The New Nation - Internet Edition

BCL stages demo at DU for Hasina’s release

Chhatra League activists brought out a procession on
Dhaka University campus yesterday demanding unconditional
release of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina. NN
photo

DU Correspondent

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) yesterday staged a demonstration on the Dhaka University campus demanding release of Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina.

The organisation, student wing of Awami League, held a rally at the Battala near the Arts Building after parading different thoroughfares on the campus.

The leaders of the organisation claimed the government is trying to make their leader ineligible for the next election filing different cases against her.

They said Government should release Sheikh Hasina for the success of the on going dialogue otherwise it would be null and void.

Besides, no election would be acceptable to the nation without Sheikh Hasina, they said adding that it is not possible to establish democracy in the country keeping the national leaders in jail. They said the Government should realise the feelings of the people.

Presided over by Sheikh Sohel Rana Tipu, BCL DU Unit president, the rally, among others, was participated by BCL president Mahmud Hasan Ripon, vice president Golam Sarwar Kabir, Sujadur Rahman, acting general secretary Syed Abul Kalam Azad, assistant secretary Nazmul Hossain Jonny and DU unit general secretary Sajjad Sakib Badsha.

7 to walk gallows for killing college student in Jhenidah

Seven persons were awarded death sentence yesterday
for killing a college student in Jhenidah.
FocusBangla

UNB, Jhenidah

A court here yesterday convicted and awarded seven people to death sentence for killing a college boy.

The convicted are : Abdur Rab, Santosh Kumar, Swapan Kumar, Kartik Chandra Biswas, Boikuntha Biswas, Krishnapada Biswas and Ashok Kumar. All the convicted, aged around 30-35, were on the dock during the judgment.

According to the prosecution, the convicted picked up Sandwip, a student of Kaliganj Mahtabuddin Degree College, from his house at Badugachha village in Kaliganj upazila on September 14, 2004 and took him to a field following a previous enmity.

They severely beat up Sandwip and left him in the field. Neighbours rescued Swandip and admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition. He succumbed there the next day.

Upon filing of a case by the victim's brother, police arrested all the accused.

After examining the records and witnesses, Additional District and Sessions Judge-2 Rokeya Begum found them guilty and handed down the judgment.

WFP to feed poor school children: Global walkathon to raise awareness, funds

Staff Reporter

Thousands of people - many of whom can no longer afford basic foods at their local markets - will join the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and its major corporate partners, in a global walk to raise awareness and funds to feed poor children in schools, a press release of WFP in Dhaka said yesterday.

On Sunday, 1 June, people all over the world will come together with celebrities, government dignitaries, UN agencies, WFP corporate partners, their employees, friends and families to walk over a 24-hour period in each of the planet's time zones.

In Dhaka, the Walk will start from IDB Bhaban, Agargaon, at 10 am and will end at Chandrima Uddan.

A similar walk will take place in Jessore at 10 am between the DC office and the WFP office. At over 50 locations in 10 districts, similar walk will take place in which more than 1800 students, teachers and community members will participate. The largest walk is expected to take place in Dhaka with over 500 people expected to attend.

"The price crunch is pushing millions of families to the edge with tragic consequences for future generations," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. "This event symbolises how people from all over the world can unite to raise awareness about the plight of the hungry poor."

"End Hunger: Walk the World" aims to raise funds for WFP to provide school meals to the 59 million children who attend school hungry every day - a critical safety net to poor families who desperately need help in this time of hardship, the release noted.

Hunger continues to be the greatest threat to health Worldwide, killing a child every six seconds. High commodity and fuel prices coupled with an increase in natural disasters - like those in Myanmar and China - threaten to wipe out any gains made against hunger in recent years, it said.

On average it costs WFP only 25 US cents to give a cup of porridge, rice or beans to a child in school - a small but highly effective investment in a healthy and productive future.

WFP in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh through its School Feeding programme provides a 75-gram packet of biscuits fortified with vitamins and minerals to 600,000 poor children in 6 targeted food insecure areas. The snack provides 338 calories and 70 per cent of the vitamins and minerals a school child needs every day, the release added.

"Few people know that it only costs Taka 131 or US$ 2 in Bangladesh to feed a hungry child in school for the whole month. This proves that even the smallest contribution can help make a huge difference," said Edward Kallon, Acting Country Director of WFP Bangladesh. "In Bangladesh, about 50 per cent of children under the age of five are underweight and stunted which results in a reduced mental capacity and physical development."

