The New Nation - Internet Edition

Hasina leaves for US amid tight security

Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina saying goodbye to
party activists at her Sudha Sadan residence yesterday
before boarding a car for journey towards Zia International
Airport. FocusBangla

UNB, Dhaka

Former Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina left for London en route to the USA and Canada yesterday morning, a day after her release from prison amid some dramatic developments in the political arena.

Awami League senior leaders saw her off at Zia International Airport as a British Airways flight carrying her took off at 8:29 am, amid a tight security cover in and around the airport.

The airport authorities didn't allow print and electronic media to cover her departure on the overseas trip meant for her medical treatment and meeting her son and daughter.

Dr Hasan Mahmud, a close aide to Hasina, told reporters that the former Prime Minister would meet her younger sister Sheikh Rehana at Heathrow airport in London on way to Boston where she will meet her son Sajiv Wazed Joy.

She will then fly to Canada to see her daughter Saima Wazed Putul. She will fly back to Florida where she will see doctors for her damaged ears.

Hasina's ears were badly damaged under the impact of grenade attacks on her public rally in Dhaka on August 21, 2004. Her hearing aids became dysfunctional while in jail for 11 months.

Hasina was arrested on July 16 last year in connection with a corruption case during anti-corruption crackdown on politicians launched by the incumbent military-backed caretaker government following the January 11, 2007 changeover.

She was released from a makeshift jail in the parliament complex Wednesday for an interim period of eight weeks for her treatment abroad.

Last Monday, special courts exempted Hasina from personal attendance to courts during trial proceedings in four cases of extortion and corruption following applications from her lawyers on medical grounds.

Stopover at Heathrow

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League president Sheikh Hasina yesterday reached Heathrow Airport in London on her way to the USA and Canada. According to a report reached here last night, Hasina reached London at 1:40pm (Local time).

Hasina's younger sister Sheikh Rehana met her at Heathrow in an emotion-charged atmosphere.

UK Awami League president Shamsuddin Ahmed was, among others, present.

Hasina will fly for Boston after a four-hour stopover at Heathrow.

9 killed in Natore lynching: RAB, cops, villagers fight alleged dacoits

Staff Reporter

Nine suspected robbers were killed in a mass beating and gunfight between robbers and the elite force RAB at Bara Adimpur village at Singra upazila in Natore on Wednesday night.

Police said local people surrounded the alleged robbers numbering twelve

when they assembled at Bara Adimpur Primary School for committing robbery at about 2:00am.

Tipped off, patrol teams of police and elite-force RAB rushed to the spot. Sensing their presence, the robbers opened fire on the law-enforcers prompting them to fire back. In the gunfight, three robbers sustained fatal bullet injuries.

The villagers had chased down the suspected robbers. Some of them jumped into a nearby pond and some others fled the scene.The angry mob caught hold of eight robbers and lynched six of them.

Two of the injured robbers died at the Singra Upazila Health Complex soon after admission.

The law enforcers recovered a bullet-ridden body from a pond.The law enforcers also recovered some firearms from the spot. Senior police and RAB officials later visited the spot.

8.6m children remain out of schools

These children when they were required to go to
school for education instead being employed at a bidi
factory at Haragach in Rangpur to earn their livelihood.
FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

Approximately 8.6 million children in Bangladesh are not attending schools while many of the school going children drop out and start working at an early age.

This was disclosed at a seminar on Education: the Right Response to Child Labour yesterday marking the World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) chaired by Labour and Employment Secretary Dr Mahfuzul Haque.

International Labour Organisation, UNICEF and UNESCO jointly organised the seminar in collaboration with Ministries of Labour and Employment and Primary and Mass Education at a local Hotel.

More than 70 million primary school aged children are not enrolled in school worldwide, said a research paper placed in the seminar. It revealed that lifetime earning ability of children is reduced by 13-20 per cent because of entering into the workforce at a young age.

If the child labour was eliminated and replaced by universal education in next 20 years, the economic and social benefit would exceed costs by 6.7:1, according to an ILO study.

Also, findings of a joint ILO-UNICEF-UNESCO study on "Child Labour and Education", were presented by the BRAC University researchers Layli Uddin and Altaf Hossain.

