The New Nation - Internet Edition

President condoles death of former justice Naimuddin Ahmed

UNB, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed Thursday expressed deep shock at the death of former justice of High Court division of the Supreme Court Naimuddin Ahmed.

In a message the President said, "The countrymen will ever remember his contribution in upholding the dignity of the judiciary through establishing justice."

Mentioning the vibrant working life of late justice Naimuddin Ahmed President Iajuddin said the country has lost an experienced judge in his death.

He prayed for the salvation of the departed soul and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family members.

ACC to chargesheet ex-minister Mosharraf, mayor Kamran & 6 others

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to submit charge sheets against former housing and public works minister Mosharraf Hossain and two others on charges of stealing funds and corruption.

The ACC will also submit charge sheets against five other people, including Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) mayor Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, said the commission's director general (admin) Col. Hanif Iqbal.

Speaking at a regular press conference, Col. Hanif said yesterday that their decision came, as the ACC investigators found them guilty of corruption, misappropriation of funds and taking bribe.

He said the ACC investigator found Mosharraf, a minister during the Awami League regime, and two others as they allegedly misappropriated around Tk 3 crore by giving state-owned land illegally to Hotel Golden-Inn in Chittagong through misuse of power. The land was allocated for car parking.

The ACC filed the case against them with the Double Mooring Police Station on November 22 last year under section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947, section 409/109 of the Penal Code and section 15 of the Emergency Power Rules 2007.

Col. Hanif said the Commission gave approval to submit charge sheets against SCC mayor Badruddin Kamran and his wife Begum Asma Kamran for hiding information of their wealth worth over Tk 7 lakh and acquiring assets worth around Tk around 2.5 crore beyond their known sources of income.

Giridhari Lal Modi, president and managing director of Uttara Traders Pvt Ltd, and one other would be chargesheeted under the Money Laundering Act as they made illegall transaction and concealed the position of some Tk 8.5 crore.

Col. Hanif, also the ACC spokesman, said Cantonment Police Station sub-inspector Moinul Ahsan would also be charged with taking Tk 5,000 in bribe.

Meanwhile, the ACC decided to file cases against former MP Shahidul Haque Jamal and his wife Nasrin Haque on charges of concealing information of wealth and acquiring assets beyond their known sources of income.

He said the ACC would also lodge a case against former BRTC chairman Khandoker Tayemur Alam for not submitting his wealth statement to the commission by ignoring its order.

The ACC would also file two separate cases against Narail Pourasava chairman Sohrab Hossain Biswas and 11 others for misappropriation of funds.

NBR plans camping to bring people under tax net

UNB, Dhaka

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has intended to start camping soon at district and upazila levels to enhance tax collection and provide door-to-door services to the taxpayers.

"We have started the self-motivation programme in July to encourage the potential taxpayers, and now we will start camping at convenient places to collect taxes from grassroots people," NBR chairman Muhammad Abdul Majid told UNB.

Initially the NBR officials would set up their camps at greater districts and upazilas, he said.

Local people of the respective district and upazila will be notified about the date of camping and other particulars, the NBR chief said.

Officials from income tax and VAT department will be available in the camps during the campaign.

The self-motivation programme will continue simultaneously till September 30, the last date of submitting income tax return, the chairman said.

The NBR launched a countrywide campaign from July 1 to encourage people at upazila level to bring them under the motivational programme for increasing tax-base in the next fiscal year.

The revenue board is making effort to bring the people, who are willing to pay tax but not familiar with the procedure, under the tax net, he said.

Currently, there are around 2.6 million Taxpayers' Identification Number (TIN) holders.

The revenue board is now largely dependent on traditional big taxpayers and there always remains a concern of downslide in revenue earning if their financial condition deteriorate.

Officials said the government has set a large revenue earning target at Tk 54,500 crore for the current fiscal year.

Rizvi Ahmed made BNP office Secretary

Staff Reporter

Acting Office Secretary of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has been appointed as BNP office secretary.

Besides, Mohiuddin Khan Mohon, assistant press secretary to former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, has been appointed as central publication and media coordinator of BNP.

They were appointed for the posts on July 29 as per directive of BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain, said a press release signed by BNP office secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday.

TTBC deal with GP to provide 'Off Portal' service

UNB, Dhaka

TTBC Limited, country's largest mobile phone value added service company, Thursday signed a deal with Grameen Phone to provide 'Off Portal' service.

