The New Nation - Internet Edition

CA for people’s connectivity, Dhaka-Colombo air link

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka
receiving Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed when the latter
arrived at Colombo International Airport on Friday to attend
15th SAARC summit. PID photo

BSS, Colombo

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed on Friday stressed on increasing people-to-people connectivity and cementing further relations between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka through expansion of trade and business.

The Chief Adviser said, Bangladesh attaches utmost importance on the relations with Sri Lanka as it is deep rooted due to the common culture and heritage of both the countries. Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said this at a bilateral talk with President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa at the President's Secretariat here.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury,Principal Secretary Ali Imam Majumder, Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim and Foreign Secretary Touhid Hosain were present on the occasion.

Over the meeting, Press Secretary Fahim told newsmen that the Chief Adviser also mentioned the existing excellent bilateral relations with Sri Lanka. He said, Dhaka-Colombo relations goes way back many centuries.

Referring to expansion of bilateral business between the two countries, Fahim quoted Dr Fakhruddin saying Sri Lanka can import more Bangladesh's world class pharmaceuticals and jute products. In these connections, the Chief Adviser emphasised on establishing river link between the two countries along with air link to boost trade.

The Chief Adviser also requested the Sri Lankan President to ratify shipping agreement for further expansion of bilateral trade and business.

Dr Fakhruddin thanked the Sri Lanka President for excellent arrangement in holding the 15th SAARC Summit in Colombo from tomorrow.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda called upon Dr Fakhruddin to revive Joint Economic Commission between the two countries for the mutual benefit.

The Chief Adviser apprised the President that Bangladesh is heading towards elections and the Election Commission is completing all necessary formalities to this end. It (EC) has done a great thing by completing a huge voter registration within less than one year, Dr Fakhruddin added.

The Sri Lankan President appreciated the government led by the Chief Adviser for its endeavors towards holding a meaningful election for successful transition to democracy.

The Chief Adviser invited the Sri Lankan President to visit Bangladesh.

Pantene YGTL gala final held: Irfan, Sharlin win 'Best Look’ awards

Sharlin Farzana and Irfan Arif

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Md Irfan Arif and Sharlin Farzana won the 'Best Look' awards at the gala final of Pantene You Got The Look (YGTL), beauty contest, 2008 at the Winter Garden of Hotel Sheraton Thursday night.

A total of 23 contestants - 12 males and 11 females - took part in the gala final. Of them, 10 contestants were awarded in five categories - Best Look, Best Skin, Best Smile, Best Hair and Most Cool.

This was the seven-time arrangement of the beauty contest. Grey Advertising Bangladesh Ltd on behalf of Proctor and Gamble Bangladesh organised the prestigious beauty contest.

The eight other winners were - Md Jahedur Rahman (Olay Best Skin - Male), Tasin Khan Onni (Olay Best Skin- Female), Md Nur A Abedeen (Oral B Best Smile - Male), Airin Sultana (Oral B Best Smile - Female), Syed Raiset Siddique (Head and Shoulder Most Cool - Male), Masha Sarah Huq (Head and Shoulder Most Cool - Female), Ahmed Asif Ahsan Khan (Pantene Best Hair - Male) and Farhana Tanveer Faria (Pentene Best Hair -Female).

Renowned photographer Anwar Hossain, eminent model Bibi Russell, Director of Marketing of Grameenphone Rubaba Dowla Matin and former player of the national cricket team Athar Ali Khan were judges in the gala final. The programme was inaugurated with the theme song of Pantene YGTL performed by singer of Bangladesh Band Laura and her associates.

Laura and Omar moderated the whole show. Then promising magician Khalid Huda presented a magic show for the audience.

Contestants performed with different music with various wears performed in the show.

An instrumental presentation by guitarists Komol and Oni and drummer Tipu enchanted the audience.

Later artiste and music composer Ornob rendered some number of songs including 'Se je boshe achhe' with the present sensation and popular saxophonist Andrew Morris.

This year the contest was co-sponsored by Gallerie Apex and Herbal Solution Day Spa. Online partnership was provided by Bangladesh Info and Radio Foorti served as radio partner.

Beginning with a nationwide call for entries, the YGTL short-listed 120 young men and women for a face-to-face interview. Thereafter, 23 of the finest candidates were selected for a month long 'Boot camp,' where they're groomed in the art of presenting themselves.

