The New Nation - Internet Edition

All fallow lands should be brought under cultivation: Malek

BSS, Dhaka

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Social Welfare and Post and Telecommunications Brig. Gen.(retd) M A Malek said here on Tuesday that all fallow lands in the country should be brought under cultivation to boost food production.

"There is no alternative to raise food production in the country to meet domestic food requirement and for this reason all fallow lands of the country should be brought under cultivation," he said.

The adviser said this while exchanging views with the district level government officials, representatives of different professional bodies and elite in Noakhali town.

Mohammad Abdul Haque, the deputy commissioner of Noakhali district, chaired the function, an official handout said.

Malek urged all to be sincere enough in checking the population growth for building a beautiful life for the future generation. Otherwise, he said, cultivable lands will be reduced in the country.

He said government has stepped up various efforts to modernize the country's two traditional service rendering organizations- Post and Telecommunication- that provide information and telecommunication technology to grassroots people.

The adviser advised the concerned officials of the two organizations to enhance public confidence by providing quality services.

Later, the adviser visited Noakhali head post office, telephone exchange and government Shishu Paribar.

Zahir Raihan's films termed complete philosophy of life

BSS, Dhaka

Information Secretary Jamil Osman on Tuesday said Zahir Raihan's films in the sixties are not only films, but also complete philosophy of life.

He said there is no alternative to commitment to project real social life in films.

"If there is no firm commitment to art, culture, literature and films, nothing splendid could be created," he told a discussion marking the 72nd birth anniversary of legendary filmmaker and writer Zahir Raihan here.

Film Development Corporation (FDC) in cooperation with fortnightly Ananda Alo arranged the discussion at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Shilpakala Academy.

Eminent writer Syed Shamsul Huq was the chief guest at the discussion chaired by FDC Managing Director ANM Badrul Amin.

It was addressed by veteran filmmaker Afzal Chowdhury, Zahir Raihan's US expatriate sister Shahensha Begum, journalist Chinmoy Mutsuddi and editor of Ananda Alo Rezanur Rahman.

President calls to ensure quality service of scouts

BSS, Dhaka

A delegation of Bangladesh Scouts on Tuesday called on President Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban.

The delegation, led by newly elected President of Bangladesh Scouts and Education Secretary Mohammad Momtazul Islam, sought Professor Iajuddin's cooperation and guidelines in implementing different programmes of the scouts and strengthening it.

They also apprised President Iajuddin of different activities of Bangladesh Scouts and its leadership role in Asia- Pacific region.

They told the President that Bangladesh Scouts has earned dignity as the organizer of 4th Air Internet Jamboree this year.

The President, who is the chief scout of the country, welcomed the newly elected office executives and national commissioners of Bangladesh Scouts, and called upon them to put their efforts to make the Scouts movement strengthen through increasing the number of scouts, particularly the girl guides.

He also drew the attention of new scouts officials and commissioners to ensure quality service of scouts for common people and play positive role in enriching the youths further.

Professor Iajuddin praised the Bangladesh Scouts for its post-Sidr rehabilitation programme underscored the need for including articles on scouts' movement in the textbook curriculum of primary and secondary level schools.

He also laid stress on scouts exchanging programme among the SAARC countries to strengthen people to people contract in this region.

Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad, Vice Presidents of Bangladesh Scouts Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, and SM Zahurul Islam, Treasurer Abdul Qaium Thakur and National Commissioners Mohammad Abdus Salam Khan, Mohammad Abdul Karim and Mohammad Mozammel Haque Khan, among others, were present.

Secretary of the President's Office Md Sirajul Islam, Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohammad Ruhul Amin and Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader were present.

National confce of Imams in city today

BSS, Dhaka

The National Conference-2008 of trained imams will be held today at 11 am at Osmani Memorial Hall in the city.

President Prof. Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed will distribute awards and certificates among the 18 best imams as the chief guest.

About 384 imams of the country are expected to attend the daylong conference, a press release said here on Tuesday.

Religious Affairs Adviser AF Hassan Ariff will be present at the conference as special guest.

Imam Training Academy and Islamic Foundation Bangladesh have so far jointly provided training to 55,000 imams of the country.

10-day programme on rural economy ends at BARD

BSS, Dhaka

A 10-day programme on socio-economic condition of the country's rural people ended on Tuesday in the auditorium of the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) in Comilla.

A total of 60 students of the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) from Dhaka and Chittagong campus attended the programme.

The programme was designed so that the students could gather practical knowledge about the socio-economic condition of rural people with a view to further alleviating the rural economy.

Speaking on the occasion, the students expressed their keen interest to learn more about rural development and poverty reduction programmes of the country.

Later, the students were given certificates.

The award giving ceremony was also addressed, among others, by Director (research) Hasan Sarwar, Course Director and Director (administration) Alauddin Ahmed, Director (Training) Mir Kashem, Assistant Director (Public Relations) Anwarul Azim and representative and faculty member of IUB Masudul Haque.

Deputy Director Dr. Kamrul Hasan, Asst. Director Salah Uddin Ibne Sayed conducted the course.

Iftekhar calls foreign service trainees to uphold Bangladesh image

BSS, Dhaka

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury today inaugurated the 13th Specialized Diplomatic training course for Foreign Service officials advising them to take advantage of the course to equip themselves for serving the country at home and abroad.

"Diplomacy has changed over years. In Tuesday's world one requires a very professional approach that must focus more on contemporary issues such as trade, investment, and labour welfare," Dr Iftekhar told the trainees at Foreign Service Academy here.

The Foreign Adviser said, Bangladesh now occupies a respectable position in the comity of nations. This positive image must be upheld by our diplomats at all costs, he added.

Foreign Secretary M Touhid Hossain and Principal of Foreign Service Academy Ambassador Shahed Akhtar also addressed.

Local polls held in free, fair and peaceful manner: EWG

BSS, Dhaka

Election Working Group (EWG), a local government poll observer alliance, on Tuesday termed the Monday's local body polls as free, fair and credible as it was held in a peaceful manner with the spontaneous participation of people.

Addressing a press conference in the city, EWG Director Dr Zahrul Alam Said, according to the EWG's preliminary analysis based on over 3,000 election observers proved that the voting process in the yesterday's local government polls in four city corporations and nine municipalities was acceptable than ever before.

"We delayed to asses our evaluation results soon after the voting as one third of our election observers were not permitted to monitor the ballot counting," he said adding, " We saw the election was held peacefully. We received no report of fraudulent dealings and unethical practices during the polls."

EWG executive committee members Munira Khan, Binoy Krisna Mallik, A H M Noman and Noman A Khan also spoke at the press conference.

They advised the Bangladesh Election Commission to take lessons from this election for smooth holding of the national elections in order to ensure credibility and transparency.

They also called for preparing for timely accreditation of observers well before each election day as well as providing all presiding officers and law enforcement agencies with written guidelines about observers.