The New Nation - Internet Edition

Selim-al-Deen’s birth anniversary observed

Students of the Drama and Dramatics Department of
Jahangirnagar University rendering song marking the 59th
birth anniversary of playwright Selim-Al-Deen on Monday.
Banglar Chokh

JU correspondent

The 59th birth anniversary of famous playwright Prof Selim-Al-Deen was observed at Jahangirnagar University (JU) yesterday amidst much enthusiasm.

The University Authorities chalked out elaborate programmes including colourful procession, laying wreaths at the grave of the late Professor and holding discussion meetings.

The department of Drama and Dramatics of JU also organised similar programmes recalling the immense contribution of late Selim-al- Deen to Bangla drama after Rabindranath Tagore.

Prof Selim was the founder Chairman of the Drama and Dramatics department.

At dawn, students of the department brought out a procession that paraded the whole campus and laid wreaths at his Mazar.

Later, the University authorities organised a discussion meeting and reminiscence ceremony at the central auditorium of the University The JU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Moniruzzaman addressed the function as chief guest while JU treasurer Prof Abdul Hie, Prof Atiqur Rahman, Shazedul Awal, and S M Mohsin addressed the function, among others. Prof Moniruzzman said that Prof Selim-Al-Deen was pioneer to Bangla Drama in the post-Rabindra era. "His contribution to the Bangla Drama will be recalled all over the country for centuries," he added.

Kamran released on parole to attend mother’s funeral

Mayor Kamran breaks into tears in front of his
mother's dead body yesterday in Sylhet after he was allowed
to attend her funeral on parole. His mother Nurunessa Khanum
died on Sunday. Banglar Chokh

UNB, Sylhet

Detained Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran was released on parole yesterday morning to attend the funeral of his mother, who died Sunday.

After he was set free from Sylhet Central Jail at about 10:15 am for six hours, Kamran went to his Chhararpar residence in the city.

He will be taken back to the jail at about 4pm, as the burial of his mother was already done.

Earlier on Sunday night, Kamran, who was overwhelmingly voted in for a second term at the Aug 4 polls that he contested from under detention, was shifted into Sylhet Jail from Comilla Central Jail for the paroling. Kamran's mother, Nurunnesa Lalan, was buried in Manik Pir ® graveyard after Zohr prayers today.

Call for building trade capacity to utlise WTO opportunities

Staff Reporter

Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday emphasised the need for building trade capacity to utilise the opportunity that came out in the recent World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks.

"Negotiations at WTO and other fronts are critical, but what we do at home is even more important," he told a dialogue on the outcome of recent WTO talks at the CIRDAP auditorium.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised the dialogue titled 'Collapse of Recent WTO Talks and Bangladesh: Experience and Options' with its chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan in the chair.

Economists, researchers, academics, bureaucrats, trade experts and the members of Bangladesh delegation to the recent WTO mini-ministerial took part in the discussion. Bangladesh Ambassador to UN missions and WTO in Geneva Dr Debapriya Bhattachachariya presented a keynote paper at the dialogue.

The speakers at the dialogue expressed satisfaction over the progress made in favour of Bangladesh during the talks and stressed the need for preparing the country for future talks as they expect the activities of Doha Round to resume in September this year.

Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman called upon the policymakers to spot the opportunities out of the WTO talks and advance those opportunities through building partnerships within the country among the government, private sector, think-tank bodies and individual trade experts.

He also emphasised on building partnerships with neighbouring countries and other trading partners in the WTO to derive maximum benefit out of it.

"We have to remain alert about the opportunities," he said, adding that

Pakistan and Sri Lanka tapped better market access in the Hong Kong

Ministerial than the LDCs.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya suggested locking-in the progress so far made in the Doha Round like NAMA text on duty-free and quota-free market access and recognition of Bangladesh as disproportionately affected country (DAC).

He also emphasised on enhanced preparation for the issues on the table like tariff lines for DAC, rules of origin and Mode-4 request list while engaging in other outstanding issues of anti-dumping rules and extension of geographical indication under TRIPS.

Commerce secretary Feroz Ahmed called for exploring all options --bilateral, regional or multilateral trade negotiation and said Bangladesh has to optimise the trade potentials.

Iftekhar to visit Kuwait next week

BSS, Dhaka

Foreign Adviser Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, who is also in charge of the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment, will visit Kuwait between 23 and 25 August, it was announced here on Monday.

Speaking to the media the adviser said: "I am looking forward to this opportunity to discuss with the Kuwait leadership issues pertaining to our migrant workers. In many ways this will be a significant visit."

During the trip, the adviser is expected to meet Kuwaiti government ministers and leaders of the Bangladesh expatriate community.

