The New Nation - Internet Edition

Friendship Day observed

Dhaka University students celebrating the World
Frindship Day at the TSC on Sunday. NN photo

Staff Reporter

Young and old alike observed The World Friendship Day yesterday amid fanfare throughout the country as elsewhere around the world.

Youths and students of different educational institutions in the city celebrated the day by exchanging flowers and other attractive gifts among them.

A large number of young couples in the city huddled at the celebration hubs on Dhaka University campus, Ramna Park and other places from early morning until well into night.

There were hardly any space to walk down the roads on and around the Dhaka University campus as people, in colourful dresses, moved about in the afternoon.

'Friends to All,' 'Friendship with Everybody' with these messages, the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka Univesity celebrated the day with various programmes.

Students of Dhaka University enjoyed the occasion very much by singing, dancing and swapping attractive gifts with their friends. Youths, particularly girls, were seen carrying roses in their hands to give their dearest ones. The resonance of 'Happy Friendship Day!' was very common on the campus as hundreds of male and female youths swarmed here yesterday. Teachers and former students of the DU also thronged the campus to celebrate the day.

Celebration of the World Friendship Day came about in almost all the countries of the world following the idea that "You cannot choose your relatives but you can choose your friends."

The US Congress proclaimed the first Sunday of August as the National Friendship Day in 1935. Since then, the day is being observed with festivity around the world.

DU recovers land for proposed female dormitory

Dhaka University authorities recovered the land for
proposed female dormitory on the university campus from the
illegal possession of slum dwellers yesterday. Banglar
Chokh

DU Correspondent

The Dhaka University authorities recovered the land for proposed female dormitory on the university campus from the illegal possession of slum dwellers yesterday.

Led by Magistrate Kamruzzaman, around 300 law enforcers and security officials carried out the eviction drive at 10 am to free the land at Phulbaria opposite to Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall.

The law enforcers pulled down over 1000 shanties houses, which were built on government land alloted for constructing a female dormitory to be named Begum Khaleda Zia hall.

Earlier the university authorities served notice on the illegal occupants several times to vacate the land and take away their belongings, but they paid no heed.

Allegation have it that the university employees were attacked by the slum-dwellers when they went to the area to serve notice.

Some students expressed apprehension that the evictees might capture the land again if it is not enclosed with brick wall.

The Dhaka University, which purchased the land from Bangladesh Railway, decided to construct the dormitory with a capacity to accommodate 1000 female students. Tk 13 crore was sanctioned for this purpose three years ago. But the construction work for the dormitory could not be taken up as it was under the illegal occupation of the slum dwellers.

TV model, female associate held with heroin in city

Film actor Nazim Khan and his female associate were
arrested with heroin from an apartment at Hazaribagh in the
city yesterday. Focus Bangla

Staff Reporter

The officials of the Department of Narcotics Control arrested two people, including a film actor cum TV model and his female associate with heroin from an apartment at Hazaribag in the city yesterday.

The arrested persons were identified as film actor Nazim Khan alias Antu, 22, and the elder sister of his wife Hasna Hena.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) raided the 2nd floor of the 187/B at Hazaribag area at noon and arrested them.

The DNC members seized 100gm of heroin, three mobile phones and a small measuring scale from them.

DNC sources said Nazim performed in over 15 dramas, including Basto Daktar, Lal Golap, Shanto Palash, Biyer Lal Sari etc. The arrested persons were taken into DNC custody for interrogation.

The arrested have a history of peddling heroin from their apartment, the NDC officials alleged. A case was filed with Hazaribag police station.

Renewed interest in bilateral free trade accords on cards

BSS, Dhaka

The government is taking renewed interest in signing bilateral free trade agreements with some neighbours at a time when the SAFTA is facing snags and the WTO negotiations have just collapsed.

Senior government officials, trade policy analysts and leaders of different chamber bodies and trade associations on Sunday discussed fresh moves at a meeting at the Ministry of Commerce and agreed to take preparatory exercise towards opening discussions with some neighbours.

