The New Nation - Internet Edition

Curzon Hall - Memento of history, piece of architecture

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Curzon Hall, at present a part of the school of the science faculty of Dhaka University, is one of the outstanding buildings in Bangladesh built during British Raj.

The main structure of the Curzon Hall is one of the best examples of Dhaka's architecture, it is a perfect blend of the European and Mughal elements, particularly noticeable in the projecting facade in the north which has both horse-shoe and cusped arches.

The style combined traditional art with contemporary technology and functions and favoured the Mughal forms such as arches and domes, believed to have entered the Islamic world from the west. It marks the casting aside of veiled power after the Sepoy Revolt of 1857, and India's passing directly under the British Crown, seeking legitimacy by linkage to the Mughals.

The red colour substituting for red sandstone and the ornate brackets, deep eaves, and domed terrace pavilions (chhatris), specially of the middle section are strikingly reminiscent of the small but well-known Diwan-i-Khas in the palace fortress of Fatehpur Sikri, Emperor Akbar's capital between 1570 and 1585.

Not only were both cities new capitals, but also the deliberate choice of the Fatehpur Sikri style may be explained by the fact that the British favoured Akbar as the wisest and most tolerant of all the Mughals, feeding into the ideal of their own role in India.

Curzon Hall has attained a great significance in the history of the Language Movement in Bangladesh. It was here, in 1948, that students of Dhaka University uttered their first refusal to accept Mohammad Ali Jinnah's declaration that Urdu alone would be the state language of the whole of Pakistan.

Curzon Hall is named after George Curzon, an Englishman who was a brilliant scholar at Eton College and Oxford University in the last part of the nineteenth century. He was elected a Member of the British Parliament in 1886 and in 1891 was appointed Secretary of State for India, a position he held until a change of government in 1894.

His real influence on the Indian sub-continent began in 1898 when he was appointed Viceroy of India. He introduced a series of reforms, which upset many of the traditional civil servants, and he clashed with Lord Kitchener who became commander-in-chief of the Indian army. Perhaps his most controversial action was agreeing to divide Bengal into two provinces. This lead to a fostering of Muslim hopes of a permanent Muslim state and, of course, this ultimately led to the formation of Bangladesh many 66 years later.

Curzon was eventually removed from office in 1905 but not before the building of Curzon Hall has started. The hall was originally built to become the town hall of Dhaka after the partition of Bengal, then when the partition was annulled in 1911 it became part of Dhaka College. When Dhaka University was founded in 1921 the building became a central part of the university and it till now remains part of the science faculty of this day.

Abu Sayeed M Ahmed, conservation architect, said, "Curzon Hall building has edifices that bear the testimony of an architectural trend with a blend of colonial and Islamic influence. The blend of the two styles developed a new form of distinct local architecture in this part of Bengal."

This form of architecture was in practice until 1950s. Classical features like magnificently imposing central access, symmetrical (wings) buildings on two sides of the central access and freestanding columns as used in Curzon Hall were introduced in the local architectural pattern through colonial architectural practice, he said.

Muntasir Mamoon, Professor of the Department of History who has extensively worked on the history of Dhaka, said, "The Curzon Hall came into being in the way of Dhaka's being the new capital of divided British Bengal in 1905. It became a centre spot of establishment of Dhaka University."

The significance of Curzon Hall lies in the fact that it symbolises not only Dhaka University but also the Dhaka city as a whole, he said.

From the Foreign Press: 'Al-Qaeda will not be defeated by America butt.?

THE mangonel was the big gun of antiquity. But this siege engine, used to catapult rocks, burning objects or dead animals into fortified cities, troubled Islamic scholars. Some early authorities disallowed it on the ground that it was an indiscriminate weapon.

From the Crusades onwards it met with greater approval. Ibn al-Nahhas al-Dumyati, a classical writer on jihad who fought the Crusaders, ruled that mangonels could be used against the enemy "even if there are women and children among them, even if there are Muslim prisoners, merchants or those who have been granted safe conduct".

