The New Nation - Internet Edition

President, CA greet Italian counterparts on the occasion of their National Day

UNB, Dhaka

President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed have greeted their Italian counterparts on the occasion of their national day that falls on Monday.

In a message to Italian President Georgio Nepolitano, Dr Iajuddin said, "I take this opportunity to express my firm belief that the existing friendly relations between the two countries will be further developed in the coming years."

The Chief Adviser, in another message to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, firmly hoped that the existing bonds of friendship between the two countries would further be flourished in the years ahead.

"Bangladesh deeply values its relations with the Republic of Italy and is committed to further strengthen and deepen the close ties existing between the two countries. I'm confident that the friendly relations between Bangladesh and Italy will grow in depth and dimension in the years to come," said Dr Fakhruddin.

Both the President and Chief Adviser also wished for their good health and happiness as well as for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the people of Italy.

World No Tobacco Day observed

UNB, Dhaka

World No Tobacco Day was observed across the country on Saturday as elsewhere in the world stressing the need for stopping tobacco use, especially among the youths.

This year's theme for the day was: Tobacco Free Youth: Safer and Healthier.

Some 85 percent young people, aged 12-24, out of 1.8 billion around the world, live in developing countries.

The tobacco industry intensifies its efforts to enlist new, young and potentially life-long tobacco users. The health of a significant percentage of the world's youth is seriously threatened by their deadly products.

Various anti-tobacco organizations observed different programmes to mark the day.

Like every year, ADHUNIK, a leading anti-tobacco organization, observed through holding a discussion meeting at the National Press Club.

Speaking on the occasion, CAT (Coalition Against Tobacco) President and ADHUNIK Senior Vice-President Amanullah Khan said the youth community is the main target and victim of the tobacco companies. Because if tobacco companies could enlist the youth addicts, they would become their customers for life.

He alleged the tobacco companies focused their target on 36 percent youth population of the world that meant a 1.8 billion consumer market. Bangladesh has 40 percent youth in its total population that provides a prime market of about 56 million young population up for the grabs by the tobacco companies.

He pointed out that the government has realized from the tobacco companies an amount of Tk 2800 crore during the current fiscal (2007-8) till February as VAT and Supplementary Duty (SD) which work out to about 30 percent of the total VAT and SD while such revenue earned from the tobacco products stood at 31.50 percent last year indicating an unhealthy over dependence on tobacco to fill government coffers.

Khan also expressed disappointment that the rates of duty and tax structure on the tobacco has remained more or less static for last several years despite the persistent demand of different anti-tobacco organizations to raise the tax level considerably to make bidi and cigarettes more costly in an attempt to discourage people from smoking.

He also mentioned that sales, profit and share prices of British American Tobacco, Bangladesh (BATB) are mounting rapidly. Its sales rose to Tk 3,787 crore in 2007 from Tk 3,500 crore in 2006 and its share price more than doubled in a year.

He added that this increasing trend of sales of BATB is not an accident but it is the result of their clever strategy and shrewd business tactics as well as the failure to apply the anti-tobacco legislation strictly and diligently.

He also suggested that in view of the food crisis that the world is facing today, and which is likely to get worse in future, it is high time tobacco crops are replaced by the staple food crops like rice, wheat and maize.

He spelled out the slogan of the day: "We want to cultivate food crops not poisonous tobacco". This slogan, he said, should be communicated to the farmers by the anti-tobacco campaigners in their respective districts or territories.

Speaking on the occasion, National Professor Dr Nurul Islam, founder president of ADHUNIK, stressed the need for stopping use of tobacco before it assumes the enormity of a social curse.

Stressing the importance on rigorously implementing the anti-tobacco laws, he said the prime responsibility of today is to protect the youth from tobacco addiction.

Prof. Islam put emphasis on three points. These are: Taxes on tobacco products should be increased 200 percent so that it is removed from the affordability of the young males and females, anti-tobacco lessens should be included as a major component in the formal and informal education system, and thirdly, education institutions should be declared tobacco-free.

In his speech, ADHUNIK executive secretary MA Jabbar said creating a tobacco-free world is not so difficult if the youth force could be kept free from tobacco use alongside engaging them in nation building works.

Showing a grim picture of tobacco users, Jabbar informed that every year, 54 lakh people in the world die of tobacco related diseases. The number would rise to 80 lakh by 2030 if the use of tobacco could not be stopped.

B Chowdhury demands local govt polls as per constitution

UNB, Dhaka

President of Bikalpadhara Bangladesh Prof Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury Sunday demanded of the government to hold elections to the local bodies timely as per the constitution.