Adviser for Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman was in the chair, official sources here said on Sunday.

Commerce Secretary Feroz Ahmed, BGMEA president Anwarul Alam Chowdhury, MCCI president Latifur Rahman, CPD executive director Dr Mustafizur Rahman, among others, were present.

The move has been essentially focused to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But some participants in the meeting also stressed on the need for similar move with Nepal and Bhutan to overcome snags to trade promotion under the SAFTA framework with them.

They also laid emphasis on bilateral free trade with Turkey and Russia saying, the latest collapse of the WTO negotiations in Geneva is indicative a further long journey to benefit from global free trade.

So Bangladesh should better enter into more bilateral free trade agreements to exploit more trade creation opportunities on individual country basis. Free trade agreements both on bilateral and regional level is also allowed under the SAFTA and WTO framework, participants argued.

Hossain Zillur made it clear that any move towards signing bilateral free trade agreement should be the outcome of joint home work to be carried out by public-private partnership.

"The private sector should contribute the major inputs while the government will take on such negotiation," he said.

Referring to SAFTA, participants sounded frustration in the slow pace of opening up of new markets within South Asia. They said the high negative list of products, prevalence of huge non- tariff barriers and above all the exclusion of the service sector are responsible for the difficulties.

It can be said, by and large, except the permission of duty free export of eight million pieces of garments from here to India. Investment within the region is also not picking up under the SAFTA regime although it has been included in the list of free trade a few years ago.

Bilateral free trade approach may be thus the other option, the meeting agreed and suggested measures how to move towards the goal. The meeting decided to formulate a plan of action and to ask Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute to set up a core group within a week to work as facilitator to chart out a framework of negotiation.

They will also develop the term of reference (TOR) for such negotiations. Bangladesh High Commissions in the South Asian countries will also be asked to open preliminary discussion with the host governments in this respect, sources said.

Govt out to implement its blueprint: Delwar

Staff Reporter

BNP led 4-party alliance at a meeting yesterday viewed that the government went forward gradually to install elements subservient to an alien through stage-managed elections according to its blue print.

"We cannot legalise the government's activities by participating in the stage-managed elections (local government elections) held by an illegal and unconstitutional government," said BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar Hossain while briefing to reporters after the meeting.

Replying to a question whether they lent support to the alliance candidates in the four city corporation and nine pourasava elections, he said that the voters would enjoy free exercise of their voting right.

The meeting was held at BNP Secretary General's residence of the NAM flat in the city. Replying to a question, Delwar said they were willing for dialogue with the government anytime. But the objecting of the dialogue must be one - holding of free and fair parliamentary election, he added.

The meeting demanded restoration of general holidays on May 30, the day President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated, and the Revolution and National Solidarity Day on November 7.

The alliance strongly criticized the government's dillydally on the release of Begum Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman, demanding release of other alliance leaders and sending ailing Tarique abroad for treatment.

The meeting also called for immediate withdrawal of emergency and parliamentary polls first as per the constitution cancelling all other election schedules.

It marked that large number Bangladeshi workers were thrown out of Kuwait and Malaysia due to utter failure of the government policy to protect Bangladeshis working abroad.

The meeting decided to hold rallies across the country on August 10 demanding immediate release of all political detainees the alliance including Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman. It will be followed by rallies at divisional-level where central leaders of the alliance will take part.

BNP leader Nazrul Islam Khan, Samsuzaman Dudu, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Sarwary Rahman, Jamaat leaders Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, Abdul Kader Molla and ATM Azharul Islam, leaders of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Naziur) Barrister Andalib Rahman Partha and Shamim Al Mamun, leader of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ahmed Abdul Kader and leader of Bangladesh Islami Okyajote Abdul Latif Nizami, among others, were present in the meeting.

Two killed in city

Staff Reporter

A young man and an elderly widow were killed in separate incidents Saturday night in the city.

