The New Nation - Internet Edition

Full autonomy for union parishad suggested

BSS, Dhaka

An independent study has suggested complete autonomy of union parishad (UP), the lowest tier of local government, by making the local government system independent from the central government.

The report of the study entitled "Functioning of Local Government (UP): Legal and Practical Constraints" was presented at a function organised by Policy Advocacy Forum (PAF) in CIRDAP auditorium in the city on Thursday.

The report recommended formation of a separate commission for monitoring of local government bodies. The local government representatives would remain accountable to the commission for their activities.

For enhancing the ability of UPs, the study said the organogram of the local body should be changed. To assist the secretary, there should be an assistant secretary, a tax assessor and an accountant, and all of them must be computer-literate.

Administrative tangles should be removed from the decision- making process and the activities of the UPs be kept free from politics and the influences of political parties, the study recommended.

Besides making recommendations, the study identified a number of problems faced by the UPs. It said interference by the government and political parties has become a regular phenomenon, which is hampering the overall activities of the UPs.

On the other hand, the UPs have become a means for a particular class to attain their vested interest, the report added.

Dr Mohammad Mohabbat Khan, Professor, Department of Public Administration, Dhaka University, presented the study report, which was followed by an open discussion.

Former MP Shahiduzzaman, senior journalist and columnist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Syed Nurul Alam, executive director, South Asia Partnership-Bangladesh, Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum President Mahbubur Rahman Tulu and General Secretary Atharul Islam Bulbul, among others, took part in the discussion, which was chaired by Dr William J Althaus, chief of party, DLGP- RTI.

Taleya Rehman moderated the function on behalf of the PAF.

The study report said the absence of financial administration has turned the UPs into 'weak and unacceptable' institutions. The UPs have to follow the development plans imposed by the government, it said and added there is no alternative to financial autonomy for overall development of the UPs.

Lack of 'far-reaching' long-term plans is also a problem for the UPs, the report said and added the short-term plans can bring temporary benefits but fail to make any lasting effects.

The study found resource constraints as one of the reasons for UPs' weakness in resource management and balanced distribution. Presently, the UPs' mentionable source of income is local tax, but it is not possible to take up any project depending on this income.

Unilateral influence of the UP chairmen hinders the members' playing their due roles. This also creates problems in decision-making, project making and financial management, according to the study.

In its recommendations, the study suggested that the salaries of the chairmen and members be increased. The monthly salary of a UP chairman can be at least Taka 15,000 while that of a member can be between Taka 5,000 and 10,000.

The study report said the relations between the local government bodies and the members of parliament should be cordial and reciprocal. Interference by MPs in the activities of the UPs is not desirable.

If the UPs are provided with funds and adequate manpower, they would be the best in identifying the local problems and implementing plans accordingly, the study report said.

It suggested that the UPs be given lump sum grants and this news should be circulated through newspapers and television to inform the people.

The study recommended proper training to enhance ability and efficiency of the people's representatives and manpower in the UPs, and suggested establishing coordination between the public and private agencies to modernise the activities of the UPs and for implementation of programmes.

The study said national development is not possible without the local development. But it is not possible for the UPs to run activities independently in the midst of undue administrative and political interference, it added.

It pointed out that there is no word like 'local government' in the relevant four chapters in the constitution of the country, though there are the terms 'local governance' and 'local governance related institution'.

If everything is mentioned in the constitution specifically, it would not be easy to change the local government system frequently, the study observed.

River Dolphins on the verge of extinction

BSS, Dhaka

River dolphins, gavial (gharial) and turtles have almost been extinct from the rivers of the country.

When the list of near extinct animals is increasing it is a rare opportunity to watch river dolphins and gavial (gharial) in the rivers of Bangladesh.

In an interview with the BSS, Chief Executive of Bangladesh Wild Animal Trust and eminent geologist Professor Anwarul Islam said that narrowing of the rivers as well as falling in water tables in all the rivers, dumping of chemical wastes from the factories and trapping of riverine animals in the fishing nets are the reasons behind the extinction of these animals.

Quoting international law, he said, fishermen should use specialised nets while fishing in the rivers so that river dolphins are not trapped in nets. "But this law is not in practice in Bangladesh," he added..

There is no alternative to political and social commitments for preserving the bio-diversity, Professor Anwarul said urging all political parties for inclusion of bio-diversity issue in their election manifesto ahead of the next general polls.