Such opinions are cited today in religious rulings defending the September 11th attacks or arguing that weapons of mass destruction may be used against America. But Jihadists of al-Qaeda's sort disregard long-standing injunctions against wanton slaughter. Worse, they claim the right to declare takfir, or apostasy among Muslims. When combined with a puritanical religious practice known as salafism-imitating the earliest Muslims, known as the salaf, and treating later Islamic practices with contempt-this creates an especially violent and intolerant kind of Muslim.

Salafi-takfiri jihadists cannot build political alliances; they regard even Hamas and Hizbullah, Israel's main foes, as corrupted by politics. And once they start to spill blood, they become ever more indiscriminate: first they attack the "apostate" rulers or their foreign backers, then the ministers, then the security forces, then the civil servants, then anybody who objects to the violence, and so on. Those who recoil at the carnage, or object to the religious strictures imposed at gunpoint, are treated as apostates. At some point, though, local populations turn against their supposed champions.

This cycle of escalation and rejection was demonstrated in Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and, most recently, Iraq. Peter Bergen, the author of several books on Osama bin Laden, suggests that al-Qaeda, in turn, is starting to unravel. "Self-destruction is encoded in the DNA of groups like al-Qaeda," he says.

A Pew Global Attitudes survey last year found that support for Mr bin Laden and suicide-bombings had dropped across a number of Muslim countries. More importantly, even radical ideologues have become critical. Salman al-Oadah, a Saudi sheikh once jailed by the Saudi authorities and admired by Mr bin Laden, last year made a televised appeal for the al-Qaeda leader to change his violent ways.

Another blow was delivered from an Egyptian jail by Sayyid Imam al-Sharif, better known as Dr Fadl, one of al-Qaeda's founders in 1988 and a former leader of Mr Zawahiri's movement, al-Jihad. He had developed much of al-Qaeda's ideology, but at the end of last year he came up with a sweeping revision. "There is nothing that invokes the anger of God and His wrath like the unwarranted spilling of blood and wrecking of property," he wrote.

Jihad had to be authorised by a qualified imam or sheikh, he said, not the "heroes of the internet". He approved of jihad in Afghanistan and had mixed feelings about Iraq. But the September 11th attacks, he thought, were "a catastrophe for Muslims…What good is it if you destroy one of your enemy's buildings and he destroys one of your countries?"

Perhaps in response to such criticism, al-Qaeda's propaganda has gone into overdrive. Mr Zawahiri wrote a rebuttal of nearly 200 pages accusing Dr Fadl of seeking American-style "Islam without jihad". The reclusive Mr bin Laden has become more active, delivering four audio speeches this year, mostly on the crowd-pleasing theme of Palestine.

Al-Qaeda may have thought that, by goading America into invading Muslim lands, it would engineer a popular jihad against the "far" enemy. In part it succeeded. But it also discovered that fighting in Muslim lands means having to deal with a growing number of "near" enemies, be they fragile new governments, rival religious sects or tribes that have become fed up with the extremists.

Do al-Qaeda's setbacks answer Donald Rumsfeld's question about whether America is winning or losing the "war on terror"? Not really. The best that can be said is that America has stopped losing but is not yet winning it.

The idea lives on.

Al-Qaeda is both an organisation and an idea. As an organisation it is weaker than it was when it had the run of Afghanistan, but stronger than it was immediately after the toppling of the Taliban in 2001. The loss of senior figures, the hardening of international borders and better intelligence co-operation across the world have helped to contain it. But it may yet enjoy a resurgence if Pakistan's new government gives up trying to control the country's tribal belt.

What of al-Qaeda as an idea? Some argue that its support base nowadays is less of an ideological movement and more of a youth cult, based on anger and the desire to emulate the fighters on internet video clips. Perhaps so. It is ideology, however, that convinces young Muslim men in northern England to define themselves as Muslim rather than British, and that drives Muslims to blow themselves up in the name of God.

