The New Nation - Internet Edition

Friendship concert held

James performing at the concert.

Staff Reporter

To celebrate the Friendship Day, a concert titled 'Friendship Concert' jointly organised by Showbiz Entertainment and Index was held at Level-7 of Bashundhara City in the city yesterday.

The New Nation, Ittefaq, Rtv, Radio Foorti, AJI Group, Amadergaan and Bangladeshinfo were partners of the concert.

In one hand yesterday was weekly holiday, on the other hand so many people gathered at the Bashundhara shopping mall to enjoy and passing leisure time. As a result, a huge number of people especially young generation gathered at the Level-7 of the shopping complex.

The concert was opened with the performance of artiste Niloy and his friends. He sang five songs including 'Ekta saral anka,' 'Valobasai hridoy bhangay' and 'Tar chhire gechhe.' Besides, he performed two English numbers in the show.

Then present sensation singer Mila came to the stage. She performed a total of five songs including 'Shukno patar nupur paye,' 'Baburam sapure' and 'Jatrabala.'

Then country's popular band musician James entered the stage and performed some popular numbers including Hindi songs.

After performance of James, the concert was wrapped up with big hands from the audience.

It is mentioned overall situation of the concert was well. But some unprecedented occurrences were taking place in the show. Especially when the singer Mila was performing, the concert was stopped more than four times due to mismanagement from Showbiz Entertainment and AJI Group, the organisers, and over exciting behaviour from the audience.

Later the situation was controlled after begging strong requests from the organisers and singer Mila. Besides, the concert was full crowded with the youths. They enjoyed the show in full swing. They were taking part in dancing shouting with the performance of the singers.

But there were other mismanagements from the security agencies of the shopping mall and the organisers. Despite the concert venue was air-conditioned, but some youths were smoking during the concert was held.

EC to seek army help for upazila polls

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The army will be deployed in the upcoming upazila elections, as large numbers of security personnel will be needed for maintaining law and order in more than 300 upazilas, election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain has said

"At least 8 to 9 lakh in manpower is required to maintain law and order in big elections like the upazila and national elections," he told bdnews24.com Thursday.

"None of the other law-enforcing agencies, including police, Ansar, RAB or BDR, can provide such huge numbers of personnel. So the army has to be engaged."

Besides the army, a number of navy and air force personnel would also be involved in election duties, Sakhawat said, adding that there was precedence in the country of deploying armed forces in elections.

"During the election, the armed forces will have powers of arrest as before," said the retired brigadier general.

"However, in this case after arrest, the arrestee will have to be handed over to police."

Section 90 of the new Representation of the People Ordinance (amendment) 2008 says that any law enforcing official on election duty will have the same power of arrest without warrant as police, to maintain peace and discipline with 400 yards of any polling centre.

During the Aug 4 elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities, a three-tier security ring was maintained in the electoral areas with police, Ansar and Village Defence Party members.

Sakhawat Hossain said: 'It was possible to maintain security without the army as the recent elections were on a small scale."

"But for holding the upcoming elections in more than 300 upazilas or 300 Jatiya Sangsad constituencies, the help of the armed forces will be needed."

The Election Commission is preparing to hold upazila elections in October despite opposition by political parties. According to the roadmap, the national elections are scheduled for December this year.

Power sector in peril as none punished for wrongdoing

UNB, Dhaka

For procedural flaws one after another, many power-plant projects are being cancelled at the final stages of bidding and their costs are going sky-high while the country keeps smarting from nagging electricity shortages.

Problems are getting worse as none is being held responsible or punished for the intentional or unintentional wrongs, experts concerned said.

Such incidents are frequently happening in the country's power sector, which has been one of the root causes of staggering stagnancy in its development.

However, the Power Ministry, its subordinate body Power Development Board (PDB) and the Planning Ministry are blaming one another for the bungling to shift

one's own responsibility to others' shoulders.

"But, for such deliberate misdoing, the country has to pay and its people to bear the brunt of the crisis," says one of those in the know.

