The New Nation - Internet Edition

Coalmine project: 4 former detained ministers deny any wrongdoing

Staff Reporter

Four detained former Ministers Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Motiur Rahman Nizami, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Shamsul Islam were interrogated yesterday at the central Jail Gate in connection with the Barapukuria graft case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Monirul Haque and investigation officer, who did the questioning, said that all the former ministers were questioned about their involvement in the case and all of them denied any misconduct.

The four senior ministers of the immediate-past coalition government, who are among 16 accused in the case, were quizzed separately at the Dhaka Central Jail. They all denied any transgression on their part in awarding the coalmine deal.

Jamaat chief and former Agriculture Minister Nizami was questioned first for about 90 minutes followed by 20-minute interrogation of ex-Information Minister Shamsul Islam.

Expelled BNP Secretary General and former LGRD Minister Mannan was questioned for 20 to25 minutes while former Health Minister Dr Mosharraf grilled for about an hour.

The lawyers of Nizami and Shamsul were present during the questioning while there was none for Mannan and Dr Mosharraf.

He said his main question to the accused was why the contract was awarded to a particular company without re-tender, causing huge loss to the country's exchequer.

"In reply, the ministers said they did not get that much time and they signed the files as put up to them," Monirul said.

Talking to reporters, Nizami's counsel Barrister Abdur Razzak said his client told the investigation officer that he had signed the file following the note sheet prepared by the Cabinet Secretary.

Razzak said Nizami insisted that due to awarding the contract to the particular company the Government had actually benefited.

"If cases are filed like this, no Government would be able tofunction," the lawyer quoted him as saying.

Razzak also said the case has been filed for "political reasons".

Quoting former Information Minister Shamsul, his lawyer Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal told reporters that the former minister had acted in accordance with the rules of business, a gospel that guides government function.

His client hoped that they would not be charge-sheeted as they did not commit any corruption, Kajal said.

Other accused, including Jamaat Secretary General and former Social Welfare Minister Ali Ahsan M Mujaheed, would be questioned immediately, informed the investigation officer.

The day's questionings took place following the interrogation of detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the prime accused, on Saturday at the makeshift jail in connection with the high-profile case.

On February 26, ACC Assistant Director Shamsul Islam filed the case against Khaleda, 10 former powerful ministers of her cabinet and five others for causing a staggering loss of about Tk 159 crore to the exchequer through awarding the Barapukuria Coal Mine deal to the highest bidder instead of the lowest.

Former Finance Minister Saifur Rahman, ex-BNP Secretary General and LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Jamaat Chief and ex-Industries Minister Motiur Rahman Nizami and its Secretary General and ex-Social Welfare Minister Ali Ahsam M Mujahid are the heavyweights among the ministers of the immediate-past coalition government accused in the case.

The other former ministers accused in the case are Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Agriculture Minister MK Anwar, Information Minister Shamsul Islam, Commerce Minister Air Vice-Marshall (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Telecommunications Minister Barrister Aminul Haque and State Minister for Energy AKM Mosharaff Hossain.

The rest of the accused are former energy secretary Nazrul Islam, former Petrobangla chairman and incumbent BISIC chairman SR Osmani, former Petrobangla director Moinul Ahsan, former managing director of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Sirajul Islam and Hossaf Group chairman Moazzem Hossain.

The case has been filed under sections 409/406/109/419/420 of the Penal Code and section 5(2) of the Corruption Prevention Act 1947.

Provision of the Emergency Power Rules was not used in the case, registered amid an ongoing drive in the interim period against corruption in high places.

From the Foreign Press Lebanon’s compromise: New rules for the Middle East

Rami G. Khouri

Beirut: The accord that has resolved the immediate political crisis in Lebanon is the latest example of the new political power equation that is redefining the Middle East. It reflects both local and global forces, and 18 years after the Cold War ended, provides a glimpse of what the post-Cold War world will look like - at least in the Middle East.

Several dynamics seem to be at play, but one stands out as paramount: We are witnessing the clear limits of the projection of American global power, combined with the assertion and coexistence of multiple regional powers (Turkey, Israel, Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas, Saudi Arabia, etc.). These local powers tend to fight and negotiate at the same time, and ultimately prefer to make reasonable compromises rather than perpetually wage absolutist battles.