Witnesses said assailants sprayed bullets on an unidentified man aged about 35 under the Khilgaon flyover at about 10:30pm when he was passing by the area.

On information, Motijheel police rescued the victim with fatal wounds on the head and chest and sent him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) at about 11:45pm.

The doctors at the hospital declared him dead soon after admission.Police could not ascertain the motive of the murder.

An elderly widow was hacked to death by her son at Pirerbagh in Mirpur area of the capital on Saturday night.

The deceased was identified as Abeda Begum, the widow of Kashem Ali of the area.

Family sources said Shah Alam, 28, Abeda's youngest son, chopped her with a sharp weapon at about 9:30pm.

She was rushed with fatal wounds to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where she died at 11:15pm.

The body was taken to the DMCH morgue for postmortem examination. It was not clear why Shah Alam butchered his mother.

Family sources said the young man had been suffering from psychological problems for a few months.

Meanwhile, a close associate of top terror Emon was killed in a shootout between RAB members and his cohorts in the city early Sunday.

The dead was identified as Jahidul Islam Manik alias Boro Manik, 35. He was a listed criminal of city's Mohammadpur area and the main killer of Emon's killing group, RAB sources said adding that Manik was wanted in several cases including of murders.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of RAB-2 took position at Dhaka Udyan to nab the terrorists at about 1.10am.

"Sensing RAB presence the terrorists opened fire on them forcing the law enforcers to retaliate that triggered a gun battle. After sometime the terrorists fled the scene", said a RAB account of the incident.

Later, the elite force recovered the body of Manik from the spot.

They also recovered one revolver, two rounds of bullet, four cartridges and a sharp weapon from the scene.

Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait return to work

BSS, Dhaka

The striking Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait have returned to work and the situation there is now peaceful, an official Handout said on Sunday quoting Bangladesh Mission in Kuwait.

About 80,000 Bangladeshi workers of 23 companies withdrew the strike and joined their work following the efforts of the Bangladesh Embassy, according to the handout.

The Embassy is maintaining round-the-clock contact with Kuwait Labour Department, and Kuwait Foreign Ministry to ease the release of arrested workers and ensure the minimum wages for the workers.

The Kuwait Authorities have already directed the companies to pay the minimum wages and warned them of tough actions in case of any failure.

The authorities also directed the law enforcing agencies not to arrest or harass any worker who was not involved in violence.

The Kuwait Labour Department assured Bangladesh Embassy that the dues of the deported workers would be paid through the Embassy.

A total of 850 Bangladeshi workers were arrested for resorting to violence. They were arrested on the basis of video footage and intelligence report. Later, the Kuwait Cabinet decided to deport them, the handout says and added 400 workers have already been released.

The Chief of Bangladesh Mission in Kuwait held a meeting with Kuwait Foreign Ministry acting Under Secretary Mohammad Ahmed Al- Mejran Al-Roomi and requested him to take measures for payment of the dues of the deported workers.

In reply, he assured that effective steps would be taken in this regard following discussion with the Kuwati Home and Labor Ministries.

Acting Foreign Secretary AKM Mahmud has also sent a letter to the Kuwaity Under Secretary requesting him to take necessary steps to resolve the problems of Bangladeshi workers soon.

He also requested to release the arrested workers and allow them to join their work instead of deporting them to Bangladesh.

The handout said all workers have requested to join work, if they are yet to do so.

The Foreign Ministry and the Mission in Kuwait have taken timely steps to protect the interest of 2.4 lakh workers, says the handout.

The Foreign Adviser is always maintaining contact with the Mission in Kuwait and all efforts on behalf of the government are continuing to resolve the present crisis. Cooperation of all is sought in this regard, the handout added.

Gatco scam case: Saifur secures bail for six months

UNB, Dhaka

Former Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman secured anticipatory bail for six months in the Gatco scam case on surrender to the High Court Sunday, a day after he returned home after treatment abroad.

