The New Nation - Internet Edition

Khaleda for political unity, softens stance: Problems can be solved thru’ discussions

Khaleda Zia

UNB, Dhaka

Detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Wednesday held out an olive branch to the caretaker government to resolve all problems peacefully through dialogue.

"I don't believe in conflict," she said, "all problems can be resolved through peaceful discussions."

During her appearance in a special court in connection with the GATCO scam case, Khaleda made the remarks talking to inquisitive reporters.

Asked about Education Advisor Hossain Zillur Rahman's comments that all-out efforts are underway to bring BNP to the table for dialogue, she said, "I know nothing about it."

Asked whether she received any proposal from the government, Khaleda, also chairperson of BNP, said, "I'm in custody and there is no scope for talking, except for reading select newspapers supplied by the authorities."

She said BNP, as a democratic party, has been engaged in establishing rights of the people. The BNP chairperson reiterated her demand for general election in October this year. "If it is possible in December, why not in October ? Where's the problem?" She argued.

"We want election and we want to cooperate with the government for free and fair elections," she said.

Reiterating her demand for immediately sending her two detained sons-Tarique and Koko-abroad for treatment, Khaleda said their health conditions are deteriorating every day for a lack of proper treatment in custody.

On a passionate note, Khaleda Zia reminded that they are sons of a valiant freedom fighter and President (Zia) who sacrificed his life for the people.

"I had to suffer a lot to carefully bring them up when they were minor boys at the time of assassination of Ziaur Rahman," she said.

About Awami League acting president Zillur Rahman's remarks blaming the BNP-led 4-party alliance for the happening of 1/11 episode that brought the politicians' nemesis, Khaleda said, " This is not the time for squabble and difference. The people know what happened on the streets at that time."

In a further emphatic suggestion for a united stand at this critical hour the immediate-past PM said, "This is not the time for creating schism-this is the time for salvaging the country through united effort."

Commenting on Finance Advisor Mirza Azizul Islam's reported uncalled-for statement that prices cannot come down like Nawab Shaista Khan's times, Khaleda, who has ruled the country twice as Prime Minister, said, "It sounds painful. He cut a cruel joke with the common people's plight."

Khaleda sarcastically said, "He (Aziz) was not born during the reign of Shaista Khan. He does not know him as well. Perhaps he might have learnt his name from textbooks."

The former Prime Minister said it does not need to compare the current high prices with that under Shaista Khan's regime. "You just look back at the BNP-led alliance rule when people got three meals a day and could save money. Now not only that people cannot save money but also have to go hungry."

Khaleda observed had there been election in time, the country would not have plunged into topsy-turvy. "I don't blame this government for the situation because they did never work for the people and don't understand the misery of the people."

The BNP chief said since political parties work with the people, they understand their predicament.

Regional food bank urged at BIMSTEC meet

Staff Reporter

Finance Ministers of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries wrapped up their meeting in Dhaka yesterday pledging their commitment of mutual cooperation for poverty reduction.

Though the meeting ended without any action plan for poverty reduction, it reached a consensus on exploring the possibility of establishing a regional food bank and to consider it at the next Ministerial meeting to be held in Nepal in the second half of next year.

Chaired by Bangladesh Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam, the meeting also decided to consider the possibility of regional cooperation in facing the impact of climate change for sustainable development.

"The two issues will be discussed at the next ministerial meeting after further review," Dr Aziz told a post-ministerial press briefing at Sonargaon Hotel.

Inaugurating the ministerial in the morning, Chief adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said sharing experiences among the member countries was paramount in tackling poverty.

"Many regions of the world have achieved fruitful results in trade, industry, tourism, monetary cooperation, technology transfer, and ultimately better lives for the people through regional collaborations. It is possible to have a far-reaching impact on poverty reduction and development through regional cooperation," he said.

"The Institutional framework of BIMSTEC member-countries may be devised for intensive and extensive research, investigation and ultimately development of programmes incorporating best practice examples," Dr Fakhruddin noted.

The 7-nation sub-regional group BIMSTEC has been initiated to connect South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Dr Aziz said the meeting agreed on the need for a plan of actions for the member nations for poverty alleviation and decided that Nepal would take the lead to prepare the plan.

In this regard, each of the member countries will organise events like seminars and conferences on any one of the eight MDGs to put forward recommendations on the plan of actions. The countries will also examine and share the best practices of one country in poverty alleviation. The Ministerial meeting also stressed the need for reviewing other issues recommended by the officials' meeting.

