The New Nation - Internet Edition

Garment owners threaten factory closure: Violence feared, security demanded

Staff Reporter

Readymade Garment factory owners in Gazipur yesterday threatened factory closure unless the government ensures security of their establishments by September 25.

Owners of nearly 100 RMG units from the area met BGMEA president Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez yesterday noon and gave the deadline in a memorandum handed to their leader. About 810 readymade garment units are located in Gazipur area where nearly 10-lakh labourers are working.

"In recent times, incidents of attack, ransacking and arson in the garments factories in Gazipur have been rampant. The planned ransacking of the factories costs us nearly Tk 800 crore," Rashid Ahmed Hossainy of Nexus Group told newsmen.

"Some people posing as workers are behind these terrorist acts. All of us, factory workers, executives, owners are feeling insecure," said Hossainy, who is a signatory of the Saturday memorandum.

He said that they had requested the government time and again for security but got no feedback. The Gazipur owners also handed over a "token key" to the BGMEA president as an expression of their plan to put all their factories under lock and key.

The garment factory owners also placed 8 point demands that includes stoppage of attack and ransacking, creating appropriate environment for keeping factories open, arrest of the attackers and their godfathers, ensure top level security to the investment and investors, providing soft loan to the factory owners whose establishments were under attack and increasing number of police station in Gazipur district. BGMEA president Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez said it was a serious development. "I have taken the contents of the memorandum seriously and called an emergency board meeting.

The BGMEA president said the decisions of the board meeting would be "conveyed to the appropriate government authority on an emergency basis".

The desperate garment owners had earlier met in a club in Dhaka to decide their course of action.

More areas in central region inundated

A woman takes shelter with her children on the roof
of a make-shift house as the flood water entered into her
house. This photograph was taken from Anulia area of
Shibaloy Upazila under Manikganj district yesterday.
BanglarChokh

Staff Reporter

With rivers still swelling, more areas in northern and central region including low-lying areas of Dhaka and Rajshahi cities were inundated yesterday. Experts are apprehending more floods in next 24-48 hours, causing displacement and misery of tens of thousands of people.

Officials in the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) said the major rivers in the country were above danger levels and nearly 20 out of 64 districts were flooded.

Countrywide, rivers rose at 30 points, decreased at 39 points and were flowing over danger levels at 24 points yesterday compared to Friday, according to the FFWC.

Crops were destroyed, enclosures washed away and people rendered homeless as the flood protection embankments were collapsed at several points.

Hundreds of thousands of marooned flood victims are facing acute shortages of food and drinking water, as relief efforts were not sufficient, our correspondents report from the districts. Floodwater entered into localities through the unprotected eastern front of the capital, the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reports.

Quoting FFWC the new agency said the flood situation in Dhaka's Dohar and Nawabganj as also in some other parts of the country could deteriorate slightly or remain static over the next 24 to 48 hours.

"Thereafter, hopefully, the flood situation will start improving," says the latest FFWC forecast.

In Rajshahi, the flood situation worsened due to continuous rise of water level in the Padma River that receives the water flow from the Ganges across the border and flows down Chapainawabganj district and Rajshahi city.

So far, 19 people have been reported killed in snake-bite, boat capsize and various water-borne diseases, including diarrhoea.

Around 50 villages in Poba, Charghat, Bagha, Godagari and Mohanpur upazilas and low-lying areas of the city went under floodwater, leaving thousands of people virtually marooned.

Superintending Engineer of the Water Development Board Abdul Mannan said, "The flood situation may deteriorate further."

In Jamalpur, 40 unions out of 68 in seven upazilas were inundated, leaving thousands of people marooned.

The swelling Jamuna was flowing 19cm above the danger level at Bahadurabad point.

District Health Department sources said 166 people had been affected with various water-borne diseases, including diarrhea, in the last 24 hours. Seventy-seven medial teams have been working in the district, one of the worst hit in this year's flooding.

District Relief and Rehabilitation sources said 34 mts of rice have so far been distributed in the flood-and erosion-affected areas and Tk 25,000 in cash was distributed in Islampur and Dewanganj upazila each.

Agriculture Adviser Dr C S Karim visited Chukaibari union of Dewanganj upazila and Kulkandi union of Islampur upazila yesterday.

