The New Nation - Internet Edition

President condoles death of Anwar Zahid

UNB, Dhaka

President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed has expressed his deep shock at the death of former minister and renowned journalist Anwar Zahid.

In a condolence message on Thursday, Dr Iajuddin said the people of the country would remember the contributions of Zahid in the fields of journalism, social service and politics.

"The country has lost an eminent politician and veteran journalist at his death," he said.

The President prayed for salvation of the departed soul and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family members.

US mission to be cloased on Aug 17 for Shab-e-Barat

UNB, Dhaka

The American Embassy, including the Consular Section and the Public Affairs Section with the Archer K. Blood American Center Library and the Student Advising Section will remain closed on August 17 on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat, said a release of the US Embassy.

BCL expels 4 activists from DU hall

DU Correspondent

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of Awami League, has expelled its four activists from Zahurul Haque Hall Unit of Dhaka University due to unruly conduct.

The BCL activists who were expelled are Raihan, 2nd year student of Law Department, Mithu, also 2nd year student of Political Science, Jewel, 3rd year student of Sociology and Mehedi of Public Administration.

Sources said action was taken against them for assaulting a journalist of 'Desh Janata' on Thursday noon while he was performing his professional duty.

Meanwhile, Dhaka University Journalists` Association submitted a memorandum to the Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz in this regard demanding punishment of the four students.

DU VC assured the journalists that he would take necessary step in this connection.

Seven leaders and activists of BCL were seriously injured in a factional clash at Muktijoddha Ziur Rahman Hall on Thursday night centering supremacy at the hall.

The injured are Ziku, BCL Zia Hall unit president candidate, Jahid, Zia, Mithu, Ershad, Didar and Rubel were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Witness said Yusuf, another president candidate of the hall unit, attacked its rival group to reduce their supremacy.

DU students clash over referee's decision

DU Correspondent

Students of Statistics and the Biochemistry Departments of Dhaka University locked into a clash at the Gymnasium playground yesterday afternoon leaving a teacher and eight students injured.

The injured persons were identified as Prof Jafar Ahmed Khan, masters students Erfan, Mehedi, Shanta, Ershad, Sakib, 3rd year student Pulak and 2nd year student Sadat of Statistics Department and Jamal Uddin, referee of the match.

The injured persons were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Witnesses said the incident emerged from a declaration of a penalty kick which fueled the opponent group to be enraged leading to the clash.

Porno CD trader

Staff Reporter

Detective Branch (DB) of Police arrested roadside porno CD traders along with 1,010 CDs from the city's Nilkhet area Wednesday night.

Acting on a tip-off, they raided the area in front of Rafin plaza at about 8:10pm and arrested Zakir Hossain, Babul Bepari and Sagar and recovered CDs.

The arrested persons admitted that they have been carrying out business of porno CDs in the area since long.

Later, the arrested were handed over to New Market police and a case was filed with Police station against them.

Khaleda Zia's birthday today

UNB, Dhaka

BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia steps into 64 on Friday.

BNP and its front organizations have chalked out programmes to observe her birthday, without the leader amongst them, however.

In a latest turn of events in the country's political arena, she has been put behind bars under a purge in the interim period.

Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal and Tanti Dal will cut birthday cake after Thursday midnight (00-01am) at BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain's NAM apartment.

Delwar and other BNP leaders will go to the makeshift jail to greet Begum Zia with bouquets Friday at 9 am. A milad and doa mahfil will be held on the ground floor of Delwar's apartment at 10am.

JCD will cut birthday cake at Madhu's Canteen of Dhaka University today at 12 noon.

Valuables of a garment factory in gutted in Gazipur

UNB, Gazipur

A devastating fire at a garment factory at Bhogra in Sadar upazila gutted valuables of the factory Wednesday night.

But none was injured in the fire that broke out at about at about 10:15pm, a delayed report on Thursday said.

