The New Nation - Internet Edition

Indian HC gifts for central, DU libraries

High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh H.E. Mr Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty presented a 55 volume work on the History of India Science, Philosophy and Culture that has been brought out by the Centre for Studies in Civilization in India as a gift to the Central Library of the Dhaka University. The books were handed over to the Vice Chancellor Prof S.M.A Faiz at a ceremony held in the Senate building of the University yesterday in the presence of Deans of Faculties and other Academicians.

This 55 volume publication is a part of a research project presently being administered by New Delhi-based Non Governmental Organisation, Centre for Studies in Civilization, under the Chairmanship of Professor D. P. Chattopadhaya, and is expected to be spread over 100 volumes. The idea of undertaking a comprehensive research project of interdisciplinary study of history of Indian Science, Philosophy and Culture was initially conceived in 1981. It was approved for funding by Government of India under its 8th Five Year Plan in 1991. The scope of the work includes history of Indian philosophy; various Indian art forms including Music, Art, Architecture; Mathematics; Science; aspects of India's international relations; Medicine and life sciences in India, Indian women; etc.

At the ceremony, High Commissioner H.E. Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty mentioned that given the high prestige associated with the project, only a select academic institutions of excellence worldwide are being presented with this publication. The University of Dhaka has been selected as one of the two leading institutions in Bangladesh for presenting this collection.

While accepting the gift, Vice Chancellor Prof S.M.A Faiz extended his thanks to the High Commissioner for the presentation of the books, and said that the publications would be a significant addition to the Central Library, and constitute important reference material for students and scholars of the University, says a press release.

Kazi Zafar Ahmad

Kazi Zafar's birthday today

Staff Reporter

Jatiya Party leader Kazi Zafar Ahmad's 69th birthday will be observed today (Tuesday).

Kazi Zafar Ahmad, a veteran politician was born on July 1, 1939 in a respectable Muslim family of Chouddgram upazila of Comilla district. His father Kazi Ahmad Ali was a renowned businessman, philanthropist and social activist, while his mother Tahera Khatun was an ideal woman.

Kazi Zafar Ahmad is widely known in the country's politics since 1960s. He made significant contributions to anti-Pakistan movements, Liberation War of 1971 and building the post-independence Bangladesh.

As a brilliant student, Kazi Zafar Ahmad got his BA (Hons), MA in History from Dhaka University after passing the SSC and HSC Examinations. He got involved in student politics when he was a college student and joined the Chatra Union. He was the general secretary (1959-1961) of Dhaka University Cultural Union and general secretary (1960-1961) of Dhaka University History Association. He also served in important positions of Chhatra Union at different times. He was also the general secretary of East Pakistan Chhatra Union (EPSU) from 1962 to 1964.

Kazi Zafar Ahmad served as president of Bangla Sramik Federation from 1967-85, general secretary of National Awami Party (NAP) from 1972 to 1974 and general secretary and chairman of United Peoples Party (UPP) from 1974 to 1986. He served in Ziaur Rahman's cabinet as Education Minister in 1978. Since 1986 he has been serving as prtesidium member of Jatiya Party.

Kazi Zafar Ahmad also served as political adiser to president, deputy prime minister and prime minister during the reign of Ershad government.

He was elected as parliament member thrice between 1986 and 1996.

7 Bangladeshi girls return home from India

UNB, Benapole

Seven Bangladeshi teenaged girls, freed from Indian jail, returned home Sunday after one and half years.

They are Jahanara Khatun Putul, 16, Mina Khatun, 15, Champa Khatun, 18, Setara Begum, 19, Shampa Parveen, 17, Safari, 16, and Rita, 17.

Of them, Putul and Mina hailed from Sharsha upazila while Setara, Shamapa, Safari and Rati from Narail and Rita from Kalia upazila of Bogra.

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) handed over them to BDR and police through Benapole border in the afternoon.

Police said the girls were smuggled out to Indian through different border areas with a false assurance of lucrative job there. They were detained by Indian police and sent to jail hajat.

A Kolkata based NGO, Sanglap, and Jatiya Mahila Ainjibi Samity of Bangladesh took initiative for their release.

CNG-run bus gutted

Staff Reporter

A CNG-run bus accidentally caught fire at 3.00 PM at Science Laboratory crossing in the city yesterday.