"We are deeply concerned about those affected by hunger and those threatened by the current food crisis, whether they are our neighbours or live in a far-away country," said Peter Bakker, CEO of TNT. "I am very proud of the fact that on every continent of the globe TNT employees, their families and friends will again join Walk the World this year to raise funds and awareness for hungry schoolchildren."

"End Hunger: Walk the World" evolved from an initiative of TNT employees in Asia in 2003, with Unilever joining as a key organiser in 2007. Over the past five years, the event mobilised approximately 1 million participants and raised funds to feed over 100,000 children in school for one year," the release said.

Mig-29 graft case: Gen Mustafiz granted bail for six days

UNB, Dhaka

Backing a prosecution plea, the divisional special judge yesterday granted bail for six days to detained former army chief Gen (retd) Mustafizur Rahman in the Mig-29 warplane purchase graft case.

Following a prayer filed by Gen Mustafiz for seeking a regular bail, Judge Golam Murtoza Majumder passed the interim order and fixed June 2 as the next date for charge hearing in the case, in which former PM Sheikh Hasina is the principal accused.

As the court, relocated to the high-security parliament complex, resumed yesterday at 9:45am, Syed Rezaur Rahman, the counsel for Mustafiz, moved a petition seeking regular bail.

On May 20, the court termed Mustafiz' nonappearance 'willful' act and cancelled his bail and issued arrest warrant against him. Following the court order police arrested Gen (retd) Mustafiz at a city hospital where he had been undergoing treatment.

He, however, is still being treated at the Apollo Hospitals at Bashundhara in the city under police custody.

He submitted that the detained former army chief, suffering from heart disease, was produced before the court with the help of stretcher, as he even could not sit in the wheelchair. Earlier, an ambulance amid tight security brought him in.

The counsel told the court his client is not physically fit to stand trial. "If the court proceeds for hearing the charge, even-handed justice would be denied," he said.

After a brief submission by the defence counsel, the court gave the floor to the prosecution.

Keeping away the defence petition, Chief Special Public Prosecutor Sharfuddin Khan Mukul proposed interim bail until the next date of the indictment hearing.

The court also disposed of two petitions filed by the defense counsel.

It ordered the jail authorities to allow five lawyers to meet detained Awami League president Sheikh Hasina in the sub-jail for a 5-hour consultation with her in connection with the Mig-29 graft case.

The court also allowed the defence to browse relevant papers and documents in connection with the case for preparation against the charge hearing.

Earlier, the detained principal accused, former Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, appeared in the court at 9:40am.

The five other co-accused now on bail were also present. They are former airforce chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf and former joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Serniabat and business tycoon Noor Ali. 2008

According to the case filed with Tejgaon Police Station against Hasina and the others, including four top defence officials, the purchase of eight MiG-29 fighter jets during the tenure of the Awami League government caused a loss of Tk 700 crore to the public exchequer.

Inspector Abdullah Al Zahid of the now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption submitted the charge sheet to Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka on December 11, 2001, showing 40 persons as prosecution witnesses.

66,000 RMG workers to be imparted training on HIV

BSS, Dhaka

Some 66,000 garment workers in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur districts will be imparted training on prevention of HIV/AIDS to reduce the risk of outbreak of the disease in their workplaces.

Marie Stopes Clinic, an International Reproductive Healthcare provider, is implementing the programme under a project styled 'Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria' (GFATM) in cooperation with the Population Council, Asiatic Marketing Ltd and facilitated by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Avik Sanwar Rahman, Manager Advocacy, of Marie Stopes told BSS that the project began in January this year and will be ended in April 2009.

The main objective of the project is to equip the factory workers with knowledge about HIV/AIDS and raise their skill to prevent the dreadful disease, Rahman said.

Talking to BSS, BGMEA President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury (Parvez) said the country's 75 percent foreign exchange earnings come from the RMG sector, where 2.4 million workers have been working.

In this respect, BGMEA president said, the large section of garment workers needs to be provided with better health services along with regular HIV/AIDS check up.

He said creating awareness about HIV/AIDS is the better medicine of the disease, which will largely help the garment workers to protect themselves from the disease.

According to a survey carried out by Marie Stopes, the average age of garment workers in Dhaka division is 21 years. Among the workers, 50 percent is unmarried and 90 percent migrated from rural areas. About half of the total workers have no idea about HIV/AIDS, the report said.

The first HIV case in Bangladesh was detected in 1989. On December 1, 2007 the ministry of health and family welfare confirmed 1207 cases of HIV of which 123 had died.