Saifur, who flew to Singapore on May 7, a day before the Anti-Corruption Commission approved the charge sheet in the graft case, returned on Saturday night after a three-month stay abroad.

On May 8, the ACC approved the charge sheet against detained BNP chairperson and ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and 22 others for illegally awarding the container-handling job at two container depots in Dhaka and Chittagong to Gatco, a greenhorn company.

Of the 22 other accused, eleven, including eight former ministers of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government, have been indicted in the charge sheet. The ACC filed the case on September 2 last year, amid a crackdown on politicians under a countrywide anti-corruption drive amid state of emergency declared following the past political crisis over elections issues.

On May 13, the ACC, after investigation, submitted charge sheet to the court in the case.

Granting bail following a petition, a Division Bench comprising Justice Sharif Uddin Chaklader and Justice M Emdadul Haque Azad issued rule asking the government to explain in four weeks why the petitioner "should not be granted regular bail".

Special counsel for the Anti-Corruption Commission

(ACC) Anisul Huq did not oppose the bail prayer of the veteran BNP leader and longest-serving finance minister in the country under different BNP regimes.

The ailing Saifur, now a BNP reformist leader in the changed context, arrived on the High Court premises at 3:45 pm by an Apollo hospital ambulance. Carrying a stick with him, he was later brought before the HC bench in a wheelchair during hearing on his bail petition.

While granting bail, the HC bench admitted the submissions made by the counsel that Saifur, who is sick, would get proper treatment if he remains outside and he "would not go into hiding or abroad by abusing the bail".

Earlier, the High Court has so far granted interim bail to seven of the co-accused in the Gatco case, including ex- BNP ministers Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam and MK Anwar, and Jamaat-e-Islam chief Motiur Rahman Nizami. The HC also stayed for two months the case proceedings against principal accused Khaleda Zia and the co-accused securing interim bails.

As the journalists scrambled for his comment after securing bail, Saifur refrained from making any remark whatsoever, let alone on the present political scenario.

Quality seeds must for enhancing food production

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh could double its production of foodgrains by the next five years if the country's farmers are brought under the currently available technology and supplied with quality seeds, agriculture experts said.

They said, use of modern technology is now a must for production of additional foodgrains by using the limited land with a view to facing the food crisis and maintaining their prices at tolerable levels.

Chief of the Research Division of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Uttam Dev said it is possible to enhance food production to a large extent by reaching the presently used medium standard technology in the country to the peasants. The total demand of food in the country could be met by introducing across the country the improved varieties of seeds that the local agriculture scientists have developed.

According to the Agriculture Ministry sources, at present, among the total quantity of seeds used for production of foodgrains, only 20 percent are quality seeds. An additional 30 to 50 lakh metric tones of foodgrains could be produced by enhancing this rate to 40 percent.

Officials said the demand for main foodgrain like paddy seeds is three lakh metric tones, of which, only 40 percent quality seeds are being used. Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) supplies 80,000 metric tones of these seeds while the rest by the private businessmen.

On this, an official of the Agriculture Ministry said even though the rate of the use of quality seeds is more for the cultivation of paddy than other crops, it is still inadequate. If it is possible to use 60 percent quality seeds for the cultivation of paddy, production will exceed 30 million metric tones.

He said efforts are on by the government for the production of quality seeds at the local level. He, however, said it is difficult to reach quality seeds throughout the country by the government alone. For this, private sector has to be strengthened.

According to the experts, the use of fertiliser and irrigation have already reached their optimum levels. It is necessary to use improved quality of seeds and other agriculture technology for the production of food in future, they added.

Direct voting for FBCCI polls demanded

Staff Reporter

Leaders of unity forum yesterday urged the president and executive members of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) to reintroduce direct voting system for electing president and directors of the apex trade body of the country.

They also called upon the leaders of the organisation to implement the pre-election commitments and avoid vindictive mentality for infusing dynamism to this apex trade body.

