The New Nation - Internet Edition

Cultural scenario of the city: Dramatist Mohidul remembered

Theatre group 'Byatikram' staged 'Fire Dekha' at the
Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
yesterday to mark the 6th death anniversary of Syed Mohidul
Islam. Photo: Sharif Khan

Staff Reporter

Yesterday was the 6th death anniversary of actor, dramatist and director Syed Mohidul Islam.

To mark the death anniversary of Syed Mohidul, theatre organisation 'Byatikram' staged a play titled 'Fire Dekha' at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy yesterday evening.

Syed Mohidul was the founder of the theatre organisation. The play 'Fire Dekha' was the last direction of Syed Mohidul Islam. Chandan Sen has scripted the play.

Abu Zahid Mollah, Sujat Shimul, Syed Nurunnabi Bachchu, Delwar and others performed in different characters in the play.

Meanwhile, the 7th art exhibition and competition commemorating artist Rashed was inaugurated at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Friday.

Shilpi Rashed Smriti Parishad and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) jointly organised the exhibition.

Eminent artist Mustafa Monwar inaugurated the show as chief guest, while Abu Sayeed Khan, Managing Editor of daily Shamokal, Kieron Crawley, Country Director of Concern Worldwide, Md Mizanur Rahman, Director of the Department of Fine Arts of BSA, Bidhan Roy, Convener of the Parishad, among others, were present on the occasion.

After the opening speech Artist Rashed Commemorative Awards were given to the winners of the competition.

Some 177 artworks of 142 artists are on display in the exhibition.

The exhibition will end on August 30. The gallery remains open from 11:00am to 7:00pm everyday except on Friday from 3:00pm to 7:00pm.

Meanwhile, Bhawaiya Angan Dhaka organised a 'Bhawaiya' night at the GPO Auditorium in the city Friday night to mark the 16th death anniversary of noted Bhawaiya artiste and music composer Md Kachhimuddin.

Director General of GPO Mobassher-ur-Rahman was present as chief guest, while Chairman of Continental Courier Service M Ruhul Amin Chishti, President of Rangpur Research Council, Senior Vice President of Gulshan Branch of Jamuna Bank Md Habibur Rahman, veteran Bhawaiya artiste and researcher Hafizur Rahman, among others, were present at the function. Chairman of Bhawaiya Angan Salma Mostafiz chaired the event.

After the inauguration, the artistes of the Bhawaiya Angan presented Bhawaiya songs.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will stage its theatre production 'Eksho Bosta Chal' (One Hundred Sacks of Rice) at the National Theatre Hall of the Academy today.

Russia to keep forces at key Georgian port: US, France call for withdrawal

BBC Online

Russia has defended plans to keep its forces in the key Georgian port of Poti, saying it does not break terms of a French-brokered ceasefire deal.

The US, France and UK say Russia has already failed to comply by creating buffer zones around the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russia's Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn said combat troops had now left Georgia and only peacekeepers remained.

Georgia accuses Moscow of creating an economic stranglehold on the country.

Georgian forces are reported to have taken control of the main east-west highway and residents are said to be returning to their homes in the town of Gori, the largest town close to the border with South Ossetia.

On Saturday, about 1,000 Georgians held a demonstration just outside Poti against the Russian continued presence, the Associated Press reports. There are also reports of protesters marching on Russian positions outside Gori.

Gen Nogovitsyn, who said Russia was not the Soviet Union or the Evil Empire, accused Georgia of preparing acts of sabotage in South Ossetia and preparing troops for "further actions".

He also warned that should the US start rearming the Georgian army, Russia might enlarge its peacekeeping force.

Moscow intends to maintain what it describes as a peacekeeping presence of 2,600 troops in "buffer zones" around Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

No more use of force Stop all military actions for good Free access to humanitarian aid Georgian troops return to their places of permanent deployment Russian troops to return to pre-conflict positions International talks about security in South Ossetia and Abkhazia

Russia insists it is allowed these zones under previous peacekeeping agreements that ended fighting in Abkhazia and South Ossetia when they first broke away from Tbilisi in the 1990s. The zones include sections of the main highway from the capital Tbilisi to the Black Sea as well as Georgia's main airbase at Senaki.

Gen Nogovitsyn admitted that Poti, 32km (20 miles) south of Abkhazia, was outside this zone.