Dr Mahfuzul Haque said the Government has already prepared a final draft of National Policy for Elimination Child Labour with the objective of reducing the number of child labourers from different economic sectors.

He said that the Government would establish a Child Labour Monitoring Unit, which is likely to start work from next September. He also informed that the government is also considering ratification of ILO Convention 138, which is an internationally recognized standard for setting minimum age of admission into work.

Primary and Mass Education Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said Bangladesh has achieved significant development in education due to many programmes undertaken by the Government.

Referring to a demand to increase budgetary allotment for education, he said that it would depend on the increase of government revenue.

ILO Country Director Panudda Boonpala called for an education dimension in the struggle against child labour. "Let us continue to work together for education for all children at least to the minimum age of employment; education policies that reach out to child labourers and to all children, and decent work for adult."

During the inaugural session, child workers' representative Rubina made a clarion call to the employers, who engage children at work, to allow them free time for leisure, time to play and go to school. "We want to work less time, play with our friends. t We wish our employers will show good manner to us" she said.

Nabendra Dahal of UNICEF said only 2.5 per cent of GDP is invested in education in Bangladesh, which needs to be enhanced significantly to create an impact, particularly on child labour.

UNESCO representative Malama Meleisea said commitments of adults and decision makers are important for ensuring the quality of education and to remove the failure of education policies of South Asia.

"Children are still commodities to be exchanged, traded and kicked out. This situation has to be changed" he said.

Dr. Wajedul Islam Khan said trade unions need to take up education of children and child labour in their workplaces and in the collective bargaining process.

C K Hyder said elimination of child labour depends mainly on two things - political commitment and education.

Gautam hits ton: India storm into final

Mohammad Ashraful hitting a on drive shot during the
last group match of Kitply Cup triangular series against
India at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Natikonal Stadium on
Thursday. FocusBangla

Sports Reporter

India stormed into the final of the Tri-Nation Kitply Cup when they vanquished the hosts Bangladesh by seven wickets in their last league ODI match at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.

Earlier, India defeated Pakistan by 140 runs in their first ODI match on June 10 at the same venue.

Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 70 runs in the opening match on June 8 at the same venue.

India will meet Pakistan tomorrow in the final at the same venue.

Coin-favoured Bangladesh decided to bat first and scored 222 off 49.5 overs.

In reply, India romped home and dry in 35.1 overs making 223 for the loss of three wickets.

India made a solid start as the two openers, Gautam Gambhir and Virendar Sehwag put on together 85 runs in the opening stand. Gautam Gambhir remained undefeated with 107 off 101 balls. He struck 13 fours and a six.

Virendar Sewag hit a windy 50 using just 32 balls. He cracked seven boundaries and two over boundaries.

Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh added 26 runs each to India's total.

Dollar Mahmud, Farhad Reza and Abdur Razzak took one wicket each conceding 42, 45 and 48 runs respectively.

Gautam Gambhir was adjudged Man of the Match for his spectacular batting performance.

A chanceless 89 by Rakibul Hasan helped Bangladesh

to make a modest total of 222 off 49.5 overs against India's tight bowling.

Bangladesh made a sorry start as they lost their two early wickets for just 17 runs.

Later, Rakibul Hasan and skipper Mohammad Ashraful repaired the damage contributing together 76 runs in the third wicket stand before Mohammad Ashraful was caught and bowled by Yousuf Pathan when the team's total was 93 for the loss of three wickets.

Rakibul Hassan fought back against the controlled bowling of Indian bowlers before he was caught at mid on by Praveen Kumar off Rudro Pratap Singh when the board was giving a reading of 187 for the loss of six wickets. Rakibul Hassan played 117 deliveries in his inning which was studded with five strokes through the ropes.

Rudro Protap Singh was his team's most successful bowler. He grabbed three wickets giving away 46 runs.

Mohammad Ashraful knocked a polished 36 off 67 balls amid two fours.

Besides, Mahmudullah Riad, Alok Kapali, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza added 24, 20 and 13 runs to Bangladesh total.

Irfan Pathan, the medium pacer of India removed Alok Kapali and Dollar Mahmud. He harpooned Dollar for a duck. Irfan Pathan scalped two for 48 runs.