The backlash, particularly from former supporters, is hurting the global jihadists. But it is unlikely to put an end to their violence for the foreseeable future. Jihadists will dismiss criticism as the product of coercion or selling out to local rulers. Al-Qaeda was never going to be a mass movement. It takes only a small cadre of dedicated terrorists to wreak havoc, particularly if havens are available. In any case, Mr bin Laden retains a sizeable core of support in several countries, and Western mistakes could easily boost that.

Perhaps the more important opinion polls are those that gauge America's (un)popularity. The Pew survey, for instance, found that America's standing in the Muslim world was "abysmal"; in Pakistan it was much lower than Mr bin Laden's. America's overt military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan may be necessary to avoid a vacuum, but it will feed Muslims' sense of grievance and encourage violent extremists.

'Al-Qaeda will not be defeated by America but rather by governments in the Muslim world that manage to extend their writ across its lawless areas. This will take time, Western assistance and much diplomatic skill. Until then the West will have to co-operate with other countries (sometimes holding its nose) to contain the threat-and hope that the jihadists continue to wreck their own cause.

-The Economist

WTO talks face collapse

AFP, Geneva

WTO head Pascal Lamy warned on Friday that talks on a global free-trade pact faced collapse as leading nations searched here for a way to break a seven-year log jam.

"We need to change gears very quickly to turn things around," Lamy was quoted as saying by his spokesman.

Beginning a fifth day of meetings, diplomats and negotiators said that Friday would be make-or-break at the end of gruelling week of bargaining at the World Trade Organisation which has produced scant evidence of progress.

"The situation as I see it is critical, edging between success and failure," said Lamy, who called the meeting of leading trading nations this week in what was a high-stakes attempt to finally broker a deal.

"Some convergences have been recorded but progress remains painfully slow after four days of ministerial negotiation," Lamy told delegations from the 153 members of the WTO in a morning meeting, his spokesman said.

"It's a crucial day," said European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson as he arrived for talks with a small group of leading nations composed of the US, the EU, Japan, India, Brazil, Australia and China.

"We have to see flexibility from people to enable us all to move forward. If certain people who are negotiating will not show any flexibility at all then it takes the rest of the negotiations hostage."

Ministers from 35 leading economies are meeting to discuss reductions in subsidies and import tariffs with the aim of mapping out a deal to conclude the long-delayed Doha Round of global trade talks.

The Doha Round began seven years ago with the aim of helping poor countries enjoy the fruits of freer global trade but the process has been delayed by disputes between the rich developed world and poorer developing nations.

The two sides have settled into a familiar pattern of demanding concessions from each other and refusing to budge until new offers have been put forward.

Such brinkmanship has led to the collapse of talks an several occasions since the Doha Round began in the Qatari capital in 2001.

Brazil's trade negotiator, Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, told reporters: "Yesterday was crucial, today is crunch time."

Any final deal, if approved by negotiators here, would still need to be cleared by all 153 WTO member states.

Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere stressed to AFP that as long as ministers were continuing negotiations it was a positive sign.

"As long as the ministers are in town, there is an opportunity of striking a deal," Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told AFP.

But he added that on "critical issues, distances (between the parties) are wide t Until there is some movement on these, we are not there."

Lamy's spokesman, Keith Rockwell, said that ministers had indicated they were ready to stay longer into next week "if they had indications today that there was progress that would make that worth their while."

One diplomat who declined to be named said there has been little positive coming out of the talks so far this week-except the fact that discussions were still ongoing.

"It has been dark. The only unknown is whether this darkness would lead to a deeper abyss of darkness or if there is light beyond the darkness.

"As it is so often with such negotiations, it is only at the last minute when a breakthrough can be wrought. We'll see," he told AFP.

HSC course at CCC-run schools soon

Chittagong Correspondent

Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) in a bid to curb the seat problem at the public colleges will soon introduce class XI and XII at some of the secondary schools under its supervision.

The secondary schools currently possess the required infrastructure, logistics and teachers are becoming under the status uplift scheme, according to the informed officials.