The Doha accord for Lebanon was much more than simply a victory for Iranian-backed Hezbollah over the American-backed alliance. It is the first concrete example in the Arab world of a negotiated, formal political agreement by local adversaries to share power and make big national decisions collectively, while maintaining close strategic relationships with diverse external patrons in the United States, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

The Lebanese agreement (unlike the failed Fatah-Hamas unity government) is likely to succeed because all the parties know that to live together peacefully they must make mutual compromises. This accord has been forged in the furnace of Middle Eastern demographic and political realism, in contrast to the hallucinatory absolutism that often drives American-Israeli policy in this region.

This is not a full defeat for the United States - it's more like a draw. It puts into concrete political form the most powerful force that has defined the Middle East in recent decades: the willingness of individuals, political movements and some governments to openly defy, challenge, resist and occasionally to fight the United States, Israel and their Arab and other allies.

Since 2004, the United States has explicitly, repeatedly and passionately singled out Lebanon as an arena where Hezbollah and other regional Islamist forces backed by Iran and Syria would be faced down and defeated. But now the United States will face these forces from across the same cabinet room table, not as bludgeoned and defeated foes, but rather as partners and colleagues in Lebanon's national unity government. When Hezbollah and its erstwhile foes exchange kisses, a befuddled Condoleezza Rice should take care not to fall off her exercise bicycle.

The United States is a slow learner in the Middle East, where the terrain is strange, the body language bizarre, the fierce power of historical memory incomprehensible, and the negotiating techniques otherworldly. But the United States is not stupid. It learns over time that if you retread a flat tire over and over again, and it keeps going flat on you, perhaps it is time to buy a new tire - if you hope to actually move forward.

Now that we have a draw in the broad ideological confrontation throughout the Middle East that pits Israeli-Americanism against Arab-Islamo nationalism, we should expect the players to reconsider their policies if they wish to make new gains on both sides.

Lebanon, however, is not the most significant recent development reflecting the limits of American power in the Middle East. The truly remarkable manifestation of how the United States has marginalized itself is the conduct of the Israeli government.

The United States has pushed the Israelis hard to do two things in the past two years: Do not negotiate with Syria and do not engage Hamas. What has Israel done during the past few months and more? It has been wisely negotiating with Syria via Turkey, and engaging Hamas on a truce deal through the mediation of Egypt. Hold on, Condi, this gets even worse.

It is no big deal in Washington when nearly 500 million Arabs, Iranians and Turks ignore and defy the United States. But when Israel - the only democracy in the Middle East, America's eternal ally, and the bastion of the epic modern struggle against fascism, totalitarianism, Nazism, communism and terrorism - ignores the United States, that is newsworthy.

So we now have a rare moment in the Middle East. Iran, Turkey, all the Arabs, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Israel all share one and only one common trait: They routinely ignore the advice, and the occasional threats, they get from Washington. Rice was correct in summer 2006 when she said we are witnessing the birth pangs of a new Middle East. But the emerging new regional configuration is very different from the one she fantasized about and tried to bring into being with multiple wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Somalia and Lebanon, and threats against Iran and Syria.

The new rules of the political game in the Middle East are now being written by the key players in the Middle East - and that should be welcomed.

(Rami G. Khouri is editor-at-large of The Daily Star and director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut. Distributed by Agence Global.)

5 killed, 20 injured in road mishap at Narsingdi

Narsingdi Correspondent

Five people were killed and 20 others were injured in a tragic road accident near Narayanpur bus stop on Dhaka-Sylhet highway under Belabo upazila of Narsingdi when a speedy passenger bus ploughed into a sweetmeat shop after skidding off the road Monday night.

Among the people killed in the accident, two were hotel employees, three rickshawpullers, and one bus passenger.

Narsingdi police super Shahabuddin Khan said a Bhairab-bound passenger bus (Dhaka-Ba-11-3907) of Arabian Transport, coming from Mohakhali in Dhaka ploughed into Hotel Shaon at Narayanpur at about 10:15pm on Monday after the driver of the vehicle lost control.

In the accident, hotel employee Sadeque Mia, 30, Bedon Mia, 35, rickshawpuller Nurul Amin, 25, Abdul Karim, 40, and Idris Mia, 25 died on the spot, while 20 others were injured.

Later, among the injured Ohid Mia, 25 and Rubel, 25, were admitted to Bhairab Hospital in a critical condition. Rest of the injured were admitted to different local clinics.

