The New Nation - Internet Edition

Poet Samudra Gupta dies

Poet Samudra Gupta

Staff Reporter

Poet Samudra Gupta died of cancer in Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital at 8:00am in India Saturday. He was 62.

Poet's daughter Swapna Samudra confirmed the news.

The ailing poet was taken to India on July 3 for better medical treatment. Rasheda K Chowdhury, Cultural Affairs Adviser, expressed deep shock at the death of the poet.

She prayed for the salvation of the (the poet) departed soul and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family members.

His daughter said that the poet's wife and brother, who accompanied him to India, would bring the body back home.

Samudra Gupta, real name is Abdul Mannan, a renowned poet and a writer had been suffering from Gallbladder Cancer.

In Bangladesh and abroad many cultural activists and organizations came forward to raise funds for his treatment. They organised various functions including musical soirees, art exhibition for the ailing poet.

Therefore, a group of UK based poet and writers also came forward to help and support him.

CA stresses need for competent leadership

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said efforts continued so that honest, competent, dedicated and patriotic leaderships can hold the helms at local levels and in parliament for a rebuilt Bangladesh.

The 'Esho Bangladesh Gori' Road Show has carried out massive campaigns with this end in view, the head of the caretaker government said in his concluding remarks on the 50-day-long cross-country mission at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

Fakhruddin firmly hoped that the culture of using black money and muscle power in election would find a final end and the government is carrying out efforts sincerely to that end.

"All have to work so that wise, honest, competent and patriotic people win every election, in every sphere, in the future and can stand with their heads high," he said about the vision of a new Bangladesh, as campaigned during the road show.

The CA requested people to apply much of their judgment and knowledge in casting their sacred vote, which he said is the highest right of a citizen.

He also suggested paying attention so that correct reflection of their opinion takes place in voting.

'Esho Bangladesh Gori' Road Show was formally inaugurated by Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim at this same venue (Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre) in the capital on May 30 though the caravan embarked upon the journey from the country's northern tip in Panchagarh on June 1.

The campaigners marched with some theme slogans, including build corruption-and terrorism-free Bangladesh, ensure free and fair election, and establish honest and competent leadership in all tiers, say no to drugs, build food habit for other foodstuffs alongside rice, grow more to meet food deficit, remove unemployment, and improve socioeconomic condition through adopting information communication technology and flourishing tourism.

The road show traveled 55 districts during its over 4,500- kilometer cruising. Some 5 lakh people of 25 districts have actively participated in the road show while about 8 crore people witnessed and listened to the propaganda on television and radio.

A total of 27 fairs were held in 25 districts to celebrate the road show, jointly organized by Agriculture Ministry, Food and Disaster Management Ministry, Home Ministry, Post and Telecommunications Ministry, Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, Election Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission and Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission.

Chief of Army Staff Gen Moeen U Ahmed also spoke at the function as special guest, making a call for building a corruption-and terrorism-free Bangladesh in the changed context. Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim presided.

Advisers, special assistants to Chief Adviser, schoolboys and girls and distinguished personalities were present.

Environ friendly inland water transports halved

BSS, Dhaka

Despite an environment friendly and low fuel consumption mode of transportation, the share of Inland Water Transport (IWT) in terms of passengers has decreased from 16 percent in 1975 to eight percent in 2005.

The share of IWT in the cargo transport market has also decreased from 37 percent in 1975 to 16 percent in 2005 though the IWT tariff for cargo is below Taka one per ton-km while the same is around Taka 4.5 on roads and Taka 2.5 on railway routes.

This was revealed in a recent study styled 'Revival Of Inland Water Transport: Option and Strategies'. A team of the World Bank led by Jean-Noel Guillossou conducted the study while the Ministry of Shipping, Department of Shipping (DOS) and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) reviewed it.

The study attributed the reduction of passengers in IWT to poor operation conditions and inadequate regulations and involvement of authorities in service delivery.

In contrast, the study said, during the 30 years, the road share has dramatically increased from 54 percent in 1975 to 88 percent in 2005 reflecting a heavy investment in the sector.

The IWT is also considered unsafe because of disastrous accidents involving a large number of passengers although statistics show that IWT is less dangerous than road.

