The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dialogue with BKP held: Local body polls before JS election favoured

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Kallyan Party (BKP), during the dialogue with the Government, yesterday extended its support for holding all local government elections, including upazila polls ahead of the parliamentary elections.

A seven-member BKP delegation led by its Chairman Major General (Retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim put forward 9-point demand. The demands include comprehensive reforms in the administration, ensuring balance of power between MPs and ministers, ministers and prime minister, and prime minister and president.

The BKP also called for bringing amendment to the Constitution to be done by the next elected parliament, and before that, some work can be done through forming Constitution Review Committee, changing the word 'Sanad' in national charter for consensus or policy framework, bicameral parliament, enough power to the army and law-enforcing agencies to check violence before and during the elections.

Briefing journalists after the dialogue, Gen Ibrahim said the BKP proposed inviting ethnic groups and Bangladesh Hindu League, the only political party representing the Hindu community.

He said they also recommended inviting Christian and Buddhist community under coverage of civil society, as the people of these two religions have no political party of their own.

The BKP Chairman said they alerted the government about insidious comments of a few political parties and quarters about the armed forces which wanted to provoke a confrontation between the people and the armed forces.

Asked to clarify the matter of confrontation, he said the chief of a major political party stated in the dock that they 'will see their end'.

He interpreted that the word 'their' referred to the caretaker government and those backing the government and termed such statement vindictive.

The BKP chairman urged people to refrain from saying or doing things, which might lead others to misunderstand the army's role and intentions.

Adviser for Education and Commerce Hossain Zillur Rahman told reporters that the government would like to advance on the basis of consensus; therefore, such vindictive statements were not welcome.

Replying to a question, the Adviser said the government will hold a small-scale conference on June 27 with the local indigenous communities in Khagrachhari.

He said the first regional dialogue would be held in Chittagong on June 28. "Work is progressing on the dialogue with the expatriate Bangladeshis too," he said.

The Adviser said both factions of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have been invited to the dialogue and the government is awaiting their replies.

Replying to a question, the Adviser said there is no possibility of advancing parliamentary elections, in October because of the factor of preparation.

He, however, said elections for local government would not put any impact on national elections, slated for December.

Adviser for Communications Ghulam Quader, Adviser for Law AF Hassan Arif, BKP secretary general Abul Kalam Azad and other leaders--Mohammad Ali Sarker, Momtaz Begum and Abdul Hannan Palash, were present at the dialogue and joint press briefing.

Chittagong Customs House automation from June 28

BSS, Chittagong

The long-awaited automation of the operational activities of Chittagong Customs House (CCH), country's single largest revenue earning facility, will start on June 28.

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is providing necessary logistic supports including finance to introduce the automation of export-import procedures under an agreement with the CCH.

Officials and businessmen told BSS here today that introduction of automation system in the export-import trade procedures of CCH would significantly reduce irregularities and corruption, particularly the tax-dodging, and ensure speedy delivery and shipment of import-export cargoes from now on.

"We have completed all necessary trial preparations for smooth functioning of the automation system," said Matiur Rahman, Joint Commissioner of CCH supervising the process.

He said the entire process of Import General Manifesto (IGM) module would be brought under the 1st phase of automation while total operation of the CCH including the process related to duty assessment for import cargoes and documentation of export cargoes would be done through on-line facilities after 15 days.

The CCH sources said three vital phases in import trade including noting, examination and amendment in the process of IGM submission and at least seven phases of delivery of cargos at jetty point would be abolished due to completion of the job through on-line system instead of existing conventional method.

For example, Matiur Rahman said, a consignee will be able to go through the entire IGM submission process within 10 minutes instead of usual three hours and complete the delivery process within 30 minutes instead of 2-30 hours after introduction of the automation system.

"If the full automation becomes functional, a consignee can do the whole export process from his business establishment without physical presence at the CCH through on- line," he said adding that a trader under this system would be able to do the job at anytime without taking help of others.

According to the officials, initially several select local and multi-national companies having good business track record would be given a freedom to conduct their respective export-import trade procedure through on-line but the CCH authorities would examine their business practices after every six months on the basis of post-audit report.

"The estimated value of saved time due to automation is roughly Taka 100 per month and the annual revenue earning through CCH may increase by 20 percent because of transparency in the export-import procedure" Matiur Rahman said.

For the first time in the last five years, he said, the CCH earned Taka 1,445.85 crore more in revenue income over the targeted Taka 11,893.25 crore even before the expiry of current fiscal year due mainly to massive reform and constant vigilance by the Army-led joint forces in one and a half years.