A case was filed with the Belabo police station in connection with the accident. However, the driver remained absconding after the accident.

Amassing wealth Charge sheet submitted against Jalil

Court Correspondent

Charge sheet was yesterday submitted to a Court againt Awami League General Secretary Md Abdul Jalil in a graft case filed for amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income.

Twenty-two persons were made witness in the case while 4 seizure lists were shown and Abdul Jalil was shown as fugitive.

The accused allegedly submitted an account of his property to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and after inquiry it was revealed that Jalil amassed wealth worth Taka 65,29,229 beyond his known sources of income. Later, on December 18 last year, Md Enamul Haque, Deputy Assistant Director of ACC filed the case with Ramna Thana of the city. He completed inquiry and submitted the charge-sheet Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Mosaddeque Ali Falu, former BNP MP elected from Dhaka 10 Constituency, was sued again yesterday for evading income-tax.

Md Nurul Amin, NBR Deputy Income Tax Commissioner filed the case yesterday with Metropolitan Session Judge Court of Dhaka while the Judge Md Azizul Haque passed order to issue warrant of arrest against Falu and fixed June 2 for return of the warrant order.

In the case, former MP Falu was accused of evading income-tax to the tune of Taka 2 crore 75 lakh 65 thousand 222 on his income of Taka 11,11,65,517 between 1996 and 2006.

Operators hiring for Ctg container terminal: PIL, CTS jointly lead open bidding

Chittagong Correspondent

The 'Pacific International Line (PIL-Bangladesh) Limited and its partner Container and Terminal Services (CTS) Limited are jointly leading the crucial race of taking over Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) as the operator.

The Everest Enterprise Limited and the incumbent operator of the CCT the SAIF Powertec have been on the second and third positions respectively in terms of price quoted for the job.

The three bidders will be in the race until the disbursement of the work order by Chittagong Port Authority (CPA). The CPA reportedly sought two months time for deeper scrutiny of the contractors and finalizing the deal.

Earlier, the CPA invited tenders to appoint contractor for integrated operation of the CCT.

More than 45 companies of native origin initially participated the bidding but two thirds of the bidders went out the race on the compliance issues of the eligibility, terms and condition.

Finally eleven enterprises including four berth operators contested in the bidding and the PIL became the best bidder in terms of price quoting Taka 439.2 million while the Everest Enterprise got second position quoting Taka 443.6 million.

The SAIF Powertec, incumbent operator, acquired the third position offering Taka 477.0 million for its three-year contract on second term.

According to the luminaries in the shipping circle here in the port city the PIL has no experience of handling containers though it has become the best bidder so far vis-à-vis the Everest Enterprise Limited has adequate experience of doing similar job though it's service would be costlier.

"Everest Enterprise Limited is rather in the good book in terms of its other prerequisites," a member of the tender evaluation committee observed hinting that two more months may be required for deeper scrutiny of the bidders qualification before awarding the work order.

The winning bidder will replace the SAIF Powertec, the incumbent operator of the container terminal, for three years. The SAIF Powertec has been running the terminal nearly for two years. Contract with this company expires on August 6 this year.

6 convicts flee from Ctg court dock

Chittagong Correspondent

Six of the nine convicts in an extortion case allegedly fled from the courtroom shortly after the verdict was announced here at the court of Joint Metropolitan Session Judge (JMSJ) yesterday.

Joint Metropolitan Session Judge Ekramul Haque Chowdhury convicted nine people of extortion and ordered rigorous imprisonment of the extortionists for six years and a half each.

The court also fined Taka 6,500 each of the convicts and ordered additional rigorous imprisonment for three months and a half in default.

The convicts were identified as Zaher alias Wahid Mollah, Jashim Uddin, Nurul Amin, Zakir Hossain, Ekramul Haque Qaderi, Mamotajuddin Manjur, Shahajahan, Moinuddin and Mahbubul Alam.

Of the convicts Zaher alias Wahid Mollah, Nurul Amin, Ekramul Haque Qaderi, Mamtajuddin Manjur, Shahajahan and Moinuddin fled away from the court dock after the verdict was announced.

It is learnt that the nine convicts were close associates of detained leader of the BNP Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury.

It is learnt that Jesmin Siddiquee, a resident of city's Zakir Hossain road, filed an extortion case of Taka 15 millions against the convicts on June 12, 2005.