During the past 15 years, fatalities on the road averaged 2,400 per year whereas on the inland waterways, 148 people died on average, said the study.

Describing the IWT as an environment-friendly mode of transport, the study said use of IWT instead of road transport is estimated to save about 58.5 million litres of diesel and reduce emission of 155,000 tons of carbon-dioxide per year because of lower diesel consumption.

The use of gearboxes in country boats, the study said, would save an estimated additional 100 million liters of diesel and reduce emission of 260,000 tons of carbon-dioxide.

Referring to the use the country's 10 major ports by 50 million passengers in a year, it said the present IWT can also provide large capacity for passenger transport, but regulatory issues need to be addressed if the sector wants to capture its potential share of the market. Inland Water Transport (IWT) has the potential to become a major actor in the transport of containers between Dhaka and Chittagong as the tariff to transport a TEU container between these two major cities is around Taka 600 per ton by IWT, compared to Taka 1,200 on railway and Taka 6,000 on land routes, the study said.

Besides, it said, the development of container transport by IWT between India and Bangladesh also shows a strong potential as the transport cost by IWT is estimated at 700 US dollar per TEU for a seven to nine day trip compared to US 2500 dollar for a 15 to 30 day trip by sea.

The study observed that the Government of Bangladesh should peruse the Government of India to establish a sustainable framework for development of regional IWT network.

Presently, the short-term priority for the government should be to determine the core IWT network that can be used by modern vessels and which will require a significant amount of resources for maintenance, it said.

Besides, the study recommended for adopting a new 'sector strategy' providing a mid-term vision for the sector encompassing investment needs, financing of recurrent costs and the role of the private sector.

It also suggested re-fixing of passenger tariff and setting up a new framework for sustainable sector financing with enhanced participation of IWT users.

A new framework for public-private partnership in port management and cargo handling with particular emphasis on safety and environment is also needed, it said.

It is estimated that about 7,45,000 country boats ply the rivers in Bangladesh of which 4,64,000 used for ferrying passengers and 2,61,000 cargoes. The country boat sector is a major source of employment in rural areas with an estimated 3.8 million workers.

Moeen for giving responsibility to honest leadership

UNB, Dhaka

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed yesterday called for taking a vow to repose the responsibility of running the country upon honest and competent leadership.

"It's time to turn around. Let's promise to build a corruption-free Bangladesh - Let's root out terrorism for ever," he said.

Gen. Moeen was addressing as special guest the concluding ceremony of the 50-day-long Road Show dubbed 'Esho Bangaldesh Gori' at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city.

The army chief also called upon patriotic people to join en masse in nation-building activities. Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed formally declared the conclusion of the Road Show that traversed the length and breadth of the country.

Praising 'Esho Bangladesh Gori', the army chief said people not only welcomed the caravan, but also spontaneously took part in it.

"Thus it proves that people want a corruption-free Bangladesh. They want to get rid of terrorism and they want honest and dignified leadership," Gen. Moeen said.

He said people of Bangladesh have fought in the past and they know how to move forward against adverse situation.

The Road Show would be completely successful when its theme of building the nation will be materialized, Moeen observed.

The march carried slogans like building a corruption-free and terrorism-free Bangladesh, establishing honest and competent leadership at all levels, saying no to drugs, increasing food production and removing unemployment.

Corruption in service-providing sectors: ACC special teams make progress in investigation

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission's special teams constituted to look into corruption in service-providing sectors like Roads and Highways department, Education Ministry, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Post and Telecommunications Ministry are making progress, as they have already detected irregularities in various projects.

"Yes, the special teams are making progress," ACC director general Col Hanif Iqbal told UNB yesterday afternoon.

As part of the ACC's campaign to fight institutional corruption in service-providing sectors, the anti-graft watchdog has formed separate special teams to investigate graft allegations against these organisations.

A special team was also formed to investigate corruption in Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), but its activity has been suspended, as several taskforces of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on serious crime and corruption are working there.

About the progress of the team working at BSMMU, Hanif Iqbal said the ACC squad is currently concentrating on catering service of the medical university, as they have discovered significant inconsistencies there.

"Now, they're working to substantiate the inconsistencies."