Two latest such instances are the cases of the 150-MW Chandpur Power Plant and 150-MW Sylhet Power Plant projects.

The PDB had invited tender for a 100-MW unit of the proposed 150-MW Chandpur combined-cycle power plant and a Chinese company, Harbin Power Engineering (HPE), came out to be a lowest responsive bidder.

Its offer was $ 45 million to install the plant on turnkey basis. As Harbin won the bid, PDB issued a notification of award (NoA) to it to proceed to sign contract to implement the project.

But, after waiting more than a year, the Harbin has not received the call for signing the final agreement despite repeated reminder by the Chinese company.

In the meantime, as worldwide power-plant equipment prices went up, Harbin raised the price of the offer by an additional $ 20 million-showing the genuine cause.

But the PDB declined to enter into the deal accepting the increased rate. The PDB had a ploy-it had delayed over a year as the development project proforma (DPP) was

not approved by the Planning Ministry.

Finally, the power board cancelled the tender and again invited a re-tender for the project. Now, another two Chinese companies staked their claim for the project-one having offered US$ 128 million while another US$ 188 million for implementing the power project as combined-cycle one.

While PDB was earlier unwilling to increase only by US$ 20 million the project cost, now it would have to increase the amount either by US$ 60 million or by US$ 123 million.

However, it's not clear which offer PDB could accept or if it would again go for canceling the project only to see further cost overruns.

Similar was the case with the 100-MW unit of the proposed 150-MW Sylhet combined-cycle power plant. After receiving an offer from responsive bidder-India's Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)--to install the plant at a cost of US$ 68 million, the PDB took one year to go ahead with the process.

But, at the final stage, the Cabinet Purchase Committee rejected BHEL's offer showing an excuse that its revised development project proforma (DPP) was not approved by the

Planning Ministry.

It also showed another excuse that the tender-invitation process was not in compliance with the public procurement regulations 2003.

But there is clear evidence that there was an approval from the offices of the Chief Advisor, the Finance Advisor and the Power Advisor for inviting tender under "one- State, two-envelop" system.

After the cancellation, PDB is taking preparation to invite re-tender for the project. But

industry-insiders are sure that the PDB in no way could get an offer of less than US$ 68 million to implement the project.

Rather, they said, now the PDB has to spend more than double on installation of the project as power plant's equipment prices have more than doubled internationally.

Now, question has been raised by the experienced quarters as to who should be blamed and punished for the procedural errors done in the cases of the two power projects for which the state would have to pay the penalty.

Talking over the issue, Power Secretary Dr. Fouzul Kabir Khan admitted to having the bureaucratic bottlenecks and said, "The government has limitations in increasing prices of any tender proposals."

When asked who should be blamed for such procedural flaws that create scope for price enhancement and finally the country has to pay for, he said, "The system is to blame."

DU authorities find 210 fake students

BSS, Dhaka

The Fact Finding Committee on Admission Forgery of Dhaka University has recommended cancellation of admissions of 210 students as the committee identified them fake.

Sources said, out of the 210 fake students, highest 92 managed admission to the Department of International Relations, 69 to the Department of Public Administration, 25 to the Department of Economics, nine to the Department of Political Science, seven to the Department of Management Studies, four to the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, three to the Department of Mathematics, three to the Department of Applied Chemistry, two to the Department of Geography and Environment, two to Department of Botany, one each to the Departments of Library and Information Science and Chemistry.

The probe committee was formed on October 10, 2006 in the wake of allegations of inconsistencies in admission papers of 11 students of 2004-2005 session of Department of Public Administration.

It submitted an interim report to the Syndicate. The report included 30 more incidents of fake admission in Public Administration, Economics, International Relations and some other departments in the same session. The authorities launched a drive at the faculties of Arts and Social Sciences in mid-March last year following the report, which hinted at existence of more fake students.

