The New Nation - Internet Edition

Tajuddin's 83rd birth anniversary today

Staff Reporter

Today is the 83rd birth anniversary of late Tajuddin Ahmed, the first prime minister of Bangladesh.

Tajuddin Ahmed was born in Daradia village in Kapasia thana under Gazipur district on this day 1925.

He was involved in politics from his student life. He also played a pioneering role in all anti-communalism movements after 1947, including language movement. He was one of the great leaders in formulating six-point movement in 1966.

In 1971, he successfully headed the government at Mujibnagar and played pioneering role in forming the first government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh on April 10, 1971.

He was also appointed member of the committee in charge of writing the Constitution of Bangladesh after the country became free from the Pakistani autocratic ruler.

When Bangabandhu was assassinated on August 15, 1975, Ahmed was kept under house arrest on the same day.

Later, on August 22, he was arrested with other political leaders by the regime of the new president Khondaker Mushtaq Ahmed and imprisoned at the Dhaka Central Jail.

On November 3, he was brutally killed inside the jail with the three other national leaders of the country.

"Tajuddin Ahmed Smriti Sangsad" has organised a discussion meeting at the Engineers' Institutions Auditorium today to observe the day.

DUJA demonstrates on campus

DU Correspondent

Journalists working on the Dhaka University campus yesterday staged a demonstration on the campus in protest against the recent assault on a freedom fighter in the capital.

The journalists under the banner 'Amra Sangbadikbrindo' brought out a procession on the campus, formed a human chain and held a rally at the premises of Aparajeyo Bangla to press home their demand.

DU teacher Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Prof Anwar Hossein and Prof Muhammad Samad expressed their solidarity with the journalists and participated at the programme. They urged the Government to begin the trial process of war criminals immediately.

"Speeches and rallies are not enough to realise the demands of the trial of the war criminals as they now dare to assault freedom fighter physically," said Prof Siddique while addressing the rally at Aparajeyo Bangla at noon.

Besides, Bangladesh Chhatra Union collected signatures and set up a protesting podium on the campus demanding the trial of war criminals.

Sheikh Muhammad Ali Aman, a veteran freedom fighter, was allegedly assaulted at a meeting of Jamaat-e-Islami backed 'Jatiyo Muktojoddha Parisad' at the Engineers Institute on July 11.

EC, not govt to hold upazila polls: LGRD Adviser

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Local government adviser Anwarul Iqbal stressed yesterday that holding upazila polls was the responsibility of the Election Commission, and the government had nothing to do or gain in the matter.

Asked by reporters, at his Secretariat office, whether the government would hold upazila elections despite opposition by political parties, the adviser said: "Earlier it was the local government ministry's responsibility to hold upazila elections, but now it has been transferred to the Election Commission."

"The Election Commission will perform its duty," he said.

Anwarul added: "The government wants to hold upazila elections because the people said they wanted local government polls, including upazila polls, during regional dialogues."

"It would have been better if the political parties had joined those dialogues. They would have come to know people's views," he said.

Asked whether the government would take any steps to bring the political parties to the upazila polls, the adviser said: "Upazila polls are local body elections. And local government elections are non-partisan polls."

In reply to a question on whether the state of emergency would be withdrawn before the upazila elections, he said: "The chief adviser has repeatedly said that where relaxation is necessary it will be done."

Next polls to set standard for future elections: CA Voter registration complete in 11 months

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed addressing a
function marking the 'Celebration of Successful Completion
of Photo Voter Registration' at Radisson Hotel in the city
on Tuesday. Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, Chief Election
Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul

BSS, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed on Tuesday expressed the hope that next elections would not only be free, fair and credible but also set a high standard for future polls as well.

The nation will have free, fair, credible and high-standard elections in future on the basis of error-free voters' list with photographs, he said.

The Chief Adviser said this while speaking as the chief guest at the Closing Ceremony of Voters' Registration Programme at a local hotel here on Tuesday afternoon.

Chief Election Commissioner Dr A T M Shamsul Huda, Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed and UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Ms Renata Lok Dessallien also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Fakhruddin thanked all concerned including Bangladesh Army, the Election Commission and civil administration for successful completion of the gigantic task of voters' registration within a period of only 11 months.

"It would not have been possible to register 80.5 million voters by using a completely new technology without their enthusiastic participation," he added.

Describing it as a landmark achievement for the nation, he said, it is a happy occasion for all citizens who look forward to a free, fair and credible election in December this year and the nation can rightly take pride in this success.

