The New Nation - Internet Edition

35 pc hike in petroleum prices: Per litre octane Tk 90, petrol Tk 87, diesel-kerosene Tk 55, LPG Tk 1000 per cylinder

BRTA officials and police checking the passengers’
tickets inside a bus in a drive against the collecting of
extra fare by the transport workers. This photograph was
taken from the city's Fakirapool area
yesterday.FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

The caretaker government yesterday increased the prices of fuel oils by 35 per cent.

The fuel oil prices were increased by the caretaker government for the second time during its tenure after a gap of 15 months. Earlier in April last year, the prices of petroleum products were increased ranging from 13 to 21 per cent.

An official press release yesterday said that the government re-fixed fuel prices in the wake of price hike of fuels globally.

With the re-fixation of the fuel prices, the release said, the price of per litre octane will be Taka 90, petrol Taka 87, kerosene Tk 55, diesel Tk 55, furnace oil Tk 30 and the price of per cylinder LPG will be Tk 1,000, which is now Tk 67, Tk 65, Tk 40, Tk 40, Tk 20 and Tk 600 respectively.

The new fuel prices will be effective from today (Tuesday), the release added.

The price of a litre diesel and kerosene will be Tk 55, up 37.5 per cent or Tk 15 from the earlier Tk 40.

The new price of octane was fixed at Tk 90 per litre, up 34 per cent or Tk 23 from the previous Tk 67. On the other hand, a litre of petroleum will cost Tk 87, up 34 per cent or Tk 22 from the previous Tk 65.

Each cylinder of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) price now will be Tk 1,000, up from Tk 600, while each litre furnace oil will be Tk 30, up from Tk 20.

Due to the worldwide price hike of fuels, the release said, the subsidy on the fuel price surpassed all limits of the government budget, the press release said.

When the government re-fixed the fuel price last time in April 2007, it said, the price of per barrel crude oil was US$60, but the price now reached US$142. Besides, the price of other refined oils, including diesel, has increased in the world market.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation is now importing per litre diesel at US$186. As a result, the release said, the purchase price of per litre octane, petrol, diesel and kerosene stands at Tk 90 to 95 and subsidy on per litre fuel is Tk 23 to 55.

If fuel price remains stable at the present level in the world, the government subsidy on fuels will be Tk 17,000 crore in the 2008-09 fiscal year, the release said. With the providing of subsidy money, the amount of credit would be increased to a great extent and development of different sectors, including education, health, food, communication, power and gas, will be halted.

In this context, the release said, there is no alternative to raising fuel prices. Different countries in the world, including the neighbouring countries, have increased the fuel price several times in last 15 months which is much more than the present fuel price in Bangladesh.

The price of per litre diesel in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia and Indonesia is Tk 57.30, 70.40, 69.69, 54.33 and 80.78 respectively, the release said. If fuel price in Bangladesh is kept less than neighbouring countries then there will be a possibility of smuggling of fuels, especially diesel, to those countries, the release said.

It said since there is massive use of diesel in transporting low-income people, and use of kerosene exists in rural areas, the government subsidy on the two commodities will continue despite their price hike.

Lanka beat Bangladesh by 158 runs

Jayasuriya: Old is gold

Sports Reporter

Sri Lanka vanquished Bangladesh by 158 runs as the Tigers were skittled out for174 off 38.3 overs against Sri Lanka in their Super Four encounter of Asia Cup at the National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan on Monday.

Raqibul Hasan notched up 52 playing 63 deliveries. His innings was ornamented with seven fours.

Opener Nazim Uddin was the other notable run getter for Bangladesh who knocked 47 off 59 balls amid seven fours and a six. Muralitharan grabbed five wickets. Coin-favoured Sri Lanka decided to bat first and piled up a massive 332 for the loss of eight wickets in the stipulated 50 overs.

Earlier, Sri Lanka made a formidable start as Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar

Sangakkara, the two openers of the islanders, put up 201 off 27.5 overs in the opening stand.

Sanath Jayasuriya cracked a stormy 130 using 88 deliveries. He sent the ball six times over the fence and 16 times through the fence.