Zia Orphanage case: Bail prayer for Khaleda rejected

Court Correspondent

A Court of Dhaka yesterday rejected the bail petition submitted on behalf of former prime minister detained Khaleda Zia in the case filed for mis-appropriation of over Taka 2 crore 10 lakh forming an alleged fake organisation entitled Zia Orphanage Trust.

Md Azizul Haque, Senior Special Judge and Metropolitan Sessions Judge of Dhaka passed the order after hearing Khaleda Zia's Councels led by Advocates Md Sanaullah Mia and Masud Ahmed Talukder.

About 70 Advocates including Md Faridul Islam, Emdadul Islam Panir, Joynal Abedin Mesbah, Selim Khan assisted Jatiyatabadi Lawyers' Forum leaders.

On July 3, this year, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Ramna Thana against the former premier Khaleda Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman and 5 others.

Other accuseds are: former BNP MP Qazi Saleemul Huq Kamal, Sayed Ahmed alias Sayeed Ahmed, Gias Uddin Ahmed, Sharfuddin Ahmed and Mominur Rahman, son of Khaleda Zia's sister. Of them Sharfuddin is in jail custody, while others are on the run.

While filing the case ACC, Deputy Assistant Director Harunur Rashid accused the former premier Khaleda Zia and others of embezzling money through an organisation which exists only on paper.

Public- private initiatives to contain price hike in Ramzan

Talha Bin Habib

Some state run organisations and business bodies have taken measures to keep the prices of essentials stable during the upcoming holy month of Ramzan.

They will open shops in the capital and other district towns to sell rice, soybean oil, gram, lentils, onion and other essential items to the consumers at affordable prices.

The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), Ansar, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and other private business organisations would sell those commodities during the month.

The Additional Commerce Secretary Golam Mostakim yesterday told the media after an inter-ministerial meeting that the Commerce Ministry has asked TCB to import 3 thousand metric tonnes of lentils before the start of Ramzan.

He said that about 6,698 dealers would sell 243,016 tonnes of rice from tomorrow across the country at Tk 28 per kg. It will continue till October 29.

Replying to a question, he said the government has a stock of 12 lakh tonnes of food grains including 10,15,925 tonnes of rice and 1,58,000 tonnes of wheat in its godowns. About the stock of onion, he said domestic production of this year was 13,83,832 tonnes and another 3,75,189 tonnes have been imported.

He said that joint forces, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and BDR would monitor the markets during the month of Ramzan.

On the preparations for importing essentials during the month of Ramzan, a high official of TCB said it would set up fair price shops in the capital for the limited income group people from the first day of Ramzan.

TCB has signed a deal to import one lakh tonnes of onion from abroad. It would also import five hundred tonnes of gram , he said and added that the organisation is also going to float tenders shortly for importing more onion, lentils and edible oil.

About 12 trucks of TCB will sale onion, edible oil and chickpea in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna.

Meanwhile, the National Board of Revenue is considering import of dates with zero traffic through dealers, sources said.

To ease the price burden of the limited income group people, BDR has already started selling of rice under Open Market Sale (OMS) at Tk 28 per kg in the city.

BDR is also selling rice, edible oil and gram from its 210 shopping outlets in 32 districts. Nearly 100 shopping outlets are selling rice, edible oil and gram in the capital city.

It would also set up more shopping outlets in Dhaka city and other places of the country for providing necessary commodities to the consumers at rational price.

The FBCCI would set up shops in all district headquarters for selling rice, gram, onion, sugar and dates at subsidised rates. A director of FBCCI said the apex trade body would buy those commodities from internal sources with their own fund. They would also bear the rent of sales shops and transportation cost.

BKMEA would also set up three shops at Narayanganj and one each at Gazipur and Savar.

Jatrabari minor murder: 3 suspects, including victim’s uncle held

Staff Reporter

Police yesterday arrested three people involved in the slaying of a seven-year-old boy after abduction at South Jatrabari area in the city.

The victim, Mahbub Hasan, son of Shafiqul Islam of Shariatpur district. Mahbub used to live with his family at Deputy Goli (Lane) at 668, East Dhalpar in Jatrabari.

Police said the victim's paternal uncle Shawkat, 39, along with Parvez, 17, of the same locality and their other accomplices on August 14 kidnapped Mahbub from in front of his house over family feud.

They later killed the boy at midnight.

On the following evening, the abductors demanded Tk 2 lakh as ransom and threatened Awal in case of non-payment of the money over mobile phone.

On August 16, the victim's family made an agreement with the abductors to get their child back alive by paying Tk 50,000.

According to the deal, the family members did not inform police about the matter and gave the abductors Tk 15,000 instantly, said the victim's maternal uncle Nasir. Nasir said the abductors took them to different places in the city on the night of holy Shab-e-Barat but failed to produce Mahbub before them.

At one stage the abductors told Mahbub's family that they better go to South Jatrabari as local people found a body of a child there.