All the efforts at the 'Boot Camp' - the grooming sessions, the grueling physical exercise, speech-coaching, the dance lessons, the endless practice-walking and ramp choreography - were eventually transformed the contestants into final round.

The participants were instructed on presentation skills to help them stand out a par with international standard contests. During the boot camp sessions, the participants performed various physical exercise tactics, dance routines and cat walking with exceptional confidence and grace.

In this year contest, 'Xiya and Brothers' was for Choreography, 'Denial,' represented by Ditan for styling, and dance expert Tanzim - to coach the finalists, to sanitise their talents and help them deliver their best presentation.

From the Foreign Press: The Supreme Court Stuck with Guantánamo

The implications of the court's ruling granting detainees habeas corpus rights

FOR the third time in four years, the Bush administration's policies on the detention of suspected terrorists have come under fire from the Supreme Court. On the first two occasions, the executive promptly introduced measures to overcome the judicial blockage. It is likely to do so again. But by ruling that foreign detainees at Guantánamo Bay have the same Constitutional right to habeas corpus protections as "enemy combatants" held on American soil, the court has stripped the supposedly law-free zone of its principal raison d'être.

Predictably, the court's 5-4 ruling, allowing Guantánamo detainees to challenge their detention in American civilian courts, has attracted a lot of criticism. John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, described it as "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country". Hitherto, he had been regarded as a moderate in the "war on terror", sponsoring a law to protect detainees from torture and other harsh interrogation techniques and calling for the closure of Guantánamo. Now he is increasingly eager to emphasise his national-security credentials while casting Barack Obama, his Democratic rival, as soft on terrorism.

But some of the sharpest criticism came from within the court itself. John Roberts, the chief justice, berated his five colleagues who delivered the majority opinion for striking down as inadequate "the most generous set of procedural protections ever afforded aliens detained by this country as enemy combatants." A bit more of the control of America's foreign policy had been lost to "unelected, politically unaccountable judges," he thundered. Another conservative, Antonin Scalia, said the ruling, which "blatantly misdescribes important precedents", would "almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed".

The American naval base at Guantánamo Bay, a 45-square-mile (115 square km) parcel of land leased in perpetuity from Cuba since 1903, was chosen as a place to house suspected terrorists precisely because it was believed to be beyond the reach of domestic and international law. The court has shown that assumption to be wrong. But that does not mean that the remaining 270 detainees-of a total of around 770 who have passed through the camp since 2001-are all about to be released.

Although Cuba still has formal sovereignty over Guantánamo, America has had complete control and jurisdiction over the territory for more than 100 years, the court said. So constitutional protections, including habeas corpus, did apply. Though Congress and the president had the power to acquire and dispose of territories, "to hold that the political branches may switch the Constitution on or off at will would lead to a regime in which they, not this court, 'say what the law is'," Justice Anthony Kennedy protested.

After the court first ruled in 2004 that the detainees had the right to challenge their detention, the government set up military tribunals to see whether the detainees had been correctly designated as "enemy combatants".

But the court has now ruled these to be neither an effective nor adequate substitute for habeas corpus hearings before a civilian court, with all the normal due-process protections. This should allow suits filed by some 200 Guantánamo detainees to proceed.

But several questions remain unanswered. The court did not say, for example, whether America's "war on terror" is a real war, under which enemy combatants can be held without charge "for the duration of hostilities". Nor did it comment on the special "military commissions" set up to try certain detainees for alleged war crimes. Only 19 have so far been charged. The government says their trials will now go ahead as planned. But the detainees' lawyers say their habeas corpus challenges could take months, if not years.

Mr Bush has said he will abide by the court's ruling, though he disagrees with it. Robert Gates, the defence secretary, is pondering "what we ought to do next". Last month he admitted that his efforts to find a way to close the camp had been brought to a "standstillt[by] a serious not-in-my-back-yard problem". America, he confessed, was "stuck" with Guantánamo.

-The Economist

Ban on baby formula ads demanded

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar in the city yesterday underscored breast feeding for the children's proper mental and physical development.

They urged the banning of advertisements of baby formula, claiming these as alternatives of breast feeding. There was no alternative to breast feeding, they remarked.

To mark the World Breast-Feeding Week, Social Science Forum and the Witness jointly organised the seminar on the importance of the breast feeding at the National Press Club.