Kumar Sangakkara stayed at the crease for a long time. Sangakkara hit 121 off 128 balls. He smashed 16 boundaries and one over boundary before he was bowled by spinner Abdur Razzak when the team's total was 292 for the loss of six wickets in 44.3 overs.

Alok Kapali and Farhad Reza got two wickets each conceding 40 and 51 runs respectively.

Shahadat Hossain, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Abdur Razzak took one wicket each.

Int’l oil price reaches new high

BBC Online

Crude oil prices have surged to near $144 a barrel ahead of a meeting of oil-producing nations in Madrid to discuss soaring prices.

General concerns over global supplies and escalating rhetoric between Iran and Israel have pushed prices to fresh highs in recent days.

An emergency summit held in Jeddah earlier this month has done little to take the heat out of the market.

US light, sweet crude rose as much as $3.46 to $143.67 in European trade. This was ahead of the $142.99 all-time high reached on Friday.

In London, Brent crude climbed as high as $143.81 a barrel, and was later trading up $3.44 at $143.75 a barrel.

A combination of the weak US dollar, surging demand and concerns about supply disruptions in the Middle East and Africa have forced prices up more than 40% this year.

In the latest war of words between Israel and Iran about the latter's nuclear intentions, a commander of Iran's revolutionary guard was quoted as saying that it could take control of the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway if attacked by Israel.

More than 60% of the world's oil is transported through the Strait, making its smooth functioning vital to the global oil markets.

Recent commitments by Saudi Arabia to increase production have seemingly done little to assuage concerns about the global availability of oil.

Measures to combat high prices and to increase long-term supplies are top of the agenda at the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid, which begins on Monday.

Ministers from Opec nations will again come under pressure to boost output, although many officials continue to blame market speculation from the rise in prices this year.

Many leading oil producers, which are also attending the meeting, take a different view.

"This is not a speculative bubble," BP chief executive Tony Hayward told the meeting.

Alluding to differences of opinion among Opec members about how much oil to pump and what should be a reasonable price for oil, Hayward said the industry's "problems are above ground not below it".

Experts added that the meeting must address where long-term growth in energy supply should come from and the environmental costs involved.

"Increasing population growth, energy intensity and globalization has led to a phenomenal rise in the use of energy," said Randy Gossen, president of the World Petroleum Council.

"The challenge for our industry is to ensure continuous, affordable and reliable energy supply in a sustainable, transparent and ethical, environmentally sound manner."

$100m Danish aid for water supply project

UNB, Dhaka

Denmark will provide US $ 100 million for a new 3-year project taken to ensure improved water supply in this densely-populated Dhaka city.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the governments of Bangladesh and Denmark here yesterday.

Joint Secretary, Coordination and Nordic, Economic Relations Division Dr. A.H.M Mustain Billah and Jan Møller Hansen, Chargé d' Affaires of the Embassy of Denmark in Dhaka, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

The project is aimed at providing help in designing and constructing a new large water treatment plant at Saidabad with a capacity of 225.000 cubic of water a day, said a press release. The project, 'Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Project, Phase II(2008-2011), will be implemented by Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) with an interest-free loan. Grants will also be provided for monitoring of the process and supervision during implementation of the project.

The project is expected to contribute to the improvement of public health and create better conditions for economic growth in Dhaka, the release added.

The project is financed by mixed credits from Denmark and is part of the partnership agreement between the government of Bangladesh and five main development partners, which provide assistance to urban water supply and sanitation in Bangladesh. Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony, Jan Møller Hansen said, "We hope that the Danish assistance will contribute significantly to the necessary improvements of the critical water supply situation in Dhaka City. The project is an element in the partnership framework between the government of Bangladesh and five main development partners that will address longstanding reform issues necessary for improving the governance and performance of water supply and sanitation services in Dhaka City."

President approves national budget

BSS, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed on Monday approved the national budget for 2008-09 fiscal year (Finance Ordinance 2008) at Bangabhaban here.

Finance and Planning Adviser Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam, Planning Secretary Zafar Ahmed Chowdhury, Secretary of the Finance Division Dr Mohammad Tareque and Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Mohammad Abdul Mazid were present.