The committee so far submitted 11 reports about the admission forgery, DU Pro Vice- Chancellor (VC) Prof AFM Yusuf Haider told BSS. The Syndicate has cancelled admission 210 students under different faculties and institutes so far, he added. The sources said, a number of suspected students have meanwhile secured a court permission to attend classes and take examinations.

A total of 67 suspected students had filed 56 writs with the hope that they might get off exploiting the loopholes in the system, sources said.

Of the total writs, 42 suspected students filed 38 writs from the International Relations Department, 19 filed 12 from the Public Administration Department, four filed four from the Economics Department and two filed two from the Institute of Social Welfare and Research.

The sources said, if the probe remains pending, many apprehend the fake students will leave campus with certificate on completion of their degrees.

Prof AFM Yusuf Haider, head of the committee said, investigation process is not stalled. DU authorities have appointed two attorneys Barrister Halim Chaklader and Dr Noyem Ahmed to oversee the legal issues, the Pro-VC said.

The probe body has submitted a set of recommendations to the deans and directors of different faculties and institutes so that the loopholes in quota and registration systems may not be exploited further, said Prof Haider.

He said, the already identified students will not be able to prove their 'innocence', as the committee is confident about its findings. It might take time, but there is no reason to believe they will eventually get away, he added.

The Fact Finding Committee on Admission Forgery also found five university officials and eight outsiders for their involvement in the forgery so far.

DU Chief Security Officer Kamrul Ahsan filed an FIR with Shahbagh Police Station on October 6, 2007 against five university officials and eight outsiders for their alleged involvement in the forgery. The university officials are Deputy Registrar (Education-2) AKM Mozammel Haque, International Relations Department official Abul Hossain, Chief Assistant of Admission Section BM Aminul Islam, Economics Department Chief Assistant Bimol Chandra Das, and Public Administration department Chief Assistant Md Yunus. The outsiders are UNAID Coaching Centre teacher Golam Mostofa Kiron, Mirpur University College teachers Hafizur Rahman Hafiz, Karuta International consultant Obaidul Kabir Swapan, Md Moin, Nishat Ahmed who resides in Dhanmondi, Sazzadur Rahman Lipon and Jewel Rosario.

Two NGOs raise concern over poll monitors

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Two NGOs have raised concerns about the objectivity of election observers, who termed the recent local government polls "fair and credible", after they worked with the Election Commission to assist in voter awareness and registration campaigns.

The Election Working Group (EWG), an umbrella group of NGO observers, received over $2 million for their assistance, while the same NGOs turned observers and assessed the EC's performance in holding the city corporation and municipality polls, they said.

NGOs Janipop and Odhikar, who had been two partners of the 33-member EWG, have protested the "conflict of interest" and refrained from working as "agents of the EC" for voter registration activities.

"We protested the EWG decision of working as an agent of the EC to take voters to the registration centre, because we believed such work would hamper the independence of election monitoring," acting director of Odhikar Nasiruddin Elan told bdnews24.com Thursday.

Top polls monitoring group FEMA however has a different point of view.

"We worked as the agents of the donor (The Asia Foundation), not of the Election Commission," Munira Khan, president of FEMA, told bdnews24.com.

FEMA (Fair Election Monitoring Association) was one of the component NGOs of the EWG to take part in the voter registration activities.

Human rights organisation Odhikar opposed the awareness campaign activities from the very beginning, saying the EWG should be restricted to election observation and monitoring only.

Nasiruddin said that it was not possible for the NGOs to observe the polls impartially while it received monetary benefits for other electoral activities.

"Janipop was first in favour of assisting in the EC's awareness campaigns by taking people to voting centres, but later it refrained from taking in part in such activities and only acted as observers," Janipop chairman Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah told bdnews24.com.

"It is not possible to be agents and evaluators at the same time. It is not moral. So, we observed the polls only," said Kalimullah.

The Asia Foundation formed the Election Working Group in the middle of 2006 as a common platform for observing the national elections scheduled for Jan 22, 2007.

As the Jan 22 polls were annulled, the NGOs shifted from their original objectives of monitoring the polls and turned to capacity building.