The general accused Nato of increasing tensions by massing forces in the Black Sea. He said the arrival of Spanish, German, US and Polish ships in the Black Sea "did not contribute to the settlement of the situation".

Nato says it is holding long-planned exercises in the area, which were not linked to the conflict in Georgia.

Black hole star mystery 'solved’

Black hole star mystery 'solved'

Agency

Astronomers have shed light on how stars can form around a massive black hole, defying conventional wisdom.

Scientists have long wondered how stars develop in such extreme conditions.

Molecular clouds - the normal birth places of stars - would be ripped apart by the immense gravity, a team explains in Science magazine.

But the researchers say stars can form from elliptical discs - the relics of giant gas clouds torn apart by encounters with black holes.

They made the discovery after developing computer simulations of giant gas clouds being sucked into black holes like water spiralling down a plughole.

"These simulations show that young stars can form in the neighbourhood of supermassive black holes as long as there is a reasonable supply of massive clouds of gas from further out in the galaxy," said co-author Ian Bonnell from St Andrews University, UK.

Their findings are in accordance with actual observations in our Milky Way galaxy that indicate the presence of a massive black hole, surrounded by huge stars with eccentric orbits.

The simulations, performed on a supercomputer - and taking over a year of computing time - followed the evolution of two separate giant gas clouds up to 100,000 times the mass of the Sun, as they fell towards the supermassive black hole.

The simulations show how the clouds are pulled apart by the immense gravitational pull of the black hole.

The disrupted clouds form into spiral patterns as they orbit the black hole; the spiral patterns remove motion energy from gas that passes close to the black hole and transfers it to gas that passes further out.

This allows part of the cloud to be captured by the black hole while the rest escapes.

In these conditions, only high mass stars are able to form and these stars inherit the eccentric orbits from the elliptical disc.

These results match the two primary properties of the young stars in the centre of our galaxy: their high mass and their eccentric orbits around the supermassive black hole.

"That the stars currently present around the galaxy's supermassive black hole have relatively short lifetimes of [about] 10 million years, which suggests that this process is likely to be repetitive," Professor Bonnell explained.

"Such a steady supply of stars into the vicinity of the black hole, and a diet of gas directly accreted by the black hole, may help us understand the origin of supermassive black holes in our and other galaxies in the Universe."

4-party vows to make human chain a success

Staff Reporter

BNP-led four-party alliance's leaders yesterday urged its activists and leaders to make the alliance's pre-announced programme of August 27 human chain a success.

The alliance made this call at a meeting at the city office of Jamaat-e Islami at noon with party city Ameer Rafiqul Islam Khan in the chair.

The human chain will be formed demanding the release of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and overseas medical treatment for her eldest son Tarique Rahman.

The alliance leaders also demanded of the Caretaker Government to withdraw the state of emergency immediately, hold the general election first and keep the prices of essentials within the reach of the common people.

The meeting was participated by BNP leaders Habib-un-Nabi Sohel and Kazi Asad, BJP city unit president Tayebur Rahman, Islami Okyajote city unit president Moulana Abul Kasem, Khelafat Majlish city unit president Moulana Noman Mazhari, Jamaat city unit assistant secretaries Nurul Islam Bulbul and Moulana Abdul Halim, among others.

They discussed on the plan to make the human chain programme a grand success, said a press release signed by Nurul Islam Bulbul.

Cops to be armed with 9mm handguns

Chittagong Correspondent

The Government is learnt to have decided to arm cops by sophisticated 9mm handguns.

Informed sources said that the 9mm handguns had earlier been permissible only for the police bigwigs and the military officials.

The Smith and Wesson Company is reportedly trying hard to get the arms supply deal. It could not be known immediately about the size of the lot and the status of the deal.

Cops in the post independence time had been using the Lee Enfield Mark series (1-5) .303 and Lee Enfield Calcutta (7.62X51mm) rifles.

The police force was armed with Chinese SKS (7.62X39mm) semiautomatic and new generation AK-47 assault rifles during the BNP-Jamaat regime couple of years ago.

Sources hinted that cops at the level of Assistant Sub-Inspector and above would get the handgun for individual protection and encountering the culprits if the procurement is made.

Official vendor of the chosen brand of handguns already visited the top security officials in Dhaka. Feature and utility demonstration of the popular handguns was also done.

