The New Nation - Internet Edition

President tells Daffodil Varsity convocation: Pay more attention to nurture generation properly

President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed addressing the
second convocation of Daffodil International University at
Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city on
Monday. PID photo

BSS, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday called upon all including members of the family, teachers, educational institutions as well as the conscious section of the society to pay more attention to nurture the generation properly for the sake of the country.

"In an era of globalisation, I think, we should have to ensure need-based education along with traditional one so that our students and professionals can confidently face the emerging global challenges," he added.

The President said this while speaking at the 2nd convocation of Daffodil International University at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC) at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar here. Former Chief Justice Mustafa Kamal was the convocation speaker. Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Dr Aminul Islam and Chairman of board of governors of the university Md Sabur Khan also spoke on the occasion.

The President said, the faster development of information technology as well as the emergence of market economy has challenged us to a great extent, and the competitive nature of the global economy and the digital divide can be responded only by harnessing skilled human resources.

Professor Iajuddin said, the intrinsic value of education is to illuminate and enlighten society with the inextinguishable flame of wisdom. "The light that comes out from the glow of wisdom provides divine ray of hopes and makes the society congenial and delightful," he said. He said, the people of Bangladesh have a great passion for knowledge and they want to make a knowledge-based society with the spirit of our glorious past. "We want to build an enlightened society, where the knowledge would be the main driving force for attaining the overall development and it needs a huge scholarly and morally upgraded people who would lead the nation to the right direction in the days to come," he added.

The President said, educational institutions, from primary to tertiary level, have enormous role to play in producing valued and efficient people.

He hoped as the centre of excellence, educational institutions particularly universities, have great responsibilities to generate high quality human resources to meet the demand of the time. He also called upon all universities both private and public to ensure quality education through providing state-of-the-art curricula and ensuring congenial atmosphere of education.

President Iajuddin also hoped that the knowledge and skill that the graduates have acquired would be the main tool to face the growing challenges and they would be able to reach the zenith of the success by dint of their excellence and wisdom.

Fuel-less electric bike, rickshaw launched

Lt Gen Jahangir Alam Chowdhury visiting the electric
bikes and electric rickshaw after inaugurating the fuel-less
vehicles at Diesel Plant Limited in Gazipur on Monday. Focus
Bangla

Shamim Jahangir

The first ever fuel-less and environment friendly electric bike and electric rickshaw was formally launched yesterday at Joydevpur in Gazipur District.

Bangladesh Diesel Plant Ltd (BDPL), an enterprise of Bangladesh Army, Sigs International and Lotus Bird of China manufactured the two types of electric transport at BDPL industry at Joydevpur.

Lt Gen Md Jahangir Alam, Quarter Master General and Chairman of BDPL launched the programme while Geng Yong Ding, President of Lotus Bird, Mohammed Abdul Gani, Chairman of Sigs International and Alhaj Morshed Alam, Chairman of Bengal Group of Industries were present at the ceremony as special guests.

"The price of an electric rickshaw will range from Tk 40 thousand to Tk 50 thousands while the price of electric bike is between Tk 60 thousand and Tk 68 thousand depending on its capacity, said Enayet Ullah Siddique, Managing Partner of the Sigs International. The rechargeable battery of the bike and the rickshaw will last one year. The price of each battery is Tk 4,000.

Enayet informed that electric bike will hit the market within a week and electric rickshaw two months later.

Lt Gen Md Jahangir Alam said that electric bike and electric rickshaw would save huge foreign currency by reducing diesel use and also reduce air pollution.

"It will reduce transport cost and people of middle and lower income bracket will be able use it for their affordable prices," Geng Yong Ding said.

Col Shahid Sarwar, Project Director of BDP, Col Mohammad Ali, Deputy Managing Director of Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory of Bangladesh Army and other senior officials of Bangladesh Army were present at the ceremony.

Bangladesh can double rice production

BSS, Dhaka

Riding on the comparative advantage and a rising global price trend, resilient Bangladeshi farmers can boost rice production to over 4.0 crore tonnes annually in five years that can fetch at 7.0 crore tonnes in the long run to make the country a leading rice exporter.

Scientists of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) made this projection, which was presented by its member director Hasanur Rahman at a workshop held recently in the city. Hasanur told BSS that a national task force is working to develop a full scheme on the growth model to be presented before a national seminar soon. "We have to reduce and rationalise excess cost and application of inputs for making agriculture commercially competitive and BADC is working to chart out the future course of the country's agriculture," Rahman said.

Statistics showed the country's food production remained stagnant around 2.6 crore tonnes in the recent time mainly because of a sluggish Boro and Aman crop due to a frequent crop failure stemming from floods, droughts and devastating cyclones.