Secretary of the President Office Md Sirajul Islam, Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohammad Ruhul Amin and the President's Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader were also present.

The President also signed the Appropriation (Supplement) Ordinance-2008 and Appropriation Ordinance-2008.

Golden opportunity to boost manpower export: Proper training of unskilled workers stressed

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh has a golden opportunity to avail the vast manpower market in the developed countries if proper training was given to the unskilled and semi skilled labourers of the country.

Proper government initiatives as well as necessary training imparted by public and private levels could make a good scope of the country to export its manpower in the United States of America (USA), Canada, Australia and some other European countries.

Presently Middle Eastern countries are the main source of remittances for Bangladesh. Most of the workers in the Middle Eastern countries are not skilled though they are contributing a big chunk of remittances of the country.

If the country sends skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled manpower to those countries than the flow of remittances would be increased substantially which would help boost the country's economy, said an official of the concerned department. It said that necessary initiatives are urgently needed to be taken for availing that vast manpower markets in different services sectors in the developed countries. The flow of annual remittances from different countries to Bangladesh is increasing every year.

The volume of remittance would be increased if proper patronisation from the government and required trainings from public and private centres were given to unskilled and semi skilled manpower of the country. The Bangladesh Bank Annual report said, since 2001 the flow of annual remittance is increasing every year.

In the year 2001 the amount of expatriates remittance stood to US $1882.1 million.

Remittances from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (UK), Italy, Kuwait, United States of America (USA), Qatar, Oman, Singapore, Germany, Bahrain, Japan, Malaysia and other countries stood US $ 5978.5 million in the fiscal year 2007 which was 4801.9 million in 2006.

Sources from the concerned authority said there is a vast scope for Bangladeshi people to work in the ship dockyards in USA, Canada and Australia.

Bangladesh could easily avail that positive chance by giving training to the unskilled and semi- skilled manpower and sending them to those countries.

And some of the developed countries have been considering to take 'guest worker scheme' for importing unskilled and semi skilled manpower from other countries with a view to mitigate the manpower crisis in restaurants, cafes and other sectors.

The labour market of Australia is decreasing at 1.9 per cent every year as India and China import most of the skilled manpower from that country.

Besides, the big demand of unskilled and semi-skilled manpower, there is also a wide scope for Bangladesh in sending skilled manpower to the European countries.

Experts suggested to take urgent initiatives for setting up required training centres for giving necessary training to the manpower of the country with a view to avail the labour markets of those countries.

Otherwise Bangladesh would lose its manpower export markets and some neighbouring countries may seize the opportunity.

Harrowing tale of gruesome murder

Killers Koshai Liton and Ranju Sardar

Staff Reporter

The main accused of Nayatola schoolboys murder case, Ranju Sardar and Koshai Liton, yesterday narrated to newsmen how they brutally killed two minor boys in the city two months ago.

The Detective Branch of Police arrested Ranju, a listed criminal, from Nayatola railgate area at midnight on June 26 when he and his associates were preparing to commit mugging. On his confessional statement police arrested Liton from east Nayatola.

In an arranged press briefing at the DB Headquarters in the afternoon Ranju, 30, confessing his guilt told reporters that he and his accomplice Liton

were smoking ganja in a tin-shed abandoned house at 114 Nayatola at noon on April 29. At that time Jewel and Biplob of the same locality peeped through the window and saw them. They forcibly took the boys into the house. They beat the boys up and violated them.

Ranju said the boys knew them well. Thinking they would expose their misdeeds, they knifed the boys to death and left the place.

The criminals stabbed to death schoolboys, Jewel and Biplab and left their bodies to rot in the abandoned house.

On May 5 police recovered the decomposed bodies of Jewel, 9, son of rickshaw-puller Alaluddin, and Biplab, 7, son of private car driver Siddique Sheikh, of Meerertek under Ramna Police Station. The boys were students of class I in an NGO-run school at Nayatola.

Police said the bodies bore stab injuries in the chest, abdomen and in the back.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Naim Ahmad, said police arrested the culprits by applying criminal psychological analysis in the clueless case.