The Chief Adviser said, the demand for an error-free voters' list with photographs was widespread, almost universal and the present voters' list that contains some 80.5 million voters is considered to be almost error-free.

The Speaker, Advisers to the Caretaker Government, Election Commissioners, Special Assistants to the Chief Adviser, Chiefs of Naval and Air Staff, diplomats, heads of different donor agencies, high civil and military officials were present on the occasion.

Giving a detailed description on the preparation of voters' list with photographs, the Chief Adviser said, the EC which had decided to prepare a voters' list afresh launched a pilot project in Sreepur, Gazipur with the help of Bangladesh Army in June 2007 to this end.

The success of the Sreepur pilot project meant that the EC did not have to look back from that point and the EC did not waste any time and started its work even before official approval, which showed its commitment and tenacity.

He said, the project was later approved in August last year and was finished on July 9 this year.

The Chief Adviser said, the Bangladesh Army implemented the technical task with military precision naming it "Naba Jatra" or New Journey. They went to places which were not easily accessible to include hard-to-reach people in the voters' list.

The Chief Adviser said, the Election officials as well as many employees of different government agencies including teachers were inducted for preparation of the voters' list while more than 300 thousands of them had to be trained to successfully implement the huge task.

The NGO community as well as the Imams of mosques were utilised for motivating the people to enroll in the list, he said adding that finally the whole nation participated in this exercise spontaneously that went successful culmination of the project.

In this connection the Chief Adviser said, the system created a database of the voting age population, which facilitated the issuance of the National ID Cards. A good data-base for facilitating e-governance has also been developed in this process.

Referring to the election roadmap announced by the EC in July last year, he expressed the hope that the Upazila polls will be held on October this year.

Dr Fakhruddin said, the final voters' list, after the actual checks and corrections, will also be prepared within this period paving the way for the 9th parliamentary election in December 2008.

In his address of welcome, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr A T M Shamsul Huda described the voter registration with photographs as one of the very few special events of the country since its independence.

The CEC said, with this successful completion of the huge project, Bangladesh has joined the rank of handful of nations having similar tremendous achievements.

He said, the voter's data base has to be preserved, updated and perfected for future and the Election Commission will extend its service round the year to the people for this purpose.

Expressing satisfaction over the successful completion of the project, the CEC said, all the way the registration programme was very disciplined and perfect with the spontaneous participation of people from all walks of lives, the Armed Forces and civil administration.

Speaking as the special guest Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed urged upon all to elect honest and dynamic candidates in the next polls for successful transition to sustainable democracy and sustained good governance.

Laying emphasis on a correct voters' list for holding a free, fair and credible election, Gen Moeen said that there were fake voters in the electoral role in the past.

He said, the Election Commission and the Bangladesh Army kept the expenditure of the project to the minimum and the project has been implemented at a cost of Taka 446 crore in less than record one year time.

Gen Moeen said, there was a strong opposition at the very outset of the project, but the EC and Bangladesh Army stood firmly against it taking the challenges.

The Chief of Army Staff thanked all concerned specially the donors for their whole hearted support and standing beside the nation at a time when it was needed.

Ban on bonus of mutual funds: Share plunge triggers protest

Staff Reporter

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yesterday imposed ban on issuing bonus or right shares against mutual funds despite street protests of the investors.

Consequently indices in both the bourses in Dhaka and Chittagong went down significantly for seventh consecutive day yesterday as investors confidence on the market went down and investors took to the street again.

The capital market regulator on Jun 26 decided in principle to impose restriction on issuing right shares and also announced the plan to gather public opinion.

The announcement, resulted in falldown of the share prices, angered the investors and they took to the street. However, the SEC published advertisements on newspapers seeking public opinion about it.

The board of the SEC in its meeting yesterday gave approval to the plan of forbidding bonus on mutual fund that was announced on June 26.

"We are just working to keep the market on track," SEC executive director Farhad Ahmed told reporters after the board meeting.

Asked whether the SEC felt any pressure in the wake of falling indices and investors' agitation, Farhad said: "Not so."

According to a new decision, brokerage firms will have to seek approval from the SEC instead of stock exchanges to open branches.

"From now, the SEC will approve it. Brokerage houses having paid-up capital of Tk 75 lakh will be permitted to open three branches," Farhad said.