Hanif said the progress in Roads and Highways department is very good. "The team has detected various types of corruption in different projects under the department," he said. Besides, he said, on the basis of their investigations, some 20-22 officials of Roads and Highways department have been issued notices directing them to submit their wealth statements.

On the team working at the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, the ACC spokesperson said they are now working on corruption relating to vehicles and their fuel consumption.

About the Education Ministry, he said the special team is currently working on corruption relating to the Monthly Payment Order (MPO).

Regarding the suspension of work of the team formed to investigate corruption in Dhaka City Corporation, Hanif said the special team had started work in the DCC but its activity has been suspended, as some taskforces are also working there.

Asked whether the ACC would form more such teams to investigate organisational corruption in other service-providing sectors, Hanif said other organisations would be gradually brought under the campaign to root out institutional corruption.

Asked when exactly more special teams would be constituted, Hanif did not provide any timeframe. "To investigate corruption in an organisation, we need to study first and that is going on," he said.

Bid to grab rented house

Staff Reporter

Former adviser Geeti Ara Safia Chowdhury and her husband Nazim Kamran Chowdhury disregarding contract were trying to reassert themselves unlawfully in their rented house by giving constant death threat to the owner and guards of the house.

Professor of Saint Francis University of USA, Mahbub-ul-Islam, the owner of the house at 7/a, Road No-41, Gulshan-2, claimed this yesterday at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU).

Mahbub alleged Geeti Ara and Nazim were given rent of the house on October 2002 on a 5-year contract. Instead of leaving the house on expiry of the contract, she threatened the owner and forcibly set up a gigantic generator in the house on Thursday without seeking permission of the owner in an attempt to occupy the house.

He claimed that the cohorts of Geeti Ara assaulted him physically, while he was trying to resist them from setting up the generator.

He also claimed that she had earlier established a generator on October last year infringing a court order in this regard.

Mahbub urged the government to free his house from their occupation.

One killed in 'crossfire’ with RAB

Staff Reporter

A notorious terrorist was killed in 'crossfire' during an encounter between RAB officials and his cohorts in Jheelmil project area of South Keraniganj yesterday.

The dead was identified as Moksed, 30, of Shyampur area and close associate of infamous Shaheed Dakat.

Acting on a tip-off, RAB-10 member raided the area beside Mawa Road at about 5:00am when a gang of bandits was preparing to commit a dacoity.

Sensing the presence of the elite force, the terrorists opened fire on them forcing the law enforcers to fire back. Moksed received bullet during the shootout and died on the spot.

After the gunfight, RAB men recovered one pistol, one short gun and three bullets from the spot.

Moksed was wanted in 10 murder cases with different police stations in the capital, police said.

BGMEA for market access of LDC goods

Staff Reporter

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) yesterday termed market access of LDCs goods as 'crucial' for their economic security.

It urged the developed nations, including the USA, to provide duty-free access of textiles and apparel items from all Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to their markets.

The BGMEA said the export-oriented textile and apparel industries have created jobs for millions of people in the LDCs, including Bangladesh.

"So, these industries are crucial for economic security and poverty alleviation there," said a BGMEA press release yesterday.

"The industries and workers earnestly expect an immediate duty- and quota-free access of textiles and apparel items to the markets of the developed nations, including the USA," said BGMEA president Anwar ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez while leaving here to attend the WTO mini-ministerial meeting in Geneva.

Parvez said if developed countries truly want economic development of the LDCs, they must support and protect labour intensive textile industries.

10 killed, 45 injured in road accidents

Staff Reporter

At least 10 people were killed and 45 others injured in separate road accidents at Sirajganj and Savar on Friday and Saturday.

Four people, including a physician, were killed and 32 others injured in a head on collision between a bus and a truck at Konabari near western part of Jamuna Bridge in Sirajganj district Saturday morning.

Police and eyewitnesses said the northern region-bound truck from Dhaka collided with the Dhaka-bound passenger bus coming from Lalmonirhat at about 5:00 AM yesterday that killed two passengers of the bus on the spot and injured 34 others. The deceased were identified as Alamgir, 38 and Dr MA Matin, 50.

Two of the injured died on the way to Sadar Hospital. One of them was identified as Akher Ali, 50, while the others could not be identified immediately. Of the injured, 21 passengers, including the bus driver, were admitted to Sadar Hospital while seven other to different local clinics.