Yousuf Pathan, Praveen Kumar and Piyush Chawla took one wicket each in the space of nine, 32 and 42 runs respectively.

It may be mentioned that it was Rakibul Hassan's career best. Earlier, Rakibul made 63 against South Africa in March 2008.

UK shadow Home Secy resigns: 42-day UK terror detention plan

David Davis

Guardian, London

The shadow home secretary, David Davis, yesterday dramatically and unexpectedly announced that he is to resign as an MP and force a byelection over the government's 42-day terror detention plan.

Davis, the Haltemprice and Howden MP, made a statement outside the House of Commons at 1pm, taking Westminster by surprise. David Cameron quickly appointed Dominic Grieve, the shadow attorney-general, as his new shadow home secretary.

Cameron described Davis's move as "courageous" but emphasised that it was a personal one. He wished Davis well in his campaign and said that he and other Conservatives "may well" go up to campaign for him.

But announcing Grieve's appointment, he said: "My responsibility as leader of the

Conservative party is to put inplace at all times the strongest, best and most permanent team and to offer our country a better government."

Davis said was resigning as an MP to "take a stand" and force a byelection on the issue of the "relentless erosion" of freedom in the wake of the government's 42-day terror detention plan. "I will argue in this byelection against the slow strangulation of fundamental British freedoms by this government."

He said the undermining of civil liberties through moves such as 42 days and the introduction of ID cards "cannot go on".

"It must be stopped and for that reason today I feel it is incumbent on me to take a stand," he told reporters outside the Commons.

Aides to Davis had indicated that last night's vote was "do or die", and he had staked a great deal of his credibility on the outcome.

Privately Davis has accepted that many on the Tory benches were uncomfortable about opposing tough law-and-order measures.

However, he is seen as one of the shadow cabinet's best operators, and has claimed the scalps of a succession of home secretaries.

His popularity among the Conservative grass roots was demonstrated when he came runner-up to David Cameron for the party leadership in 2005.

A spokeswoman for David Cameron insisted there was "absolutely no rift" between the two men.

Davis told Cameron and the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, about his decision last night. The Liberal Democrats were quick to put out a statement saying that they would not put up a candidate against Davis.

Clegg said: "David Davis's decision to resign his seat and fight a byelection over the issue of 42 days is a dramatic move. I am grateful to him for having informed me following the vote of his intention to take this step.

"The Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed this unnecessary and illiberal proposal which poses a threat so serious to British liberties that it transcends party politics.

"I have therefore decided, after consultation with the party nationally and locally, that we will not stand a candidate at the forthcoming byelection which will be contested by David Davis solely on this issue.

"The Liberal Democrats will of course fight the Haltemprice and Howden seat as vigorously as ever at the next general election."

The Lib Dems had targeted the seat in 2005 as part of its ill-fated "decapitation" strategy to unseat key Tory figures but Davis was re-elected with a 5,116 majority.

Labour sources also said they were unlikely to put up a candidate against Davis, describing his actions as a "stunt".

Labour MP Denis MacShane said: "We are looking at an Italian political drama. It's a stunt.

Death penalty for terror financing

Staff Reporter

The President promulgated the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2008 providing death penalty for offences like terror financing and staging murder to create panic and jeopardize country's sovereignty.

The Ordinance came into effect from yesterday through gazette notification.

Special Tribunal will be constituted to deal with such offences, which are non-bailable.

The Ordinance says anyone who gives or takes money, service or property to instigate terrorist act will be charged with committing terrorist offence.

If anyone resorts to murder, inflicting grievous injury, confinement, kidnapping or damaging property to create panic among the people or government and jeopardizes the country's security, sovereignty and integrity

by using explosives, arms and chemicals, one will commit terrorist offence.

"Such offender is liable for death penalty or transportation for life or fine or both," the tough new law says.

The Ordinance empowers Bangladesh Bank to freeze account of a suspected terror and give directions to banks concerned to take preventive measures against monetary transactions for financing terrorist acts.

On banned outfits, the Ordinance provides maximum punishment of seven years imprisonment with fines for a member or supporter of an outlawed organization.

According to the Ordinance, the government will be able to set up one or more Anti-Terrorist Special Tribunals to deal with the offences.