AL to press for JS polls before UZ elections: No participation in polls under emergency

Staff Reporter

The Awami League has decided to place the demand for holding the national election before the upazila polls, when the party sits in the Government-sponsored dialogue on July 3.

The AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said this while briefing reporters after coming out of a meeting with the Workers Party (WP), a partner of the 14-party alliance, at the Gulshan residence of AL Acting President Zillur Rahman.

The AL arranged the meeting as part of series of discussions with its allies to prepare a common set of proposals, to be placed in the formal dialogue with the Government.

Ashraful said, "We have reached an agreement to raise the demand for holding of parliamentary elections before the upazila polls at the Government-sponsored talks.

He also warned that the AL would not participate in the national and upazila elections without the complete withdrawal of state of emergency.

Ashraful said, "We have decided to participate in the city corporations and municipal elections for the greater interest of democracy and law and order in the country. But we will not join the upazila elections, if the emergency is not lifted."

"We will evaluate the Government's performance, how much they are transparent in holding the elections. Subsequently this will prove whether the Government is sincere or not in holding the long-awaited parliamentary polls in a free and fair manner," he pointed out.

Pointing to the huge difference between holding elections to four city corporations and nine municipal and Upazilas polls, he said, " It is a tougher task to hold election in 465 upazilas."

While addressing the reporters WP General Secretary Bimol Biswas said that the upazila elections would hamper the national elections, if held earlier.

He blamed the Government for trying to establish a controlled democracy in the country.

Bimol cautioned that it would not augur well for the nation, if the Government fails to eliminate doubt from the minds of the people that the national elections might be delayed again.

The AL presidium members and Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon were also present at the meeting.

The AL on Sunday disclosed that the 14-party along with all the pro-liberation forces and civil society would jointly contest the city corporation and municipal elections under the banner of Nagarik Committee.

AL will sit with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Samyabadi Dal (JSD) and Gonotantri Party today and with National Awami Party, Gano Azadi League and Communist Kendra on Wednesday to set the agenda for the dialogue and the issues relating to the elections.

BTTB, BSCCL turned into public ltd cos

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) is being turned into a public limited company as Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) from today with a view to ensuring better services to the customers.

The Government also formed another company titled Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL), which would also start functioning from today.

"The main goal of the formation of the two public limited companies is to ensure better customer service and turn those into leading service providers utilising the modern telecommunication technology," said Special Assistant to Chief Adviser on the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Brig Gen (Retd) MA Malek, while announcing the transformation of the government entities into limited companies at a press conference at the BTTB conference room.

Secretary of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Iqbal Mahmud will be made the first Chairman of the BTCL while BTTB Chairman Md Ashraful Alim the first Managing Director of the company.

MA Malek said the BTCL will be a public limited company and at present its 100 per cent share will remain in government hands.

"In future the shares of the BTCL will be released in the market" he said adding that it might take one-year time.

The Special Assistant hoped that corporatisation of the two new public limited companies would ensure transparency and accountability in providing better customer services.

He said all the officials and employees of the BTTB would be absorbed in the newly formed companies since the Government wanted to ensure the security of their jobs. The BTCL would start its journey with an approved investment of Tk 15,000 crore and all property of the BTTB.

Emphasising the need for ensuring better service to the customers, he said if the BTCL failed to do something better it would have to be out of what he termed very competitive market.

He said the BTCL employees would be given increase salaries and facilities, if they can ensure better services to the customers and earn more money for the company.

He, however, cautioned that quick action would be taken against the persons involved in any irregularities or malpractice.

Replying to a question he said if anyone does not want to work for the company he or she could leave his/her job with all dues said.

He said the BTCL would be turned into an effective commercial organisation maintaining its social and economic responsibilities and accountabilities.

The BTCL would expand the telephone and broadband Internet services across the country together, he said adding that it would bring the service to the doorsteps at customers.

Secretary of Post and Telecommunications Ministry Iqbal Mahmud and BTTB Chairman Md Ashraful Alim, among others, were present at the press conference.

Meanwhile, the subscribers of BTCL will enjoy new reduced tariff rates from today. The revised rates approved yesterday are as below: BTTB to BTTB local calls at Tk 0.15 per minute for peak hour and Tk 0.10 for off-peak hour; BTTB to BTTB NWD call will be Tk 1 per minute for peak hour and Tk 0.70 for off-peak hour.