The EWG signed a memorandum of understanding last year with the EC to undertake voter awareness activities, including guiding people to voter registration centres and other works.

"Once you sign a MoU with the Election Commission, you work under the commission," said Prof Kalimullah.

Election Commissioner Mohammed Sohul Hossain told bdnews24.com Thursday: "The Election Working Group did sign the MoU with the EC to take voters to the registration centres."

Hossain said the working group received the funds for its works, according to the MoU, from the Asia Foundation.

Jerome Sayre, assistant representative of the Asia Foundation, told bdnews24.com: "The Asia Foundation through the EWG spent about $2 million in assisting the Election Commission in the voters' registration programme."

The donor agency provided a total of $4.2 million dollars for EWG's election programme, the remaining $2.2 million going towards the group's observing activities.

Munira Khan of FEMA said the 33-member EWG could and did perform "neutrally" in observing the recent city corporation and the municipality polls despite working with the EC.

Meanwhile, most of the EWG NGOs did not have experience in polls observation.

The working group's NGOs, mostly involved in microcredit activities, human rights, environmental and other fields, are: ACD, ADD, Banchte Shekha, BCDJC, BDS, BMSP, Coast Trust, Dak Diye Jai, Democracywatch, FIVDB, GKS, Greenhill, GUK, IED, Jagoroni Chakra Foundation, Khan Foundation, Light House, MMC, MSS, Nobolok, NDP, NRDS, PSKS, Rights Jessore, Rupantar, SDS, Solidarity, Srizony, Uttaran and Wave Foundation.

Dialogue between AL, BNP must: seminar told

BSS, Dhaka

Speakers at a seminar here on Friday said a dialogue between Awami League and BNP is a must.

A solid footing of democratic culture would not be established until AL and BNP come close eschewing their ego, they told the seminar on 'Bangladesh's Democracy to Which Direction' at Jatiya Press Club.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Dr Emajuddin Ahmed was the chief guest at the seminar, organised by weekly 'Aparadh Bichitra'.

With editor of the weekly SM Morshed in the chair, the seminar was addressed by eminent lawyer Barrister Amirul Islam, BNP Standing Committee Member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Dean of Social Science Faculty of Dhaka University Professor Dr Haroon- or-Rashid, Executive President of JSD Mainuddin Khan Badal, Awami League leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna and BLDP President Nazim Uddin Al-Azad, among others.

Professor Muhammad Jahangir Alam Chowdhury presented the keynote paper.

Prof Emajuddin stressed the need for nurturing political culture to make the path of democracy smooth and said coordinated democratic culture is needed for making the democracy fruitful.

Referring to the recent city corporation and pourasabha polls, he said the country has entered into the democratic highway. The only expectation of the people is now Jatiya Sangsad elections, he added.

Prof Emajuddin said the government should make arrangements for general election by lifting the emergency.

Placing emphasis on political consensus to consolidate democracy, Barrister Amirul said different institutional structures should be strengthened for flourishing democracy.

In light of the existing political situation, he said, self-realisation of the politicians is essential.

Lt Gen Mahbub called for holding JS polls immediately to restore the clean political trend.

Badal said democratic culture does not develop in a day, it has to be achieved through exercise.

MoU signed between DU, Rikkyo varsity

UNB, Dhaka

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Dhaka University and Rikkyo University, Japan on Thursday aiming to establish and promote academic exchange and research programmes between the two institutions.

DU Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz and Rikkyo University Vice Chancellor Prof Kasahara Kiyoshi signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides at a function held at the Nabab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University.

DU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof AFM Yusuf Haider, Prof Osamu ABE of the Graduate School of International Communication, Rikkyo University, Dean of DU Science Faculty Prof Tajmeri SA Islam and Prof ABM Farook, among others, were present.

Under the MoU, both the institutions will promote and develop cooperation for the progress of academic and research activities and exchange of teachers, researchers and students between the two universities.