Witnesses said a CNG city bus of Falgun Paribahan suddenly caught fire, which created panic among the passengers.

On information Fire service dowsed the blaze.

The accident created a serious traffic jam on the road.

But none was hurt in the fire.

Tk 100 cr DANIDA project for poverty alleviation starts in Barisal

UNB, Barisal

Work on a Tk 100 crore project for alleviating poverty has begun in six districts of Barisal division.

The project titled 'Regional Fishing and Livestock Development:

Barisal Component' funded by Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) will be implemented in 24 upazilas of Barisal, Barguna, Jhalakati, Pirojpur, Bhola and Patuakhali districts.

While contacted Barisal Fisheries and Livestock officers Abdul Aziz and Joyenuddin Mollah informed that 2,87,500 poor families would be involved in the project and ratio of male and female participants of the stakeholders would be 70:30.

Under the project, funds and other assistances will be provided among the stakeholders through different government and non-government agencies and organisations for fishing and livestock, management of fishing water resources, skill and management development training on the specified fields, the officials added.

The project is expected to be completed by 2012, sources said.

Four killed in road accidents

UNB, Dhaka

Four people were killed and two others injured in separate road accidents in Jamalpur, Chandpur and Noakhali districts on Sunday.

In Chandpur, a madrassah girl was crushed under the wheels of a truck at Gunrajdi, on the outskirts of the town, when she along with her mother was going to her nearby maternal uncle's house by a rickshaw.

The deceased was identified as Tanzina Aktar, 14, daughter of Khorshed Alam of Sukdia Panchgaon village in Sadar upazila.

Local people caught driver Delwar Hossain along with the truck and handed him over to the police.

In Jamalpur, Shohag, a student of class IV, was run over and killed by of a speeding truck at Tikrakandi in Bakshiganj upazila.

On the same day, a bus ran over an unidentified man in Sadar upazila on Jamalpur-Mymensingh highway killing him on the spot.

Another report from Noakhali adds: A schoolteacher was killed and two other people were injured when a bus rammed into their CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Amin Bazar on Begumganj-Laxmipur road.

The deceased was identified as Jagadish Chandra Debnath, 53, assistant teacher of Miahpur Government Primary School in Begumganj upazila.

The injured, including the auto-rickshaw the driver, were admitted to a hospital in Choumuhani Bazar.

Regional confce of SAARC on climate change begins today

UNB, Dhaka

A three-day high-level regional conference of SAARC on climate change begins here today.

An expert level meeting will be held tomorrow-Wednesday while a ministerial conference on Thursday.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruaddin Ahmed is expected to inaugurate the ministerial level conference.

Minister level delegation from Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan and the Maldives and high level delegation from Afgha-nistan, Pakistan and Nepal will participate in the conference, said an official release.

Climate related issues including how climate change has already affected the SAARC countries and how it would affect in future, fixing work strategies for facing the its effects through regional cooperation, sharing experiences, identifying financial sources in

facing the effects of climate change and determining position of SAARC countries in international conference on climate change will come up in the conference for discussion.

It is expected that SAARC Action Plan on Climate Change would be adopted in the Dhaka conference and would be included in Dhaka Declaration.

.

NOAB urges govt to increase ads budget

UNB, Dhaka

Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) has urged the government to increase its advertisement budget by at least four times to meet the additional cost of the newly increased rate of its advertisement.

The NOAB leaders, at a general meeting held on Saturday, thanked the government for increasing its advertisement rate and those of autonomous bodies but pointed out that this increase was meaningless because government's allocation for advertisement had not been increased.

NOAB also urged the government to reduce VAT on imported newsprint in view of abnormal hike of newsprint price.

The meeting expressed deep concern over the crisis being faced by the newspaper industry due to rising production cost. The 7th Wage Board Award announced recently has also put an additional financial burden on the newspapers at a time when the overall volume of advertisement in the print media has declined, it said.

While NOAB members expressed themselves in favour of implementing the Wage Board Award to journalist and other employees of the industry, it termed the conditionally imposed by the Information Ministry for implementing the new advertisement rate unfair.

The provision for filling in form to gain eligibility for the increase rate should therefore be withdrawn forthwith.

NOAB also demanded representation in the Wage Board implementation committee.