Two secondary girls schools - Fateyabad Bahumukhi City Corporation Girls High School and Halishahar Ahmed Mia City Corporation Girls High School - have been earmarked for the scheme in the first phase.

Talking to this correspondent over phone, the Acting Mayor Alhaj M Monjur Alam said that the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Chittagong had nodded a specific proposal in this regard.

The Acting Mayor said, "We've a plan to upgrade some of the CCC-run schools in the city as success-rate at the Secondary School Certificate examinations is on the rise."

He hoped that the plan would be implemented in phases so that the brilliant SSC graduates can avert frustration and find room for further education.

He disclosed that two corporation-run colleges - Patenga City Corporation Girls School & College and Postapara Asma Khatun City Corporation Girls School & College - would soon be upgraded to degree colleges.

Chairman of Chittagong Education Board Professor Mohammad Yusuf informed that an uplift proposal on Fateyabad Bahumukhi CC Girls High School had already been forwarded to the ministry concerned.

"There will be no bar for uplift of status to college from school once the ministry nods the proposal," the board chairman said.

The CCC had been under pressure from different corners for incorporating higher secondary course at some of its schools mainly at the face of increasing seat-crisis in public colleges.

Musa Ali Nuri, a retired public servant, hoped that the CCC's school uplift scheme would help address the enrollment problem to a large extent. "The culture of running after a handful of public colleges will go away if the CCC-run colleges deliver quality education," he commented.

Currently, the CCC runs eight colleges including two degree-colleges. Kapasgola CC Girls' School & College, Saraipara CC Girls' School & College, Postarpar Asma Khatun CC Girls' School & College, Kulgaon CC Girls' School & College, Quaish Burirchar CC Degree College, Patenga CC Girls' School & College, Jarina Mafjal College, Ayub Bibi CC School & College and Premier University College.

B.Chy suggests referendum on UZ poll issue

BSS, Dhaka

Former President and Bikalpadhara Bangladesh (BDB) chief Professor AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury on Friday questioned reservation of some political parties about the Upazila polls ahead of the general elections but suggested that a referendum could settle the debate.

"No political party raised objections when the polls schedules were announced for city corporations and nine municipalities. But some parties are now opposing plans to stage upazila elections and some even have pledged to resist it, raising suspicions of anarchy or violence," he told a press conference at his KC Memorial Clinic office here.

"When nobody opposed the mayoral polls, why objections are being raised against the upazila elections?" the former President sought to know. He, however, suggested that a referendum should be held to settle the question.

Asked whether the general elections should be held under the state of emergency, he said the coming mayoral polls could be a test case in this regard. If the August 4 mayoral polls are found acceptable to all under the emergency rule, it could be all right for the parliamentary elections also, he said.

The BDB chief evaded a direct answer when asked whether his party would again form the "grand alliance" with Awami League but said, "if needed in the interest of the country, we will not hesitate to form the grand alliance."

"When we formed the BDB, an intolerant government was in power, which exposed us to severe tortures. Bikalpadhara Bangladesh is now rapidly gaining popularity, becoming the most prospective party of the country," he said. "We will discuss with other parties to form an alliance," he added.

BDB secretary general Major (retd) Abdul Mannan and central leader Mahi B Chowdhury were present at the press conference.

Arrest of extortionists demanded

Staff Reporter

A man in the city demanded the arrest and punishment of the extortionists, who attempted to kill two of his nephews a fortnight ago.

The man, Abdul Matin, said after some local hoodlums, Abdur Rashid, his son Rana and Rahman tried to kill his nephews Faruk and Mamun, at Manikdi in Cantonment Police Station on July 11, he filed an attempt to murder case with Cantonment Police Station against them.

Abdur Rashid and his accomplices secured anticipatory bail from the court and are now threatening the plaintiff with dire consequences, Matin claimed and added that this gang of extortionists wanted money from Faruk and his brother but when they failed to pay these terrorists tried to kill both the brothers.