He said that dolphins were seen in the country's rivers during late last century. It was amusing for the passengers of the river transports to see the dolphins diving in the waters, he added..

Although the dolphins can be seen in the Padma, the Meghna and the Jamuna, but no more available in the branch rivers.

Gharials are also not available now, although they were seen taking sun bath on river banks one or two decades ago.

Professor Dr Anwarul Islam said, two species of river dolphins of were available in rivers of Bangladesh, of them one is Ganges River Dolphin with long jaws.

The other species is Irawaddy dolphin, featured with flat jaws. Both species of river dolphins were quite amusing. Of these, Ganges River Dolphins are on the verge of extinction, he said.

According to zoologists, elephants and river dolphins are intelligent animals next to human beings. River dolphins mainly live in the rivers of northern part of Bangladesh. But the excessive fishing in the rivers by the fishermen caused adverse impact on the existence of dolphins.

A total of 11 species of fishes have totally been extinct from the rivers of Bangladesh and if over exploitation of fish continues the existence of more species of fish could not be found in the near future, he feared.

According to a statistics of the IUCN, the World Conservation Union, the number of river dolphins around the globe is not more than 5,000, of which two species of river dolphins are among the most endangered condition.

Govt dissatisfied with Sonali Bank performance: Bad loans stand Tk 8,547cr in June

Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Finance yesterday expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of Sonali Bank Limited, the country's first largest commercial bank, during the first half of the current year.

In the wake of shooting up of the non-performing loans or bad loans of three state-owned commercial banks (SCBs)-Sonali Bank Limited, Janata Bank Limited and Agrani Bank Limited-a high-powered committee of the government started reviewing the performance indicators of the three SCBs from yesterday.

With Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam in the chair, the members of the committee sat at a meeting at the Finance Ministry to review the performance indicators of the three SCBs in the context of the failure of recently corporatised Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks to achieve default loan recovery targets.

Other issues like credit disbursement, cost of fund, operating cost and automation of the SCBs came under review at the meeting.

However, the committee reviewed the performance of only Sonali Bank Limited yesterday, while it will review on Janata Bank and Agrani Bank next week.

The non-performing loans of Sonali Bank Limited have gone beyond the limit, undermining the financial health of the bank.

Meeting sources said the extent of Sonali Bank's default loans has increased during the six-month period--from Tk 6,860 crore in December 2007 to Tk 8,547 crore in June 2008.

The officials and employees of the Sonali Bank Limited would not get additional incentives unless they show better performance, the meeting was told.

A senior official, who attended the meeting, told The New Nation that the bank and its employees have been asked to become more enterprising to come out of the previous style of banking and offer modern services to the clients.

Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumder, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Deputy Governor Nazrul Huda, senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, the central bank and Sonali Bank Managing Director and Deputy Managing Directors were present at the meeting.

"The performance did not deteriorate from the status the bank had at the time of corporatisation," the Finance Adviser told reporters after the meeting. "The bank has the scope to improve (the performance) further," he said.

Replying to a question, Dr Aziz said the bank would have to improve its services and financial performance further. "It could fulfill some of the indicators, but not some others."

He said Sonali Bank could not improve the sorry state of non-performing loans, as the state-owned enterprises did not pay

their money back while they failed to recover some default loans due to cases.

Deputy Governor Nazrul Huda, who is also the head of the Working Group on Restructuring of SCBs, in a recent meeting reviewed the default loan recovery targets of the banks and termed their performance 'unsatisfactory.'

According to the review, the SCBs could only reduce a fraction of the non-performing loans set by the central bank committee for the April-June quarter, while fresh loans have become classified during the period, pushing up the total bad loans.

The non-performing loans of Janata Bank, the second largest state-owned commercial bank, stood at Tk 1,965 crore until June this year, while the non-performing loans of Agrani Bank, the third largest state-owned commercial bank, which is still in red, stood at Tk 2,992 crore up to June this year.

Climate change issue gets greater importance

BSS, Dhaka

The magnitude and frequency of calamities such as floods, landslides, cyclones and droughts are subject to natural and artificially induced changes, among which climate change assumes a greater importance.