Former Chief Election Commissioner Justice Abdur Rauf addressed the function as chief guest, while former Secretary to the government Shah Abdul Hannan and Editor of the New Nation Mostafa Kamal Majumder were special guests. Prof Tazmeri SA Islam, Dean of the Science Faculty of the Dhaka University presided over the function.

Dr Shamila Nahar presented the keynote paper and Dr Syeda Sultana Razia, Associate Professor, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BEUT) made the welcome speech.

Journalist Mahbubul Haque, Dr Mira Mamtaz Sabeka, medical officer of Midford Hospital, Nasima Hasan, chairman of the Witness, Dr Abu Kuldun Al Mahmud, Associate Professor of Ibn Sinha College, Kaniz Fatema and lecturer of Darul Ihsan University, among others, addressed the function.

With view to increasing the habit of breast feeding, they recommended publication of health tips containing instructions of breast feeding by the Health Ministry, to make maternity leave flexible, to aware the health activists about importance of breast feeding and to establish the Day Care Centre at the women's working places to facilitate breast feeding.

Justice Abdur Rauf said there is no baby food item which could be alternative to breast feeding which is needed for proper mental and physical development of the children.

He said the elite in the society were responsible for spreading propaganda of the multinational companies by marketing artificial baby foods first. Thus, they contaminated the society, he added.

Shah Abdul Hannan said there are three major obstacles in the way to increase habit of breast feeding. These are propaganda by the multinational companies, apprehension to lose attractiveness of the mother's figure, absence of Day Care Centres in the women's working places.

He emphasised on moral knowledge and mass awareness for overcoming propaganda of the multinational companies.

Mostafa Kamal Majumder said it was a misconception that breast feeding disfigures the mother, rather it helps increase the beauty of their figure.

Dr Mira Momtaz said according to a recent survey about 40 million children die every year throughout the world, many of the children might be saved, if they were breastfed.

They said breast feeding could protect the children from different physical and mental diseases.

'Operation Jackpot’ hero goes without treatment

Chittagong Correspondent

Mojahar Ullah, recipient of gallantry award 'Bir Uttam' in the liberation war of the country, is now struggling for survival here at a private clinic allegedly in the utter negligence of government, local administration and his fellows.

The freedom fighter had been the key man behind the 'operation jackpot' that blew up the Pakistani frigate 'Sowate' at Chittagong port. Success of the operation influenced the freedom fighters a lot and dislocated the war strategy of the Pakistani forces.

His father Ali Azam had become the victim of the holocaust carried out by the Pakistani forces. Letting Mojahar to join in the frontier battle was his only guilt.

The great freedom fighter is unfortunately waiting call from the top at a hospital bed without medication and support from government, local administration and his fellows.

Family members said that Mojahar Ali fell sick in 2005 following a cardiac arrest and his left part of the body had already been paralyzed. He cannot talk even now.

The freedom fighter hailed from village Balukia in Korerhat in Mirsarai did never want any support from the state.

He was given Taka 5 thousand and 50 thousand respectively during the regime of President Ziaur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina. He also received a bronze medal and some gift items during Khaleda Zia's rule.

Mojahar Ullah retired from the Sadharon Bima Corporation in 2001. His spouse Dil Afroze Begum told this correspondent that the government acquired over 250 acres of her husband's land at Mirsarai Muhuri Project without compensation.

No government help was found for the better treatment of the liberation war hero. Physicians suggested intensive treatment for the freedom fighter.

A war fellow of the freedom fighter Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman said, Mojahar had been brave fighter. His death without medication simply can't be tolerated."

Mujib-killers active to kill Hasina, alleges Zillur

Staff reporter

Awami League (AL) Acting President Zillur Rahman yesterday demanded the implementation of the High Court verdict, which restored August 15 as the National Mourning Day and public holiday by August 31 this year.

Zillur placed this demand while addressing the leaders and activists at a discussion meeting at the party's central office to commemorate August 15, the day Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur was killed.

He said, "The ill-motivated section, who were the masterminds of killing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, are active till now to kill Sheikh Hasina, as the criminals has not yet been punished."

He demanded implementation of the verdict of hanging of the criminals who were involved in the killing.

Demanding the holding of parliamentary election ahead of the upazila polls Zillur urged the Government to suspend the schedule for the uapzila election immediately to save the country from moving towards an anarchic situation.

