The New Nation - Internet Edition

3-day workshop on ICT ends in city

BSS, Dhaka

The three-day workshop on 'The use of ICT in the field of entrenching the value of dialogue and human rights in the minds and acts of leadership' ended in the conference room of Bangladesh National Commission for Unesco (BNCU) here on Wednesday.

BNCU in cooperation with Islamic Education, Science and Cultural Affairs Organization (ICASCO) arranged the workshop, a press release said.

Communication Secretary Dr Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman was the chief guest on the concluding day of the workshop, chaired by Additional Secretary of Education Ministry Mohammad Mozammel Huq Khan.

The function was addressed by Regional Director of ICASCO Dr Abbas Sadri, Editor of UNB Golam Tahabbur and Secretary of BNCU Dr Mohammad Mahmudul Hasan.

Speakers on the concluding day of the workshop stressed the need for development of information and communication technology (ICT) in Bangladesh, saying that ICT could help change the country's economic conditions to a greater extent.

Later, the chief guest distributed certificates among the participants of the workshop.

Teachers of universities, principals and vice-principals of colleges and government and non-government officials joined the workshop, the release said.

First year hons exam under NU begins

BSS, Dhaka

The first year honours examination under the National University (NU) began on Wednesday across the country.

A total of 158,244 candidates, including 1,11,929 regular and 46,031 improvement examinees, are appearing the examinations on 26 subjects in 119 centers including 16 in Dhaka, a press release of NU said here on Wednesday.

Vice-chancellor of NU Professor M. Moffakharul Islam visited the several centers in the capital on Wednesday.

During the visit, he expressed satisfaction over peaceful environment in the examination halls.

High officials of the university were with the VC during the visit.

Rasheda stresses on quality edn for knowledge-based society

BSS, Dhaka

Adviser for Primary and Mass Education and Women and Children Affairs Rasheda K Chowdhury on Wednesday stressed on the need for ensuring quality education at the primary level for establishing a knowledge-based society in the country.

"Quality education at the primary level is a must to help our children grow as worthy citizens of the country," she said while addressing as the chief guest the inaugural session of a daylong seminar on 'Child-friendly learning Presentation' here.

Friends In Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB) organized the seminar at the BRAC conference room with its executive board member Dr Mostaque R Chowdhury in the chair, an official handout said.

Coordinator of the children education programme of the FIVDB Shirin Akhter gave an overview of the existing child-friendly education system in the country's primary schools.

Besides, pattern of giving lessons in the classrooms of the FIVDB and child- friendly education materials were demonstrated in the seminar, participated by the government officials and the representatives of development partners, the handout said.

Fisheries and Livestock Ministry reviews ADP

BSS, Dhaka

The 87 per cent progress has been achieved in the implementation of projects under annual development programme (ADP) of the fiscal 2007-08 of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock up to June this year.

This was disclosed at a review meeting on the ADP held on Wednesday in the conference room of the ministry with Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Manik Lal Sammader in the chair.

Secretary of the ministry Syed Ataur Rahman, concerned high officials and projects directors were present at the meeting, an official handout said.

During the meeting, the adviser instructed the project directors to implement the development work quickly.

Taka 15,586 crore was allocated against 37 projects under the revised ADP for 2007-08 financial year. Taka 13,582.77 crore was spent up to June, which was 87 per cent of total allocation, the handed out added.

Murder case in Barisal: Mayor candidate Chan among 22 chargesheeted

BSS, Barisal

Police submitted charge sheet against 22 persons including a mayor candidate and two union parishad chairmen in a murder case of about eight years ago.

Mayor candidate and Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industry BCCI) President Ebaidul Huq Chan has been indicted formally in the murder case of Saidur Rahman Farook, who assassinated at city's Kalibari Road in January 2002.

A number of unidentified persons killed Farook, former vice- president of the Barisal Government College and vice-president of Barisal City unit of Chhatra League.

The killers took Farook to a brickfield to torture, police investigation said, adding they left him at one stage when he was seemed dead.

A rickshawpuller took the victim to Sher-E-Bangla medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) in a critical condition on the night and Farook was shifted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The victim's brother Haroon-or-Rashid filed a case against 22 persons at the end of the BNP regime and sub inspector Mir Kashem submitted the charge sheet today.

The prime accused are: BCCI president and mayoral candidate Ebaidul Huq Chan, BCC ward no.4 councilor candidate Asaduzzaman Maruf, Rangasree UP chairman Moti Mollah, Dudal UP chairman Jewel and JCD cadre Anis.