"The district, upazila and union level elections should be held timely as per the constitution," he said at an opinion exchange meeting at the party office in the afternoon.

The Bikalpadhara president welcomed the local leaders, who came from Bogra district, intending to take part in the local government elections with the support of the party.

He stressed the need for electing honest people in the district, upazila and union level elections, saying that a major portion of the national budget is spent through such elected public representatives for the development of the country. "Honest, competent, meritorious and patriotic men are needed at these levels," he said.

Saying that politics is very important for any country, Prof B Chowdhury said the politicians might create problems, but they also know how to solve the problems. "If politics remain in the hands of honest people, the country will certainly develop," he added.

The Bikalpadhara president hoped that the party leaders and activists would take part in the local government elections with a pledge to love the people and work unitedly to remove corruption from the society.

"No party symbol can be used in the local government elections, but you'll get the support from us," he said.

Govt. trying utmost to persuade political parties to join dialogue

UNB, Dhaka

Communication Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader Sunday said the government is trying its utmost to persuade the political parties including Awami League and BNP to join the dialogue ahead of the parliamentary elections.

"We are hopeful about their participation," he told reporters at his Secretariat office in the morning.

The Adviser said the political parties had asked the government to arrange dialogue sans any condition and the government had done so. "Now they should sit in the dialogue as the government has kept its words."

The government, he said, has taken various steps to ensure participation of the political parties in the dialogue.

The Communication Adviser, however, declined to make any comment when asked if the government's initiatives include the release of detained prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.

Bangladesh-UK ties are strategic: Foreign Adviser

UNB, Dhaka

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury has described the relationship between Bangladesh and United Kingdom as "close and strategic".

The Foreign Adviser said this following a meeting with UK Minister of Defence Des Browne on the sidelines of the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore, according to a message received here today.

They discussed the ways and means of cooperation on defence training and security issues between the two countries.

The British Minister appreciated the modernizing values of Bangladesh and said that methodologies should be devised to reach this "narrative" to the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK.

He also called upon the Bangladeshi community in the UK to play a positive and constructive role in British politics soon.

Earlier, Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury also held a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama.

They discussed the agenda of the upcoming SAARC Summit in Colombo and agreed that the discussions in Colombo should focus on 'partnership', building on the previous theme of 'connectivity'.

Delimitation of JS constituencies: 3,000 objection against 51 seats

UNB, Dhaka

In an objection galore against delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, the Election Commission's complaint box is full with 3,000 objections on 51 out of the 64 redesigned seats. However, the EC is yet to set the principles on which they would ask the plaintiffs and conduct hearing on the objections. "No more objections will be taken after the working hours of the day and the hearing will be held from June 8 to 25," Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain told reporters Sunday. Of the objections, seven or eight are major, he said, while, according to the EC sources, about 3,000 objections have been filed against the draft delimitation.

"There are some objections which suggest delimiting such places where we haven't done it," Sakhawat said, adding that the EC is yet to decide how the process of hearing would be conducted. There are hundreds of objections on only one constituency regarding the same allegation or suggestion, the Election Commissioner said. The EC would sit on Monday and decide whether to call all the 500 plaintiffs or only a few for a similar type of objections, he said.

Doctors urged to be sincere for cancer treatment

BSS, Dhaka

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Post and Telecommunications Brig. Gen (retd) M A Malek yesteday urged the physicians to be more sincere for treatment of killer disease cancer.

"We should create countrywide awareness about this disease," he said while addressing a seminar marking the World Cancer Survivors Day-'08 in the Shaheed Zia Auditorium of National Museum here.

Ahsania Mission Cancer and General Hospital organised the seminar with President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Kazi Rafiqul Alam in the chair.

Joint Director of the hospital Brig. Gen (retd) Dr Syed Fazle Rahim also addressed the function while its senior registrar Dr Subrata Mistri presented the keynote paper.

M A Malek held smoking and addiction to drug as mainly responsible for cancer and urged all to avoid this bad habit. "Cancer affects nearly 200,000 people every year and timely treatment may rid the patients from this disease," he said.

The Special Assistant urged doctors and affluent sections of the people to come forward with a missionary zeal in aid of the cancer patients in the country.

"There are around 10 lakh cancer patients in the country," Dr Syed Fazle Rahim said adding, 1.50 lakh patients die every year. "Cure of cancer is possible, if it is identified at the primary stage," he also said.