He also demanded the complete lifting of emergency before all polls, as no fair and credible poll is possible under the state of emergency.

"The Government is engaged in harassing Sheikh Hasina to spoil her political life by keeping her behind the bars so that she become detached from the people. But the people of the country will never accept this conspiracy and AL will never participate in the national election without Sheikh Hasina", Zillur noted.

Expressing solidarity with Zillur Rahman AL presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury demanded punishment of criminals of Bangabandhu murder case as well as Jail murder case, for which Bangladesh lost four veteran national leaders.

She also warned that AL would be compelled to launch vigorous movement, if the Government does not implement the High Court order of restoring August 15 as National Mourning Day and a public holiday.

AL presidium member Amir Hossain Amu said, "If the Government believe in rule of law, they will implement the High Court order immediately, as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the pioneer of the Liberation War."

He also blamed Ziaur Rahman for amendment the constitution to convert Bangladesh into an Islamic Country from a non-communal state, which patronised the fundamentalists to run their activities without fear.

Another AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed urged the Government not to stand against public opinion for holding the parliamentary polls first.

AL presidium member Motia Chowdhury said that it was a great shame for the nation that the countrymen could not show gratitude to a person who had led the nation to freedom from the Pakistani autocratic rule.

"The Government must implement the High Court order to show proper respect to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mubibur Rahman', she pointed out.

AL acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam emphasised on making the party's front organisations stronger for restoring democracy in the country.

AL central Joint Secretary Mukul bosh, Organising secretary Mahamudur, among others, spoke at the meeting.

Seven persons, one organisation get Magsaysay award

Special Correspondent

The Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) on Thursday announced that this year seven individuals and one organization from India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Sri Lanka will receive Asia's premier prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, says a message received in Dhaka from Manila yesterday.

The Awardees are: Grace Padaca, from the Philippines, for Government Service. She is being recognized for "her empowering voters in the Philippines'

Isabela province to reclaim their democratic right to elect leaders of their own choosing, and to contribute as full partners in their own development."

Center for Agriculture & Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), from the Philippines, for Public Service. They are being honored for "successful adaptation of microfinance in the Philippines, providing self-sustaining and comprehensive services for half a million poor women and their families."

Therdchai Jivacate, from Thailand, for Public Service. He is being honored for "his dedicated efforts in Thailand to provide inexpensive, practical, and comfortable artificial limbs even to the poorest amputees."

Prakash Amte and Mandakini Amte, from India, for Community Leadership. They are being recognized for "enhancing the capacity of the Madia Gonds to adapt positively in today's India, through healing and teaching and other compassionate interventions."

Ahmad Syafii Maarif, from Indonesia, for Peace and International Understanding. He is being honored for "his guiding Muslims to embrace tolerance and pluralism as the basis for justice and harmony in Indonesia and in the world at large."

Akio Ishii, from Japan, for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts. He is being recognized for "his principled career as a publisher, placing discrimination, human rights, and other difficult subjects squarely in Japan's public discourse."

Ananda Galapatti, from Sri Lanka, for Emergent Leadership. He is being recognized for "his spirited personal commitment to bring appropriate and effective psychosocial services to victims of war trauma and natural disasters in Sri Lanka."

Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's highest honor and is widely regarded as the region's equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine President, and is given every year to individuals or organizations in Asia who manifest the same sense of selfless service that ruled the life of the late and beloved Filipino leader."The Magsaysay awardees of 2008," says RMAF President Carmencita T. Abella, "are indeed pathfinders in a changing Asia, charting new ways to address persistent, often intractable problems in their societies.

Odhikar calls for probe into 'extrajudicial killings’

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Human rights organisation Odhikar, claiming that 'extrajudicial killings' at the hands of law enforcement agencies were on the rise, has demanded that the government form an independent probe body into such incidents.

An Odhikar report, published yesterday, said extrajudicial killings had taken a serious turn in July.

NDC killed, 3 magistrates hurt in road accident

UNB, Magura

Local Nejarat Deputy Collector (NDC) was killed and three magistrates were injured in a road accident at Kayargachhi in Kaliganj upazila in Jhenidah district yesterday.

The accident occurred on Jhenidah-Jessore Road at 1:30 as a jeep carrying NDC Mohammad Shahinul Kabir Hirok, 36, and three magistrates hit a roadside tree, leaving four injured.