The family then took the matter to police who recovered the body of Mahbub from Kutubkhali area of South Jatrabari at about 10:00am. The body was sent to Mitford Hospital for autopsy.

Later, police failed to capture alleged mastermind Parvez but detained his accomplice Shawkat and Parvez's parents.

Mahbub's family alleged that Parveez had repeatedly been threatening them to withdraw the case.

Otherwise, they said, he threatened to kill the other members of the family.

A case was filed with Shyampur police station.

Rich tributes paid to Anwar Zahid

Staff Reporter

Rich tributes were paid to former minister and eminent journalist Anwar Zahid in separate condolence meetings held in the city yesterday.

Speakers prayed for his salvation and called for the publication of a book depicting his life and works.

The Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) jointly held a condolence meeting at the National Press Club while another condolence meeting was organised by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The journalists union meeting was addressed, among others, by former BFUJ president and Editor of the Dainik Khaborpatra Gias Kamal Chowdhury, former BFUJ president and Editor of The News Today Reazuddin Ahmed, former BFUJ secretary general Amanullah Kabir, former secretary general of BFUJ Syed Zafar, General Secretary of National Press Club Kamal Uddin Sabuj, BFUJ Secretary General Ruhul Amin Gazi, DUJ President Abdus Shahid, General Secretary Mohammad Baker Hossain and senior journalist Abdul Hye Shikder.

BFUJ President Mozammel Haque was in the chair.

The speakers made mention of the glorious role played by Anwar Zahid as a leader of the journalists' community to uphold the rights of journalists.

They also noted his exceptional qualities as a politician and said that he would be remembered for his contributions.

The meeting was concluded through a milad mahfil.

Jail Killing Case: HC begins delivering judgment

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court yesterday got down to delivering judgment on appeals along with death references in the 1975 Jail Killings Case, closing long-drawn legal arguments from both sides.

On November 3 in 1975, Syed Nazrul Islam, acting president of Bangladesh government in exile during the Liberation War, Tajuddin Ahmed, prime minister, M Mansur Ali, finance minister, and AHM Qamaruzzaman, minister of home affairs, relief and rehabilitation, were gunned down inside Dhaka Central Jail by a raiding cabal of army-men.

The killings, seen as a desperate bid of power usurpers, came amid a political vortex 79 days after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family on August 15, 1975.

A designated death-reference Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Nozrul Islam Chowdhury and Justice M Ataur Rahman Khan, began spelling out the judgment after 2pm yesterday.

Nearly four years before, on October 20, 2004, the trial court sentenced three rankers to death and awarded life imprisonment to 12 midlevel army officers for the bloodletting.

It had acquitted four politicians and an army officer in the long-awaited verdict of the historic Jail Killings Case.

The trial court awarded capital punishment to Resalder (retd) Muslemuddin, Dafadar (dismissed) Marfat Ali Shah and Dafadar (dismissed) Abul Hashem Mridha-all on the run for long.

Those who were awarded life imprisonment for abetting the assassins are Lt Col (dismissed) Syed Farook Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Maj (retd) Bazlul Huda, Lt Col (dismissed) Khondaker Abdur Rashid, Lt Col (relieved) Shariful Huq Dalim, Lt Col (retd) SHMB Noor Chowdhury, Maj (Retd) AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, Lt Col (retd) AM Rashed Chowdhury, Major (relieved) Ahmed Sharful Hossain, Capt (retd) Abdul Mazed, Captain (relieved) Kismat Hashem, and Captain (relieved) Nazmul Hossain Ansar.

Of the dozen lifers, Farook, Shahriar, Huda and AKM Mohiuddin are in jail, with death sentences also hanging over their heads for the murder of the country's founding father. The rest remained absconding.

The four were sentenced to death in the Bangabandhu Murder Case, following the scrapping of the Indemnity Ordinance by the Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina.

Those exonerated were three then BNP leaders-KM Obaidur Rahman (dead), Shah Moazzem Hossain and Nurul Islam Manzoor-Taheruddin Thakur and additional secretary of foreign ministry Maj (Retd) Khairuzzaman.

The infamous Indemnity Ordinance had blocked the investigation and trial of the killings for about 21 years until the law was scrapped during the 1996-2001 Awami League regime.

The belated trial was also delayed for repeated interventions by governments and judicial tangles.

Call to revise maize price

Staff Reporter

The maize growers called upon the government to revise maize price to save the farmers.

They demanded it at a press conference, held at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday. The Maize Association of Bangladesh (MAB) organised the press conference.

"We have invested Tk 16 for growing per kilogram of maize.

But, the government has fixed the maize price of Tk 13 per kilogram in the domestic market on August 6. It has incurred loss of Tk 3 per kilogram due to low maize price fixing," MAB Secretary General Md Mizanul Hoq said.