The CCH earned Taka 9645.25 crore in revenue income in 2003- 2004, Taka 10,874 crore in 2004-2005, Taka 10,711.18 crore in 2005-2006, Taka 10,687.83 crore in 2006-2007 and Taka 13,339.09 crore in the current fiscal year up to June 11.

Matiur Rahman said installation of sufficient numbers of container scanning machines was a must to get full results of the automation. CCCI will realize Taka 50 per Bill of Entry as automation service charge to meet their expenditure for the new system as well as its time-to-time maintenance and upgradation, he said.

CCCI President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury told BSS that the much- expected automation system would make the complicated export- import trade smooth and hassle-free side by side with significantly reducing corruption in this sector.

"Apart from brightening the image of Bangladesh abroad, the automation will protect the honest businessmen from harassment and keep away the tax dodgers from doing illegal businessmen," he said.

Peshajibi Forum urges govt: Hold national polls at the earliest

BSS, Dhaka

Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday urged the government to hold the national election in the country as early as possible.

They said the present caretaker government should hand over power to an elected government through a free and fair election in the greater interest of the country.

They were addressing a seminar on 'Apar Sambhabanar Bangladesh Aj Kon Pathey' organised by the Sammilita Peshajibi Forum in the auditorium of the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh here.

Former Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain addressed the seminar as the chief guest while former Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Engineer Mahmudur Rahman presided over it.

Former Naval Chief Rear Admiral M A Taher, Prof Dr Razia Akhtar Banu of the Political Science Department of Dhaka University, columnist Dr Rezwan Siddiqui and Dr Safikur Rahman, among others, addressed the seminar.

Prof Dr Hasan Mohammad of the Political Science Department of Chittagong University presented the keynote paper.

"We should give importance to education for development of the country," JR Mudasser Hossain said adding that new generations should be built as skilled manpower providing time- befitting education.

Describing the huge potentiality of the country, he said the agriculture sector should be given priority to boost the economy.

The former chief justice laid emphasis on self-criticism for making oneself as a real man which will help the progress and prosperity of the country.

Gradually the country is depending on foreign countries due to lack of competent leadership, Dr Razia Akhtar Banu said adding that people, particularly political leaders, should develop their foresightedness to avoid dependency.

She said there is no alternative to learning English language to build skilled human resources as English is not only a language, but also a technology.

Dr Rezwan Siddiqui urged people to remain alert against any conspiracy to hinder country's development as imperialistic forces are active to stop its progress.

Dr Safiqur Rahman underscored the need for building a national unity removing all differences.

The speakers said the country has a huge potentiality and immense mineral resources due to its geographical location.

They called upon all sections of people to reach a national consensus on national issues so that any concurrency is rooted out from the country.

Matin clarifies NCC statement

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Home adviser MA Matin yesterday clarified a statement on the National Coordination Committee that he made the previous day.

The NCC that works to check serious crimes has no legal validity for taking up new cases, said Matin, the committee's chairman, in Tuesday's statement which created some confusion.

"I was asked (by reporters) whether NCC would continue its activities. As I thought the query was related to court matters, I said NCC did not have any legal validity," said Matin on Wednesday.

"I meant that the NCC does not have the legal basis to file cases with the court or execute cases," Matin told reporters.

"The police, the Anticorruption Commission and the National Board of Revenue have the powers," he said.

Matin said the committee would not itself take up any new case because of paucity of time. "Steps will be taken by selecting among the charges submitted to the committee so far."

On whether the committee would constrain its activities by year-end, the adviser said: "We have not constrained our activities. But we will not start any fresh anticorruption drive either. We will consider cases on a priority basis from the list of corruption suspects already submitted to the government."

"We don't have sufficient time on our hands. Time is too short," said the NCC chairman.

The NCC has so far investigated 488 cases. Of them, 65 have been disposed of, following trial. The remainder of the cases are either on trial or being investigated, the home adviser said Tuesday.

On whether the taskforce would remain active after December, Matin said: "I am hopeful about the taskforce that the next democratic government will continue with it."

E-procurement system for transparency: Tamim

BSS, Dhaka

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Professor Dr M Tamim on Wednesday said the government would set up an e-procurement system to bring transparency and reduce corruption in handling public funds.

"We will establish the e-governance in the procurement system to ensure transparency and accountability for using the public money," he said while speaking as the chief guest at the concluding session of a three-day international workshop at a city hotel.