The overall flood situation in Sadar, Sreebordi and Nakla upazilas of Sherpur district worsened further as the rain-fed rivers continued to swell yesterday.

Erosion by the river Brahmaputra has taken a serious turn in Char Pakshimari and Kamarer Char unions in Sadar upazila.

The river devoured 31 dwelling houses in Jangaldi and Dakaterghop areas of Char Pakshimari union in last two days.

Twenty primary schools in the flood-hit areas have been closed.

According to local agricultural office, transplant aman paddy on 9,825 hectares in the three upazilas went under floodwaters.

In Madaripur, many low-lying areas were flooded anew today in the wake of rise of water level in Arial Khan and Padma rivers.

The Arial Khan was flowing 51 cm above the danger level while the Padma above 82cm.

Around 3 lakh people have been marooned in the district as 70% kutcha roads in 58 unions were submerged.

In Sirajganj, the overall flood situation in the district deteriorated further as the Jamuna continued to swell, inundating a number of fresh areas in five upazilas and char areas along the mighty river.

The Jamuna was flowing 57 cm above the danger level.

Problems of DMP-1: Most vehicles limp

A ramshackle DMP jeep on street duty.

Mamunur Rashid

A little less than half the motor vehicles of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) are either out of order or unworthy of plying on the road, let alone serving the purpose of efficiently preventing burgeoning crime in the city.

At least 40 per cent of the vehicles are 15 to 20 years old. The past governments failed miserably to solve the transport problem of the city police, according to DMP sources.

The sources said, in the city of about 1.5 crore people there are only 23,000 police personnel with only 614 transports, out of them, 40 per cent are out of order.

The DMP has 33 police stations and a pool of 614 vehicles. Of them, 69 are fully damaged for the last five years. As many as 545 dilapidated vehicles are running on the road with some 50 to 60 vehicles visiting the DMP workshop off and on. There are about 1,050 Chinese motorbikes for police patrol duty in the city.

The prison vans of Dhaka Central Jail are at least 32 years old. Transportation of prisoners in these rickety vans to and from the court to the jail and sometimes from one jail to another has always been a nightmarish job for the prison officials.

The DMP source said they need at least another 2,000 vehicles to effectively check crime in a city where criminality has recently increased considerably.

DMP authority has completed proposal papers and sent to the Police Headquarters to immediately import 1200 new vehicles. The HQ will send the proposal to the Table of Organiser and Equipments (TO&E) at the Establishment Ministry for its approval.

As the past governments have not taken any initiative to added new vehicles to ease the transportation problem of the city police forces since independence, the city police continued to requisition private vehicles on a daily basis.

Around 200 vehicles are requisitioned by the DMP every day. The number is often increased due to political situations and the government's special needs, the sources added.

According to the existing laws on requisitioning, a vehicle can be requisitioned for the highest seven days against everyday payment of Tk 500 to its owner and Tk 50 each to its driver and helper as meal allowance.

Most of the DMP vehicles are Mitsubishi L-200 model, Nissan patrol, Isuzu pick up, Kaya pickup and Chinese motorbikes.

Only recently three new Jeeps and four pickup vans were added to the DMP motor pool.

In the midst of this shortage of vehicles 129 transports have been given to the 33 police stations and 41 to Detective Branch of Police. The highest allocation of 7 vehicles has been made for Ramna Police Station and the lowest of 2 to Dakkhin Khan Police Station. But most of the vehicles are in a very bad condition.

The DMP has a motor workshop but without logistics support it cannot function smoothly.

Sudip Kumar Chakrabarty Assistant Commissioner (AC) of the Motor Transport (AC-MT) Department told the New Nation that DMP would overcome their transport problem very soon. Now, the DMP authority is taking strong initiatives to solve the Police transport problem in the city.

Zardari elected Pak President

Asif Ali Zardari

BBC Online

Asif Ali Zardari says his win was a victory for democracy Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has won a sweeping victory in Pakistans presidential election. The election was called after Pervez Musharraf resigned rather than risk being impeached.

Zardari faces severe economic problems and a rampant Islamist insurgency that are threatening Pakistans stability. During the voting a bomb killed at least 15 people near Peshawar city.

The president is elected by secret ballots in the national and four provincial assemblies.

Zardari won 481 votes out of 702, far more than the 352 votes that would have guaranteed him victory, leaving his two rivals trailing far behind.

