The New Nation - Internet Edition

Malaysia ready to welcome Bangladeshi workers

Staff Reporter

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said that Ministry for Home and Immigration Affairs of Malaysia welcomed Bangladesh's workers in Malaysia.

Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Syed Jaafar Albar said this during a meeting with Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury who is also in charge of the Ministry of Overseas Employment and Expatriates Welfare yesterday in Kuala Lumpur where the Foreign Adviser went to attend the D-8 Conference.

"This is very different from the picture same people were presenting earlier this year that this market is shrinking. Actually it is growing at a pace so rapid that it is becoming somewhat of a problem. Malaysia is about to initiate a series of development projects and if we can develop the requisite skills there are vast potentials for our labour in this country," Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said, speaking to the Media afterwards.

Foreign Adviser said," Of course, there are some problems and many of our workers have been subject to harassment by many quarters. I have discussed this with Malaysian Ministers and we are resolved to address these issues together to settle."

He further said our goal is not just expanded markets. We are seeking to improve our skills and our emphasising welfare aspects. Our policy thrust is being directed to those ends.

Foreign Adviser had earlier met the Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim and discussed this, among other topics. He had also met with leaders of the Bangladesh community in Malaysia and visited a shelter house for distressed labour organised by the Bangladesh High Commission.

Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said " I have instructed the High Commission to do all that is possible to resolve the problems of the workers in the shelter. We have discussed same ways and means as to how to go about it."

There are over 445,000 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and the number is increasing everyday at present. By the end of the year it is likely that the number of workers may exceed 500,000.

Niko graft case Hearing against Khaleda adjourned till July 16

BSS, Dhaka

The trial court on Monday adjourned the hearing till July 16 to indict former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia and others in the Niko scam.

Judge Khondoker Kamal Uzzaman set the next date as her lawyers prayed for halting the hearing to allow them to file a petition to the High Court against his order rejecting their earlier plea.

The trial court on June 18 last rejected a defence counsel prayer seeking adjournment of the hearing till disposal of the Niko case against ex-premier Sheikh Hasina by another court.

Earlier, Begum Zia under the security escort appeared before the relocated court in the parliament complex from her nearby sub-jail.

She was produced along with other accused in the case including former law minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former BAPEX managing director Mir Moynul Hoque, former BAPEX secretary Mohammad Shafiur Rahman, businessman Selim Bhuiyan and Tarique Zia's business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on December 9 last year under the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR).

After completion of the court function, Begum Zia while talking to reporters alleged that the present government has failed to check the price hike of essentials.

Nobel Committee Chairman due July 15

BSS, Dhaka

The Chairman of Nobel Committee Professor Ole Danbolt Mjos and Director of the Nobel Peace Centre Ms Bente Erichsen are due here July 15 to attend the inauguration of an exhibition on Nobel Peace Prize.

Grameen Bank sources said, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed is expected to inaugurate the exhibition at the Grameen Bank headquarters on 17 July.

Professor Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank received Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in December 2006.

During their six-day visit to Bangladesh, Professor Ole Danbolt Mjos and Ms Erichsen will also participate in several events organized by the Grameen Bank and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka.

They will also visit the field sites of Grameen Bank and meet its members to see their activities undertaken with the micro-credit of Grameen Bank.

Grameen Bank will also host a dinner and reception in honor of Professor Mjos and Ms Erichsen and arrange a public lecture where Professor Mjos is expected to address the students from various universities and colleges.

3 of a family found dead in Gazipur

UNB, Gazipur

Mystery shrouded the death of three members of a family at Shafipur village in Kaliakoir upazila yesterday morning.

Local sources said Faizul Islam, 50, and his wife Nasina Yasmin, 45, went to sleep along with their seven-year-old son Nayeem Sunday night.

In the morning, other family members entered the bedroom as the door was open and found the three dead on the bed at about 6am.

On information, police recovered the bodies and sent those to Sadar hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police suspected that Faizul Islam, his wife and son have been killed in poisonous gas that emitted from the generator kept inside the bedroom as the bodies bore no injury marks.

Neighbors, however, said that they might have been killed following a land dispute.

Cause of the deaths can be confirmed only after the autopsy, said Officer-in-Charge of Kaliakoir Thana Nuruzzaman.

CA accorded red carpet reception in Kuala Lumpur

UNB, Kuala Lumpur

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed who arrived here yesterday to attend the D-8 Summit was given a red carpet reception at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Abdur Rahim Bakri greeted the Chief Adviser at the tarmac at 4:05 pm (local time).

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia M Khairuzzaman and senior officials of the Malaysian government were present.

The Chief Adviser then drove to Hotel Renaissance in a ceremonial motorcade.

The Chief Adviser left here for Kuala Lumpur in the morning.