Environmentalists oppose use of hybrid seeds in cultivation

BSS, Dhaka

As the country's agriculture is moving towards a new phase of expansion and development, the debate on the use of hybrid seeds is only becoming critical.

There is a major opposition to it from various environmentalist and activist groups as they say if it happens the control over agriculture would pass to multinational companies marketing seeds in the first place as a result of it.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, president of Equity and Justice Working Group, a conglomerate of several activist groups, promoting people's livelihood in the coastal areas warned of negative impact of hybrid seeds on the country's agriculture.

He said farmers would not only lose control over ownership of seeds but also would become hostage to their agents to pay exorbitant seed prices in the peak season. "In no way farmers should give up their generations-old rights on seeds, they should have rights on both the crop and seeds together to save farming from external intervention," he said. Moreover, genetically modified (GM) rice may not be appropriate for healthy growth of human body in the long run, he said pointing to the growing number of obese people in the United States and other developed countries.

These are the extreme manifestations of health hazard from excessive taking of GM foods, Chowdhury said, adding any distortion with the nature may backfire. Moreover, the adaptation of hybrid seeds require local breeding and testing to adjust with local soil, water and weather conditions. Most marketing companies, he said, working to promote hybrid rice in the country are not doing it resorting to its imports.

As a result, farmers complain of 'chita' and other weakness of the crop, mainly resulting from maladjustment with soil and weather. "We must therefore avoid it," he said, adding Bangladesh should also preserve the age-old seeds without failing.

"We may increase food productivity from high yielding varieties," Chowdhury said.

However, noted agricultural scientists Dr Mahbub Hossain speaks for increasing cultivation of hybrid crops. He is of the view that only the hybrid rice can help multiply the harvest to overcome the food deficiency.

In India, he said, small farmers are taking more interest in hybrid rice cultivation as it yields twice as much the harvest. For Bangladesh where population is steadily increasing, hybrid crop may be a good option, he argued.

Sources said Bangladesh this year produced hybrid Boro on seven lakh hectares and reports from many areas speak of infection of 'chita' in the crop.

Dr Mahbub does not agree with the suggestion that farmers may become hostage to multinationals. He said hybrid seeds may even be produced at the village level under special arrangements of the Department of Agriculture.

Steps to export manpower to Russia: Market for skilled workers opening up in Canada

UNB, Dhaka

The opportunities for employment of skilled Bangladeshi workers are opening up in North American and European countries such as Canada, Poland and Russia, according to latest official disclosure.

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, also in charge of the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment, expressed his happiness at the good news.

He said: "We are pleased, because this is in line with our 9-Point labour-export policy. These numbers for Canada, Poland and Russia are as yet small, but still a new beginning has been made."

According to a Foreign Ministry's release, as of now, 1,156 skilled workers have been pre-selected for recruitment for Poland, two engineers have already been selected and some others' recruitment is expected by BOESL-the official recruiting agency for overseas jobs.

Currently, it said, a high-power delegation is visiting Russia to explore market opening.

So far this year, 365,000 emigration clearances have been issued for overseas employment. At this rate, the number could even reach a million this year, ministry officials hoped.

During the past year, 832,000 workers found employment cleared-an "all-time record", said the release.

22 get life term in Pirojpur murder case

UNB, Pirojpur

A court here yesterday sentenced 22 people to life term imprisonment in sensational Abdur Rahman murder case.

The convicts are Nasiruddin, Amir Hossain, Harez, Afzal Hossain, Chan Miah, Abdul Kader, Naimul Haq, Panna, Mohiuddin, Habib, Ansar, Mirza Mojibor, Rustam Ali, Mozammel (1), Idris, Aziz, Nurul Islam, Mozammel (2), Mojid, Siddique, Mosharraf and Jhunu Of them, Naimul Haq, Mozammel (1), Mozammel (2), Mojid, Jhunu, Mosharraf and Aziz are tried in absentia while the others were present in the dock when the judgement was pronounced. The court also fined them Tk 10,000 each, in default, to suffer one year RI more.

According to the prosecution, the convicts hacked Abdur Rahman of Junia village in Bhandaria upazila when they tried snatch gold ornaments from his wife and was resisted by him on June 5, 1994 leaving him critically injured.

Foodgrain insurance for farmers urged

Staff Reporter

Leaders of the Bangladesh Farmer's Association (BFA) yesterday called upon the Government to introduce foodgrain insurance for the farmers to ensure their food security.

"A huge quantity of foodgrains is damaged every year due to natural calamities," Morshed Ali, General Secretary of BFA said adding, " The losses of the farmers would be compensated if the government launched foodgrains insurance for them from the next budget."