A firm can open up to 15 branches. Brokerage firms will be required to have paid-up capital of Tk 50 lakh for each outlet after the first three.

Meanwhile, the stock market regulator approved the IPO of Republic Insurance worth Tk 9 crore. The company won approval to float 9 lakh shares each at Tk 100.

"The company's paid-up capital is Tk 6 crore while its net asset value and earnings per share is Tk 122.93 and Tk 17.20," said Farhad.

The SEC also approved issuance of right shares of Trust Bank at the 1:5 ratio.

"The bank is permitted to issue one right share against five existing shares," said the SEC official.

Meanwhile, group of retail investors took to the streets at about 11 am when the market started to slump after opening upbeat and staged demonstration in front of the DSE.

Afterwards, a delegation of the protestors met the bourse's top official and told him not to go for frequent decision changes.

DSE senior vice president Saiful Islam in an instant press briefing said 'external forces' were behind the agitation.

"We believe that external forces worked behind today's demonstration."

He told investors not to panic as ups and downs in the market were quite natural.

DSE chief executive Salahuddin Ahmed echoed Saiful and said that the correction was temporary.

"There will be risks as it is the nature of the capital market. The Bangladeshi market did not fall that much compared to the recent falls in bourses of India and Pakistan," he told the press.

Replying to queries from reporters, he said they thought the Securities and Exchange Commission was "riding the right way".

The benchmark DGEN or general index opened upbeat but slumped afterwards losing 45.82 points or 1.63 percent to end on 2764.53.

The DSI or all-share price index declined 37.84 points, or 1.54 percent, to end on 2415.29. The blue-chip DSE-20 finished at 2541.45, slumping 44.32 points or 1.71 percent.

Indices on the Chittagong Stock Exchange also slumped as shares of pharmaceuticals and insurers witnessed huge losses along with the blue chips.

The CSCX or selective categories index fell 87.76 points or 1.57 percent to end on 5468.95. The CASPI or all-share price index closed at 8519.89, down 130.20 points or 1.50 percent.

The CSE-30 blue- chip lost 122.96 points, or 1.58 percent, to end on 7635.25.

Turnover from 16,046,164 shares traded on the DSE slipped to Tk 3.11 billion from Monday's Tk 4.06 billion.

Decliners outshined advancers 153 to 63, with 10 issues holding steady.

Turnover on the port city bourse declined to Tk 382.31 million, with 3,532,574 shares changing hands, from Tk 557.71 million the previous day.

Of the traded 138 issues, 86 lost, 47 gained and five remained unchanged.

Move to ease Moitree Express travel

Staff Reporter

Since the introduction of the "Moitree Express" over the three month ago, customs and immigration hassles and long travel time have discouraged people intending to visit either Bangladesh or India by the Dhaka-Kolkata train services.

To attract the passengers, the both Bangladesh and Indian railway officials will meet at a divisional level meeting in Dhaka on July 27 to July 29.

"We would discuss about reduction of travel time of Moitree Express to 10 hours from 13 hours," Bangladesh Railway Director General Baleyat Hossain told the New Nation yesterday.

He said that the Bangladesh Railway also proposed to the Indian counterpart to find out ways and means to ease customs and immigration facilities for the service.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Railway has written to the Indian authority for meeting to devise means to reduce the travel time to 10 hours from 13 hours.

The trains between the two countries carry passengers much below their capacity. Both Dhaka and kolkata bound trains have 336 seats each.

The Moitree Express carried 151 passengers from the Dhaka Cantonment Station on Sunday and only 121 passengers came from the other end on the same day, according to Dhaka Railway Station Sources.

Affordable fares, comfort of travel and safety of journey from the point of accidents and other hazards inspired many people to avail themselves of this train services to visit either of the two countries.

Moitree charges Tk 560 for shovan chair, Tk 840 for AC chair and Tk 1,400 AC cabin as against Tk 1,500 for travel by bus.

Despite cheap fares and other facilities many now feel discourage to travel by Moitree as it takes 13 hours to reach Chitpur Railway Station on the outskirts of Kalkata, capital of the Indian state of West Bengal from the Dhaka Cantonment Railway Station. The distance between the two terminal points is 538 kilometres of which 418 kilometres are within Bangladesh.

Unfriendly behaviour of the customs and immigration officials at Gede check point in West Bengal serves as irritant for undertaking the journey by train, according to sources.

Completion of customs and immigration formalities take nearly five hours both the sides, according to the passengers.