From the Foreign Press: Run, Thaksin, run: Thailand’s deposed prime minister jumps bail. But political turmoil may persist

Given the avalanche of corruption cases tumbling on Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Potjaman, it caused some surprise in Thailand when the Supreme Court let them leave the country to attend the opening of the Olympics in Beijing. Right up until the early evening on August 10th, the deposed prime minister's spokesman was insisting that the couple would return that day to Bangkok, to appear in court the next morning. However, they flew instead to London, where they had spent a period in exile following the 2006 military coup.

In a handwritten note faxed to Thai television stations, Mr Thaksin admitted that "I am not a perfect man" but claimed the cases against him were a plot by his political foes, who he said were interfering in the judiciary. He said he hoped to return to Thailand some day but made it sound like that would not be soon. The court was shocked-shocked!-that its defendants had skipped bail, and issued arrest warrants. But its decision to let the couple go to Beijing prompted speculation that they had been given the nod to flee into exile, in the hope of ending Thailand's three-year political stand-off.

The speculation inspired a sharp recovery in Bangkok's stockmarket, which had slumped on fears of all-out violence between supporters and opponents of Mr Thaksin. These fears had intensified in late July when Thaksin fans armed with clubs and axes attacked a demonstration by his opponents in the north-eastern city of Udon Thani, injuring around a dozen.

Hopes for calm may be dashed. The main anti-Thaksin street movement, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said its protests would continue until they brought down the government, a coalition led by Mr Thaksin's allies and headed in his absence by Samak Sundaravej, a ferocious right-winger (whose strings Mr Thaksin is pulling above). Mr Thaksin is still popular among poorer, rural voters. But the urban, elite PAD might be emboldened to press on with its ideas for a "new politics". What this means in fact, is a return to old, pre-democracy politics with a mostly unelected parliament and powers for the army to intervene when it feels like it.

Perhaps a bigger question than what Mr Thaksin's opponents will do next is what his supporters will do. Those who backed him in repeated elections remain grateful to the first Thai prime minister to give them some tangible benefits, such as cheap health care and village development funds. This has, so far, inclined them to excuse the strong whiff of corruption, and other abuses of power, around his government. Before the 2006 coup his supporters staged huge demonstrations to counter those of his opponents. If these now resume, there is a risk of violence.

Mr Samak will try to soldier on in government, although his People's Power Party faces being dissolved for electoral malpractice, as was its predecessor, Thai Rak Thai. The mostly anti-Thaksin Bangkok press is talking up rumoured splits in the ruling coalition. But it has consistently underestimated the Thaksinites' sticking power so far. Mr Samak seems to be trying to build bridges to the royalist and military establishment, making friends with General Anupong Paochinda, the army chief, and appointing Tej Bunnag, one of the king's advisers, as foreign minister. But Mr Samak's plans to rewrite the Constitution, drawn up last year by a military-appointed panel, may cause fresh splits.

Indeed, it is still not clear what is the root cause of Thailand's political conflict. Some academics suggest that it is essentially about the royalist establishment's alarm that Mr Thaksin was building a base of public support to rival that of King Bhumibol. They may fear what will happen when the 80-year-old king's reign ends. The PAD dresses itself in royal yellow and says it is saving Thailand from Mr Thaksin's "republicanism". Such matters cannot be discussed openly in Thailand because of its draconian lèse-majesté laws, which are often abused to sling mud at opponents.

The Thai courts will probably go through the motions of trying to bring Mr Thaksin back to face justice. He may persuade the British courts not to extradite him, arguing he would be denied a fair trial. Of course, the Thai prosecutors and courts could prove him wrong: they could now pursue the various allegations against anti-Thaksin generals, bureaucrats and politicians with the same vigour as they are applying the law to Mr Thaksin.

-The Economist

6 killed in road accidents

Staff Reporter

At least six people were killed and 11 others injured in separate road accidents in Pabna and Barisal districts yesterday.

A speeding bus rammed into a motorcycle killing its riders Yunus Ali Biswas, 55, and his son Polash Biswas, 22, on the spot at Tetultala on Pabna- Ishwardy highway at about 12 noon yesterday.

In an another incident, two persons were crushed under the wheels of a bus at Pushpara on Pabna- Nagarbari highway.