The two universities will also exchange publications, materials and information under the MoU, said a press release.

Computer model to scale food security, ecology

BSS, Dhaka

Rapidly expanding population associated with a high demand for food and fuel, decreasing cropland and increasing salinity and expanding aquaculture emerged as invariable impediments to the management of the coastal zones of the country by protecting their ecology.

Unplanned harvesting of timber and fuel is also causing severe puzzle for coastal villages and mangrove forest causing difficulties to sustainable development of the coastal zones.

In the backdrop of that situation, a senior professor of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has developed a computer model to assist the policy planners to design an integrated and sustainable management system for the coastal zones.

The computer model will help the planners to measure the equilibrium between food security (FS) and environmental degradation in the coastal areas prior to take any coastal management plan, Professor BK Bala of BAU and author of the model told BSS.

Prof. Bala, a noted agriculture scientist and former Dean of the Farm Power and Machinery Department of BAU, said population is expected to increase from 36.8 million in 2001 to 60.8 million by 2050 in the coastal zones, intensifying demand for foods and fuels and putting pressure on ecological system.

Bangladesh's coastal zone is constituted with 32 percent of total land of the country, containing 28 per cent of total population. Forty-eight upazilas in 12 districts are exposed to coast and 99 upazilas of 17 districts have interior coast.

Out of 2.85 million hectares of coastal cultivable land about 1.0 million hectares are affected by salinity. Drainage and seepage from shrimp aquacultural pond are increasing salinity in the land and water, he said.

Shrimp cultivation areas in Bangladesh expanded from 51,812 hectares in 1983 to 1,41,353 hectares in 2002 causing environmental degradation in the coastal zones. The expansion of shrimp farming has resulted in decrease in crop production and many environmental problems.

Prof. Bala said forests play an important role in maintaining ecological systems in balance. These forests are also the largest carbon-sink above the soil. But, the Sunderbans, largest mangrove forest in world, is decreasing because of unplanned and illegal cutting of trees for timber and fuel. The problem seriously aggravated by the recent devastating cyclone Sidr.

He said the computer model has been developed based on a recent study on present status of food security, food self-sufficiency ratio, contributions of crop production and aquaculture to food security, and ecological footprint in nine upazilas of the coastal zones.

The study, he said, showed that of the nine upazilas, food security is best in Kalapara, modest at Dacop, Koyra, Mongla, Patharghata, and Galachipa and worst in Shoronkhola, Shyamnagar and Morelganj. But, the ecological footprint of the upazilas with better food security is very poor, caused mainly due to shrimp culture.

The model showed that expanding shrimp aquaculture industry is ensuring high food security with increasing environmental degradation in the coastal zones, Prof. Bala said.

He said if the shrimp aquaculture continues to boom from the present status to super intensive level, a collapse in the aquaculture will ultimately occur, turning shrimp aquaculture land neither suitable for shrimp culture nor crop production in future.

"It is now high time to design an integrated management system for the coastal zones of Bangladesh for sustainable development," he said adding his model would help designing plans for sustainable development of the coastal zones and address climate change issues.

One killed 30 injures in Gopalganj clash

UNB, Gopalganj

A man was killed and 30 others were injured in a clash between two groups of villagers over the appointment of an imam of a mosque at Nijra village in Sadar upazila yesterday.

The dead was identified as Rezaul Thandar, 35.

Police said two rival groups-one led by Bashu Thandar and another by Litu Sikdar-had a dispute over appointment of Qaiyum Sikdar as Imam of Thandarpara Jame mosque.

After Juma prayer, both the groups sat in a meting in the mosque for settling the matter. At one stage, they locked in the clash when supporters of Thandar group proposed to appoint a new imam while the rival group opposed it.

Both the groups chased each other with sticks, killing Rezaul on the spot and injuring 30 others.

The injured were admitted to Sadar hospital.

Georgian army moves to retake South Ossetia

Internet

Georgia launched a major military offensive yesterday to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia, prompting Moscow to send tanks into the region in a furious response that threatens to engulf Georgia, a staunch U.S. ally, and Russia in all-out war.