Their demand came at a meeting held at the temporary office of the forum in Motijheel yesterday. Qaum Reza Chowdhury, convener of the forum presided over the meeting.

Prof Masuda Rasheed Chowdhury, M Ruhul Amin, MM Jaman, Omar Farooq, Noor Mohammad, Dr Selim, Engineer Shafiqur Rahman, Harunoor Rasheed, Md Naser, Hafez Haroon and Molla Saidur Rahman among others, spoke on the occasion.

140 killed in India temple stampede

BBC Online

A stampede at a hilltop temple in northern India has killed at least 140 people, police say.

The stampede happened at the Nainadevi temple in the Bilsapur district of Himachal Pradesh state, during a nine-day Hindu religious festival.

Police said the victims included 40 children. Fifty more people were hurt and have been taken to hospital.

The Nainadevi temple is about 160km (100 miles) from the Himalayan hill town of Shimla.

Most of the worshippers are believed to be from the neighbouring state of Punjab.

Crowds had gathered at the temple to celebrate the festival of Shravan Navratras, which began on Saturday and runs until 11 August.

At least 50,000 people were expected to attend the festivities, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Delhi.

Hindu worshippers were climbing up a 4-km (2.5-mile) trail leading to a hill-top temple, chanting and singing hymns, when the stampede happened.

Our correspondent says a rain shelter beside the narrow mountain collapsed during poor weather conditions, causing widespread panic amid fears of a landslide.

Hundreds were then crushed together in a tiny space where they were unable to breathe.

Children lost their grip on their mothers' hands and were crushed under the feet of scared pilgrims attempting to leap over broken railings to save themselves, witnesses said. Television footage showed the narrow path strewn with torn clothes and bags with flowers and offerings.

Survivors gathered at nearby hospitals looking for injured relatives.

The chief minister of Himachal Pradesh is said to have offered compensation to those injured in the stampede, and to the families of those killed.

Indian temples are regularly hit by stampedes, as huge crowds of Hindu devotees flock to make offerings at festival times.

There have been at least three fatal stampedes in the country so far during 2008, although the numbers killed were far smaller than in the latest incident.

Warrant of arrest against Nanak issued

Court Correspondent

Warrant of arrest was also ordered against Juba League President fugitive Zahangir Kabir Nanak in a graft case and Metropolitan Sessions Judge of Dhaka Md Azizul Haque fixed August 6 for compliance of the arrest order.

On July 30, Anti-Corruption Commission sued Nanak of amassing wealth worth Taka 18,27,109 beyond his known sources of income and concealing facts about his wealth worth Taka 12,02,109 in his wealth statement.

Amassing wealth Khaleda’s nephew, Sajeda’s son chargesheeted

Court Correspondent

Two charge-sheets were yesterdsy submitted to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka in two separate graft cases against former Prime Minister detained Khaleda Zia's nephew Md Shahriar Islam Tuhin and former Forest and Environment Minister Sajeda Chowdhury's son Shahdab Akbar for amassing wealth through their alleged ill-gotten income and concealing facts about their wealth.

Anti-Corruption Commission accused Tuhin of amassing wealth worth Taka 65,18,750 from sources beyond his known sources of income and concealing facts about his wealth to the tune of Taka 1,43,35,996 in his wealth statement. ACC Assistant Director Md Toufiqul Islam filed the case against Tuhin with Ramna Thana of the city and submitted the charge sheet after his inquiry. He made 40 persons witness in the case.

As accused Tuhin is at large, ACC's AD sought warrant of arrest against him with attachment of his wealth.

Meanwhile, Shahdab Akbar was accused of amassing wealth worth Taka 1,24,40,209 from sources beyond his known sources of income. ACC's AD Md Khairul Huda filed the case with Ramna Thana on February 19 this year while another ACC AD S M Rashedur Reza submitted the charge sheet after completion of inquiry.