BTTB calls to other operators (PSTN) will be Tk 80 per minute for peak hour and Tk 0.70 for off-peak hour while calls to mobile from BTTB will be charged at Tk 1 per minute for peak hour and Tk 0.70 for off-peak hour.

The monthly line rent for Dhaka and Chittagong will be Tk 80 with the subscribers enjoying 50 local calls free while monthly line rent at division/district will be Tk 70 with 100 local calls free, whereas the rate at upazila and growth centres will be Tk 50 with 100 free local calls.

Fertiliser to be procured from Russia, Morocco, Belarus

UNB, Dhaka

The government yesterday formally initiated a process to procure fertilizer from Russia, Morocco and Belarus to make it available to farmers before the next Aman paddy cultivation.

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim had a meeting with Russian Ambassador Dr Gennady Trotsenko and Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed Houror at the Foreign Ministry in a bid to arrange 28.5 lakh tons of Urea fertilizer.

Of the 28.5 lakh tons of Urea, the government would procure 15-17 lakh tons from external sources, including Russia, Morocco and Belarus, and the remaining 12-13 lakh tons will be produced locally. Besides, five lakh tons of TSP and 3 lakh tons of MOP will be needed.

"We've got a positive response from the Ambassadors," Dr Iftekhar told reporters after the meeting, expressing the hope that the required quantum of fertilizer would be arriving soon.

In reply to a question, the Foreign Adviser said they have decided to appoint an honourary counselor in Belarus. Besides, he said, Belarus government would be contacted through Bangladesh missions in Russia, UN in New York and a Belarus agent in Singapore.

The Foreign Adviser said some 17.6 lakh metric tons of Boro paddy were produced this year. "We're expecting 13 million tons of Aman paddy and one lakh ton of Aus production in the coming seasons," he said.

Asked if the government would require import of food grains after the bumper harvest of Boro, Iftekhar said the country needs to have strategic reserve of food grains to meet the eventuality saying that the government food policy has been a great success.

Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim said import of the fertilizer would complete from July to January next year.

He said the government wants to make available the agri- inputs, including the fertilizer, through the inter-state understanding to build up a long-term food security reserve.

He said since there is a pressure on fertilizer, this needs to be procured and supplied to farmers in time to keep up the good production like Boro.

The current initiative to procure Urea fertilizer was taken in line with the FAO meeting held recently in Rome.

ACC dismisses allegation of influencing judges

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday brushed aside the allegation of influencing the judges of the special courts that are trying the high-profile graft cases filed by the anti-graft watchdog. The Commission also dismissed the allegation of being involved in transfer of the judges.

"I would like to categorically say that the ACC has never been involved or will never be in influencing the judges in discharging their responsibilities," ACC director general (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told the Commission's regular briefing in reply to a volley of questions regarding the allegations of influencing and transferring judges.1

He said the Commission would look into such allegations if those come to light.

On the accusation of its involvement in transfer of judges, Hanif said, "I don't know whether the Commission has done anything about the transfer of judges. I do believe the ACC has done nothing."

About the allegation of collusion between the ACC lawyers and defence lawyers in the special courts, he said if the lawyers of both sides dictate the course of law there would be no justice.

The ACC director general, however, told a questioner that he would convey the allegation to the Commission.

In the briefing, Hanif provided details of the activities of the special courts set up for trying high-profile corruption cases.

The activities of the special courts began on May 6, 2007. Out of the 29 courts, 10 have been set up in the capital while the rest 19 outside Dhaka.

The Commission has so far submitted 170 charge sheets of which verdicts have been pronounced in 75. Among the convicts of the 75 cases, 35 are listed corrupt suspects. There are also 95 co-accused. And there is more than one case against many of the individuals.

Some 95 cases are now under trial. Of them, 76 are with the special courts in Dhaka, 12 with the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court while 6 are with the special courts outside Dhaka. One case is awaiting transfer from the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court.

Daily Janakantha editor Atiquallah Khan Masud has been sentenced to total 45 years' imprisonment in a number of cases, the highest for a single person.