The contents are poly tones, true tones, mp3, animation, wallpapers and video clips of movies, songs, artist and games.

TTBC chairman Faisal Aleem at a press conference Thursday at Jatiya Press Club said that anyone can get the link by sending SMS writing MASALA to 2777.

TTBC Additional General Manager Rana Abu Naser and Deputy General Manager Shourav Kanti (Dhruvo) were present at the press conference.

50 m IDA credit to recover damages from Sidr

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Thursday signed a credit agreement worth US$ 50 million with the International Development Association (IDA) to help restore assets and livelihoods for families affected by cyclone SIDR.

The amount in additional financing coming from the World Bank affiliate for the Social Investment Programme Project (SIPP) would support rehabilitation of the cyclone-affected families.

"The funds would scale up support to the government in developing effective financing and institutional arrangements to empower the poorest and most vulnerable and improve their access to small-scale local infrastructure, assets and livelihoods," it is stated in the deal.

SIPP, which has already benefited over 1,000 villages across Bangladesh, was identified as the best instruments for quickly channeling funds to support livelihoods restoration in the cyclone-affected areas.

The operations under the additional funding will commence in the first week of August in four upazilas as pilot in the coastal areas. The project will cover 14 most affected upazilas and about 40-50 unions.

Mohammad Mejbahuddin, additional secretary of Economic Relations Division, and Xian Zhu, World Bank Country Director, signed the agreement on Thursday at ERD on behalf of their respective sides.

After the devastating cyclone SIDR, the World Bank offered US$250 million short-and medium-term support to help the millions of affected people to recover and to strengthen disaster-mitigation systems. Already US$ 100 million was quickly disbursed as budget support in the last financial year. Another US$ 100 million support is under preparation for delivery in FY 09.

The credit from IDA, the World Bank's concessionary arm, has 40 years to maturity, including a 10-year grace period, and carries a service charge of 0.75 percent.

OSHE, BLAST to give legal help on workers' compensation

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) and Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust (BLAST) will provide all-out legal support to injured workers and dependent families of those killed in workplace accidents for obtaining compensation.

The two specialized NGOs announced their decision at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Thursday. At the conference, OSHE unveiled a leaflet and a booklet for creating awareness toward obtaining workers' compensation.

Speakers at the conference said hundreds of workers are killed and injured in accidents at work in the country every year, but, in most of the cases, the owner sides do not want to provide them compensation which is a major obligation as per Bangladesh Labour Act 2006.

Quoting an OSHE survey, they said a total of 1768 workers were killed and 1782 injured in different workplace accidents across the country last year.

Quoting the labour act, the NGO-duo said, "If any worker suffers an injury, resulting in at least four days' totally or partially off-work, the employers must pay compensation for any injury.

"Where the injury results in permanent disability, the employers must pay Tk 125,000. If the worker dies in workplace accident, the employer must pay his or her dependant families Tk 100,000 through the labour court."

OSHE assistant general secretary China Rahman urged the government to implement the labour act properly and effectively to obtain the compensation for workplace deaths and injuries. She announced that OSHE in cooperation with BLAST would provide all-out supports to the workers or workers' dependants in this regard.

BLAST deputy director Farida Yasmin said where workers and employers cannot come to an agreement on compensation, or where the employers refuse to pay compensation, BLAST's labour unit is committed to protecting the workers' legal rights through the labour court.

Stressing the need for creating mass awareness toward obtaining the compensation as per the existing law, OSHE research officer Md Sekandar Ali Mina said mass media could play a vital role in this regard.

Labour leaders were also present at the conference.

UK traders keen to invest in telecom sector

UNB, Dhaka

British High Commissioner Stephen Evans said his country's businessmen are eager to invest in Bangladesh's telecommunications sector, which has a huge potential to grow.

The British envoy disclosed this during a meeting with Special Assistant to Chief Adviser on Post and Telecommunications Ministry Brigadier General (retd) MA Malek at the latter's office Thursday.

Evans hoped that the mutual relations of Britain and Bangladesh would improve day by day during his tenure. He assured continued cooperation of his government in the development activities of friendly Bangladesh.

The Special Assistant said, "The government will welcome any foreign partnership for expanding simple and easy communications technology for grassroots people."

The Special Assistant informed the envoy about different activities of the Telecommunications and Social Welfare Ministries, saying that the government took up various reform measures to take forward country's telecommunications sector.

