The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pay Commission within a month

UNB, Dhaka

Pay Commission is likely to be constituted within a month to review and re-fix civil servants' pays and perks.

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam spoke of the government plan for formation of the Pay Commission after a meeting on the 100-day employment scheme at Finance Ministry yesterday.

"The formation of Pay Commission is at final stage. Scrutiny is going on to sort out who will be members of the Commission. We hope that we can form the Pay Commission within next one month… but I can't promise to you," he said.

He also said that in the meeting they discussed the policy regarding the 100-day employment scheme, he has announced in the new budget for employment generation in the lean period, when there prevails a penury called monga in some areas of the country for want of work and food.

"The policy will be finalized very quickly; 20 lakh poor people will be provided work under the scheme," he said.

He said that upazila nirbahi officers would prepare the list of people who will be eligible to get the benefit from this scheme. "UP chairmen will be members of this selection committee and the list will be finalized locally," he said.

The government has allocated Tk 1400 crore for 44 districts which are under Monga and coastal belt while Tk 600 crore is allotted for the rest 20 districts.

"Some 20 lakh people will get Tk 100 per day, and the amount was fixed at lower rate to avert irregularities," the Finance Adviser said.

He chaired the meeting that was attended, among others, by Food Adviser AMM Shawkat Ali, Agriculture Adviser Dr CS KArim and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Maniklal Samaddar.

Oil price hits record high beyond $146

AFP, London

The price of oil set a record high above 146 dollars a barrel here on Thursday owing to falling reserves of US crude, simmering tensions over Iran and a weak dollar, traders said.

In reaction, Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi said his country, the world's leading exporter of crude, was "concerned" about soaring prices.

Brent North Sea oil for August delivery surged to a life-time peak of 146.69 dollars a barrel in morning trade after breaching 146 dollars for the first time earlier on Thursday.

New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for August delivery, leapt to an all-time pinnacle of 145.85 dollars on Thursday.

"There is actually a chance we could see 150 dollars today (Thursday)," said the latest Schork Report on energy markets.

Brent oil later stood at 146.34 dollars, up 2.08 dollars from Wednesday's close. New York crude was up 1.98 at 145.55 dollars.

Oil prices, which have doubled in value over the past year, were partly driven by news that American crude stockpiles fell by 2.0 million barrels to stand at 299.8 million barrels in the week to June 27.

The US government's Energy Information Administration had also revealed Wednesday that crude inventories were 15.3 percent lower than at the same stage one year ago.

"It was the first time inventory fell below the psychologically critical 300-million-barrel threshold since January," said PetroMatrix analyst Olivier Jakob.

The latest record-breaking price surge also came after Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari said that Iran would react fiercely to any military attack against the oil exporter.

The OPEC oil exporting group said on Thursday that it would be difficult to replace the crude output of Iran should the country face attack.

"If something happened in Iran, it is difficult to replace (Iran's output of) 4.1 or 4.2 million barrels a day," OPEC secretary general Abdallah el-Badri told the daily newsletter of the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid.

There has been a surge in speculation recently that Israel might be planning a military strike against Iran's nuclear sites.

Iran has been locked in a five-year standoff with the West over its nuclear programme. Iran claims it is for generating electricity while Western powers fear the development of nuclear weapons.

On Thursday, the oil market also found key support from the struggling US currency, which makes dollar-priced commodities cheaper for foreign buyers and tends to encourage demand, analysts said.

Dealers said the US currency could slide further against the euro because the European Central Bank, led by president Jean-Claude Trichet, was widely expected to increase eurozone interest rates on Thursday.

"The weaker dollar theme is likely to persist and influence most markets today (Thursday)," said Sucden analyst Andrey Kryuchenkov.

"In the longer run, crude prices are still well supported by geopolitical concerns, persistent supply disruptions and fears over tight supplies."

Upazila polls likely in first week of October: CEC

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The Election Commission plans to hold upazila elections in the first week of October, said CEC ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday.