He added that the government also fixed the price of per kilogram of maize of Tk 42 for export, which is now selling at Tk 28 in the international market.

"The exporters of maize are now reluctant to export it due to high price fixing of maize from the international market," Mizan said.

"The maize growers exported 300 tonnes of maize in the year 2007-08 so far for the first time. They are reluctant to export the maize further as the government fails to revise the price immediately," he said.

"It is necessary to export maize after meeting the local demand.

AKM Azad, President of MAB called upon the government to provide agriculture loan to the maize growers.

Executive member of MAB Altaf Hossain, Member Ershad Hossain, among other, leaders were present in the press conference.

BDR, BSF DG- level talks in city today

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Border Security Force (BSF) of India are to hold Director General-level meeting today, with a set of agenda to resolve outstanding frontier issues and explore ways for intensified cooperation between the two paramilitary forces.

Officials said the killing of and gunfire on BDR personnel and unarmed Bangladeshi villagers by BSF and Indian nationals at the frontier would top the BDR agenda while the BSF was likely to stress on crimes committed by Bangladeshi miscreants on the other side of the border.

According to a BDR statement, the other issues to be raised include arrest, detention and abduction of Bangladeshis by the Indian border guards and nationals, border trespassing and intrusion by the BSF men and their nationals, cross-border drug smuggling to Bangladesh and Indian construction of defence infrastructures, roads, bunkers and military barbed wire fencing within 150 yards of the zero lines.

"We will also raise the issues of Bangladeshi criminals and gangsters who took refuge in Indian soil, the obstruction in development works near the border and several other security issues," a BDR spokesman said.

He said the BSF side was also likely to raise the issue of alleged illegal migration of Bangladeshis and trafficking of women and children to India, cross-border smuggling of Indian cattle, and counterfeiting of Indian currency in Bangladesh and repatriation of detained ULFA leader Paresh Barua to India.

The spokesman said both sides also had a list of proposals for strengthening cooperation and friendly relations between the frontier forces.

BDR's Director general Major General Shakil Ahmed would lead a 22-member delegation while his counterpart Ashish Kumar Mitra would lead a 19-member delegation in the meeting, which held twice in a year-one in Dhaka and other in New Delhi.

Both the delegations would comprise concerned Home, Foreign Ministry and Land Ministry officials and Joint River Commission (JRC) officials of Bangladesh, the BDR spokesman said.

Share market plunges on opening day

Staff Reporter

Sharply falling indices on the country's bourses marked the opening day of the week as transactions resumed after three successive holidays yesterday. The closing day of the last week was marked by rising indices.

The All Share Price Index (DSI) of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) shed 1.79 percent to close at 2254.68 points yesterday while the DSE General Index (DGEN) decreased by 2.09 percent to close at 2618.95 points.

The DSE-20 blue-chip index also slipped heavily by 133.56 points or 5.39 per cent to 2345.97.

Both volume and turnover at the bourses declined from the previous trading day as small investors are yet to participate largely in the trading, market analysts say.

"Some institutional and large scale investors went for buying, but the general investors are yet to wakeup from their holiday slumbers," a trader at the DSE told this correspondent.

Amidst a low trading at DSE, the total turnover dipped to Tk 1.86 billion from Thursday's Tk 2.34 billion. Of the traded 216 issues, 159 declined, 50 gained and seven remained unchanged as 12,538,939 shares changed hands.

A total of 129 issues were traded at Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) yesterday. Of them, 32 gained, 93 declined and 4 remained unchanged.

In Chittagong, the CSCX or selective categories index closed 0.73 per cent higher at 5340.92, while the CASPI or all-share price index finished at 8219.77 slipping by 0.655 per cent.

The CSE-30 also fell by 0.444 per cent to end on 7507.56.

Islami Bank topped the turnover board, rising 162.50 per cent to Tk 80.46 million at DSE.

Bashandhara director accused of land grabbing

Staff Reporter

Director of Basundhara Group Abu Sufian is accused of grabbing land worth Tk 25 crore in Dhanmondi.Heirs to the land, three siblings-- Syeda Sharmin (Oni), Syeda Shabnur (Prami) and Syeda Timran (Omi) yesterday claimed this at a press conference in the city.The price of the land was fixed at Tk 12 crore at the time of signing the deed of agreement. Besides, it was mentioned that Basundhara Group would give ten flats to the owners after building the apartment block.

Abu Sufian fixed booking money at Tk 40 lakh and agreed to pay the rest amount after registration, the victims claimed.

Instead of paying the money Abu Sufian made a fake deed and grabbed the land, the siblings alleged.

After filing of a case the court verdict went to their favour. Nevertheless, they could not get possession of the land as the musclemen of Abu Sufian gave them death threat, they accused.

The three girls pleaded to the government to take necessary steps to return their land and punish the fugitive Abu Sufian and his gang.