He told the envoy that the government is ready to extend "all-out cooperation to encourage all investors".

Truth commissioners start functioning Sunday

UNB, Dhaka

The Chairman and Commissioners of the newly constituted Truth and Accountability Commission will start functioning on Sunday.

Family sources of Chairman justice Habibur Rahman Khan said he did not receive the letter of appointment till Thursday noon.

The government announced the formation of the Truth Commission with Justice Khan as chairman and Asif Ali and Maj Gen (rtd) Manzur Rashid Chowdhury as commissioners on Wednesday.

The Commission is to deal with petitions for clemency by high profile suspects of grafts.

Hannan demands release of Khaleda

UNB, Gazipur

Reiterating the demand for immediate release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia her adviser Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah has warned of street movement to secure her release if the legal process failed.

He echoed the statement of BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar and said government did not discuss with any of the BNP leaders about release of Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman.

Refuting the claim of the government advisers Hannah Shah said they were misleading the nation by saying that discussions were on with BNP leaders about release of Khaleda Zia. They are not telling the truth, he added.

He was talking to newsmen here yesterday after appearing in the court in connection with a corruption case.

The BNP leader accused the government of favouring Awami League who has tied with autocratic and militant forces in a bid to going to power.

Kuwait Trade Union: Federation urged to help Bangladeshi workers

UNB, Dhaka

Two top trade union leaders of the country have urged the Kuwaiti trade union movement to extend a helping hand to Bangladeshi workers facing repression in Kuwait and deportation by the authorities.

In a joint letter sent by email, Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal president Nazrul Islam Khan and Jatiya Sramik League general secretary Roy Ramesh Chandra made the appeal to the president and general secretary of Kuwait Trade Union Federation.

The two trade union leaders expressed their anguish at the reported torture on the Bangladeshi workers and their deportation back home empty handed.

They hoped that the Kuwaiti trade union movement would give due importance to the issue and hold constructive talks with the employers in Kuwait so that the Bangladeshi workers could continue to work in that country.

The two leaders also urged the Kuwait trade union movement for its initiative to take back to work those workers who were being deported due to misreporting.

Nazrul Islam Khan, an alternate member of ILO governing body, and Roy Ramesh Chandra Nazrul, are both executive members of Asia Pacific committee, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

32 smokers fined for smoking at ZIA

UNB, Dhaka

A mobile court yesterday fined 32 people for smoking at Zia International Airport (ZIA) in the city.

The court, led by magistrate Mohammad Quamruzzaman, realised Tk 1,600 in fine from the smokers. Health Department has launched the mobile court to discourage people from smoking in public place and transport.

Smoking in public place and transport has been banned under the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) Act 2005, said a Health Department release.

The health department will continue such drive to increase awareness among people against smoking, it said.

Shamsul Islam freed on bail

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

BNP leader M Shamsul Islam was freed on bail from Dhaka Central Jail yesterday in the Gatco graft case, a prison official said.

The BNP standing committee member was released around 12.20, prison official Towhid Hossain told bdnews24.com.

Party supporters garlanded Islam with flowers as he left the jail, before heading home, his lawyer Farhad Hossain told bdnews24.

The High Court granted Islam two months' bail on Monday, in the GATCO scam case filed by the Anticorruption Commission.

The court also granted bail on the same day to former BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who was freed on Wednesday.

A Dhaka court had sent Islam and Bhuiyan to jail after they turned themselves in on May 18.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami was also earlier released from jail on twomonths' bail, on July 15, in the same case.

The ACC filed the case against former prime minister Khaleda Zia, son Arafat Rahman Coco and 11 others on Sept 2 last year, on charges of awarding Global Agro Trade Company a cargo-handling deal through misuse of power.

HC declines to hear on Nizami's petition, refers it to CJ for further order

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court yesterday declined to continue hearing halfway through on a petition filed by Jamaat-e-Islami chief and former industries minister Motiur Rahman Nizami challenging the validity of the Gatco scam case.

Without making any comment, a Division Bench comprising Justice Zinat Ara and Justice Farah Mahbub referred the matter to the Chief Justice for further order, court sources said.

"There are two possibilities behind it, either they feel embarrassed or differ with each other on the matter," a senior lawyer requesting anonymity told UNB.

Earlier, on July 20, a co-judge of a High Court Division Bench felt embarrassed in hearing Nizami's petition when his counsel Barrister Abdur Razzak moved it.