In order to raise regional awareness and enhance civil societies capacity along with media for innovative climate change adaptation and disaster mitigation, a regional Commonwealth roundtable conference is going to be held in Pondicherry, South India, on August 18-19 next.

The roundtable will focus on the role of civil society organisations and media personnel in communicating and promoting adaptation practices at the grassroots level, said a press release.

Civil society representatives and media personnel from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Malaysia and Singapore will participate the roundtable conference being organizsed by the Commonwealth Foundation and All India Disaster Mitigation Institute.

Sources said the roundtable will bring climate change stakeholders including policy makers, civil society organisations, academia, development practitioners and media personnel to a common platform where they will share their successes and challenges.

The roundtable will discuss issues including implications of the national action plans of the participant countries on climate change, enhance adaptation and risk reduction practices of the community and school level using local resources and knowledge, formulate concepts towards school safety and risk reduction strategies in Asian countries and development of an agenda for organising workshop/seminar by Asian network to be held during the 17th conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in Malaysia in June 2009.

Besides, the roundtable will also discuss the outcomes in the upcoming commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting in St. Lucia and formalise terms of references for a steering committee to lead on the Pan-Commonwealth civil society and media network on climate and disaster risk in Asia.

Earlier to this roundtable, a three-day, seven-country Asian Commonwealth conference on strengthening the role of civil society and media in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction was held in April last in Chennai, India where the participant countries, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Malaysia and Singapore proposed a Pan-Commonwealth network of civil society to encourage and ensure that Asia realigns economic growth on a 'green and clean' basis.

They reported a desperate need in Asian communities for clean air through the use of low-emission vehicles, solar energy for street lighting, cooling and other energy needs and cultivation of organic food to reduce the use of polluting pesticides and herbicides.

The participants in the conference agreed that polluters should not be allowed to get away with simply paying for polluting, but, should be require to prevent pollution.

The conference proposed that civil society in Asia should relentlessly engage business in finding ways to prevent water, land, air and vegetation pollution.

Besides, the civil society should educate citizens to demand such preventive measures and proposed that an annual Asia-wide citizen's list of top polluters and top pollution preventers could be a part of this effort.

'Forget’ Georgian territorial integrity: Russia

AP, Moscow

Russia's foreign minister declared Thursday that the world "can forget about" Georgia's territorial integrity, and American and Georgian officials said Russia appeared to be targeting military infrastructure - including radars and patrol boats at a Black Sea naval base and oil hub.

An AP Television News crew in the oil port city of Poti saw one destroyed Georgian military boat, and two Russian armored vehicles and two Russian transport trucks. Soldiers who identified themselves as Russian peacekeepers blocked the crew from going further.

Russia's president met in the Kremlin with the leaders of Georgia's two separatist provinces - a clear sign that Moscow could absorb the regions. The comments from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appeared to come as a challenge to the United States, where President Bush has called for Russia to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia."

The Russian refusal to withdraw from Georgia presents a challenge to the cease-fire agreement designed to end seven days of fighting. The EU-sponsored accord had envisioned Russian and Georgian forces returning to their original positions.

In Washington, an American official said Russia appears to be sabotaging airfields and other military infrastructure as its forces pull back. The U.S. official described eyewitnesses accounts for The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The official said the Russian strategy seems like a deliberate attempt to cripple the already battered Georgian military.

The United States poured aid into the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Thursday and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice launched emergency talks in France aimed at heading off a wider conflict.

Russia's deputy chief of General Staff Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn said he was not sure that the U.S. planes carried exclusively humanitarian cargo. "It causes our concern," he said.

At least 20 explosions were heard near Gori, along with small-arms fire. It could not immediately be determined if the blasts were a renewal of fighting between Georgian and Russian forces, but they sounded similar to mortar shells and occurred after a tense confrontation between Russian and Georgian troops on the edge of the city.

The strategically located city is 15 miles south of South Ossetia, the Russian-backed separatist region where Russian and Georgian forces fought a five-day battle. Russian troops entered Gori on Wednesday, after the two sides signed the cease-fire.

In Washington, a Pentagon official said U.S. intelligence had assessed that the number of Russians in Gori was small - about 100 to 200 troops. But the Russian presence in Gori, only 60 miles west of Tbilisi, was viewed as a demonstration of the vulnerability of the capital.