Sources said the fire originated at a godown on the 4th floor of Nexus Sweater Industries and quickly engulfed the yarn godown, winding and sample sections on same floor.

On receiving information, four fire fighting vehicles from Tongi rushed in and extinguished the blaze after 5/6 hours of frantic efforts with the help of local people.

The cause of the fire could not be ascertained immediately. The fire damaged the five-storey building and burnt yarn, machinery and ready-made garments, said a BGMEA release.

BGMEA estimated the losses to be worth about Tk 10 crore.

BGMEA officials visited the Nexus Sweater factory, an export oriented garments industry, owned by Rashid Ahmed Hossaini, Director of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

CA briefs President about Govt steps to contain price situation

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed Thursday expressed his hope that prices of essential commodities would be stable during the upcoming holly Ramadan for the steps taken by the government.

"All kinds of measures have been taken to keep the prices of essential commodities stable during the upcoming holy Ramadan," he said when he called on President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban and apprised him of his caretaker government's various steps and role played during the SAARC summit.

He said adequate food supply would be ensured through Open Market Sale (OMS) and BDR-run markets. The market-monitoring system will also be strengthened during Ramadan.

During the meeting, Dr Fakhruddin apprised the President of different aspects of the just-held 15th SAARC summit in Colombo.

He informed the President that Bangladesh's proposals, including food bank, food and energy security and climate change, were accepted by the other member-countries during the SAARC summit.

The Colombo meet decided that under the food bank, the member-countries would supply their surplus food-grains to any other member-state on emergency basis during food crisis, the Chief Adviser said.

He said that the SAARC leaders also decided that the headquarters of South Asian Regional Standard Organization (SARSO) would be established in Dhaka.

The Chief Adviser informed that ministerial-level delegations of Iran, Mauritius and South Korea attended the summit as observers and even more countries showed their keen interest in becoming SARRC observers.

"International community appreciated the capability and courage of Bangladeshi people who face two consecutive devastating floods and cyclone Sidr side by side very alarming food crisis situation," the Chief Adviser said.

Dr Fakhruddin apprised the President that the government is working to take the administration to the doorsteps of the mass people with a view to materializing the hopes and aspirations of the countrymen. As part of the initiative, cabinet meetings are being held at different divisional headquarters, he said.

The President expressed his satisfaction over Bangladesh's role during the SAARC summit.

He also welcomed government initiatives to control the prices of essential commodities during the holy Ramadan.

Secretary of the President's Office Md Sirajul Islam, secretary of the Chief Adviser's office Kazi M Aminul Islam, Press Secretary to the CA Syed Fahim Munaim, Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohammad Ruhul Amin and President's Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader were among others present.

Security guard of Janata Bank found dead in city

UNB, Dhaka

Security guard of Janata Bank at Karwan Bazar branch was found dead inside its computer room Thursday morning.

The deceased was identified as Shamsul Haque, 49. He used to live at 174/2, at Merazia of Uttarkhan Bazaar in the city.

Being informed by the Bank employees, police recovered the body of Shamsul at about 10am and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Police suspected that Shamsul might have died of cardiac arrest as no injury marks were found on his body.

WB supports strengthening of BBS

BSS, Dhaka

The World Bank is providing approximately 1.6 million US dollars as grant in the first stage of its technical assistance project to strengthen the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

According to WB sources, the key areas selected in the in the first stage for the improvement of data quality are living standards monitoring survey, monitoring of trends in employment, improvement of the national accounts and basic economic indicators, environmental statistics, and gender statistics.

A Technical Assistance Project on Capacity Building of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has started operation from April 2008 to meet the crucial need for current statistical data to monitor poverty levels and the welfare of households. This is being implemented by the World Bank funded EMTAP Project.

Realising the importance of the national statistics, the World Bank and the government of Bangladesh signed an agreement in May 2006 on a three-stage process supporting the development of the national statistical system in Bangladesh. The first stage is supporting BBS's effort to improve the data quality in selected priority areas.