Police could not nab the absconding convicts till the time of filling this report.

Ex-MP Selim gets 7-yr RI in extortion case

Court Correspondent

A court of Dhaka yesterday sentenced S A H Selim alias Silver Selim, former BNP MP elected from Bagerhat to 7 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) with a fine of Taka 50,000 and in default he will suffer a month more in jail in an extortion case.

Sharmin Nigar, Assistant Metropolitan Session Judge, 4th Court of Dhaka pronounced the verdict in his crowded court in presence of the convict.

Contractor Md Zahidul Islam Faruque filed the case on June 6, 2007 with Gulshan Thana of the city for extortioning Taka 12 lakh from him to give him a work order of Taka 2,23,97,569 under the Local Government Enginering Department (LGED) on December 19, 2005.

SI Md Mizanur Rahman of Gulshan Thana submitted the charge sheet of the case on November 30, 2007. Of 18 witnesses the depositions of 16 were recorded during the trial.

Mohammad Kabir Hosaene, Additional Public Propecutor conducted the case on behalf of the Prosecution while Advocate TM Akbar moved the case on behalf of the accused.

GMG airplane grounded, 2,000 passengers stranded at ZIA

UNB, Dhaka

Some 2,000 passengers of GMG Airlines got stranded as its Dubai-bound airplane Boeing 747 was grounded for "technical maintenance" at Zia International Airport.

GMG spokesman ATM Nazrul Islam told UNB that it seemed the Boeing 747 would need technical maintenance after few more days as it was taken under FCMI or Wet leasing. "So, the flight schedules were given… But, the technical maintenance is needed now and it will take six days."

To mitigate the problem of the stranded passengers, Islam said, the GMG authority sorted out them in three categories: emergency, less emergency and normal.

"The passengers under emergency category will be carried to their destination through different airliners," he said.

The passengers of less-emergency category would be kept in hotel and also be carried out to their destination after two or three days.

And the normal passengers, the GMG spokesman said, were asked to take refund of their ticket money if they want. "Or they can leave their addresses to us so that we can call them when the flight schedule is readjusted," he said.

Those who would like to take the readjusted flight were also offered transportation cost in cash for coming to the capital and again going back home.

EC to sit with govt soon: Environ for local election schedule to be sought

UNB, Dhaka

The Election Commission will sit with the government and request creating an environment conducive to conducting the elections before announcing schedule for local-body polls shortly.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain yesterday said the EC is expecting the draft rules of the local-body laws to be finalized within next 10 to 12 days as they have already sent those to the Law Ministry.

"We'll sit with the government before announcing the election schedule (of city corporations and municipalities)… We'll request the government to create such an environment as is required for conducting the elections and electioneering of the contesting candidates," he told reporters at his office in the afternoon.

Earlier on May 18, the Election Commissioner said poll schedules for Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal City Corporations and the nine municipalities would be announced in the first week of June.

Sakhawat said the EC has proposed in the draft rules that as personal expenditure, the mayoral candidates in city- corporation elections could spend Tk 75,000 each for five- lakh voters, Tk 100,000 for more than five lakh to 10 lakh voters, Tk 150,000 for more than 10 lakh to 20 lakh voters and Tk 200,000 for more than 20 lakh voters.

As electoral expenditure that would be spent through the candidates' election agents, the mayor candidates could spend Tk 500,000 for five-lakh voters, Tk 700,000 for more than five lakh to 10 lakh voters, Tk 1,000,000 for more than 10 lakh to 20 lakh voters and Tk 1,500,000 for more than 20 lakh voters.

Canadian FM quits over girlfriend row : Security breach alleged

BBC Online

Canada's foreign minister, Maxime Bernier, has resigned after he admitted leaving classified documents in what he called "a non-secure location".

His former girlfriend, Julie Couillard, told Canadian media the papers had been left at her flat in Montreal in April.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said it was a serious security breach.

Bernier had been under pressure to quit after it emerged that Ms Couillard had previous relationships with men connected to organised crime.

"Minister Bernier has learned and informed me that he left classified government documents in a non-secure location," said Harper.

"This is a serious error. (He) has accepted his responsibilities in offering to resign."

The announcement came hours before an interview with Ms Couillard was shown on Canadian television. It is a very serious mistake regardless of who the minister is, regardless of personal life Prime Minister Stephen Harper She said that Bernier had come to her flat in April and forgotten a document there. "He came to my place, then he left, and the document remained with me," she told the French-language TVA network. It has not been revealed what the document contained, nor whether any other party saw it. Ms Couillard said she returned it to the government via a lawyer.