The chief election commissioner said the EC would decide on a final date in a couple of days from now.

"Work on listing voters in 250 to 300 upazilas have been completed," the CEC said at a roundtable on local government elections, organised by nongovernmental organisation Sujon at CIRDAP auditorium Thursday.

"We are preparing for holding elections in those upazilas in the first week of October. The Election Commission will take a decision in a day or two," he said.

He sought cooperation from all, including political parties and civil society representatives, for a fair election.

The CEC said the local government election would not hamper national elections. "Preparations for national elections will start in November. We have started work on holding the local elections before that."

"We are planning to hold upazila elections in those upazila where the voter list will be completed by October," he said.

Refuting doubt and allegations of political parties about the national elections, Huda said: "The national election will not be hampered in any way. The election will be held by December."

On the obligation of holding elections in 90 days from dissolution of parliament, Huda said: "Those who had the obligation of holding elections in 90 days are gone."

The CEC said the EC is working "completely neutrally".

"There is no pressure on the commission. The commission is holding local government elections on its own, not under pressure."

"We have told the chief adviser that the administration has to be shuffled before the election. We will do whatever is necessary for a fair election." Transparency International Bangladesh chief Prof Muzaffer Ahmad urged the CEC to allow the civil society to monitor the local government elections as well.

After the roundtable, the CEC launched a Web site prepared by Sujon to project the candidates for the elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities.

Zia Orphanase: Khaleda, Tarique, shed for fund embezzlement

Staff Reporter

The Anticorruption Commission (ACC) yesterday has filed a new case against detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman, and five others for alleged embezzlement of money from the Zia Orphanage Trust.

The ACC Director General (Administration) Col Hanif Iqbal said "The Commission approved the graft case against seven people, including Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman, on charges of embezzling Tk 2.10 core from the Zia Orphanage Trust,"

This is the fourth graft case filed against the immediate-past premier and BNP chairperson since her arrest amid a clampdown on former ruling politicians in the present interim period. The anti-corruption watchdog came up with the case when a process was reportedly underway for their conditional release for treatment abroad, the way another detained ex-PM, Sheikh Hasina, also Awami League chief, was set free.

Late President Ziaur Rahman's nephew Mominur Rahman, former BNP MP

Kazi Solimul Haque, Syed Ahmed, Gias Uddin Ahmed and Sharfuddin Ahmed have also been implicated in this latest graft case. ACC Deputy Assistant Director Harunur Rashid filed the case with Ramna police station, accusing the seven of misappropriating or abetting in defalcation of Tk 2.1 crore from the orphans' funds.

This is, however, the first case, since the January 11, 2007 changeover, where both Khaleda and Tarique were co-accused. Earlier, Khaleda was accused with her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko in the Gatco case.

In the FIR, it was stated that during the 1991-96 period, Khaleda, the then Prime Minister, had opened a current account with Sonali Bank in the name of Prime Minister's Orphans Fund and a sum of US$ 12,55,00 (Tk 4.44 crore) arrived into this account on June 9, 1991 through a draft of United Saudi Commercial Bank.

But, despite existence of thousands of orphanages in the country, that money was not given to any of those charities. Rather, on September 9, 1993, a trust styled 'Zia Orphanage Trust' was set up without following the guidelines that are required to run orphanages/trusts.

The FIR says the Zia Orphanage Trust with Khaleda's two sons--Tarique and Koko-- and their cousin Mobin at the helm was formed "with an intention to get the money misappropriated by her family members".

On November 13, 1993, an amount of Tk 2.33 crore was given to the Zia Orphanage Trust from the Prime Minister's Orphans Fund for setting up an orphanage in Bogra. Of the money, Tk 2.77 lakh was spent on buying 2.79-acre land in the name of the trust. The remaining money was not spent in establishing orphanage or behind the welfare of orphans until 2006.