The deceased were identified as Muzahar Pramanik, 75, and his grandson Mizanur Rahman, 8.

Locals said, the accident took place when Mizanur was crossing the road holding the hand of his blind grandfather at about 10 am yesterday.

Two pedestrians were killed on the spot and 11 others injured when a passenger bus ploughed through the roadside shops near Payadarhut School in the Barisal city at about 7.30 yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Halim Chowdhury, 70 and Ripon Sardar , 26. The injured were admitted to Sher-e- Bangla Medical College Hospital.

Policy to develop low-cost houses urged

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar in the city yesterday called for a suitable policy to develop low cost houses to meet the growing demand.

They also urged the government to consult real estate developers for framing any ordinance or rule governing the housing sector.

Prof Anwar Hossain, Pro Vice Chancellor of American International University was the chief guest at the seminar organised by the Gharbari, a housing magazine at the National Press Club. Editor of the Nayadiganta Alamgir Mohiuddin was in the chair.

Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) President Tanvirul Hoque Probal was the main speaker while Md Abdul Quiyum, Chairman of National Housing Authority and Kamal Uddin, Senior Vice President of FBCCI were special guests.

Tanvirul Hoque Probal said the annual demand for houses in the metropolises was one lakh, but their availability was much lower than the demand.

Against the backdrop, the framing of any law to restrict the activities of real estate developers could only negate affect in the sector.

They complained that the real estate developers were yet to get support from the government in the form of tax and duty reductions to reduce the price of flats constructed by them.

The pressure on the city of Dhaka would come down if the government ensures tax holiday for constructions of houses in the metropolises.

Md Abdul Quiyum, Chairman of National Housing Authority called for the development of the tranships around the city by

developing the transport network for development of liner along the Dhaka Chittagong driveway to reduce the pressure in the city.

He called for changing design of building to bring down their cost to make houses affordable for people of the limited income groups.

FR Khan, Managing Director of the SF developers Limited, said rigorous laws would make businessmen to withdraw from the housing sector and concentrate on the other business. The government would lose revenue of Tk 2,000 crore or more a year as a result, he noted.

The seminar was also addressed by Ershad Majumder, chief editor of Gharbari, Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Editor of the New Nation, Shahidullah of SD Properties and Mr Mohsin, treasurer of REHAB, among others.

AL for JS polls in mid-Oct on Nov

Staff reporter

Awami League Acting President Zillur Rahman yesterday the urged the Caretaker Government to hold the national election in mid October or first week of November.

He was addressing the party leaders and activists at a discussion meeting organised by Jubo Mahila League at 32, Dhanmondi in front of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum to mark the fourth anniversary of August 21 grenade attack on the AL rally in 22004.

Calling on the Government to hold the national election ahead of any other election Zullur said, the key responsibility of the caretaker government is to hold the national election for handing over power to a democratic government. But the Government is doing other less-important jobs keeping the main job aside, he noted.

AL presidium Member Amir Hossain Amu reiterated his demand to hold the ninth parliamentary election in October.The government could announce the date of the upazila polls, but that must have to take place after the general elections, he stressed.

Amu said, "We want Jatiya Sangsad elections first in October and not in December".

AL Presidium Member Suranjit Sen Gupta asked the government to take punitive action against the CID officials who tried to divert the motive of the grenade attack under the influence of the BNP-Jamaat government.

He said that the corrupt CID officials tried to save the rogues by staging the "Joj Mia and partha" dramas. It is clear that the immediate past BNP-Jamaat Government was directly involved in the brutal attack, he maintained.

AL Presidium Member Begum Matia Chowdhury, Advocate Rahmat Ali, member of AL advisory committte and a number of leaders also spoke at the meeting, which was chaired by Nazma Akthar, president of Jubo Mahila League.

Inu demands withdrawal of emergency

Staff Reporter

Hasanul Haque Inu, president of Bangladesh Samajtrantic Dal (JSD) yesterday demanded immediate withdrawal of emergency aiming at creating a congenial atmosphere of holding a free, fair and credible national election to establish sustainable democracy in the country.

Inu placed the demand while addressing the leaders and activists at a central representatives meeting of the party at the Institution of Engineers in the capital.

He said, "the government has failed to face the challenges of the country such as rising of militancy, spiral of price of daily essentials, intensifying of fuel crisis etc. So the government should hand over power to an elected government."