These are regional cooperation in training of trainers for vocational education, development of horticulture, expanding ICT to education, health and agriculture sectors to reduce rural poverty, and developing seeds that will help increase agriculture production as well as be resistant to flood and salinity.

Asked to sum up the outcome of the ministerial meeting, Dr Aziz said: "Reach a common wavelength in view of the current global situation, renew commitment to poverty alleviation and recognize the need for regional cooperation in poverty alleviation."

Dr Aziz said global price hikes of essentials coupled with uncertainty of food availability were serious threats to those living below the poverty line.

He said the member countries now understand that the national level initiative would be inadequate to face the current global situation.

"Certain decisions were taken to move forward the causes… to further examine certain decisions," he added.

Replying to a question, the Finance Adviser said Bangladesh still hopes to achieve most of the MDGs by the year 2015.

Bhutan's finance minister Lyonpo Wangdi Norbu, India's state minister for rural development Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Myanmar's deputy minister for national planning and economic development Col Thuyain Zaw, Nepal's national planning commission member Dr Posh Raj Pandey, Sri Lanka's minister for nation building and state infrastructure development Slinda Dissanayake and Thailand's social development and human security minister Chavarat Charnvirat attended the ministerial conference. Bangladesh Foreign affairs adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury also spoke at the opening function.

BIMSTEC, formed in June 1997 in Bangkok, covers 13 priority sectors including counter terrorism and transitional crimes, trade and investment, transport and communications and poverty alleviation.

Ganges, Padma may cross danger level in 24 hrs

A large area of Dohar Upazila under Dhaka district
has been devoured by the raging river Padma. Banglar
Chokh

BSS, Dhaka

A rising Ganges-Padma may cross its danger level downstream at Bhagyakul at Munshiganj during the next 24-48 hours, but it may not turn into a severe flooding, a Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) official said on Wednesday.

Saiful Hossain, executive engineer at FFWC, told BSS that the river was flowing at 5.90 metre, just short of its red mark of six metre when the river water level count was taken yesterday morning.

The Ganges-Padma may rise for another three days and fall afterwards. But it would not pose the threat of a severe flood situation at Bhagyakul, the FFWC official said.

On other river situation the FFWC monitor report said all the country's rivers are flowing below their respective danger levels except the hilly river Kangsha at Jariajanjail at Netrakona.

But the flashy river in the Garo hills had marked fall by 11cm and may fall further, Saiful said.

Out of 73 water-level stations of FFWC, only one (Kangsha) was flowing above danger level, 36 had shown rise, 36 others showed fall, one remained steady.

The rivers in the Brahmaputra and the Ganges basin observed mostly rise while the rivers in the Meghna and the southeastern hill basin marked mostly fall.

The Teesta at Dalia marked fall by 30 cm. The Brahmaputra- Jamuna marked rise by 17cm at its entry point at Noonkhawa, 12cm downstream at Chilmari and Bahadurabad, 15cm at Sirajganj and 12cm at Aricha.

On the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Saiful said the river would rise for another two days then start declining from the next day. The Buriganga at Dhaka rose by eight cm.

The Ganges-Padma rose by 10cm at its entry point at Pankha, 11cm downstream at Rajshahi, 12cm at Hardinge Bridge, 13cm at Goalundo and 12cm at Bhagyakul.

The Meghna recorded rise by four cm at Bhairab Bazar.

Revenue earnings exceed target by Tk 1230cr: NBR: Reveals names of 20 top tax, VAT paying cos

Staff Reporter

The government's revenue earnings during the just concluded fiscal year of 2007-08 surpassed all the previous records exceeding the revised target by Tk 1,231 crore.

"This is for the first time in the history of Bangladesh that we have succeeded to earn Tk 47,201 crore against the target of Tk 45,970 crore," said MA Mazid, Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) while addressing a press briefing at his office in the city yesterday.

For the first time, the NBR also disclosed the names of top ten companies, which paid the highest amounts of tax and VAT during the outgoing fiscal year.

The top 10 taxpayers are: GrameenPhone (Tk 435 crore), Standard Chartered Bank (Tk 220 crore), Chevron Bangladesh (Tk 180 crore), Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (Tk 161 crore), Titas Gas (Tk 136 crore), HSBC (Tk 118 crore), South East Bank Ltd (Tk 88 crore), Pubali Bank Ltd (Tk 78 crore), Citi Bank NA (Tk 76 crore) and Prime Bank Ltd (Tk 67 crore).