The injured were admitted to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital.

Of them, the NDC was shifted to Dhaka but his condition deteriorated on the way. Later, he was admitted to Magura Sadar Hospital where he died.

The injured magistrates are Abdullahil Baki, Khurshid Shahriar and Rabiul Islam Faisal.

Four officials met the accident while going to Khulna for performing electoral duties there.

NDC Shahinul hailed from Berbari village in Shailakupa upazila in Jhenidah district.

His namaj-e-janaza was held on Magura DC court premises after magrib prayers Friday.

Number of foreign students at DU on decline

BSS, Dhaka

The number of foreign students at the Dhaka University (DU) has been declined over the last 12 years.

Some teachers and students are also in the opinion that political unrest, session jam, indifferent attitude of the university authorities and lack of sincerity on the part of the teachers are the main reasons behind the reduction in number of foreign students. "We do not have any foreign students in our department," said Mansur Alam, a student of DU Management Studies Department.

"There is no full-fledged admission office for local and foreign students who want to get admitted to the university throughout the year," said Dr Shahid Uddin Ahmed, a professor of the Department of Management Studies.

"The admission system at the DU is not organised. There is no reserve quota for foreign students and there is no separate provision for admission of the foreign students at the university," he added.

"Foreign students do not have to appear in the admission test. All they have to do is to fulfil the requirements of admission," he said adding "most foreign students at the International Hall are studying technical subjects, with only a few taking other subjects."

Tata decision unlikely to affect FDI flow

UNB, Dhaka

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday said the Tata Group's decision not to go ahead with their US$ 3 billion investment plan in Bangladesh is unlikely to affect foreign direct investment in other sectors of the country.

"I hope, there'll be no adverse impact on the investment," he told reporters after a function at the National Museum. "The Tata decision would have an adverse impact if it was due to any wrong decision by us," he said.

Tata sought guaranteed gas supply to its planned projects for a 20-year period from Bangladesh, which itself is suffering from lack of smooth supply since last year due to sharp rise in domestic demand.

The Finance Adviser said Tata group stepped aside from their investment plan for lack of gas supply guarantee, which the country could not assure them when the country's power plants are not getting adequate supply of gas.

"I think, there's no relation between a gas-based project that could affect investment in other sectors like telecommunications," he said. The Indian industrial giant Thursday said it would not pursue its long-awaited US$ 3 billion investment plan in Bangladesh, as the country would not be in a position, in the foreseeable future, to grant the projects the natural gas commitment.

IFC action plan for higher farm output to fight food prices

BSS, Dhaka

In order to combat rising food prices globally, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has undertaken an action plan to bring more lands under sustainable production, improve productivity by transferring technologies and practices and boost farm production and processing.

Besides, it planned to invest in agribusiness logistics and infrastructure with both the private and public sectors to help facilitate trade, lower costs, and reduce post-harvest waste and to improve water efficiency and irrigation infrastructure, the IFC in a recent report said.

Under the plan, the IFC will establish wholesale financing facilities with financial institutions, processors, and traders to increase rural access to credit and to develop and adopt modern financial instruments like warehouse receipts, crop insurance for agriculture.

The action plan of the IFC in response to rising food prices also includes increasing food safety and environmental sustainability by providing consumer-related investment and advisory services.

During the first three months of 2008, international prices of all major food commodities reached their highest levels in several decades, the report said adding that to help alleviate the crisis, IFC is leading the World Bank Group's efforts to engage with the private sector and find ways of increasing production.

Rising food prices are causing severe hardship for millions of people who are already affected by chronic hunger, and for the poor who now find themselves unable to buy food that they need for a healthy life.

This is provoking social unrest across the developing world and destabilising the economies of many countries, it added.

Any long-term strategy to stabilise food prices should include more agricultural production, the report said adding to help the situation, the IFC is providing investment and advisory services to the agribusiness sector of its member states, both directly to companies along the agribusiness supply chain and indirectly through intermediaries.

IFC's efforts complement the World Bank's public sector work on its proposed New Deal on Global Food Policy, endorsed by 150 countries.

The policy includes safety nets such as school meal programmes, food for work, and conditional cash transfers; an increase in agricultural production; a better understanding of the impact of biofuels; and actions on the trade front to reduce distorting subsidies and barriers.