The timeframe for resolving a case in anti-terrorist offence has been fixed for six months after charge framing.

RU faces session jam, delay in completion of studies: Teachers involved in part-time jobs in private varsities

RU Correspondent

The students of different faculties of the Rajshahi University are being deprived of proper education as a good number of teachers of this seat of learning are now engaged in a part-time job in private universities, NGOs and private companies in utter violation of the 1973 University Act.

Shortage of teachers is also hampering the education of students of different departments, according to university sources.

As many as 300 teachers out of 1057 of RU are now associated with private universities located in the divisional headquarters and Dhaka, NGOs and private companies, sources said.

Besides, over 250 posts of teacher are now lying vacant. Moreover, nearly 150 teachers are either carrying out research work or pursuing higher education abroad.

Most of the RU teachers working with private universities and NGS are from the faculties of business studies, law, science, social science, arts, bio-geological science. Some teachers have been doing part-time job in more than four private universities in Rajshahi and Dhaka.

There are at least 20 private universities in Rajshahi city. Darul Ahsan University, Northern University, Southern University, Asian University and Royal University are some of them.

Engagement of the RU teachers in private universities and consultancy services in NGOs are delaying the completion of courses of various departments and creating session jam, a teacher of the university said wishing to remain unidentified.

Inordinate delay in completing courses and session jam have been putting heavy financial strain on many poor guardians of the students, he noted.

He further said that the monthly salary of a teacher of RU ranges between Tk 29 thousand and Tk 11 thousand depending on seniority besides 40 percent house rent and other allowances.

When contacted, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mamnunul Keramat told the New Nation that the syndicate of the university has allowed a teacher to do part-time teaching job in only two private universities at a time.

However,Prof. Mohammad Shafi, acting registrar of RU, maintains that involvement of

a teacher of the public university in a private university is not only unethical but also unlawful .

Some guardians of students of RU said that teachers of the public universities must have full commitment to their respective parent university and that they should not chase after earning extra money at the cost of education of students.

Body to review some sections of EPR

BSS, Dhaka

A high-level meeting at the Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs here yesterday decided to review the necessity of use of some sections of the Emergency Power Rules (EPR), including Section 15, in filing graft cases and submission of charge sheets.

Director General (DG) of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Colonel Hanif Iqbal at his regular press briefing said the meeting formed a committee headed by Secretary of the Ministry of Law Kazi Habibul Awal for this purpose.

Colonel Hanif said the committee would verify the advantages and disadvantages of the use of some clauses, including Section 15, of the EPR in filing graft cases and submission of the charge sheets.

Adviser for Law and Parliamentary Affairs AF Hassan Ariff, Adviser for Education and

Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman and Adviser for Communications, Housing and Public Works Major General (retd) Ghulam Quader attended the meeting while the ACC was represented by acting Chairman Habibur Rahman and Commissioner Monjoor Mannan.

Two senior public prosecutors - Sharfuddin Khan Mukul and Anisul Haque - would be the members of the review committee on behalf of the ACC, the DG said.

He said the meeting elaborately discussed the application of the EPR, particularly the necessity of the use of Section 15 and other rules in filing cases.

The committee will recommend the government about the essentiality of the EPR and its different sections, the DG said adding, that on the basis of the recommendation the government would take next decision on the use of the sections of the EPR.

Khaleda calls for equal application of law

UNB, Dhaka

Detained former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday called for equal application of law and creating an environment to ensure all party's participation in the elections.

Talking to her lawyers in a special court where she came to attend Niko scam case, Khaleda also called for immediate lifting of the state of emergency to create an enabling atmosphere for the polls.

About BNP's participation in the dialogue with the government, she said an atmosphere for dialogue must be created and "then time will say whether or not we will join it."

The former Prime Minister again said her two sons are very sick and they should be sent abroad for their proper treatment. She asked the government to stop arresting BNP leaders and workers in the name of anti-terror crackdown,

saying that she is not opposed to the genuine anti-terror drive as, while in power, she also had taken strong action against terrorists.

About 20 percent dearness allowance proposed in the new budget for government employees to cope with price-hike, she questioned what would happen to other people in society facing the same price-hike problem.