The top 10 VAT payers are: British American Tobacco Bangladesh (Tk 2828 crore), GrameenPhone (1438 crore), Dhaka Tobacco Ltd (Tk 1180 crore), Titas Gas Field (Tk 764 crore), Seba Telecom Ltd (Tk 601 crore), Habiganj Gas Fields Ltd (Tk 465 crore), AKTel (Tk 277 crore), Kailashtila Gas (Tk 196 crore), Rural Electrification Board (Tk 105 crore) and Rashidpur Gas Fields Ltd (Tk 101 crore).

The NBR Chairman said the original revenue earning target at the beginning of the last fiscal year was Tk 43,850 crore, which was revised later and the target was fixed at Tk 45,970 crore. "But, we have succeeded to earn Tk 47,200 crore exceeding the revised target by Tk 1230 crore," he said.

"This revenue income and growth in revenue earnings in the just concluded fiscal year are temporary because the revenue earnings will increase somewhat subsequently," he said.

Mazid said the NBR would not stop its regular drives to catch tax dodgers although there is a four-month amnesty in place for disclosure of undeclared money earned through legal means.

The government announced the amnesty, which remains effective from July 1, but the revenue sector regulator said it does not mean that tax dodgers are going to get any reprieve from its hunt.

"Our drive to detect tax dodgers will not stop during these four months," he said.

The chairman said that his office has trained its 100 officials with a special focus on detection of tax evaders and ways of realising money from them.

Replying to a query, Mazid said that the NBR might prepare a list of the top tax-defaulters but world not give a clear-cut timeframe.

Responding to a query, he said that the price spiral might be one of the reasons for the huge collection of the revenue, especially VAT.

Explaining his statement, the chairman said when a product costs higher it means that the amount of VAT would be higher.

The four-month amnesty has been offered for a second consecutive period under this caretaker administration.

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam in his budget speech on June 9 said that the individual tax-payers could declare their undeclared legal income accrued in any year in a prescribed format.

But the individuals have to pay a penalty at the rate of 7 percent on the tax payable in addition to the regular taxes at the rates applicable for FY 2008-09.

This opportunity expires on October 31.

The caretaker government last fiscal year gave the amnesty for the tax delinquents to come above board with their undisclosed money that was earned by legal means in another format.

Under the amnesty, the tax dodgers having Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) had to pay extra 5 percent in fines apart from their usual taxes with the normal tax base of that particular period.

Earlier, successive governments had offered similar amnesty for the delinquents several times, the latest one in 2005-06 fiscal year, but that was for both the groups of tax-dodgers--those who earned honestly and those dishonestly.

The scheme, however, failed to make any major headway as only Tk 5,213 crore undisclosed income was disclosed in the period, with the government earning an extra tax of Tk 802 crore.

Only 42,459 people availed the opportunity, despite an earlier forecast that a nationwide anti-graft crackdown launched by the caretaker government would prompt hundreds of thousands to get whitened their unrevealed income.

High commodity prices, low wages: Agony of RMG workers’ knows no bounds

Syful Islam

Price spiral of essential commodities and low wages have made the lives of garment workers and low paid people's full of agony.

"I get only Tk 2,000 as salary from which I have to spend at least Tk 1200 for food, Tk 500 as house rent and Tk 200 as bus fare. I can left no money to send to my family living in Barishal," said Asma, 16, a garment worker at the city's Chowdhurypara area.

She said she has to work nearly 10 hours a day and 60 to 70 hours a week. "With this paltry wages I can't even meet my daily expenses, leaving alone helping my parents," she said with a tone of helplessness.

She pointed out that price of per kilogram of coarse rice has shot up to Tk 36 to Tk 38, egg costs Tk 7 and thus she can't dearm of eating an egg for its exorbitant price."

Arif Hossain, 28, working in another garment factory in city's Badda area facing the same difficulties to run his three-member family with the salary he is getting now.

"I get only Tk 3,500 as salary from which I have to pay Tk 2,000 as house rent. From the rest Tk 1,500 I have to buy food for my family but I can't afford to buy milk for my child," Arif said.

In the last one-year prices of almost all commodities have gone up beyond the reach of the common section of people. Low paid people especially the garment industry workers are struggling for their survival in the wake of price hike of essentials.

