The New Nation - Internet Edition

AL founding anniversary observed

Awami League leaders placing wreath at the portrait
of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Memorial
Museum at Dhanmondi in the city marking the 59th founding
anniversary of the party on Monday. FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

The leaders of the Awami League reiterated their demand for the withdrawal of the schedule of local government elections and complete lifting of emergency without further delay.

The leaders said this at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum where they went to place wreaths at the Bangabandhu's portrait marking the party's 59th founding anniversary.

They also informed that the party would finalise its decision on participation in the local government election at party's central working committee meeting on June 26.

Awami League Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed said, "No election is possible under the state of emergency. We have enough efficient and qualified candidates for each of the parliamentary constituencies."

"The party's grassroots leaders and workers are waiting for the working committee's decision on the local election. They would accept, no matter what, the decision of the working committee meeting," he noted.

AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said, "We do not want to return to the pre-January 11 situation but want a free, fair and credible national election to restore democracy in the country."

Party central leaders, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and Amir Hossain Amu, among others, attended the function.

AL grassroots eager to take part in local body polls : CWC to take decision on June 26

Pankaj Karmakar

Ignoring the opposition of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, the grassroots level leaders of the party are enthusiastic about taking part in the local government elections.

The AL central leaders have been facing tremendous pressure from the party's grassroots level leaders to allow them to take part in the city corporation and pourashava elections since the announcement of the poll schedules by the Election Commission last Friday.

Party leaders mainly from the four city corporations and nine municipal areas, where the elections are going to be held on August 4, have been arriving in the capital and holding meetings with the central leaders.

It is learnt the AL central leaders have been suggesting them to take part in the elections ignoring what their party chief has been saying against the local government polls before the national election.

A number of party leaders from Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet said they apprised the central leaders about the importance of taking part in the local government elections. Unless the party takes part in the local government election, it would not be able to succeed in the parliamentary elections slated for December this year.

The central leaders of AL are now on a cross-country tour to gather public opinion in favour of their 6-point demand and to strengthen the party's organisational base. They are also reiterating the demand for holding parliamentary election before the local government polls.

Talking to The New Nation AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam hoped that the Government would consider their proposals regarding the holding of the national election before the local government polls.

He called on the Government to announce the schedule for national election and lift the state of emergency without any delay.

He also informed that the decision on joining the August 4 election would be taken at a meeting of the ALCWC, the highest policy-making body of the party, on June 26.

On the other hand, the Caretaker Government expressed its firm stance on holding the local body election in accordance with the announced schedule.

Talking to the New Nation a

nomination aspirant said, " We do not want to give any party the opportunity to 'score goals' in the open net taking advantage of the party's polls boycott."

"The organisational activities of the party will be accelerated ahead of the national election, if the party takes part in the local government election," he pointed out.

Another local AL leader said, "We will be able to understand how much the Government is sincere and honest about holding the national election if the local government election was held on time. Keeping this in mind the party should participate in the local government election."

Some partners of the 14 party alliances also gave the opinion to participate in the local government election, even if it is held before the national election.

Rashed Khan Menon, President of the Workers Party, at a meeting accepted the fact of holding the local government election first.

Nurul Islam, President of Ganatronti Party said, "I have no objection if the local government is held before the national election. I think it will not be at all harmful."

Dr Atiq tells New Nation :Actual sea level rise may be faster than predicted

Dr. Atiq Rahman

Rafiqul Islam Azad

The actual sea level rise is likely to be faster than predictions made by scientists as the rate of warming has been increasing.

An 86cm sea level rise by 2050 which was predicted earlier may actually happen by 2030, said Dr Atiq Rahman, a leading climate researcher who received UNEP's "Champion of the Earth Award" this year.

In an exclusive interview with The New Nation, he said due to acceleration in global warming polar ice caps are melting at a faster rate and contributing to acceleration in sea level rising.

Dr Atiq Rahman, Executive Director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) underscored the need for rapid measures to offset the impacts of sea level rise.

"Recurrence of natural disaster such as two floods in the same crop calendar year is unprecedented. Reappearance of two mega cyclones-- Sidr and Nargis in the region in such a sort time also support the prediction of enhanced frequency of climate induce disasters," he said.

Dr Atiq, who also received Noble Peace Prize as a lead author of IPCC in 2007 and Bangladesh Environment Award-2008, said industrial countries, which are held responsible for global warming, should offer their geographical areas for the shelter for the displaced people of the affected countries such as Bangladesh.

"Every 10,000 tonnes of carbon emitter country or its agencies have to take a Bangladeshi family displaced due to climate change impacts and the government should have to ensure proper training and skilled development of these families so that they could contribute to the country they migrate to," he observed.

He said Bangladesh has been identified as one of the most vulnerable and potentially one of the most severely impacted countries by climate change including extreme weather events.

Dr Atiq Rahman, who hails from Pirojpur district, said the current century is expected to see global warming due to many anthropogenic activities quicker than at any time in the past 10,000 years, he observed.

Climate change will have adverse impacts on human, social and natural systems and sub-systems in different ways and magnitudes, he said.