Nogovitsyn said Russian troops went to Gori to establish contact with local civilian administration and take control over

Students clash: 10 hurt, 3 cars set ablaze

Staff Reporter

At least 10 students were injured in clashes between law enforcers and students of Dhaka College at the technical crossing in Kallanpur area in the city yesterday.

Angry students of the Dhaka College set three vehicles ablaze in the area creating a heavy traffic jam around it.

Witnesses said, about 20 to 30 students gathered at the technical crossing from Mirpur Bangla College at 1:45pm after their examination. Thereafter, they damaged three buses in protest of what they said rude behaviour and non co-operation of teachers in the examination hall.

The police put up barricade around the technical area to stop the spread of the trouble. But the rampaging students attacked the police and pelted them with brickbats. At one stage the police resorted to baton charge in which 10 students sustained injuries.

Local people admitted the injured students to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Police said the students of the Collage took to the streets and damaged passing vehicles in New Market area.

Protesters blocked the roads in New Market area and Mirpur Road for two hours.

Additional police were deployed around the college as tension heightened in the area.

Anwar Zahid passes away

BSS, Dhaka

Former minister and eminent journalist Anwar Zahid died of old age complications with acute lung infections in the city's United Hospital on Wednesday. He was 73.

He left behind one son, one daughter and a host of relatives, friends and well-wishers to mourn his death, family sources said.

Zahid, a veteran leftist turned journalist, was admitted to the United Hospital last week with lung infections. He was also suffering from diabetes while both of his kidneys were damaged. He was given dialysis for the last nine months.

Anwar Zahid was born in a respectable Muslim family in Jhenaidah district. He was elected twice as President of the undivided Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ).

Later, he joined active politics and became Minister for Information and also Labour and Manpower in the government of former President Hossain Mohammad Ershad. Afterward, he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Jatiya Press Club President Shaukat Mahmud and General Secretary Kamal Uddin Sabuj expressed their deep shock at the death of Anwar Zahid.

They conveyed their sympathy to the bereaved family members and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul.

Business house looted in Gulshan

Staff Reporter

Some miscreants stormed into the office room of BM Trading Company at Gulshan last night and decamped with Tk 4.80 lakh in cash and other articles worth over Tk 20,000.

In another incident, thieves stole a laptop and over Tk 9000 from the Comfort Living Ltd at Gulshan same night. They entered the room of the company by breaking the grill of a window.

Two different cases were filed with Gulshan Thana.

Police arrested two persons in this connection.

Yet in another incident, burglars took away a taxicab, bearing Dhaka metro-11-2226, from in front of Gulshan- DCC market yesterday.

Delwar, driver of the taxicab filed a case in this connection.

DU history students observe rag day

DU Correspondent

The graduate students of the History Department of Dhaka University batch 84 yesterday celebrated the Rag day on the campus as they have completed their graduation study recently.

Prof AH Ahmed Kamal, Chairman of the department, inaugurated the day by cutting a cake at the department room No-1090. Then the teachers and students took a festive mood.

Associate Professor Surma Zakaria, Golam Mohammad Sakline Saki, Assistant Professor Dr Amzad Ali and Milton Kumar Dev, among others, were present in the occassion.

Prof Ahmed Kamal advised the student to be honest in their work and keep reputation of the university. He hoped the students would contribute for the welfare of the nation remembering their (people) contribution to them for carrying out their study at the University.

Later, fresh graduates brought out a colour procession that marched throughout the campus. Both male and female students observed the day by dancing and singing like children.

It is mentioned that the department was introduced during the inception of the university in 1921.

HC gives full custody of DIG-claimed seven children to BNWLA

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court yesterday awarded full custody of the much-talked-about seven babies, claimed by an ex-DIG of police couple as their septuplets, to Bangladesh Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) for their upkeep.

They are already under custody of the BNWLA's shelter home 'Proshanti' in the capital following an interim HC order regarding their doubtful parentage.

Delivering the judgment upon a public-interest litigation writ petition filed by BNWLA, a Division Bench comprising Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Farid Ahmed made absolute its rule issued two years ago.

The HC ruling came after taking cognizance of the August 12 DNA test that found no genetic similitude of septuplets in the unfortunate babies. On August 6, the HC, during hearing on the rule, asked Dhaka Medical College authorities to carry out the sibling test of the seven babies at its DNA Lab under the supervision of the Supreme Court authorities.