The government fixed minimum wages at Tk 1662 for garment workers in October 12, 2006 following the massive labour unrest in the RMG industry. BGMEA president Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez told The New Nation that all the garment factories have implemented the minimum wages fixed by the government.

Rahim Mollah, a garment worker at Pallabi area, said prices of daily necessities have skyrocketed since 2006 when the government fixed the minimum wages of the garment workers. The wage structure of 2006 has no relevance now, he said adding " The government has announced 20 percent dearness allowance for government employees, but what measures the government has taken for us for mitigating our plight."

"The government has already declared a 20 percent dearness allowance for the government employees. I am yet to see any steps by the government for people in private service," he said. "Is government going to do anything for us?" he asked.

BGMEA president Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez told The New Nation that at present the factory owners have no scope to do anything for the workers.

"The increased fuel price has squeezed our capacity as the production cost has gone up by Tk 600 crore per year in this sector," he said.

"We are facing shortages of manpower… it became tough for us to run the factory under this changed situation. Some of the factories are likely to shut down due to manpower shortages and increased fuel price," said the apex garment body chief.

RMG sector is facing 25 to 30 per cent shortage of manpower, he informed.

Parvez called upon the government to launch food-rationing system for the garment workers or continue open market sale of rice and other commodities considering their sufferings.

Call to ratify Water Courses Convention

Staff Reporter

Leading water, environment and law experts yesterday at a consultation workshop in the city observed that Bangladesh should ratify the Convention of the Law for Non-Navigational Uses of International Water Courses-1997.

Addressing the meeting jointly organised by Global Water Partnership-South Asia and Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP) at LGED-RDEC Building Conference room in the city, the speakers, came into consensus that Bangladesh should go for ratifying the convention saying that it would help protect the interests of the downstream countries, like Bagngladesh.

Presided over by President of Bangladesh Water Partnership Quamrul Islam Siddique, the consultation workshop was addressed by Adviser for Water Recourses Dr CS Karim as chief addressed the workshop as chief guest while Dr Ashif Nazrul, a Dhaka University teacher, was the keynote paper presenter.

The consultation was addressed, among others, by climate change researcher and Executive Director of Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies Dr Atik Rahman, former Ambassador Waliur Rahman, former member of Joint River Commission Tauhidul Anwar Khan, Director of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (BELA) Syeda Rizwana Hassan, and Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon Sharif Jamil.

Leading water and environment expert and Country Representative of ICUN Dr Ainun Nishat moderated the function and summing up the recommendations.

The consultation meeting was informed that the initiative of the Convention on uses and management of international water courses was taken in 1970 but adopted by the UN after 27 years following proper scrutiny. Of the UN members, a total of 103 countries, including Bangladesh, voted in favour of the convention while 27 countries refrained from casting votes. Only 18 countries out of required 35 to bring the convention into force, has signed the convention and only 7 have ratified.

Dr CS Karim said Bangladesh, on the basis of consensus of all stakeholders, to take a positive decision to ratify the Convention.

He observed that not only ratification Bangladesh should also mobilise support for the Convention.

The Adviser, however, said, "We have to assess the benefit and loss of the country from ratifying and non-ratifying the Convention. We have to come to a consensus whether it is good or bad."

He said the matter would be placed before the Cabinet if there was a consensus in favour of ratifying the Convention.

Dr Ainun Nishat said Bangladesh should ratify the Convention to uphold the moral ground to protect the country's interests.

He said there would be scope for negotiating water problems with other countries if the country ratifies the Convention.

Dr Nishat, however, said that we could ratify the Convention collectively rather than isolatedly.

Dr Atik Rahman emphasised the need for negotiation saying that it would help negotiate with friends countries, if Bangladesh ratifies the Convention.

He, however, said that greater discussion should take place on the issue before taking the decision.

Dr Asif Nazrul in his analysis showed that of the 33 articles, about 13 are in favour of Bangladesh while 14 are neutral and rest are neutral but potentially unfavourable to the country.

Jail authorities receive medical board report on Tarique: Treatment abroad suggested

UNB, Dhaka

The jail authorities yesterday received the medical board report on Tarique Rahman's health from the board's members at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), while demand of his mother and party faithful became louder for sending him and his younger brother abroad for treatment.

The 4-member medical board's report says Tarique's broken spinal cord did not improve with the treatment here.