The Asia regional workshop on 'Implementing Procurement Reforms and improving procurement performance' was organized by the Planning Commission with the support of World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), UK's Department for International Development (DFID) and Australian AusAid.

IMED Secretary Sheikh AK Motahar Hossain chaired the concluding session of the workshop.

The special assistant said harmonisation is needed among the development partners as various development partners have various procurement policies, which was one of the major causes of delaying the implementation of government projects.

"I personally faced such kind of problems in handling various procurement policies," he said adding, "reform is also needed in the donor's procurement policies side by side with the government's initiatives."

Dr Tamim said reforms in the public procurement system started from 2003 by formulating a regulation. After that, in 2006, a public procurement Act was passed and to implement the Act properly, the present government has enacted a public procurement Rules-2008, he added.

Dr Tamim hoped the public procurement law and rules would bring accountability and transparency in the whole procurement process including tender, project approval, work execution and duties of civil servants.

He said training and updating knowledge are very important for proper understanding of different procurement laws and policies to bring efficiency in the entire process.

Later, Motahar told BSS that they have already appointed an international and a local procurement experts under the central procurement technical unit (CPTU) to set up the e-procurement system.

"We could be able to start the e-procurement system by July next year as a pilot basis and within two to three years it could be run completely," he said.

After setting up the e-procurement system, anyone could get information from web site even from his/her home. It would stop the interaction between tender seekers and government officials would reduce the corruption as well as establish transparency in the procurement system.

Nearly 100 participants from host Bangladesh and 16 other countries participated in seven working sessions of the workshop.

MK Anwar, his son, daughter sued

UNB, Comilla

Detained former Agriculture Minister MK Anwar has been sued along with his son and daughter and a Jubo Dal leader for allegedly harassing the plaintiff by implicating in a number of cases and for forgery at BCS examination.

AKM Salauddin Ahmed of Tuzarbhanga village in Daudkandi upazila filed the case against MK Anwar, his daughter Khadiza Anwar and son Mahmud Kaizer Anwar and Jubo Dal general secretary of Meghna upazila unit Zohirul Islam with a judicial magistrate court here yesterday.

Magistrate Sarwar Alam ordered Daudkandi thana Officer-in-Charge to investigate the case.

In his complaint, Salauddin Ahmad, also a staff reporter of the Daily Inqilab, alleged that MK Anwar, misusing his power, had influenced some government officials and his party-men into filing 30 "false" cases against him as he published news on "irregularities and corruption" committed by his (MK Anwar) people.

The reporter was sentenced to 34 years and three months imprisonment in the cases. The High Court set him free on bail recently, now that the time has changed.

Khadiza Anwar passed the 22nd BCS and joined administration cadre allegedly by means of forgery on examination sheet in connivance with his father.

"She was suspended recently on charge of the forgery," he said in his complaint.

Int'l Day against Drug Abuse today

BSS, Dhaka

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking will be observed in the country today as elsewhere in the world in a befitting manner.

This year's theme of the day is "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs."

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed have given messages on the occasion.

Marking the day, an elaborate programme has been drawn up at national and district levels. The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) announced the programme at a press conference in its office in the city today. DNC Director General Mohammad Humayun Kabir read out the written statement.

DNC Additional Director General Mohammad Yusuf Ali, Director (Administration) Mohammad Fazlur Rahman Bhuiyan, Director Tapan Kumar Karmakar were present on the occasion.

The DNC DG said a discussion meeting would be held at 11 am on the day in the Jatiya Natyashala Auditorium at Shilpakala Academy.

Home Adviser Major General (retd) MA Matin will attend the discussion as the chief guest, while Home Secretary Mohammad Abdul Karim will be present as the special guest.

Under the DNC initiative, four Bengali and two English dailies will publish special supplement highlighting the significance of the day.

Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television and other electronic media will broadcast anti-drug programmes and other newspapers will publish anti-drug articles, Humayun Kabir said.

The other programmes of the day include countrywide essay competition for school, college and madrasa students, makeshift detoxification camp for drug-addicts, screening anti-drug documentary, decorating road islands with posters and festoons inscribed with anti-drug slogans and publishing souvenir, he said.

Hasina in Orlando for ears treatment

UNB, Orlando

Awami League president Sheikh Hasina flew into here from Washington on Wednesday for treatment to her damaged ears.

Hasina, whose hearing aid became non-functional, will see ear specialist Dr Michael House. She will be staying at Hotel Regency Hyatt.