He mentioned that the super cyclone Sidr and Nargis, and the frequent and prolonged floods of 2007 are the obvious recent examples of such extreme events.

Dr Atiq said the possible sea level rise will affect the country by inundating coastal areas of Bangladesh. A 30-45cm sea level will affect the coastal ecosystems, water and agriculture and food production. This will also dislocate about 35 million people from coastal districts by the year 2050.

For a 30cm sea level rise, it anticipated that next 30 year's development investment would be wiped out in Bangladesh, he said, adding these may create severe problems in rural livelihood, local, regional and sectoral development as well as in sharing scarce resources.

He said climate change impacts may jeopardize all the poverty alleviation and sectoral development efforts taken by the government and NGOs and affect achieving of the MDGs in developing countries like Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's future depends on reducing the risks of climate change for that it must demonstrate leadership in the global negotiating process, he said.

"Every 10,000 tonnes of carbon emitter country or its agencies have to take a Bangladeshi family displaced due to climate change impacts and the government should have to ensure proper training and skilled development of these families so that they could contribute to the country they migrate to," he observed.

He said Bangladesh has been identified as one of the most vulnerable and potentially one of the most severely impacted countries by climate change including extreme weather events.

Dr Atiq Rahman, who hails from Pirojpur district, said the current century is expected to see global warming due to many anthropogenic activities quicker than at any time in the past 10,000 years, he observed.

Climate change will have adverse impacts on human, social and natural systems and sub-systems in different ways and magnitudes, he said.

He mentioned that the super cyclone Sidr and Nargis, and the frequent and prolonged floods of 2007 are the obvious recent examples of such extreme events.

Dr Atiq said the possible sea level rise will affect the country by inundating coastal areas of Bangladesh. A 30-45cm sea level will affect the coastal ecosystems, water and agriculture and food production. This will also dislocate about 35 million people from coastal districts by the year 2050.

For a 30cm sea level rise, it anticipated that next 30 year's development investment would be wiped out in Bangladesh, he said, adding these may create severe problems in rural livelihood, local, regional and sectoral development as well as in sharing scarce resources.

He said climate change impacts may jeopardize all the poverty alleviation and sectoral development efforts taken by the government and NGOs and affect achieving of the MDGs in developing countries like Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's future depends on reducing the risks of climate change for that it must demonstrate leadership in the global negotiating process, he said.

Better implementation of co-financed projects urged

UNB, Dhaka

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday called for greater coordination among development partners to ensure better implementation of co-financed projects.

"Lack of harmonization among development partners delays project implementation," he said while launching a 3-day workshop on procurement reforms at a city hotel.

Bangladesh government, the World Bank, DFID, ADB and AusAid jointly organised the Asia regional workshop titled "Implementing Procurement Reforms and Improving Performance" with eight working sessions.

World Bank country director Xian Zhu and ADB country director Hua Du also spoke at the function.

"Greater harmonization among development partners is essential besides improving our efficiency in implementing projects," said the Finance Adviser.

He said the government was trying to establish a system of governance to ensure accountability and transparency, and to reduce corruption through institutional reforms of the Public Service Commission and separation of the judiciary, and undertaking a process to promulgate Right to Information Ordinance.

He added that the reforms would make the institutions free from political pressure and lobbying in recruitment procedure apart from ensuring transparency and accountability.

"The potential gains from such policy and institutional reforms are enormous but the path to fully implement the reform is not an easy one," World Bank country director Xian Zhu said.

In Bangladesh case, he said, there remain several crosscutting institutional and governance constraints. "Clearly, much more needs to be done to make it sustainable with contributions from public officials and bidding community," he said, assuring of their support to the efforts in implementing the reforms.

ADB country director Hua Du stressed the need for capacity building and improved monitoring of public procurement for full implementation of PPA 2006 in the near future.

Referring to a recent survey in Bangladesh, she noted the progress in the use of country procurement system from 62 percent in 2005 to 77 percent in 2007.

She also assured of ADB's support in the efforts in embarking on complex reforms of the public procurement.

Public-Pvt partnership must be given institutional shape: CA

BSS, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed on Monday said public-private partnership should be given a permanent and institutional shape for promoting trade and business as well as overall development of the country.

Public-private partnership for better trade and business is a continuous process, he added.

The Chief Adviser was presiding over the 4th meeting of Bangladesh Better Business Forum (BBBF) at his office here. Finance and Planning Adviser Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Prof M Tamim, co-chairpersons of five working groups and BBBF members attended the meeting.

BBBF Chairperson Dr Fakhruddin instructed all concerned to implement the recommendations of BBBF, which have already been put into execution, by next two months.

It was stated in the meeting that six urgent decisions of the last BBBF meeting held on April 23 have already been implemented.

Besides, out of 56 short-term decisions taken in that meeting, 28 have been implemented and the remaining are under implementation by different ministries and departments. All concerned have been directed to execute the decisions as early as possible.

Dr Fakhruddin expressed satisfaction over the progress of implementation of the decisions taken in the previous meetings of BBBF.

The meeting said the BBBF Secretariat will monitor the impact of implementation of various decisions. The working groups will identify the problems in business and place specific proposals before BBBF for consideration.