The board recommended that Tarique need "appropriate treatment abroad". Cardiology Dept. chairman Prof KMH

Sirajul Huq, Orthopedic Dept. chairman Prof Siraj Uddin Ahmed, Physical Medicine Dept chairman Prof Mainuzzaman and Associate Prof Dr Idris prepared the report.

Jail Super Golam Haider and Deputy Jail Super Nasir received the report.

Earlier, DIG (Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui sought in writing the report from the medical board constituted by the government.

Meanwhile, Tarique and Arafat Rahman Koko, the two detained sons of detained former premier Khaleda Zia, have been exempted from attending trial courts in graft cases on health grounds.

13 killed in road mishaps in Gopalganj, Mymensingh

Our Correspondents

Eight people were killed and over 50 others injured as a bus veered off the road into a ditch at Haridaspur in Sadar upazila of Gopalganj yesterday.

Meanwhile, in another accident five people, including a woman were killed and as many injured as a bus crashed into a tempo on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at Jamirdia in Bhaluka upazila in Mymensingh yesterday afternoon.

Our Gopalganj Correspondent said, the Khulna-bound overcrowded bus from Dhaka fell into the watery ditch near Haridaspur Bridge at 6:15pm as the driver lost his control over the steering wheel, killing eight, including two children, on the spot, according to the local police.

Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately after the passenger coach crashed in the fatal accident, according to them. Of the injured, three were rushed to

Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition while the others to local hospitals.

Meanwhile, our Mymensingh Correspondent said a Dhaka-bound bus crashed onto a Bhaluka-bound tempo at 4:00pm, killing five passengers on the spot and injuring another five.

Of the deceased, three were identified as Salimuddin, 40, Parveen, 27, and Azad, 25. The rest could not be identified immediately, he said.

The injured were admitted to Bhaluka Health Complex from where one Masum, 12, was shifted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

Police recovered the bodies but could not seize the bus. A case was filed with the local police station, said the correspondent.

Frequent power cut hits industrial production, normal life

Shamim Jahangir

The frequent power cut is hampering industrial production as well as disrupting the normal activities of the people.

At present, the peak demand exceeds 5000 MW, whereas, generation varies from 2900 MW-3335 MW leaving an unmet demand of 2100 MW to 1665 MW daily due to gas shortage. For the reason, residents at different parts of the country experienced 12 to 16 hours power outages, sources said.

'Now many of the PDB power units are generating less electricity because of gas shortage and some of the units have remained switched off. The PDB cannot generate around 580 MW of power because of gas shortage,' sources added.

The two power plants including Sikalbaha Barge Mounted power plant and Sikalbaha Steam power plant with the capacity of 50 MW of electricity generation could not come into operation yesterday following non-availability of gas.

Besides, the two units of Raozan power plant produced only 90 MW against the present production capacity of 360 MW following the short supply of gas.

Ghorasal Steam (unit-1,2,3,4) generated 620 MW against capacity of 750 MW due to poor gas supply.

Haripur GT power plant produced 30 MW against the capacity of 96 MW, Bhagabari GT generated 90 MW against the capacity of 100 MW, RPC Limited produced 126 MW against the capacity 210 MW of power yesterday due to the same reason.

The energy and power divisions are now at odds over gas supply to power plants as the energy division has decreased gas allocation for the plants, ignoring a Power Division request for more gas supply to increase power generation.

Petrobangla would not supply more than 660 million cubic feet of gas a day to the plants as it wanted to ensure proper supply to fertiliser plants, sources said.

High officials of PDB protested the decision of decreasing allocation of gas supply to power plants from 679mmcfd.

Although there was a consensus among Petrobangla and the Power Development Board that power plants would get 679mmcfd of gas, the board received an average supply of only around 655mmcfd in June, PDB said.

Power officials demanded gas supply of more than 700mmcfd to increase power generation to keep outage within a tolerable limit. The demand for gas for power plants is around 850mmcfd, sources added.

But energy officials said Petrobangla would not supply more than 660mmcfd to power plants as any increase in gas supply to such plants would result in decrease in gas supply to fertiliser plants.

Petrobangla now supplies about 1780mmcfd of gas, of which fertiliser plants receive 223mmcfd, industries, dwelling houses and CNG filling stations receive 883mmcfd while power plants receive about 660mmcfd.

There will be severe power outages because of generation shortage after the monsoon,' a high official of PDB said.

Of the total generation of power, 83.5 per cent has produced by gas run power plant, 7.1 per cent by petroleum run plants, 4.6 per cent by coal run power plants and rest of them produced by hydro.