Farook was a popular candidate for Rangasree UP chairmanship in 2003.

While contacted, Assistant Commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police Hedaytul Islam Khan admitted the fact.

Tampering date of birth: ACC finalises probe against former envoy Nazim Ullah

BSS, Dhaka

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is going to submit chargesheet against former envoy ATM Nazim Ullah Chowdhury, on charge of tampering with his birth date in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) to extend his diplomatic service and other corruption.

Sources with the ACC told BSS, ATM Nazim Ullah, a former Bangladesh ambassador in Moscow, continued his diplomatic service for more two years by producing a modified birth certificate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in 2003.

He was again appointed as the ambassador in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for two more years in 2006 on a contract basis, where he wasted a huge amount of the state money through corruption.

ACC filed the case against ATM Nazim Ullah with Shahbag thana on May 14, this year on that charge and subsequently a team of the commission led by Deputy Director Abdullah Al Zahid took the assignment to verify the allegations.

The team scrutinised personal file of the envoy and other documents in the (MoFA) and visited UAE to be confirmed about the allegations.

A highly placed source in the ACC said the investigation team has already submitted its report to the commission and the chargesheet in the case is expected to submit by next week.

The team found that envoy Nazim Ullah passed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination from Sargodha School under Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Lahore in 1961.

He was appointed as a section officer in the MoFA in December 1974. At that time he submitted his SCC certificate in which his date of birth was shown as February 9, 1946.

But, the envoy managed a duplicate SSC certificate and submitted it to the ministry in 2002, in which he showed his birth date as February 9, 1948, two years less than the date in his main certificate.

According to the ACC team, the envoy tampered with his actual age in the SSC certificate and managed a duplicate certificate from Lahore Education Board by using power with an ulterior motive to defer his retirement age from 2003 to 2005.

During his service in Moscow, he illegally received about Taka 65 lakh from the government exchequer as his salaries, allowances and other benefits, the sources said.

The ACC team also found that Nazim Ullah has two years break of study after SSC. But, he concealed the information at the time of joining the public service.

His personal file in the MoFA also missed his main application form and police verification certificate that a government employee must submit after joining the civil service, the sources said.

Nazim Ullah got the ambassadorial job in UAE in 2006 where wasted about Taka 20 lakh of the state for his house rent, transport and salaries of the personal staff.

Talking to BSS, ACC Director General (administration) Colonel Hanif Iqbal confirmed the submission of the report of the investigating team and said the report is expected to place before the commission's approval next week.

Soon after approval of the commission, the chargesheet would be placed before the court for trial, he added.

Actions against defiant private ICDs on

BSS, Chittagong

Authorities have started taking punitive action against defiant private Inland Container Depots (ICDs) for streamlining the sector.

The Chittagong Customs House (CCH) recently cancelled licenses of three Chittagong based ICDs on charges of not fulfilling the preconditions as per set rules and regulations while the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) issued show cause notices to a number of firms for not taking permission to establish off-dock facilities, official sources said.

The disciplinary measures against the defiant ICDs are part of on-going reform programmes at CCH, being implemented jointly by the CCH and Army-led joint forces.

The government has allowed the private ICD sector to grow to lessen the container handling pressure at Chittagong Port and to provide improved services for the business community by speeding up the export-import container handling and delivery process.

But it was alleged that a number of ICDs were being used for tax dodging and smuggling, and some ICDs have been providing poor services for their clients, as they do not have adequate equipment, skilled manpower and sufficient accommodation and security arrangements.

Commercial operations of ICDs through gross violation of rules are not only impeding achieving the core objective of allowing private sector ICDs but also causing a negative impact on export-import trade due to their involvement in various irregularities.

Besides, consignees are filing compensation suits before the courts against the ICD owners for damaging or pilfering their export-import goods due to poor infrastructure and security facilities.

Following the allegations, the CCH and joint forces recently began a thorough inspection to ascertain whether the ICDs complied with all the preconditions and also to find out the loopholes of irregularities like tax dodging and smuggling.

During the investigation, officials said, they found that all the 13 ICDs did not work as per agreement.

The government issued licenses to interested entrepreneurs for establishing ICD from 1998 and the sector experienced a steady growth in 2004-2005. Two new ones got permission recently raising the number of ICDs to 15.

Trade body leaders and a number of officials in port and shipping sector said the CCH authorities could not avoid their responsibilities for current messy situation in the sector as they issued licenses to some parties without proper verification and before fulfilment of all the prerequisites.