Co-chairpersons of five working groups of BBBF presented recommendations at the meeting and also informed it of the progress of implementation of earlier decisions.

The five working groups are on business financing, infrastructure, macro-economic policy, business launching and working skill.

RUET students vow to continue agitation

RU Correspondent

The Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET ) unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) yesterday vowed to continue its agitation programme and reiterated its call to observe strike on the campus from today.

BCL of RUET called the strike demanding proper action against Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activists responsible for attacking BCL workers on Thursday and meeting its five other demands.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday , the BCL leaders called upon the Vice-Chancellor of RU to meet their six-point demand. The demands include resignation of student welfare adviser Prof. Sayed Abdul Mofiz, arrest and punishment of JCD activists responsible for attacking BCL workers ,unconditional release of arrested students of their student wing and full security on the campus.

" We will not withdraw our agitation programme as the university authorities have not met our demands by Monday", said a BCL leader.

The BCL leaders criticised the university authorities for not taking any action against the JCD activists who attacked the BCL workers.

BCL leaders Faisal, Moshiur,Nazmul, RU unit leader of BCL Masud, city.

Leaders Zedu Sarker and Abdul Momen addressed the press conference.

Nakshi Kantha hero Rupai dead

UNB, Mymensingh

Rupa Mia, whose personal love story is believed to have been depicted by Palli Kabi Jasimuddin in his popular poem Nakshi Kanthar Maath, died at his village home Sunday night at the age of 107.

Rupa Mia, called as 'Rupai' in the poem by the great poet, was suffering from various old age complications. He breathed his last at Silashi village in Gaforgaon upazila at about 11:30pm.

The popular poem was staged by various theatre groups on various occasions across the country since its publication in 1929. It was also included in university curriculum of Bangla department.

Soumitra Shekhar, a teacher of Dhaka University's Bangla Department, told UNB that poet Jasimuddin in his student life came across Rupa Mia when he had been in Mymensingh on a tour and heard his love story.

Moved by Rupa Mia's tragic story, as Shekhar says, the poet narrated it in his poem Nakshi Kanthar Maath wining the hearts of millions.

Nakshi Kantha is a traditional textile craft in Bangladesh featuring elaborate stitching in a spectrum of different styles. The word "kantha" originally suggests a light quilt for mild winters and cool monsoon nights.

The name Nakshi Kantha became particularly popular among literate people after the publication of Jasimuddin's poem Naksi Kanthar Maath.

Chevron to conduct additional seismic survey in gas block 7

UNB, Dhaka

US-based international oil company Chevron will conduct an additional two-dimensional

(2D) seismic survey and drilling an exploration well in the hydrocarbon block 7 located in Bangladesh's southwestern part.

To this effect, Chevron Bangladesh Block Seven Ltd. and its partner Cairn Energy in the Block 7 signed an addendum to the existing Production Sharing Contract (PSC) that was earlier signed with Petrobangla.

In Block 7, encompassing four districts-Barisal, Potuakhali, Jhalakathi and Pirojpur-Chevron has 45 percent of the stakes as the operator while Cairn Energy (Bangladesh) Ltd. owns 45 percent and the remaining 10 percent is owned by BAPEX.

According to a Chevron news release, the additional contract represents part of Chevron's ongoing gas-exploration effort in the southwestern part of Bangladesh, which is expected to start after the monsoon and cyclone season, in December 2008.

"A seismic program will delineate features of interest which were identified by a regional seismic program acquired in 2006. Work will consist of 450 km of 2D seismic data acquisition, and the program later includes the drilling of an exploration well in the block," it said.

Steve Wilson, President of Chevron Bangladesh, said the seismic program in Block 7 aims to identify new reserves to help increase the energy supply to the nation.

Chevron is committed to continuing to expand its efforts to ensure future energy security of the country.

"We look forward to working closely with our partners, with a view to developing the energy sector safely and in an environmentally responsible manner," he said.

He noted that the company's vision of success is finding sufficient resource in and around Block 7 to be able to justify the investment in the infrastructure necessary to develop a South-West Gas hub, supplying Khulna and other neighboring parts on the energy-starved southwest.

Chevron is currently producing over a third of the total gas output in the country from its three fields - Jalalabad, Moulvibazar and Bibiyana. All three fields have been maintaining high-safety standards and records of over 99.9 percent online efficiency.

Sylhet city BNP chief Ariful jailed for 10 yrs

UNB, Sylhet

A court here yesterday sentenced Sylhet city BNP president Ariful Haque Chowdhury to 10 years in jail and his wife Shama to three years in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission under the current countrywide purge.

Arif Chowdhury, also commissioner of ward 18 of the city corporation, is now in Sylhet central jail while his wife Shama Haque Chowdhury remained absconding.

District and Sessions Judge M Abdul Gafur pronounced the judgment at about 5pm.

Nasiruddin, Deputy Director of the ACC Sylhet office, filed the case on September 9, 2007 against the couple on charge of accumulating wealth worth over Tk 2.63 crore through corruption.

In the case statement, the complainant alleged that Arif and his wife concealed information about property worth Tk 1.5 crore and amassed another chunk of property worth over Tk 1.58 crore "illegally".