The passengers from Bangladesh side were also discouraged to go to India by train due to visa complexities, sources added.

One could reach Kolkata in nine hours from Dhaka by bus, sources said.

Legitimacy of CG depends on Khaleda: Delwar

Staff Reporter

BNP secretary general Khandoker Delwar Hossain yesterday said only his party chief Begum Khaleda Zia could give legitimacy to the Caretaker Government's activities, as she was a democratic leader.

Delwar was addressing a four-party alliance rally organised at the city's Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh to materialise its three-point demand including unconditional release of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her eldest son Tarique Rahman, withdrawal of all political cases filed against the alliance leaders and their release.

He said the government could not get legitimacy keeping Khaleda Zia under detention.

Khandoker Delwar demanded resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and termed him a controversial man, saying no fair election could be held under him.

"If he (CEC) had a sense of self esteem and respect for the laws, he would have resigned earlier," Delwar said.

He alleged that the Election Commission was also involved in the conspiracy hatched by the government and was working to fulfil the agenda of the government.

He said the government was trying to strengthen its base of power through state terrorism.

Quoting the Chief Adviser that it was not yet time to lift the state of the emergency Delwar asked the government when would the time come to lift the state of emergency.

Criticising Awami League (AL), Delwar said the party was also being involved in the government conspiracy, terming it London conspiracy.

Pointing at the AL threat to boycott the Upazila election, he urged the AL to keep its words and added that the party did not keep its words many times in the past.

Jamaat-e Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mojaheed said the caretaker government will be able to hold the national election in due time, if they would take help of Begum Zia abandoning the Awami League.

He claimed Khaleda Zia was not responsible for the incident of January 11 and added those who said Khaleda along with Awami League's chief Sheikh Hasina was responsible for the untoward incident were distorting history.

"If the government wants to remove corruption, why are they using Hussain Mohammad Ershad who was convicted by the highest court of the country on corruption charges?" he asked.

Saying about the recent killing of BDR and Bangladeshi innocent farmers by the BSF on the border belt, Mojaheed urged the government to release Begum Zia for ending the killing and preservation of the country's independence and sovereignty.

Demanding the national election first ahead of the Upazila Election, he urged the government to create congenial atmosphere for constructive practice of the politics.

He alleged that the government was trying to break the political party and alliance, which was immoral.

BNP leader Prof Abdul Mannan and Nazrul Islam Khan, Jamaat leaders Kamaruzzaman, Abdul Kader Molla and Azharul Islam, secretary general of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Naziur) Shamim Al Mamun, secretary general of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ahmed Abdul Kader and secretary general of Bangladesh Islami Okyajote Abdul Latif Nizami, among others, addressed the rally.

BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain presided over the rally and BNP leader Habib-un-Nabi Sohel conducted it.

Besides, the 4-party alliance observed various programmes including formation of human chain and indoor rally across the country to realise the three-point demand.

Rising Padma to inundate more low-lying areas

BSS, Dhaka

Heavy rains upstream have been pushing the Ganges-Padma poised to inundate low lying areas down stream at Munshiganj,Manikganj and Dhaka districts in next 24-72 hours, Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) reported on Tuesday.

It also warned that the north, north eastern part of the country and adjoining sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya experienced heavy rainfall which may continue to inundate low lying areas in the districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona and Sherpur.

FFWC sources told BSS yesterday the rising trend in the Ganges- Padma will continue for next 2-3 days crossing its danger level (DL) upstream at Goalundo today or day after. It was flowing there level with its DL on Tuesday.

The river was projected to rise by 7-8cm by 6am today. Reports from upstream at Farakka point of India said it has risen by 6-7cm there overnight. The excess water rushing downstream is likely to menace the low lying areas of the districts of Munshiganj, Manikganj and Dhaka at Dohar and Nawabganj regions.

Heavy rains, like 340mm yesterday at Cherapunji in Meghalaya across the north eastern border of Sunamganj have pushed the Surma up in spate. The river was flowing 18cm above its DL at Kanaighat and 40cm up DL at Sunamganj on Tuesday.

The FFWC sources said, reports from Indian Meteorological Department and the American satelites of NOAA shows further rainfall are likely in next 24 hours in the north eastern India and adjoining Bangladesh. The rains would also move to its north western region.

Resist upazila polls jointly: Zillur

Staff Reporter

Awami League (AL) Acting President Zillur Rahman yesterday vowed to resist upazila polls, if it is arranged ahead of the national elections.