Majority of Americans believe Obama will win

AFP, Washington

A majority of Americans believe that Democratic candidate Barack Obama will win the presidential election against Republican hopeful John McCain in November, a Fox News poll showed Thursday.

While 51 percent say Obama, who is vying to become the first African American President, will win the election, only 27 percent are betting on a McCain victory.

Voters registered as Democrats are more confident about their candidate's chances than their Republican peers: 71 percent of Democrats see Obama winning on November 4 while 51 percent of Republicans believe McCain will win.

One in four Republicans think that Obama, a senator from Illinois, will succeed US President George W. Bush.

A month ago, 47 percent of Americans believed that Obama, 46, would win the election compared to 32 percent for McCain, a 71-year-old Arizona senator.

42 dead, 100 missing in Congo boat capsize

AFP, Kinshasa

At least 42 passengers drowned and more than 100 are missing after their boat sank on the river Oubangui in the Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials and a radio report said Friday.

Rescue workers had saved 22 passengers, but recovered 42 bodies from the river, which runs along DRCongo's northern border with the Central African Republic, Felix Ibula, of the authorities in nearby Gbadolite, told AFP.

The barge was carrying 182 passengers from both countries when it sank, according to a report from the UN-sponsored Radio Okapi, citing investigators from both countries who had gone to the scene.

"The barge hit a rock before sinking," said Ibula.

"We don't know at this time if some passengers, in addition to the 22 survivors, were able to save themselves," added Ibula.That still left at least 115 people missing.

Market review: Vegetable, fish prices up, rice remains costly

Uptrend in city kitchen market. FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

Prices of vegetables and fishes slightly increased and different varieties of rice remained high in the city market yesterday.

We hoped that the prices of essential items would come down after budgetary measures taken by the government to curb price hike, but practically they are still maintaining a high trend, customers said.

The soaring prices of necessary items are adding extra burden on our limited budget and forcing us to curtail expenditure in other areas, they added.

They suggested that the Government should form a market regulatory commission with a view to checking the price hike and reining the market syndicate.

Meanwhile,the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has decided to import 3,000 tonnes of pulses (musur), 3,000 tonnes of edible oil, 500 tonnes of onion and 500 tonnes of grams to keep their prices stable during the month of holy Ramzan.

The joint forces comprising Army, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police and Ansars will also monitor the market, informed sources said.

The coarse variety of rice 'lata' was sold at Tk 34 to Tk 35, 'minicate' between Tk 42 and Tk 44, 'nazirshail' (depending on variety) from Tk 40 to Tk 44, BR-28 at Tk 37 to Tk 38 and BR-29 at Tk 36 to Tk 37 per kg yesterday in the retail markets. Per packet of 2 kg ata (flour) was sold at Tk 78 yesterday.

Prices of soybean oil remained unchanged with non-packed one was selling between Tk 122 and Tk 125 per kg and branded soybean packed in five litre cans were selling Tk 610. Palm oil was sold from Tk 110 to Tk 112 per kg yesterday.

Supply shortages pushed up prices of different fish high. 'Ruhi' was selling between Tk 150 and Tk 180, 'shrimp' at Tk 450 to Tk 500, small size of 'molla' fish at Tk 140 to Tk 160 per kg and medium size of 'hilsha' from Tk 350 to Tk 400 yesterday.

Prices of chicken and eggs remained high due to short supply, claimed by retailers. Per hali (four of each) was between Tk 24 and Tk 28 and broiler meat was at Tk 100 to Tk 110 per kg. Beef were at Tk 190 and Tk 200 and while mutton from Tk 260 to Tk 280 per kg.

Per kg of local variety of lentil (masur) was selling from Tk 108 to Tk 110 and imported one was at Tk 96 to Tk 98 . Potato was sold at Tk 16 to Tk 17, papaya was between 16 and Tk 18 korola at Tk 28 to Tk 30 and barbati Tk 24 to Tk 28 per kg in the retail markets.