The food requirement, on the other hand, is hovering around 3.0 crore tons annually resulting in a deficiency of 40 lakh tons this year triggering acute supply crisis and price escalation.

But, a bumper Boro harvest this season, has changed the scenario, at least beating back the supply crisis although the price

crisis is yet to be over. Scientists, warned of not to mix both the phenomenon under one bracket. Supply is a productivity phenomenon while price is a market phenomenon, they said stressing on the need for reforming the agricultural market mechanism to make dents on the escalating food prices.

The BADC sources said, the higher rice productivity may be attained by reducing the application of excess agricultural inputs, such as fertiliser, seeds and water to reduce the production cost on one hand and training the farmers in higher productivity on the other.

Historic pictures sent from Mars

BBC Online

A Nasa spacecraft has sent back historic first pictures of an unexplored region of Mars.

The Mars Phoenix lander touched down in the far north of the Red Planet, after a 680 million-km (423 million-mile) journey from Earth.

The probe is equipped with a robotic arm to dig for water-ice thought to be buried beneath the surface.

It will begin examining the site for evidence of the building blocks of life in the next few days. A signal confirming the lander had reached the surface was received at 2353 GMT on 25 May (1953 EDT; 0053 BST on 26 May).

Engineers and scientists at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California clapped and cheered when the landing signal came through.

"Phoenix has landed - welcome to the northern plain of Mars," a flight controller announced.

The final seven minutes of the probe's 10-month journey to Mars were regarded as the hardest part of the mission.

The probe had to survive a fiery plunge through the planet's thin atmosphere, slowing from a speed of nearly 21,000km/h (13,000 mph).

It released a parachute, used pulsed thrusters to slow to a fast walking speed, and then descended the last few metres to the Martian soil to land on three legs. The Nasa team monitored each stage of the descent and landing process through radio messages relayed to Earth via the Odyssey satellite in orbit around Mars.

"In my dreams, it couldn't have gone as perfectly as it did tonight," said Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager at JPL. Nasa found out more about the landing when pictures from the probe reached the Earth.

The first images showed the "Arctic plain" where Phoenix came to rest - a region of Mars that has never been seen up close before.

Other shots confirmed that the probe's solar arrays had unfurled successfully, and that it had landed safely on its legs.

The spacecraft will begin its three-month science mission in the next few days.

It will use a robotic arm to dig through the protective Martian topsoil and lift samples of both soil and ice to its deck for scientific analysis.

Dr Tom Pike of Imperial College, London, is part of the British team involved in the project. "The main goal of the mission is to get below the surface of Mars to where we are almost certain there is water," he told BBC News.

He said orbiters flying around Mars had surveyed the landing site in great detail and found signs that water ice is buried 10cm or less below the surface.

"Water, of course, is of critical importance because it is one of the building blocks - one of the essential habitats we need - for life," he said.

Delwar accuses govt of staging 'mock trials’

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The caretaker government is staging 'mock trials' in the name of justice with a view to barring leading politicians including Khaleda Zia from contesting the forthcoming national polls, said BNP leader Khandakar Delwar Hossain Monday.

Speaking to reporters at his NAM flat yesterday, after prison authorities failed to produce Khaleda Zia in court for the Niko case hearing, Delwar said: "The prosecution didn't produce any paper or document in the court explaining why Khaleda Zia wasn't produced in the court."

"The government is holding 'mock trials' of politicians, including Khaleda Zia, only to deter them from participating in the ensuing elections, but people will not accept such conspiracies aimed at excluding BNP from the national polls." Calling the Niko graft case 'conspiratorial' charges, he said according to law no case proceedings can run before the accused is produced in court. The BNP Khaleda-appointed secretary general alleged that he had not received the case documents yet.

"I have asked the court for permission to see my leader. I also applied to the jail authorities for permission to see her, but I was not allowed."

On joining the ongoing political dialogue with the government, Delwar said: "I've said it before and now say again that the dialogue will not be fruitful unless Khaleda Zia is freed and her presence in the dialogue process is ensured."

"We have not yet taken any decision about participating in the dialogue," he reiterated.

Delwar was present at the Special Judge's Court-9 Monday morning along with around a hundred pro-BNP lawyers.

Delwar is also on the lawyers' panel defending Khaleda Zia.

3 Bangladeshis killed in Saudi road mishap

Staff Reporter

Three Bangladesh citizens of the same family were killed in a road accident on Jeddah-Madina Highway in Saudi Arabia on May 23. An official release yesterday said Abul Kalam, his wife Tahura

Begum and son Al Helal, of Patuakhali district, met the tragic end, while returning to Jeddah after performing ziarat of Madina Sharif. Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury has expressed his profound shock at the death of the three members of the ill-fated family.