In Sindh province, Mr Zardari won all 65 votes. In North West Frontier Province (NWFP) he got 56 out of the 65 votes. In Balochistan province he won 59 of the 65 votes.

By contrast he only won 22 out of 65 seats in Punjab province, the heartland of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs PML-N party.

The two daughters of Zardari and Ms Bhutto hugged friends in delight in the gallery of the national assembly as the results became clear. Members of Zardaris Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) declared the result to be a victory for democracy.

Zardari was thrust into the centre of political power by the killing of Ms Bhutto last December after which he became head of the PPP.

The BBCs Barbara Plett in Islamabad says that in recent months Zardari has shown skill by forging a large coalition and using it to peacefully unseat President Musharraf.

Zardari is one of Pakistans most controversial politicians.

For years he has been hounded by allegations of massive corruption - although he has never been convicted.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took his PML-N party out of the governing coalition last week, accusing Zardari of breaking key promises. Many in Pakistan fear the country is facing a return to an old-style politics of confrontation at a time when urgent action is needed to improve the economy and deal with a raging Islamist insurgency.

Zardari is seen as pro-Western and supportive of Washingtons self-declared war on terror.

He will have to juggle the demands of the United States, Pakistans powerful army, and strong anti-American sentiment in the country.

Our correspondent says Musharraf tried to do that and failed. She adds that Pakistanis hope that Asif Zardari will have more success, but they see little in his past to encourage them.

The fortunes of the Bhutto-Zardari family have fluctuated dramatically.

Zardari spent years in prison while Gen Musharraf ruled Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto was assassinated at an election rally in December. Her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was hanged during the military dictatorship of President Ziaul Haq.

A further reminder of the dangers of public life in Pakistan came on Wednesday when gunmen attacked the motorcade of the prime minister. Two bullets hit his car, although he was not in it at the time officials say.

The other candidates for the presidency were Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui, a former judge who had the backing of Sharif, and Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who was nominated by the PML-Q party that supported Musharraf.

In the Islamabad parliament, members of the upper house, the Senate, were due to vote first, followed by the lower house.

Pakistans four provincial assemblies of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and the NWFP had a similar schedule.

However, voting in the NWFP capital, Peshawar, was delayed when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit the area and neighbouring Afghanistan, prompting deputies to flee the assembly building.

The provincial assemblies are given equal weighting with 65 votes each. In the three assemblies which do not have 65 deputies, the value of each deputys vote is adjusted by a mathematical formula.

There is only one round of voting and whoever has most of the 702 votes wins.

Pre-election scenario: Heavyweights out

Hasanuzzaman Khan

The Government in an apparent shift of its policy towards the corruption suspects are not contesting their release on bail. In an appeal against bail order of Tarique Rahman Anti Corruption Commission counsel Anisul Huq did not appear before the appellate court. In the last fortnight a number of heavyweight politicians detained on corruption charges have walked to freedom after being bailed out by the higher judiciary.

Some of them are Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Mohammad Nasim, Obaidul Kader, Rafiqul Islam, Abdul Jalil and Salman Rahman. They are all tipped to contest the upcoming polls from their respective parties.

In the crusade against corruption about 200 politicians were taken into custody. Of them 60 politicians were convicted in trial in the special makeshift courts located at the high security Sher-e-Bangla Nagar complex.

Thirty-five of the convicts filed appeals in the higher court, the disposal of which were not expected before December. According to the judgment of the Appellate Division in Ershad's case a person cannot be treated as guilty unless the entire process of law in the case is exhausted.

Awami League acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam was subjected to threat and intimidation from different quarters after he opened his big gun targeting Tarique Rahman as 'champion of the corrupts'.

Ashraful in a press conference at his NAM flat immediately after Tarique's release from BSMMU prison cell said, no corruption suspect should be detained any longer after the 'champion of the corrupts' was set free.

A section of Awami League leaders including its Publicity

Secretary Asaduzzaman Noor came to rescue of Ashraful by issuing a statement in which they said they were ready to give adequate answer.

A number of fugitive ministers of the last government including Abdullah Al-Noman and Wahidul Alam have been bailed out by the higher courts. Morshed Khan and Syed Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury have also contacted their representatives in Dhaka now to get judicial remedy to return to the country.