The need for statistical data has become even more paramount due to the pressure on poor households for the food and fuel price hike.

The increased capacity will enable BBS to generate estimates of employment, especially in the informal sector, and for women, as these are regarded as an important indicator of well-being and poverty.

The project will also improve the Index of Industrial Production (IIP); and update the register of establishments and putting in place systems to ensure that the register is updated and reviewed on a regular basis.

Two compendiums on environmental and gender statistics will also be compiled.

Further, the implementation of the project has built-in features to improve coordination, governance, accountability and transparency as well as efficiency, partnerships, monitoring, and wider dissemination.

As per the 2006 agreement, the second stage will prepare a medium to long-term strategy for the development of statistics in Bangladesh based on Paris 21 guidelines and principles, and the third stage will implement a broad capacity building to strengthen the statistical system in a sustainable way over a four to five year period. This project can make significant contributions to meet the growing demand quality data of the country.

Marina Mahathir meets President

BSS, Dhaka

Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, daughter of former Malaysian Premier Dr Mahathir bin Mohammad, on Thursday called on President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban here.

Praising Marina's contribution to development of woman and children, the President apprised her of the government's different programmes targeting women and children, including free- education for girls up to class 12.

He said the country has achieved enormous success in bringing gender parity in primary schools.

Prof Iajuddin also said the micro credit programme, run by different non-government organisations including Grameen Bank of noble laureate Prof. Mohammad Yunus helped many poor women to become self-reliant.

Marina Mahathir expressed her deep gratitude to the President for giving her the opportunity to meet him. She appreciated the government and people of Bangladesh for providing warm hospitality during her staying here.

Secretary of the President's Office Md Sirajul Islam, Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohammad Ruhul Amin and President's Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader and President of Bangladesh Centre for Development Journalism and Communication and editor of the daily Amader Somoy Nayeemul Islam Khan were present, among others.

Office timing during Ramzan

UNB, Dhaka

The government has fixed office timing for all government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions during the holy month of Ramzan.

According to a PID handout, office timing has been set at between 9am to 3:30pm from Sunday to Thursday.

Of the timing, 15 minutes (1:15 pm to 1:30pm) has been set as break for Johr prayers.

However, bank, post, telephone, railways, hospital, state-run industries, mills and factories and other institutions whose service considered essential would fix their office timing as per their own laws and system, it said.

Supreme Court would fix its timing and office timing of all courts under it.

Road accident kills 6 injures 20 in Sylhet

UNB, Sylhet

Six persons were killed and 20 others injured when a bus and a tempo fell into roadside ditch at 19-mile in Osmaninagar upazila on Sylhet-Dhaka highway yesterday.

Three of the deceased were identified as Shyamol Benarjee, 40, of Manikpur village in Sunamganj district, Bokul Miah, 35, of Sittas village in Netokona district and Mokhles Miah, 40, security guard of Uttara Kallyan Society in Dhaka. Identity of three others was not immediately available.

Locals said the fatal accident occurred at about 5:15pm when the bus from Dhaka and the three-wheeler in their bid to avert head on collusion fell on the roadside ditch. All the six died on the spot.

The injured were admitted to the hospital. Police seized the vehicles.

A report from Bogra says: A bus with bridal party plunged into roadside canal with about 70 people at Kitrania, 55km northeast of Bogra town at about 8pm yesterday.

Three bodies of the sunken bus were rescued till 9-30pm. About 25 passengers including the bride and bridegroom were reported missing. Others were rescued or swam to safety.

Survivors said the bridal party of some 70 people including women and children was returning with bride from Baithabhanga to adjacent Birsaralia village through Gabtali-Sailakandi road. As the driver lost control over the steering the bus plunged into Sukhdah canal at Kirtania.

The bus was lying about 6 feet down the water. SOS was sent to Rajshahi Fire Brigade for rescue team.

Police and locals were making frantic efforts to salvage the bus believing that the missing persons were stuck up inside the vehicle.