Among the lawyers appointed by the Commission to deal with the cases in Dhaka Metropolitan area, 10 are in Legal Advisory Council, 5 are senior prosecutors, 15 for dealing with the cases in the Supreme Court and 26 are public prosecutors.

The number of paneled lawyers to deal with the cases as public prosecutors outside Dhaka is 198.

Responding to a question, Hanif told the briefing that the number of cases stayed by the High Court at the moment stands at 16-18.

About involvement of Dr Kamal Hossain with the ACC as a lawyer, he said his (Dr Kamal) name is not on the paper officially.

In response to a question, Hanif said if there are allegations of corruption in the construction sector, the Commission would look into them.

He said nothing wrong was found after the inquiry into the wealth statement of detained former Jamaat MP Abdullah Abu Taher.

Taher, one of the listed corrupt suspects, was issued with a notice by the ACC last year directing him to submit his wealth statement and he complied with the directive.

Pranab says, India trying to expedite rice shipment

UNB, Kolkata

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee here yesterday said they were trying to expedite rice shipment to Bangladesh overcoming a few hurdles, including inadequate number of ports having difficulties in handling goods at zero points.

"I hope the problems in this regards will be solved soon," he told a media dialogue at the Council Camber of West Bengal Assembly, replying to a question after inaugurating the dialogue of South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA).

Bangladesh signed an agreement with India to import 5 lakh tons of rice to meet its emergency food requirement caused by two consecutive floods followed by devastating Cyclone Sidr last year.

The Indian Foreign Minister replied to a volley of questions on bilateral issues Bangladesh suffering from its next-door big neighbour, including the rice shipment and duty-free export of 8 million pieces of Bangladeshi apparel items.

"We've asked authorities to see whether they can arrange another port to solve the problem," he said. "We're also considering whether we can utilise railway to ship the rice at some points inside Bangladesh to avert handling problem at zero points."

The Indian Chapter of SAFMA organised the two-day media conference titled 'West Bengal-Bangladesh Interaction on Building Mutual Confidence' being attended by a 16-member delegation from SAFMA, Bangladesh chapter, led by its general secretary Zahiduzzaman Faruque.

The issues raised by the Bangladesh delegation included water sharing, maritime boundary, poor services on the just-rolled passenger railway, import of hydro-power from Nepal and facilitating export-import through a small corridor with Nepal.

"There are some time-consuming issues, but we've started solving the problems," Pranab said, adding that both sides have agreed to conduct a joint survey in the Bay of Bengal. "I think there could be a breakthrough in this regard in the next meeting."

He said the two countries have been able to make some improvement in the bilateral relations despite bureaucratic bottleneck and mistrust between the two nations. "RMG export took a long time to settle due to bureaucracy."

The Foreign Minister called upon the media from both the countries to play the most important role in creating the right atmosphere through highlighting the bright side as well as the dark one to develop a better relationship between the two countries.

Addressing the function, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said there is ample scope to improve the relations between Bangladesh and India, as both sides have also huge resources to cooperate with and get benefited out of it.

"If we can consolidate the resources, we can grow faster together," he said, stressing the need for a closer cooperation between the two countries.

SAFMA Bangladesh chapter general secretary Zahiduzzaman said the crisis of mistrust and confidence would deepen further unless the political leadership cannot act right now to solve the problems.

4-party to observe Emergency Withdrawal Day: Scrapping schedule for local body elections demanded

UNB, Dhaka

The BNP led four-party alliance yesterday announced "Emergency Withdrawal Day" on July 9 and "Fundamental Rights Restoration Day" on July 16.

The alliance spelling out its program at a protest meeting at Diploma Engineers Institution also asked the Election Commission to cancel the schedule for city corporation and municipality elections slated for August 4.

BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain who announced the new action programs termed the present caretaker government unconstitutional and said the government could not hold local bodies' elections before the parliament elections.

"The holding of local body election by this caretaker government is unconstitutional, unlawful and beyond the morality," he told the meeting organized to protest soaring prices of essential commodities.

Delwar asked the government to abstain from holding the local election against the people's expectation and called for immediate holding of the general elections.