A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Chief Adviser and his entourage took off from the VVIP tarmac of the Zia International Airport at about 10:50 am.

Earlier when the Biman flight entered the Thai airspace, the Chief Adviser exchanged pleasantries with Malaysia-bound Bangladeshi workers, enquired about their jobs and wished their success.

The Chief Adviser is leading a 21-member Bangladesh delegation to the summit of economic alliance of eight developing Muslim countries.

The delegation includes Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Chief Adviser's Principal Secretary Ali Imam Majumder and CA's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim.

The Chief Adviser is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a meeting with the Bangladesh community in Malaysia yesterday in Kuala Lumpur.

During his two-day visit in Kuala Lumpur, the CA will stay at the hotel.

The Chief Adviser is scheduled to return home Tuesday night after the one-day summit.

Road crash kills two of a family in Laxmipur

UNB, Laxmipur

Two members of a family were killed and two others injured as a pick-up van rammed into a motorbike at Sadarghar on Laxmipur-Dhaka highway yesterday.

The dead were identified as Mizanur Rahman,48, an employee of LGED office of Subornochar uapzila of Noakhali and his son Mehraj,12.

Sources said when Mizanur was going to Subornochar along with his four children by a motorbike a pick-up van hit his motorbike, killing Mizanur and Mehraj on the spot.

Mizanur's another son Anwar Hossain,10 and daughter Amena,8, were injured critically. They were rushed to Laxmipur sadar hospital.

Police recovered the bodies and sent to hospital. A case was filed.

Foreign Advisor condemns bomb blast in Kabul

UNB, Dhaka

Foreign Adviser Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, who is currently in the Malaysian Capital to attend the D-8 conference, strongly condemned the bomb explosion at the gate of Indian Embassy in Kabul that reportedly killed at least 41 people.

In two separate messages to his Indian and Afghan counterparts Pranab Mukherjee and Rangin Dadfar Spanta respectively, Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury said, "It was a mindless and shameful act that deserves condemnation in the strongest terms."

"At this tragic hour, our hearts go out to the families of the victims and sympathies to the governments and the people of India and Afghanistan," Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury said.

7 extremists get life term in Pabna murder case

BSS, Rajshahi

Seven members of the outlawed 'Purba Banglar Communist Party' were sentenced to life-term rigorous imprisonment by a trial tribunal here on Monday in the sensational three-murder case of Faridpur upazila of Pabna district around four and half years back.

Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge ATM Mesbauddowla found the convicts guilty under Sections 302/34 of BPC and handed down the verdict in a crowded courtroom.

The tribunal also fined them Taka 10,000 each, in default, to suffer one year more rigorous imprisonment.

The convicts are identified as Abdul Hannan alias Faruque, Golzar Hossain, Fashiruddin, Joynal Abedin, Anis, Delwar Hossain and Abdul Malek. Excepting Abdul Hannan, all the convicts have been absconding since the killing incident. All are the residents of the same upazila.

Eight other accused of the case- Habibullah, Azimuddin, Nobab, Sujan, Abdur Rahman, Bablu, Dulal and Abdur Razzaque were acquitted, as the murder charge brought against them could not be proved.

The prosecution story, in brief, is that the convicts in association with some of their accomplices slaughtered three members of another outlaw faction identified as Ilu Fakir, Nazrul Islam and Moznu Pramanik on the spot at Hatigardi beel under the same Faridpur upazila while they were fishing in the beel in the early hours on December 25, 2003. Thereafter, they left the place chanting various slogans in support of the outlawed party.

A case had been recorded with Faridpur police station in this connection on the following day. After completing investigation police pressed charges accusing 15 of them.

The court examined 15 prosecution witnesses and other relevant evidence and finally handed down the judgment.

Special Public Prosecutor Sheikh Jahangir Alam Selim conducted the case on behalf of the state while Advocate Abu Bakar Siddique with assistance from some of his colleagues defended the accused.

ACC takes action against 26 staff members

BSS, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) so far has taken punitive action against its 26 staff members on charges of taking bribe, misconduct, violating service rules and other offences.

Director General (Admin) of the ACC Colonel Hanif Iqbal stated this at regular press conference in ACC conference room here on Monday.

The DG said the commission has filed cases against two officials- Mizan Uddin and Abdur Rahman-for taking bribe and proceedings are going on against seven officials including two deputy directors.

The action is being taken on the basis on a report of an internal inquiry committee constituted to check corruption inside the anti-graft watchdog.

Col. Hanif said other punished ACC officials and employees include one assistant director, five computer operators and six constables.

He said departmental actions were taken against nine officials and decision has been taken to file cases against them.

The commission is verifying allegations against three officials and five others were relieved from charges, as the complaints against them were not proved true during investigation.

Hanif Iqbal said eight officials and employees have been kept under watch.