He categorically demanded the withdrawal of state of emergency fully before the elections, as no elections would be possible under the emergency.

Zillur reiterated the demand while addressing the leaders and activists as the chief guest at the workers' meeting of Mohammadpur Thana Awami League at local community centre as a part of month-long programme of Dhaka City Awami League.

He also demanded to announce the October 23 as the possible date for the national election.

AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed urged the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to take lesson from history and not to serve any purpose of ill-motivated sections.

Criticising the Government's move of approving Representative peoples' Order-2008 in principle he said, " We demand immediate repeal of this ordinance."

Terming the move of arranging upazila elections as a ploy, he also warned that AL would never allow any elections under conspiracy.

Makbul Hossain, Former MP, M A Aziz, Acting President and Advocate Kamrul Islam, Acting General Secretary of Dhaka City Awami League, among others, spoke while MD Sadek Khan, President of Mohammadpur Thana Awami League, presided over the meeting.

Former adviser Fazlul Haque to be chargesheeted

UNB, Dhaka

Justice Fazlul Haque, former Law Adviser of the President Iajuddin-led caretaker government, will be charge-sheeted soon in a case filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Commission for amassing illegal wealth and concealment of information about it.

The process of submitting the charge sheet against the former Adviser is almost finished and it would be submitted soon subject to the approval of the Commission, sources told UNB.

About the timing of submission of the charge sheet, the sources said all the procedures have been completed and the issue would be placed before the Commission for its approval following return of the ACC chairman from his tour of northern districts.

On April 13, ACC assistant director Mohammad Ibrahim filed the case with Ramna police station against Justice Fazlul Haque on charge of acquiring wealth beyond his known sources of income and concealment of information about wealth worth over Tk 97 lakh.

Hilsha remains elusive in market

Staff Reporter

The price of different sizes of hilsha fish is showing a high trend despite its adequate supply in the city markets yesterday.

The high price of hilsha fish is depriving consumers from getting the delicious taste of it.

However, fish traders claimed the price of this silvery delicacy was unlikely to go down in the next couple of weeks due to its short supply in the markets.

A hilsha weighing about half kilogram was selling yesterday between Tk 400 and Tk 450, which was Tk 280 to Tk 300 a few weeks ago. One-kilogram hilsha fish was sold at Tk 800 to Tk 1,000 in the local markets yesterday.

People of low and middle-income group said skyrocketing prices of essential items made them unable to purchase hilsha fish from the markets.

Unscrupulous fish traders with an excuse of short supply of hilsha fish are deliberately increasing the price of it, said customers in the city markets.

I used to buy hilsha fish every week but nowadays it is not possible for me to buy any even in a month due to excessive high price, said a schoolteacher, who usually buys fish from vendors in front of the National Board of Revenue building.

The Government's intervention is needed from the level of fishermen to retailers to bring down the price of hilsha, they opined.

Traders at Sawari Ghat Fish Market in the city said fishermen in the coastal areas are not catching sufficient quantity of hilsha fish from the sea that resulted in the high price of it.

They, however, hoped that the price of hilsha fish would come down to a tolerable level within the next one month.

According to the Department of Fisheries, the annual demand of hilsha in the country is about three lakh metric tones against the production of two and a half lakh metric tones a year, resulting in a deficit of 50,000 metric tones.

Some 2,500 tones of Hilsha are exported to Europe and America, while 65,000 to 70,000 tones of Hilsha are exported to India every year, said a leader of Bangladesh Frozen Fish Exporters Association (BFFEA).

2 killed, 40 hurt in Barisal road mishap

BSS, Barisal

At least two passengers were killed and another 40 injured, 10 of them critically, in a road accident at Mundapasha in Ujirpur Upazila of the district on Tuesday evening.

Police identified the victims as Enayet Hossain (42) of Bikrampur of Dhaka district and Nazrul Khan (38) of Nalchiti Upazila of Jhalakathi district.

The critically injured passengers, admitted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH), are: Jahir (22), Dulal Sikder (28), Nasir Sarder (38), Firoj (50), Abul Kalam (40), Kabir (18), Gouranga Chanda (48), Shariful Islam (30), Khokon (25) and Haroon (25).

Police seized the bus and sent the bodies of two victims to the SBMCH morgue for autopsy. A case was lodged with Ujirpur Thana in this connection.