Of the total power production, the industrial sector user are 47.32 per cent, 38.40 per cent domestic service, 7.18 per cent commercial sector and 7.10 per cent other, according to sources.

The industrial production at Dhaka, Chittagong and other parts of the country was seriously affected following the power cut.

Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed, President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, " We have experienced seven to eight hour power outage at industrial units. Due to the reason, the production of the units has hampered seriously in Chittagong."

"The businessmen in Chittagong will discuss about the short term solution of power situation with the Chief Adviser of the Caretaker Government."

Bangladesh Textiles Mills Association President Abdul Hai Sarker told the New Nation that the production of small textile industries at Saver, Gazipur area have been seriously affected due to frequent power cut.

"The large scale textiles producing industries are running their production smoothly as they have captive power generation," he added.

Common mayor candidates: AL, allies fail to reach accord

Staff Reporter

The Awami League yesterday failed to reach a consensus with its allies to announce common candidate for the post of Mayors in different City Corporations, especially for Rajshahi after holding a marathon meeting.

A three-hour meeting was held at the Gulshan residence of Awami League Acting President Zillur Rahman in the evening.

After the meeting Zillur Rahman told reporters that the meeting although fruitful was inconclusive. The meeting was adjourned till 5:00pm today.

The party insiders implied that AL Workers Party had haggled on the issue of the announcement of mayor candidate for Rajshahi City Corporation.

Workers Party candidate Fazle Hossain Badsha and Awami League contender Khairuzzaman Liton were the main contenders for the 14-party ticket to contest the election.

Source said majority of the alliance leaders voted for Badsha, while AL took its firm stance to award the ticket to Liton.

But some central leaders of AL were in favour of considering the issue for the sake of the unity of the alliance.

The Awami League working committee meeting will be held today at 11:00am before the alliance leaders resume the negotiations with the AL presidium members.

Yesterday's meeting started at 6.30pm and continued till 9:00pm.

It was attended, among others, by Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta and Begum Matia Chowdhury of Awami League, Rashed Khan Menon and Bimal Biswas of Workers Party, Dilip Barua of Samyabadi Dal, Nurul Islam of Ganatantri Party, Haji Abdus Samad of Gana Azadi League, Amena Ahmed of NAP and Zakir Hossain of Ganatantrik Majdur Party with Zillur Rahman in the Chair.

Six killed in shootout near US consulate in Istanbul

AP, Istanbul

Men armed with pistols and shotguns attacked a police guard post outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday, sparking a gunbattle that left three attackers and three officers dead.

Turkish and U.S. officials called the shooting a terrorist attack. The U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Turkey's foreign ministry said security around all American diplomatic missions in Turkey had been increased.

Yavuz Erkut Yuksel, a bystander, told CNN-Turk television the attackers emerged from a vehicle and surprised the guard.

"One of them approached a policeman while hiding his gun and shot him in the head," Yuksel said. Footage from a security camera at the site showed four armed and bearded men emerging from a car and killing a traffic policeman, then running toward a guard post some 50 yards away as other policemen fired back, the Dogan news agency reported.

The shootout caused panic and scattered people who were waiting in a line for visas. U.S. security personnel went inside the compound because they are not authorized to engage in armed action on Turkish soil, Dogan said.

A fourth policeman and the driver of a towing vehicle were wounded in the attack, Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler said.

U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson said the consul general in Istanbul, Sharon Wiener, told him that that consulate staff were "safe and accounted for."

At least two of the attackers were Turkish nationals, Guler said. Police said they were pursuing a fourth attacker who escaped in a car after the attack outside the high-walled consulate compound in the residential Istinye district around 11 a.m.

"There is no claim of responsibility so far," Interior Minister Besir Atalay said at the scene.

Atalay said the police would not reveal the identities of the attackers and their possible affiliations for the sake of the investigation.

Television footage showed four people lying on the ground at the foot of the consulate's wall before officials removed the bodies.

"The Turkish police responded quickly and effectively. We are deeply grateful for the work that they do to protect our official U.S. government establishments here," Wilson said. "It is, of course, inappropriate now to speculate on who may have done this or why. It is an obvious act of terrorism. Our countries will stand together and confront this, as we have in the past."

The secure U.S. consulate building was built after homegrown Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida carried out suicide bombings in 2003 that targeted two synagogues, the British Consulate and a British bank in Istanbul. Those attacks killed 58 people.