Saying that present unelected government does not have the right to speak on behalf of the people, the BNP leader said the constitution does not allow the caretaker to take policy decision and make the agreement with foreign companies on natural resources like gas and coal.

Delwar claimed that some quarters at home and abroad have been out to capture the state power. He urged the people to remain alert about such anti-state conspiracy.

He said the four-party alliance would observe the Emergency Withdrawal Day and the Fundamental Rights Restoration Day to press for immediate lifting of the emergency, protesting against the prisoners' tortures and establishing the people's rights to food and employment.

The meeting was addressed among others by BNP standing committee members Dr RA Gani and Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui, Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Jatiya Party (Manzur) chairman Barrister Andalib Rahman and Khelafat Majlish ameer Maulana Mohammad Ishaque.

Mujahid said the caretaker government should not get involved in politics by keeping aside the issue of holding the general elections. "This government has no relation with the people."

He urged the government to bring down the prices of essentials within the purchasing capacity of the common people by providing the maximum subsidies.

The alliance leaders demanded the unconditional release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, Jamaat ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami along with other political detainees. They also urged the government to allow Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko to go abroad for their treatment.

Row over newsmen’s presence: GATCO charge hearing adjourned

UNB, Dhaka

The charge hearing on the Gatco scam case against former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia began yesterday only to be stuck up midway, as defence lawyers opposed the prosecution move saying a quashing petition of the case awaits the High Court's decision.

After hearing arguments by both the defence and the prosecution, the special court of Judge Shahed Noor Uddin adjourned the hearing till July 9.

Prime accused Khaleda Zia and the other accused, including her detained six former

cabinet colleagues, were produced before the court during the hearing. Co-accused detained Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of Khaleda Zia, who was dispensed with personal appearance during trial on health grounds, was represented by his lawyer Tahirul Islam.

As the court rose at 10:15am, ACC public prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajal proposed framing charges against 24 accused in the case.

When the prosecutor narrated the case story, Khaleda's counsel Abdur Rezzaque Khan told the court that a quashing petition against the case appeared on the cause list for hearing at the High Court today. "So, the court's proceedings cannot go further until the matter is resolved at the High Court."

Opposing the defence plea, another ACC prosecutor Sheikh Golam Hafiz submitted that since there was no stay order from the higher court on this matter, there is no legal bar to moving ahead with the trial court proceedings.

Amid strong arguments and counter-arguments, the court kept the hearing as part-heard and fixed July 9 for further hearing.

Meanwhile, the police who were on duty in the courtroom all on a sudden started flushing out journalists one after another as they went there to cover the court proceedings.

The police action perhaps came in a bid to prevent the journalists from having any interaction with the BNP chairperson. "Kick out journalists one after another," an angry police officer was heard shouting to his force in the courtroom.

The journalists covering the case protested it in vain. Later, ACC public prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajal sought apology on behalf of the police for their misbehaviour.

PP Kajal said, "This is an open trial. Anyone, not only the journalists, can witness the proceedings so justice could be ensured."

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2 last year against Khaleda and others for graft in awarding Gatco the contract for container handling at depots in Dhaka and Chittagong.

The following day, the joint forces arrested the mother and son at their Dhaka Cantonment residence.

On May 13, the ACC submitted the charge sheet to the CMM court against 24 people.

The charge-sheeted accused include top BNP leaders former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, former LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former health minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, former land minister M Shamsul Islam, former agriculture minister MK Anwar, former commerce minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and former industries minister Motiur Rahman Nizami.

Of those not detained yet are Saifur Rahman and Amir Khasru, now staying abroad.

The accused are charged with causing a loss of over Tk 14 crore to the public exchequre by striking the container handling deal with Gatco despite its lack of experience and skills.

The charges also include misuse of power and collusion among the accused in violation of the tender conditions.

The ACC in its investigation found Koko and Simon, son of late shipping minister Akbar Hossain, to have received Tk 2.19 crore from Gatco to help it win the contract.

Khaleda and Koko were charged with influencing the tender process while officials in Chittagong Port Authority with the help of Gatco won the deal ignoring the tender evaluation committee's report that described the firm as unfit one.