Sugar was at Tk 35 and Tk 36 per kg. Per hali (4-pieces) of eggs was between Tk 24 and Tk 28.

Jamaat demands Khaleda's release, early nat'l polls

Staff Reporter

The Caretaker Government was not set in the power not for contesting with the political parties, said Secretary General of Jamaat-e Islami Ali Ahsan Mojaheed yesterday.

Urging the government to release former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and to hold the national election soon, Mojaheed said the Government was set only for holding of the national election.

Mojaheed was addressing a rally organised by Jamaat-e Islami Naogaon zila unit in the district town yesterday. Naogoan Zila Jamaat Ameer Prof Salekur Rahman presided over the rally.

He said the non-democratic and non-elected government would not be able to suppress the people for long.

About curbing corruption by the government, he said that to curb the corruption was not intention of the government, but it was only a eyewash to keep the power for long time.

Prior to the rally, Mojaheed exchanged views with the district's BNP leaders at the zila parishad rest house.

Russia sees Bangladesh as a close friend

UNB, Singapore

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who had a meeting with Foreign Advisor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury here Thursday evening said Russia views Bangladesh as a close friend and is keen to expand cooperation with Dhaka.

They held the meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum currently being held in the Island City.

Dr Iftekhar thanked the Russian Foreign Minister for the very warm reception that was accorded to him when he visited Moscow last year. He also expressed appreciation for the Russian support in the energy sector and stated that Bangladesh was keen to procure fertilizer from Russia.

They also reviewed the current global situation, including the issues of Kosovo and Georgia.

Iftekhar told Sergey Lavrov that Bangladesh is a very responsible international actor and will continue to contribute to global stability which was necessary if countries like Bangladesh were to achieve their "development aspirations".

Encroachers filling Rampura canal

BSS, Dhaka

Encroachers have been dumping earth on the Rampura Canal, the only channel for carrying rain waters and industrial wastes out of the city's mid-eastern part at night.

More than 40 water pumps are permanently installed at Rampura Bridge point of the canal to drain out rain waters from Rampura, Tejgaon, Banani and Gulshan areas during the rainy season.

The encroachers have already filled up a large stretch of the canal along its north bank namely Aftab Nagar, to expand their housing areas by dumping earths at night.

The Aftab Nagar section of the canal has turned into a narrow stream which is creating obstacle to normal flow of water from Tejgaon industrial area and Hatirjheel.

Apart from spreading bad smell in the area, the stagnation of thick, black and polluted water has made the canal a huge breeding centre of mosquitoes.

Despite losing navigability due to unabated encroachment, engine boats still use the canal in the rainy season to bring fish, vegetables, seasonal fruits and construction materials from distant places for the city dwellers.

Fossil's fear at Rajmahal hills

Agency

A treasure trove of history preserved by nature for millions of years in eastern India is threatened with extinction.

Plant fossils, scattered all over the Rajmahal Hills in Sahebganj district of Jharkhand state, are fast finding their way into the hundreds of crusher machines that are reducing them into stone chips to be used in road construction.

Spread over approximately 2,600 sq km, the Rajmahal Hills are home to plant fossils dating back between 68 million years and 145 million years.

Over the years, geologists and palaeobotanists from all over the world have visited the area for their research.

Here, scientists could lay their hands on some of the rarest plant fossils ever conserved by nature.

Examples of these Jurassic age plant fossils - known as Rajmahal Flora - are to be found in many museums across the globe.

The Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany in the northern city of Lucknow also has an impressive collection.

But this wonder of nature is fast disappearing and geologists say the fossils may soon all be gone.

The state government of Jharkhand has given out a mining lease in the area to private companies who are practically blowing up the hills to obtain rocks, which are then crushed to make stone chips.

"This is what is worrying us. The treasure which nature has conserved for millions of years would be wiped out in a matter of months if an immediate ban on stone mining is not imposed in the area," says Syed Raza Imam Rizvi, head of the geology department at Sahebganj College.

"Those who have the mining lease are cutting down the hills. All the hills need to be conserved for research.