He prayed for them and conveyed heartfelt sympathy to the members of the bereaved family.

The Foreign Adviser has already given directive to the officials concerned of the Bangladesh Embassy in Jeddah to return the bodies in time.

Chargesheet against: 2 former MPs, 2 forest officials approved

Staff Reporter

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to press charges against five individuals, including two former MPs and two forest conservators, in four graft cases.

ACC Director General (Admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told the Commission's regular briefing that the anti-graft watchdog yesterday approved the submission of charge sheets against five persons in four cases.

Former Awami League MP Ali Reza Raju will be charge-sheeted in the case filed on January 3 for acquiring wealth worth Tk 38.08 lakh beyond his known sources of income and concealment of information of assets worth Tk 8.33 lakh.

The ACC will submit charge sheet in a case filed on February 17 against former BNP MP Shahidul Alam Talukder for misappropriating relief clothes.

Charge sheet will be filed in another case filed against deputy forest conservator Abu Hanif Patwary and his wife Dilruba Perveen for acquiring wealth worth Tk 29.73 lakh that do not match their known sources of income. Shamsul Azam, another forest conservator, will be charge sheeted in a case filed for acquiring wealth worth Tk 29.54 lakh beyond his known sources of income and concealment of information of wealth worth Tk 7.07 lakh.

Hanif told the briefing that the Commission has approved the filing of cases against AL presidium member Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir's children Joya Alamgir and Jalal Alamgir for not submitting their wealth statements in due time.

He also said the ACC approved the issuance of notices to Rafiqul Islam, principal appraiser, Chittagong Customs House, Ibrahim Khalil, ex-director general of Agriculture Extension Department, and Chittagong City Corporation chief engineer Mokhter Alam directing them to submit their wealth statements.

Responding to a question about the Truth Commission that was approved by the Government on Sunday, the director general said that so far there is no conflict between the proposed Truth Commission and the ACC.

He said what has been mentioned is that the cases the verdicts of which have already been delivered would be out of the Truth Commission.

Hanif said nothing could be clearly said until the ACC receives the approved draft of the Truth Commission.

Replying to a question, he said the Commission is yet to discuss or decide about filing cases against former Prime Ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina on the basis of their wealth statements submitted to the Commission.

In reply to a question about filing graft cases involving negligible amounts, Hanif said corruption is corruption and the amount is not the main aspect for the Commission.

CDA to finalise deal with Mittal Group soon

Chittagong Correspondent

Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) is likely to sit together with the top officials of Mittal Group, an Indian company, within next couple of days to enter into fresh deal of multi-million investment.

The investment proposals included several development projects here in the port city including a beach town in Kumira through Patenga, according to CDA officials.

Sources said, that the Indian giant company had already expressed its interest to invest Tk. 57 thousand crore for a particular project here in Chittagong.

The CDA officials hinted that a new township would be developed from Kumira to Patenga if the proposed deal with Mittal Group is finalized.

"Two officials of Mittal Group - Vice President Rakesh Dikkhit and Sayed Golam Dastagir Nishat - informally talked to CDA Chairman Engineer Shah Mohammad Akhteruddin at his office on Sunday," an official of the CDA said.

Sources said, that the officials of Mittal Group discussed on several proposed development projects including infrastructure-development of new township.

PDP leader shot dead in city

Staff Reporter

A local leader of the pro-reform Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) was shot dead by terrorists in front of Nannu Market at Pallabi in the city yesterday.

Witnesses said the attack was launched while Nazrul Islam Chowdhury Montu, 47, well known as Jhut Montu for his cloth trade, was entering a saloon beside the market at Mirpur-11 at about 7:00pm.

He was convener of the Coordination Committee of PDP, floated in the interim period in support of the ongoing reforms, for Mirpur area. "Three gunmen sprayed bullets indiscriminately targeting Montu and tried to flee the scene, leaving him dead on the spot," says a spot account of the shootings that later led to an encounter with police.

"Hearing the gunshots, local people chased the killers. The gunmen opened fire for their safe passage. A team of patrol police also rushed in and retaliated with gunfire to nab the attackers," it adds.

Local people finally caught red-handed two of them and beat them up severely before handing them over to police.

Police also recovered three foreign-made revolvers and nine rounds of bullet from their possession.

The dead body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue. The two captured assailants--Jisan Mahmud, 25, and another unidentified one aged about 26--were admitted to DMCH in critical condition.

Meanwhile, PDB chief Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi visited DMCH to see the body of his slain party leader and sympathize with his family members.