Hundreds were reported dead in the worst outbreak of hostilities since the province won defacto independence in a war against Georgia that ended in 1992. Witnesses said the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali was devastated.

"I saw bodies lying on the streets, around ruined buildings, in cars," said Lyudmila Ostayeva, 50, who had fled with her family to Dzhava, a village near the border with Russia. "It's impossible to count them now. There is hardly a single building left undamaged."

The fighting broke out as much of the world's attention was focused on the start of the Olympic Games and many leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Bush, were on their way to Beijing.

The timing suggests Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili may have been counting on surprise to fulfill his longtime pledge to wrest back control of South Ossetia - a key to his hold on power.

Saakashvili agreed the timing was not coincidental, but accused Russia of being the aggressor. "Most decision makers have gone for the holidays," he said in an interview with CNN. "Brilliant moment to attack a small country."

Police officer closed

UNB, Savar

A local police official Thursday night was closed to district police lines after he has been accused in a rape case.

Dhaka district Police Super Mahbubur Rahman took the actions against Abu Bakr Siddique, Sub-inspector of Savar thana.

Sumi Akhter of Jamgara here on Tuesday filed a rape case with Women and Child Repression Prevention Special tribunal in capital against the police official.

The court ordered local police to investigate the matter.

Govt failing to realise dues from Chevron

Staff Reporter

National Committee for Protection of the Oil-Gas, Power-Port said yesterday the Caretaker Government bowed down to the US pressure on protection of interest of Chevron ignoring the country's interest.

On behalf of the committee, its Convenor Engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah and Member Secretary Prof Anu Mohammad, at a joint statement, said that the Government like the past corrupt governments did not take any initiative for collection of its due Tk 9 thousand crore from Chevron as compensation for Magurchara exploration.

They also said that the Government did also not take any action against the Niko yet and added that about 5 lakh cubic feet gas is being wasted in the Titas gas field everyday.

Cairn Energy now demanded to increase the gas prices and said if the gas prices was not enhanced, it could not work anymore, they added.

On the demands, the committee demanded of the government to manage the companies to leave the gas blocks of the country immediately.

It also demanded immediate expulsion of Asia Energy and trial of allegedly corrupt Niko.

Energy Ministry should not preserve interest of Chevron, Niko and Cairn Energy Companies destroying the country's energy resources, they added.

Meritorious students accorded reception

Staff Reporter

Chandpur Journalist Forum yesterday accorded a reception to the SSC and Dakhil pass out students of Chandpur district who secured GPA and Golden A this year, at the Institute of Engineers auditurium in Dhaka city.

On the occasion, some eminent persons of Chandpur district were also awarded crests for their contribution to different fields.

Dr Soeb Ahmed, former Adviser of the Caretaker Government was the chief guest at the function which was presided over by Mostafa Kamal Majumder Editor of the New Nation.

Sirajul Islam, secretary to the President, Lion Benajeer Ahmed, Dr Aminul Hoq, former Vice Chancellor of Maulana Bhasani University of Science and Technology, Mojammel Hoq Benu, an industrialist, Shafiqul Islam, former Joint-Secretary to the Government, Sabur Khan, founder of Daffodils University, Nelofar Begum, former Joint-Secretary, Prof Masuda Nur Khan, Monir Hossain, President and Mofizur Rahman Khan Babu General Secretary of the Chandpur Journalist Forum spoke on the occasion.

The speakers at the function expressed the proud that the students secured in GPA and Golden A in the SSC and Dakhil examinations would be able to even better in subsequent examination and work to create a prosperous Bangladesh.

They said some students who scored brilliant results cannot perform at the same level in their career.

They also advised the students to take lesson from those who have achieved successes in their lives. There are examples of successful people in the fields of education, business, industry, agriculture, information and communication technology, they pointed out.

More than a hundred students securing GPA and Golden A were presented crests.