Ms Couillard, 38, who had attended Bernier's 2007 swearing-in as foreign minister, had officially been designated as his "spouse" so she could join him on official trips overseas.

It only recently emerged publicly that Ms Couillard had been married to a member of a Quebec motorcycle gang and had dated another biker before that.

She has at no point been accused of any wrongdoing.

Ms Couillard and Mr Bernier broke up earlier this year.

Harper denied the resignation had any connection to the "minister's private life".

"This is about one thing and that is a failure to uphold expected standards on government documents," he said.

"I have no intention to comment on a minister's former girlfriend," he added.

But a member of parliament for the opposition Liberals, Ralph Goodale, said the prime minister had "a lot of explaining to do".

Bernier, who was appointed to the role last August, is the first minister to resign from Harper's cabinet under a cloud since the Conservatives came to power in January 2006 elections.

He had earlier courted controversy when he publicly suggested that Afghan President Hamid Karzai replace the governor of Kandahar province, where Canada has 2,500 troops stationed.

Canada's International Trade Minister, David Emerson, is to serve as interim foreign affairs minister.

3 women killed by lightning

BSS, C'Nawabganj

Three women were killed by lightning in a mango orchard near Professor Para in the district town on Tuesday.

The victims are identified as Ruli Begum (35), Chini Khatun (18) and Sonia (20) of Chunari Para in Chapainawabganj Town, police and hospital sources said.

Locals said, the victims were picking mangoes during a norwester at around 3 PM. Ruli and Chini died on the spot and Chini's sister, Sonia, died at Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital.

Twenty persons were injured in a separate accident when a passenger train (582 Down) derailed at Rohonpur under the district yesterday morning. Railway communications of Rohonpur with Chapainawabganj district headquarters and Rajshahi city remained suspended since morning.

Two coaches of the train derailed just after leaving Rohonpur Railway Station for Rajshahi at 7 a.m. The injured persons were given first aid at the local health complex.

Young man found dead in city

Staff Reporter

A young was found dead at North Goran under Khilgaon Police Station in the city yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Sajib, 18, worker of Miptape Garment in the city, son of Ali Hossain Khan. He was a resident of North Goran in Sipahibagh area of Khilgaon.

Being informed by the local people, police recovered the body of Sajib and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy at about 7:00am.

Zakir Hossain, uncle of the victim, told reporters that Sajib went out of his house at about 6:30pm on Monday but did not return the whole night.

Hearing the news of the body recovery, Zakir Hossain came to DMCH and identified the body of his nephew.

Motives behind the killing could not be known immediately.

Police said Sajib, who was involved in various crimes, might have been stabbed to death following an internal conflict with his fellows. Sajib's brother Suman filed a murder case with Khilgaon police station.

Diversified exploration of new RMGs stressed

BSS, Chittagong

Speakers at a seminar here have stressed the need for diversified production of Readymade Garment (RMG) side by side with exploring new markets to help this key sector face the ongoing competition across the world.

They said RMG and other main foreign currency earning sectors must continue the current export growth taking into account the challenges to come from withdrawal of textile quota from China after 2008.

They also said that the country's RMG sector along with its backward linkage industries would face stiff challenges after withdrawal of textile quota from China in the USA and the European markets after 2008.

Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Chittagong organized the seminar on "Possible impact on Bangladesh exports after withdrawal of textile quota from China in 2008", held here yesterday with EPB Regional Director Golam Mostafa in the chair.

Commissioner of Customs (Exports) Marghub Ahmed attended the function as the chief guest while EPB Director General Faridul Hassan was the resource person.

Referring to the possible impact on the domestic economy, particularly on the RMG and its allied sub-sectors after 2008, the speakers said China is likely to occupy at least 50 percent markets in the USA and the European countries after this dateline.

India and Pakistan will also engage themselves in an aggressive race to capture rest of the markets in the USA and the European countries, they said adding that Bangladesh would have to establish its stake on a sizable area of these markets by its RMG products and other export items.

For this, they suggested capacity building and efficiency enhancement at all levels by using modern technology, simplifying export procedures, reducing "lead-time" and bank interest rates and also strengthening seaports' activities.