He also criticised the government saying that they had lost their credibility to the people of the country, as they were not transparent in their activities.

Mhainuddin Khan Badal, president of working committee, Syed Jafar Sajjad, Sharif Nurul Ambbani also spoke in the meeting.

Symposium on climate change begins tomorrow

DU Correspondent

A six-day international symposium on 'Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia' begins at the city's Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel tomorrow (Monday).

President Iajuddin Ahmed is expected to inaugurate the symposium as the chief guest at 10:30 am. Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed will attend the closing session of the function as the chief guest at the same venue on August 30.

The President of Iceland Olafur Ragnar Grimson is expected to participate in one session at Joydebpur on August 27.

About 70 foreign and 200 local experts mainly from the Dhaka University and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) are expected to take part in the symposium.

Sessions of the symposium on August 26, 28 and 29 will be held at the Dhaka University senate building while the sessions on August 27 will be held at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) at Joydebpur in Gazipur.

Dhaka University (DU) and Ohio State University (OSU), USA are jointly organising the symposium in collaboration with World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

Director of Carbon Management and Sequestration Centre of OSU Ratan Lal, UNESCAP Director Siva Thampi, FAO Assistant Director General Changchui He and WMO Secretary General Michel Jarraud will address the opening session with DU Vice-Chancellor SMA Faiz in the chair.

A total of 65 research papers on climate change and food security in South Asia will be presented at the symposium to be held in nine sessions.

"Distinguished climate experts from 18 countries including Bangladesh, India, USA, France and Iceland will participate in the symposium, as climate change is now the hottest topic across the world", Faiz told reporters at a press conference in this connection at DU yesterday noon.

Tracing the background of the symposium he said this is a follow up of the President's visit to the United States as a keynote speaker, of an international lecture on global warming effects on sea level rise, at the Centenary Celebration of American Society of Agronomy and Ohio State University.

The University of Dhaka, University of Oxford, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Princeton University, Seoul National University, University of Tokyo, Yale University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bangkok University, University of British Columbia and University of Amsterdam are among the invitees to the colloquium.

Registration for participation in the symposium is available at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel with Tk 1,500 each from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm today (Sunday) and 8:30 am to 9:30 am tomorrow.

3,000 males of 3 Rajshahi villages flee home fearing police arrest

UNB, Rajshahi

About 3,000 male inhabitants of three villages in Durgapur upazila fled home fearing arrest by police following rioting clashes two rival groups over a football match.

The villagers went into hiding to avoid reprisals by police as some cops also came under assault amid the soccer violence spreading over the villages till Friday.

According to a report of Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), a friendly soccer match between Saibar village team and Choupukuria village team was held at Kathalbaria school playground in Durgapur on the afternoon of August 16.

Residents of Saibar and Choupukuria villages locked in clash over a decision of the referee during the match. Later, the feuding villagers attacked each other, forcing the police to swing into action.

Quoting villagers, the BIHR report said, "Police beat up people, including women and children, and vandalised many houses at Saibar village.

"The law-enforcers entered houses by breaking open doors and hurled abuses at the villagers."

On Saturday, it was found that the shopkeepers of Saibar village who have their shops at Kathalbaria village did not open their shops fearing "harassment" by police.

Local people told BIHR representatives that prayers at mosques at Saibar, Nauda Saibar and east Saibar villages remained suspended since the night of August 18 as villagers deserted homes. Even Juma prayer on Friday was not held at those mosques.

Villagers said the male ones, who have deserted their houses, have still been on the run since the night of August 18 and devotees could not attend prayers for fear.

Residents of Saibar alleged that police did not accept case when they went to file case against "police harassment" and attack by Kathalbaria villagers.

Quoting duty officer of Durgapur thana Muklesur Rahman, the BIHR report said three policemen were injured in an attack by people of Saibar village as the law-enforcers went to the village on August 18 to calm the trouble.

The police official denied police involvement in torture of women and children and ransacking of houses.

He said SI Abdul Gani filed a case with thana against unspecified number of Saibar villagers in connection with the "attack on policemen".

The police official said Ramzan Ali of Kathalbaria village filed another case against many villagers of Saibar village.

Comment of the district Police Super could not be taken about the issue, as he was busy otherwise.