Nizami, arrested on May 18, was granted bail for two months in the Gatco case by the High Court on July 14 and released the following day from the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).

Nizami filed the petition as the principal accused in the Gatco case, BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, recently secured an interim stay order on her part from the High Court.

MiG graft case: Hearing ends, order on charge framing Aug 12

BSS, Dhaka

The trial court yesterday set August 12 to announce the order on framing charge in the MiG purchase graft case, in which former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and others were made accused.

Judge Golam Mortuza Majumder fixed the date after completion of the hearing on the petitions for different accused seeking relief of the charges brought against them.

The other accused are former army chief General (retd) Mustafizur Rahman, former air chief Air Vice-Marshal (retd) Jamaluddin, former defence secretary Syed Yousuf Hussain, former joint secretary of the Ministry of Defence Mohammad Hossain Serniabat, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf and Managing Director of UNIC Group Noor Ali.

The then bureau of anti-corruption (BAC) lodged the case on December 12, 2001, accusing Sheikh Hasina and four others of misusing public money amounting to about Taka 700 crore by purchasing the MiG fighter jets from Russia when Awami League was in power.

The chargesheet of the case was submitted on January 29, 2003, dropping two of the accused and including four new persons in the case. All the seven accused obtained bail from the trial court.

Those accused in the FIR and dropped from the chargesheet were former joint secretary of the Ministry of Defence Brig Gen (retd) Iftekharul Bashar and former deputy secretary of the ministry Hasan Mahmud Delwar.

The accused, including Sheikh Hasina, filed separate petitions with the High Court at different times seeking quashment of the charges against them.

But, the High Court after hearing rejected the petitions on September 6 last year by discharging the rule issued earlier.

Later, the accused filed appeal petitions before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, but they were rejected after hearing.

Govt urged not to sign energy deal with multinational company

Staff Reporter

The National Committee for Preservation of Oil-Gas-Energy Resource and Seaport yesterday urged the government not to sign export oriented energy agreement with multinational national company and reform the coal policy to safeguard the interest of foreign company.

The committee organised a protest meeting in the city's Muktangan demanding stoppage of the move of the caretaker government to lease nine oil-gas blocks in the country's sea areas based on Model PSC and reform the latest coal policy submitted by Abdul Matin Patwari.

The committee leaders said the caretaker government was going to sign an export-oriented agreement with Asia Energy to lease nine oil-gas blocks and reform the latest coal policy with a view to protect the interest of the Asia Energy.

"Any energy export oriented agreement by the caretaker government and reform of the coal policy will be unconstitutional and illegal, as an un-elected government has no mandate to sign such agreement and reform the coal policy," said chief of the committee Engr Sheikh Shahidullah.

Economist Anu Mohammad, environmentalist Abu Naser and Dr Shamsul Alam, among others, addressed the meeting.

Policy on ship breaking industry demanded

BSS, Chittagong

Trade union leaders yesterday urged the government to formulate a unified and comprehensive national policy on the ship breaking industry with both short and long term measures to stop human casualty and adverse effect on environment.

Addressing a press conference here, the leaders suggested strict execution of the policy with necessary updates of the existing laws and proper compliance of local and international regulations to use modern technology in ship breaking and ensure rights of the workers in this sector.

Bangladesh Occupational Safety Health and Environment Foundation (OSHEF) and six trade unions associated with a project of Netherlands Confederation of Trade Union (FNB) jointly organized the press conference.

Local coordinator of OSHEF and FNB Jalal Ahmed read out a written statement while five labour leaders- Mohammad Safar Ali, Rezanur Rahman Khan, Dilip Kumar Nath, Mohammad Mofizur Rahman and Chowdhury Mohammad Ali-replied to the queries of reporters.

They said the ship breaking industry has a significant contribution in the economy with over 30,000 workers directly engaged in this sector but its negative impact on the marine environment and resources is very grievous.

Besides, the leaders said, at least one worker is either killed or injured at the ship breaking site every week.

In this respect, the labour leaders stressed the need for proper implementation of Bangladesh Labour Law-2006 side by side with introduction of participatory committee involving representatives of owners and workers to protect their interests in the ship breaking industry.

They suggested licensing system for the industry owners, prior inspection before arrival of a ship for dismantling and adoption of strong guidelines for checking the environment pollution.