He was addressing a press conference at the office of the Communist Party Bangladesh (CPB).

Morshed Ali said the farmers would be encouraged to produce additional crops if they got compensation for damages of their harvest through the foodgrain insurance.

He also urged the government to allocate more fund in the agriculture sector in next budget.

Advocate SM Sabur, President of BFA, said that the Government should take necessary steps to provide diesel subsidy to 'real' Boro farmers. He pointed out that the real 'Boro' farmers did not get diesel subsidy which the government started distributing from April 16 at different parts of the country.

"If the farmers got diesel subsidy, they would be encouraged to produce additional 'Aman' crops," he added.

He also called upon the government to ensure uninterrupted supply of agricultural inputs to the farmers.

"It is necessary to gear up the activities of the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) for smooth supply of agricultural inputs to the farmers," he further said.

Sazzad Zahir, Organising Secretary of BFA said the Government should set up foodgrains purchasing centre at village level so that growers get fair price for their produce.

Nurur Rahman Salim, Vice President and Hari Sadan Deb Brakan, Joint secretary also addressed the press conference.

Binod Bihari, hospitalized

Chittagong Correspondent

Binod Bihari Chowdhury, a revolutionist and leader of the anti-British movement and a close associate of the celebrity Mastarda Surya Sen, has been admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) this morning.

Family sources said that the 98-year old, a leading hothead of the Indian independence movement, was taken to the CMCH emergency from his Momin Road residence at around 9:30 am.

He was later shifted to the cardiology department of the CMCH, attending physicians of the hospital said.

Head of the CMCH Cardiology Department Dr. Manzur Morshed is currently taking care of Binod Bihari, the CMCH sources said.

Dr Manzur told the reporters that the veteran campaigner was admitted to the hospital due to complications related to asphyxia and anaemia. He was doing better now, the doctor added.

Poor mother drowned 3 kids, commis suicide

UNB, Mymensingh

Mother of six children Aklima Begum in her late 20s could no longer bear the burden. Tormented by poverty and miseries she took the extreme course - committed suicide by hanging after drowning three of the children in the pond yesterday.

Officer-in-charge of Phulbari thana Abul Kashem quoting Daulat Mia, husband of Aklima, said pale and broken health she went to her father' s home with all the children in neighbouring Titpur village on Saturday last.

She had no square meals for the children or the solace either in the home of her peasant father. Distressed and desperate she took her three daughters Tanjima (7), Khadiza (5) and Liza (3) to the pond and drowned them at about 11 am.

Bewildered by her own deed Aklima soon hanged herself with her saree from the nearby tree.

DCC to set up CNG-refilling station to cut fuel costs

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) plans to set up a CNG-refilling station and conversion workshop of its own on Dhakeshwari Road in old town in a bid to cut its fuel costs, according to DCC officials.

At present, DCC spends Tk 9 lakh per day or Tk 32.40 crore a year as fuel costs for collecting and dumping solid wastes, and transport of the DCC's staff members, sources added.

An official of the DCC said "If we set up a CNG station for our own purposes, fuel cost will be reduced by at least 70 per cent and this will save a huge amount of money."

The site for the CNG station has been selected on Dhakeshwari Road opposite to Janata Bank.

"As this plot of land always remains under illegal occupation, DCC will launch a drive to recover the plot from the illegal occupation," said the official.

DCC has 517 vehicles, including conservancy trucks and staff buses, 250 motorcycles for its supervisors and inspectors of different departments apart from 139 devices such as asphalt plant, pay loader, bulldozer and excavator.

A four-member committee, headed by BM Enamul Hoque, General Manager (Transport), has been formed to implement the programme.

According to an owner of CNG station and conversion workshop, it needs Tk 4 crore to set up a CNG station and minimum Tk 1 crore for running a conversion workshop. The amount varies depending on the storage of conversion equipment.

Suu Kyi detention won’t affect cyclone aid: Donors

BSS, Yangon

Outrage over Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest will not detract from relief work, key donors said, as the United Nations on Wednesday reported small gains in getting aid to cyclone survivors.

The military regime quietly informed the Nobel Peace Prize winner that she would spend another year confined to her home in Yangon, where she has been locked away for most of the past 18 years.

The decision came just two days after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon left Myanmar following a donor conference that generated tens of millions of dollars in aid pledges in response to the cyclone that left 133,000 dead or missing.

Ban said that while he regretted the extension, Myanmar appeared "to be moving in the right direction" with cyclone relief by allowing some international aid workers into the most devastated regions of the Irrawaddy Delta.