of the constituencies" at Jatiya Press Club here.

Former ministers ASM Abdur Rab and Syed Didar Bakth, Jatiya Party leader G M Quader, Awami League leaders Dr Abdur Razzak, and Advocate Rahmat Ali, CPB leader Morshed Ali, Taleya Rahman of Democracy Watch and Advocate Tanvirul Islam took part in the discussion.

Chairperson of Coalition of Good Governance Firoz M Hasan and member secretary Mahbubul Haque presented two keynote papers on the subjects of the seminar while official of the organization Firoz Ahmed was in the chair.

Speakers said, there is no alternation to elected government for welfare of the people and development of the country. Good governance might be established through a good parliamentary election, they said. They called upon the government to go for a consensus with the political parties on local government election instead of imposing the decision unilaterally.