Begum Zia suggested practical steps to contain the price-spiral of essentials and to provide subsidy for agriculture inputs including fertilizer to save the peasants.

Earlier, the special court of judge Khandaker Kamal Uzzaman heard legal debates on the necessity of holding trial of the same Niko case against Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia in two separate courts.

The judge will give his decision on June 18.

Anti-crime drive 1951 held in 24 hrs: 11 arms recovered

Staff Reporter

At least 25,000 people have been arrested so far by law enforcers in the anti-crime crackdown launched across the country under emergency power rules.

A press release issued by the Police headquarters yesterday Police in separate drives across the country arrested 1,591 people in the last 24 hours till 6:00am.

The law enforcers also recovered 11 firearms, 10 crude bombs and 43 rounds of bullet during the period, it added.

In Chapainawabganj, the police recovered a pistol, four bullets and arrested three men from Raghobpur village in Shibganj upazila Thursday.

Shafiqul, 45, and his son Salahuddin, 20, were arrested in a raid of their house from where arms and ammunition seized.

Later, Mujibur, an associate of Salahuddin was picked up from his house.

In Bagerhat, Rapid Action Battalion arrested a ringleader of a robber gang along with six firearms and bullets from Shoronkhola range in the Sunderbans yesterday.

RAB-6 sources said they nabbed gang leader of 'Kabir Bahini' Kabir Hossain and recovered six firearms and 48 rounds of bullet from the forest as per his confessional statement.

The arms and ammunition were deposited to Sharankhola thana.

In Comilla, the staff of Suaganj Forest Station seized a truck loaded with teak timber worth Tk 6 lakh and arrested two people in Daudkandi upazila yesterday.

On information, the officials and employees of the forest station of Social Forest Department chased the Dhaka-bound truck.

Later, they halted the truck near Shahidnagar in Daudkandi upazila and recovered 300 cft of teak timber from it.

The officials also arrested truck driver Abdul Alam, 25, and helper Jahangir Alam, 24, in this connection.

Fast-track’ process for Hasina undermines judiciary: Odhikar

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Odhikar, a human-rights organisation, yesterday criticised a "fast-track judicial process" for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, exempting her from personal appearance in court.

"The way the caretaker government has fast-tracked the judicial process by getting courts to issue orders in a day exempting former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from personal appearance has exposed, yet again, use of judicial process for extraneous purposes," Odhikar alleged.

Odhikar also pointed to the return of Hasina's seized passports to "purportedly facilitate her treatments".

"These hurried decisions have seriously undermined the judiciary and the judicial process in the people's perception," it said in its report on 17 months of emergency in Bangladesh, released Thursday.

"In fact, at the time of releasing this report, Sheikh Hasina has been released on parole for 8 weeks on medical grounds and is on her way to the US."

"It is obvious that political calculation has overwritten both the emergency and the ordinances by which the regime is ruling the country, but most importantly the normal process of the judiciary," Odhikar alleged.

Odhikar urged the government to focus on the election process and return the country to normalcy to create a proper environment to regain confidence of people.

"Manipulation of state organs and institutions for preconceived outcomes has seriously undermined peoples' confidence in the regime and Bangladesh is already hanging on a very risky margin," Odhikar claimed.

"Further doubts about the intention of the regime can flare up serious political instability that may go beyond the control of such extra-constitutional government," it warned.

The human-rights watch group recommended that courts must be allowed to regain peoples' confidence by functioning independently on human rights as "enshrined in international covenants".

It said: "Repressive tactics against the dissenting political forces must be stopped immediately. Mass arrests must stop immediately and political leaders and activists released."

"The government must secure and guarantee individual rights of those arrested."

Odhikar said the approved Antiterrorism Ordinance must be repealed and the government must immediately consult with a wider section of the people to resolve issues considered problematic.

It is urgent, according to the nongovernmental organisation, that the Appellate Division review its own judgement to sustain the High Court's inherent and constitutional powers to hear bail petitions even in the cases under the emergency powers rules.

"Extrajudicial killings, torture and indiscriminate arrests should cease to continue."

Odhikar claimed it paid special attention to 'emergency', an extraordinary measure in itself that poses a major challenge to human rights, for the last 17 months, since the state of emergency was imposed on Jan 11, 2007.