On Thursday, Hasina is likely to fly to Toronto, Canada to see her daughter Saima Wazed Putul. She may stay there for a week. Meanwhile, Hasina's younger sister Sheikh Rehana has already arrived in Toronto from London.

On arrival at Orlando airport, Hasina was received by Florida AL president Dr Nurul Amin, secretary Mahbubur Rahman and other party members.

In brief remarks to her party followers, Hasina said whenever Awami League went to power it worked for the welfare of the people. Now the people are bitterly experiencing the miseries.

Sustainable livelihood: Asia-Pacific countries adopt declaration

BSS, Dhaka

Ministers and senior officials from the Asia-Pacific countries adopted the Delhi Declaration on sustainable livelihood during a ministerial retreat in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The Ministerial Retreat on Rural Development for the Asia Pacific Region was jointly organised by the Government of India and the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) and was held at the Vigyan Bhavan in the Indian capital, according to a press release here.

Dr Ranghuvansh Prasad Singh, Minister of Rural Development of India, presided over the retreat. Ministers and their representatives from all the CIRDAP member countries (CMCs) except Lao PDR and Vietnam participated in the retreat.

The CIRDAP member countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

The theme for the ministerial retreat was sustainable livelihood with special focus on information and communication technology (ICT) and women empowerment in the context of rural development.

In the declaration, the ministers strongly reiterated their commitment to rural development, to eradicate poverty and promote gender equality in the region.

While appreciating the efforts of the Ministry of Rural Development of India in effectively implementing various rural development programmes, the members noted that some of the member countries have made significant progress in poverty reduction.

The declaration agreed upon taking some affirmative action in CMCs on the improvement of rural livelihoods, empowerment of rural women and leveraging ICT for rural development in terms of policy and strategy. The declaration called for simple, affordable and cost effective technology with maximum coverage in rural areas.

Earlier this morning, the retreat began with opening remarks from the Director General of CIRDAP Dr Durga Paudyal. Dr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh set the tone of the retreat and Dr Rita Sharma, Secretary of Rural Development, conducted the programme.

All the participating countries made country statements. The ministerial retreat concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration by the ministers of rural development of CIRDAP member countries.

The ministerial retreat and the special meeting of the CIRDAP Governing Council was inaugurated by the Vice President of India on June 24 June.

Reports on workers repatriation from Malaysia contradicted

BSS, Dhaka

Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry yesterday contradicted a recent media report saying Kuala Lumpur was set to send some two lakh Bangladeshi workers back home as they stayed there for over 12 years.

"The Malaysian government so far has not taken any decision to return foreign workers who have been staying there for over 12 years," the ministry said in a statement.

Moreover, it said, even if Kuala Lumpur took any such decision the number of Bangladeshi workers working there for over 12 years could be as high as "2,000, not two lakh".

The statement, said, the foreign workers needed to renew their work permits every year in Malaysia and already Kuala Lumpur renewed the 13th annual work permits of many Bangladeshi workers.

It said, Bangladesh embassy in Kuala Lumpur earlier requested the authorities there to renew the 13th annual work permit to Bangladeshi workers and the Malaysian government was issuing the documents after necessary examinations.

"If Malaysia stops issuing the work permits for overseas workers staying there for more than 12 years, the decision will be applicable for all foreign workers there, not only the Bangladeshis alone," the statement said.

It acknowledged that recently Malaysia decided to reduce the number of illegal workers in that country.

"Yet the authorities there is considering to allow fresh recruitment of workers from Bangladesh while several Malaysian companies were allowed to recruit new manpower from Bangladesh," the statement said.

Officials said, until July 2006, the number of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia was 68,000 and of them only 8,000 went there through a "u turn".

Over 53,000 Bangladeshi workers went to Malaysia from January 1 to June 23 this year.

Orion Group chief gets 13 yrs RI in graft case

UNB, Dhaka

A special anti-graft court yesterday sentenced the fugitive chairman of Orion Group, Obaeidul Karim, to 13 years rigorous imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information about it.

Passing the sentence, Judge Khondker Kamal Uzzaman also fined him Tk 10 lakh, in default, to suffer another year behind bars.

Besides, the court ordered confiscation of his ill-gotten property worth Tk 51 crore.

Earlier on December 27 last year, another special court that deals with high-profile corruption cases under the current purge jailed Karim, also a major shareholder of the troubled private-sector Oriental Bank, for life for inter-branch debit-account fraud.

"The sentence comes into effect after his arrest or surrender to the court," says the court order.