"In 13 years, the unspent money remained in a bank account and with the interest the money increased to Tk 3.37 crore, and during 2006 and 2007 about Tk 2.10 crore was misappropriated by the accused," it was stated.

About the role of Khaleda Zia, the complainant held the former Prime Minister responsible for the process of misappropriation of the money meant for the orphans. She was also accused of abusing power.

The case was filed under sections 409/109 of the Penal Code, section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 and section 15 of the Emergency Powers Rules 2007.

The Trust's chairman Tarique Rahman and member Arafat Rahman Coco were also interrogated.

Call to develop media for the Muslim ummah

Staff Reporter

The need for developing media for the Muslims to face the challenges of the 21st century was underlined at a seminar organised at the National Press Club yesterday.

The Chief Editor of the Qatar News Agency Sheikh Khalid Abdullah Al-Ziarah who was the keynote speaker at the seminar called for making two clear distinctions between serving the spiritual demands of people and meeting the cultural and socio-economic demands of Muslims through the media.

He said that in the absence strong media organisations in the Muslim world the Western media was distorting events taking place and ideas emanating from this part of the globe. He said that the Muslim World was aware of the influence of the international media controlled by the West. Their objective was to increase the spheres of influence of the powerful countries.

Sheikh Al-Ziarah said that the influence of the media of the second and third world countries was minimal because of their limited economic power and limited access to technology. The Muslims should counteract the influence of the Western media by acquiring latest technology and strengthening economic muscles.

Prof. Jashim Uddin Ahmed, former Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar university was the chief guest at the seminar presided over by Mufti Izhar Chowdhury. Harun Izhar presented a paper at the seminar which was organised by the Islamic Social Welfare Organisation Bangladesh.

The seminar was also addressed by senior journalist Ziaul Huq, Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Editor, The New Nation. AKM Khalid Hasan, Dr Shahidul Islam, Ashraf Khan, Jamaluddin Bari, AKM Ruhul Amin and Shaukat Kamran among others.

The speakers noted the initiatives taken at different parts of the Muslim World to develop news media organisations to cater their needs, but said that they are still very inadequate.

Asia Cup: India reach final

Sports Reporter

India reached the final of the Asia Cup when they defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in their Super Four match of the Asia Cup at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday.

Sri Lanka also confirmed their berth. Electing to bat first Sri Lanka made 308 for the lose of 8 wickets in 50 overs. In reply, India romped home and dry in 46.5 overs making 310 for the lose of 4 wickets.

MS Dhoni hit a captain’s knock of 67 of 62 balls. Gautam Gambhir and Virendar Sehwag made a solid start as the two openers of India contributed 92 runs in the opening stand.

Gautam Gambhir hit a brilliant 68 facing 61 deliveries. He struck 11 shots across the ropes. Virendar Sehwag cracked 42 off 34 balls amid six fours and a huge six.

Earlier, Sri Lanka made a poor start as the islanders lost their early two wickets for 71 runs. C Kapugedara and Mahela Jayawardene repaired the damage adding together 78 runs for the third wicket partnership before Jayawardene was caught by Gautam Gambhir of P Ojha making exact 50. He hit four fours in his 63-ball knock.

Later, Kapugedara and Chamara Silva contributed together 68 runs in the fourth wicket stand before Kapugedara was trapped lbw by Praveen Kumar when Sri Lanka's total was 217 for the loss of four wickets. Kapugedara notched up his team's highest of 75 playing 78 deliveries. He struck seven fours and a six.

Chamara Silva made a fine 50 off 56 balls.

Earlier, opener Sanath Jayasuriya hit 43 facing 37 deliveries. He struck eight shots through the ropes.

Later, T Thushara and K Weeraratne added 33 each to the Sri Lanka total.

Ishant Sharma was his team's most successful bowler. He claimed a couple of wickets at the cost of 55 runs.

Besides, P Ojha, Praveen Kumar, KP Singh and Irfan Pathan took one wicket each.