Moriarty wants radiation detectors for Ctg Port

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The US has asked Chittagong Port Authority to install container scanners and radiation detectors immediately to ensure safe transportation of goods through the port, an official said yesterday.

US ambassador James F Moriarty also promised that his country would supply and help install the radiation detection equipment at the port, CPA chairman Commodore Muhammed Farooque said.

After a 45-minute meeting with the ambassador, the CPA chairman told reporters that they had discussed port activities.

Farooque said the authorities had taken up scanner and radiation detection equipment projects in cooperation with the US, but Monday's meeting was meant to fast-track their implementation.

Farooque said the container scanner and radiation detectors would save time, in addition to ensuring safety, to deliver goods bound for the US and European ports. "It now takes up to eight days to complete scanning and other security tasks at other ports," he said.

Tk 622cr agri project launched to raise income of farmers

BSS, Dhaka

The first phase of the national agriculture technology project (NATP) involving Taka 622.09 crore was launched on Monday aiming at boosting production of crops, and fisheries and livestock in 120 upazilas to increase income of farmers by 20 per cent.

The five-year-long NATP phase-1 will raise agricultural productivity and farm income improving the national agriculture technology system and providing support for agricultural research and extension besides developing the supply chain.

Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim inaugurated the launching workshop of the project as the chief guest while Economic Relation Division Secretary Mohammad Aminul Islam Bhuiyan was the special guest at the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Centre (BARC) in the city.

Presided over by Agriculture Secretary M Abdul Aziz, the inaugural session was also addressed, among others, by Country Director of the World Bank Xian Zhu, Executive Chairman of the BARC Dr M Abdur Razzak and Project Director of the NATP M A Akmal Hossain.

"The new chapter of green revolution has started in the context of falling global stocks of foodgrains," the adviser said adding "in the current global situation, in fact, none will cultivate crops for feeding us, we have to produce our own food," he said.

Dr CS Karim said the bumper harvest of Boro paddy due to bravery and patience of farmers, and relentless efforts of agriculture extension workers and researchers has built a confidence that the country could survive any situation.

"We should treat the agriculture as a business opportunity, rather concern for only ensuring food security," he said adding "if we could produce adequate quality of foodgrains, we can export those easily."

Of the total expenditure of Taka 622.09 crore for the first phase of the NATP, the World Bank and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) will jointly give Taka 573.91 crore as loans while the government of Bangladesh will provide Taka 48.18 crore.

The NATP was designed for 15 years and divided into three phases of the five-year segment. Donor agencies will provide further assistance after evaluating the progress of the first phase.

Dr CS Karim said the export of potatoes has a huge business potentiality, as it has global market of Taka 35,000 crore.

He underlined the need for involving the private sector in agriculture research to strengthen it further for ensuring food security side by side with adopting climate change.

The adviser urged agriculturists to carry out research targeting the need of farmers, not only for publication or building carriers.

Xian Zhu said agriculture and rural non-farm economy are the main sources of livelihood of rural people of the country as agriculture and non-farm account for about 22 and 33 percent of GDP respectively.

He said over the last three decades, there has been a significant increase in production of rice in the country to achieve near self-sufficiency in foodgrains.

DU Social Welfare Institute Director Feroza resigns

DU Correspondent

The Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University accepted the resignation letter of Prof Firoza Begum, Director of Social Welfare Institute yesterday and took decision to appoint senior most for the post.

Though some students of the institute requested VC to keep the present director in her position.

Sources said a section of teachers of the Institute are opposing the incumbent director saying they would not take classes under her, as she was not competent to run the Institute.

Prof Firoza told the journalists on Saturday she submitted resignation letter to the VC on February 28 after being forced by her colleagues and could not start classes of Master`s degree students due to lack of teachers` help.

Later, the problem was solved with the help of VC Prof SMA Faiz.

The Master degree students of Social Welfare Institute of Dhaka University on Saturday locked the institute main gate demanding starting of classes which was supposed to begin two months ago. But the Institute authority could not reach decision about taking classes due to internal feud over directorship of the Institute, sources added.

Terrorist killed

Staff Reporter

The chief hit-man of the infamous Boro Miah Kala Shahin gang was killed in 'crossfire' during an encounter between RAB members and his accomplices at Shyampur in the city yesterday.

The terror was identified as Kala Shafique, 26, of Narayanganj and also an active member of the notorious group.

On information, a team of RAB-10 at about 2:45am raided an under construction building at Zia Sarani of Nama Shyampur where members of the gunrunning gang gathered for their clients.

Sensing the presence of the elite force, the terrorists opened fire on the RAB members. The RAB members also fired back, triggering a brief gun-battle.

PDP leader shot dead in city