The BNWLA had moved the HC with a writ that sought custody of the seven infants, airing doubt about parenthood of the children and apprehending a racket for trafficking them out.

Since the emergence of the dispute, the couple has claimed that the seven children have been born to them as septuplets.

The children's 'mother', Anwara Rahman, is in jail for the last few months in an extortion case, while 'father' Anisur Rahman did not appear in the court.

In its ruling the High Court directed the BNWLA to maintain the seven babies with "utmost care", providing them with food, shelter, healthcare and education.

The HC observed that if the custodian of the babies, BNWLA, is unwilling to maintain them, it can seek review with the HC for redress.

The HC further observed that the disputed father, ex-DIG of police Anisur Rahman, is allowed to get the judgment reviewed after doing his DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) test of his paternity at DMCH Lab under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Besides, the HC noted that the complaint case under the Prevention of Women and Children Repression Act pending with the designated court against the ex-DIG couple would go on in accordance with law.

On June 15, 2006, advocate Alena Khan, executive director of Bangladesh Society for Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR), filed the criminal case with Badda police station accusing them of confining the children' with an intention of trafficking'.

Reacting to the judgment, BNWLA president Advocate Fowzia Karim Firoze who moved the case told reporters that it was "landmark judgment".

She said the BNWLA, in compliance with the HC directive, would take "proper care for the babies until they grow up to 18 years".

Advocate Kazi Sajwar Hossain appeared for the ex-DIG, Anisur Rahman.

Land grabbing bid foiled, forged attorney holders arrested

Staff Reporter

Notorious criminal Shahjahan Siraj has serious crime record from cheating to extortion and grabbing land of common people, police said.

At present he is on bail in a number of cases including the extortion case No. 2073/07. He was arrested by the cantonment police on Tuesday but got bail on the same day.

The alleged criminal with his aides in May last tried to cheat former Executive Editor of The Bangladesh Observer and former Principal Information Officer of the Government Abdur Rahim. However, they were arrested and later freed on bail.

Abdur Rahim was away in London for nearly four years in late 80s in a diplomatic job. Returning back to Dhaka he went to RAJUK and was informed by the then Deputy Director of Estate Department that one Mustafa had claimed to have obtained a power of attorney from a fake man using Rahim's name and address. The DD told him that he had dismissed the false claim and recommended severe action against the frauds.

The cheats in connivance with RAJUK'S dishonest officers and employees manage to get copies of documents of allottees of RAJUK plots. In some cases they were successful in usurping plots and houses of absentee allottees.

"As a matter of fact, I could come to know from a source at the RAJUK in 2006 that someone using my name and address had issued a power of attorney in the name of one Shajahan Mollah authorising him to take any decision about my house located in Gulshan. I then had made a General Diary with the Gulshan Police Station." Rahim told this correspondent.

On May 5, 2008 one Abdullah al-Mamun (Sher-e-Gul), Managing Director of a real estate establishment came to Rahim's Gulshan residence accompanied by another person said to be one of the directors of the 'Ma Baba Builders Ltd' located at Purana Paltan to buy his house.

Rahim informed the Gulshan Police and a Brigadier-General of the Army about the incident. The police acted quickly and arrived at his house and arrested Sher-e-Gul. Gul informed police that one Shahajahan Siraj was waiting at his Paltan Office to finalise the financial transaction regarding selling of Rahim's house.

As per advice of S I Khabir, the police officer investigating the case, Sher-e-Gul told the waiting gentleman (Shahjahan Siraj) that he was on his way to the office. With the M.D. and his director the police went to Ma-Baba Builders office.

Later police and an Army Major with some sepoys reached to the Ma-Baba Builder's office and arrested Shajahan Siraj. Shahjahan Siraj told the police that he was working on behalf of one Shahjahan Mollah, the holder of the power of attorney.

With the help of Shahjahan Siraj police and army personnel later arrested Shajahan Mollah on charge of cheating.

Shahjahan Mollah who has a past criminal record as a teacher at the City's West End School has been sacked from his job after his arrest in the fraud case.

AIDS awareness Marina stresses media role

DU Correspondent

Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, daughter of former prime minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohammad yesterday underscored the role of media to create mass awareness among people for fighting AIDS.

Marina, also a prominent journalist in Malaysia , was addressing a seminar titled 'Women,