On information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies. Truck driver went into hiding soon after the accident.

At least six people were killed and 13 others injured in a fatal road accident on Kaliakoir-Nabinagar Road at Kabirpur, Savar on Friday night.

Two of the dead were identified as Sheikh Ali, 28, son of Alim Sheikh of Faridpur and Abdul Barek, 27, son of Joynal of Sirajganj district.

Police and eyewitnesses said the accident occurred at about 7 PM when a maxi cab (Laguna Paribahan) fell into a roadside ditch after a head-on collision with a Dhaka-bound bus from Rangpur.

Two passengers of the maxi-cab died on the spot and 17 others were injured critically.

The injured were rushed to a local clinic where four of them succumbed to their wounds. Several cases were field in respective police stations.

NBR not willing to take role of Zemindars : Chairman

UNB, Savar

NBR chairman Muhammad Abdul Mazid said that his agency does not want to collect tax like Zemindars who used to apply force.

"NBR officials don't want to behave like Zemindars. NBR wants that people pay their taxes willingly," he said yesterday.

He was speaking at a programme meant to motivate taxpayers at Savar Municipality auditorium as chief guest. Tax Zone-4 organised the meeting where other top tax officials were present.

The NBR chairman said his agency would give a special card to the taxpayers who will pay their taxes willingly.

Mazid mentioned that per head burden of loan on each people of the country is Tk 12,545 and the annual installment of the loan interests is 14 times higher than the national budget. "We have to come out of this vicious cycle," he said. "Paying taxes is the only way to stand on our own feet."

Later some 452 new taxpayers got their certificate as taxpayers by depositing Tk 12.12 lakh.

9 Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir attack

AFP, Srinagar

Nine Indian soldiers were killed and 16 others injured in a landmine blast Saturday in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, the army said.

The attack was described as the deadliest since India and Pakistan started a peace process in January 2004.

"We have nine fatalities," Indian army spokeswoman Neha Goel told AFP, adding that over a dozen others were hurt in the explosion in Narabal on the outskirts of Indian Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar.

A police officer confirmed nine had died and 16 others were hurt when their bus drove over the mine.

Pro-Pakistan militant group Hizbul Mujahedin claimed responsibility for the attack in a telephone call to the local Current News Service.

"We have carried out the blast and killed more than 20 soldiers," a Hizbul Mujahedin spokesman claimed.

The soldiers were travelling from Uri, bordering Pakistan- administered Kashmir, to the Indian army's main headquarters in Srinagar.

The blast ripped through the military bus, turning it sideways, and shattered the windows of six other vehicles, witnesses said. The dead and injured were taken to the Indian army's main hospital in Srinagar.

Goel said some of the injured were in a "critical condition."

Soldiers and police later sealed off the area and launched searches to track down any militants.

'CG has no jurisdiction to give transit to any country’

UNB, Dhaka

Speakers at a seminar here yesterday said a caretaker government has no jurisdiction to give transit to another country, as it would put the country's sovereignty at stake.

They also suggested formation of a regional commission to deal with the much-talked-about transit issue with the neighbouring country India.

Institute for Policy Research (IPR) organised the seminar titled 'Bangladesh-India Transit: An Assessment' at the Engineers Institution with Dr Mahbub Ullah of Development Studies Department of Dhaka University in the chair.

Former Energy Adviser and ex-Chairman of Bangladesh Board of Investment Mahmudur Rahman, former chairman of Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) Dr Rezwan Siddique, teacher of Dhaka University's Political Science department Mahbubur Rahman, among others, addressed the seminar.

They said South Asian countries need to be involved in multilateral talks and there should not be any bilateral talks between India and Bangladesh.

Mahmudur Rahman alleged that India does not want transit. "It rather looks for a corridor in Bangladesh to turn it into an Indian state like the seven sisters." He demanded resignation of Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekher Chowdhury for his "present activities to give transit to India." The speakers said the Indian pressure to have access to her northeastern states through Bangladesh has mounted in recent months.

They said India proved itself as an untrustworthy friend while helping Bangladesh during the liberation war and it later secretly built Farakka Barrage.