"There is no doubt that this is a terrorist attack," said Guler, who described the three slain policemen as "martyred."

The shooting coincided with the visit to Istanbul of top American officials involved in the fight against illegal drugs. Michele Leonhart, acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Scott Burns, deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, were attending an anti-drug conference in another part of Istanbul Wednesday morning. It was not clear if they had planned to visit the consulate but visiting U.S. delegations almost always visit diplomatic missions.

Istanbul prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin said the attackers were armed with pistols and shotguns. Forensic teams were seen examining a shotgun on the ground.

The consulate occupies an imposing structure on a hill in Istinye, a densely residential neighborhood along the Bosporus Strait on the European side of Istanbul.

A reporter for The Associated Press who visited the consulate last week drove unimpeded past an entrance for the public and parked on a residential street two blocks away. The area directly in front of the entrance was kept clear of vehicles.

Several guards stood in separate locations outside the entrance, but weapons were not on display; Turkish civilians seeking visas and other documents sat at cafes across the street.

HC quashes series of cases against co-accused

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court yesterday threw off a series of cases against the co-accused in the cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission against bigwigs like ex-ministers and lawmaker for amassing illegal wealth and concealing information.

Upon separate petitions, a division bench comprising Justice M Abdur Rashid and Justice M Ashfaqul Islam passed the orders quashing parts of the cases involving the petitioners-mostly spouses and wards of the high-profile persons.

Those exonerated by orders of the higher court are former Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan's wife Nasrin Khan, his daughter-in-law Shama Shajnin Khan, former deputy minister Ruhul Quddus Dulu's wife Sabina Yasmin, former Awami League MP Kamal Majumder's wife Shahida Kamal, Dhaka City Corporation ward commissioner M Quyyum's wife Shahin Ara Begum and Daily Jugantor owner Nurul Islam Babul's son Shamim Islam.

They were tied with their family heads in the cases for allegedly assisting the main accused in committing the offences.

The High Court quashed the cases on grounds of "non-compliance with the prescribed law and rules", court sources said.

In order to file a wealth-related case against any person, the ACC needs to issue notices separately-and the set procedure was not followed in these cases, the court observed.

Obama, McCain split on Iran’s missile tests

AFP, Washington

Democrat Barack Obama Wednesday called for aggressive diplomacy with Iran while Republican John McCain warned against making any concessions, as Tehran's missile tests jolted the White House race.

The presidential rivals used Iran's test of a missile capable of reaching Israel to sketch sharply divergent approaches on foreign policy. Senator Obama said Iran "must suffer threats of economic sanctions with direct diplomacy opening up channels of communication so we avoid provocation, but we give strong incentives for the Iranians to change their behavior."

"We have to have a kind of aggressive diplomacy which unfortunately has been absent over the last several years," Obama said in an interview with CNN.

Obama has drawn fire from McCain for his offer to talk directly to the leaders of Iran and other US foes, but the Illinois Senator said only a US backed carrot-and-stick diplomatic strategy could work.

"Part of the problem that we've got right now is that we've been basically farming out the diplomatic activity to the Europeans. We've got to be actively engaged," Obama said.

Senator McCain issued a statement following the tests implicitly criticising Obama's engagement strategy, which Republicans argue is naive and dangerous.

"Working with our European and regional allies is the best way to meet the threat posed by Iran, not unilateral concessions that undermine multilateral diplomacy," McCain said.

"Iran's most recent missile tests demonstrate again the dangers it poses to its neighbours and to the wider region, especially Israel," McCain said.

"Ballistic missile testing coupled with Iran's continued refusal to cease its nuclear activities should unite the international community in efforts to counter Iran's dangerous ambitions."

McCain also said the tests shows the United States needs effective missile defense "now and in the future," including the planned missile defense sites in the Czech Republic and Poland.

The long-range Shahab-3 was among a broadside of nine missiles fired off simultaneously at 8:00 AM (0330 GMT) from an undisclosed location in the Iranian desert, state television showed.

State-run Arabic channel Al-Alam said the missiles test-fired by the elite Revolutionary Guards included a "Shahab-3 with a conventional warhead weighing one tonne and a 2,000-kilometer (1,240-mile) range."

The firing comes at a time of growing tension over Tehran's nuclear drive, which Iran insists is aimed solely at generating energy but the West fears could be aimed at making an atomic bomb.

The Bush administration, which has not ruled out military action against Iranian atomic facilities, condemned the missile tests.