All the persons in question are competent to participate in the upcoming polls. The convicts who have filed appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court are Sigma Huda, Amanullah Aman, Mir Nasiruddin, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Barrister Nazmul Huda, Mohammad Nasim, Lutfuzzaman Babar, Morshed Khan and Mosaddek Ali Falu.

Awami League leaders in their apparent departure from past policy have joined an Iftar with Jamaat-e-Islami hosted by Saudi Ambassador in Dhaka. Earlier their long-drawn stance was to boycott any function which is attended by the anti-liberation forces including Jamaat leaders. Their leader Amir Hossain Amu said, their stance not to attend any function attended by Jamaat was wrong. AL leader Ashraful moving one step forward said, have we to abstain from prayer in the mosque if Jamaat man was found attending it.

Political analysts found the analogy in line with the election strategy pursued by the big political parties.

Prof Muzaffar Ahmed, the TIB Chairman, who was so long a crusader against corruption, said, the Government seems to have been tempted toward holding election as election in our country could not be considered to have been meaningful unless it is participated by the big parties.

The Government is doing everything possible to make big parties participate in the polls even at the cost of anything.

Dr. Kamal Hossain, a lawyer of international repute, said, the Government has deviated from its position to fight corruption. Most of the corruption suspects are in the beeline in the jail to be enlarged on bail.

In view of the developments, that have taken so far, political analysts are of the firm view that the government has shifted diametrically and opted for an election with the participation of the two major parties with a view to making a smooth exit for itself.

In the backdrop of the actions taken, words expressed and exchanged, over the last few days by the two big parties political analysts are of the view that they have hardly changed from their former positions which had made the 1/11 incident inevitable.

"Now it is for us to wait and see how things move in the coming days". opined analysts.

Lefts doubt AL: Schism haunts 14-party alliance

Pulack Ghatack

Left leaning allies may isolate Awami League (AL) and form different platforms before the ensuing general election, as they have no faith on the centre-right party, which is the main force in the 14-party alliance.

An in-depth study reveals that most of the components of the 14-party alliance are mulling over alternative ways to run in the upcoming electoral race solely on the ground of faithlessness on AL.

They apprehend that AL will include Jatiya Party (JP) and some other "communal" parties and revive the mega alliance (Mahajote) bypassing them.

But, most of the centre-left components of 14-party alliance have strong objections to the inclusion of JP and other anti-secular forces in the platform.

In informal talks a series of leftist leaders were at one to say, "AL wants us to remain with it in the election without sharing parliamentary seats. But, AL is sure not to depend on us for wining in the election and it will move for a greater alliance with Jatiya Pary of former military dictator HM Ershad and some other communal forces. So, it is right for us to think of other alternatives, as we can't accept the inclusions."

But their formal comment to The New Nation was almost the same: "Still, we value the importance of unity of the 14-party alliance to fight corrupt, communal and anti-liberation political forces."

"The 14-party alliance is strong enough to defeat the Jamaat-BNP alliance. We succeeded in foiling the ill motive of Jamaat-BNP to stage a farcical election," said Azizul Islam Khan, one of the senior most leaders in the left bloc, who is acting as Adviser of Ganotantry Party.

"Corruption and tricks of BNP-Jamaat is now exposed. So people will back us, if AL sticks to its commitment to materialising 33-point declaration of the 14-party alliance," said Dilip Barua, President of Sammobadi Dal.

Notably, all the politicians said, "If AL remains true to its commitment," sounding their shaky faith on the biggest party in their alliance.

But still they are hesitant in their move to split, as the leftists in the 14-party find it their pious duty to resist, what they say, "corrupt, communal and anti-liberation forces."

A few of the left leaders are aspirant to bag AL's nomination in the upcoming poll who are being criticised by their fellow men for acting as "sycophants" to the biggest ally.

Some small parties may also drift away further due to strong feud among leaders and activists over sticking to or leaving the alliance.

To avoid a further rift in the party, central committee of Gonatantry Party recently took a formal resolution against any kind of alliance with the JP.

Workers' Party President Rashed Khan Menon and Sammobadi Dal president Dilip Barua earlier said categorically they would leave the alliance immediately, if JP intrudes into it.

The leaders are trying to re-enforce the unity of 11-party alliance which extended into 14-party alliance with inclusion of AL, JSD and NAP.

However, Bangladeshers Samajtantrik Dal (BSD-Khaleq) formally leave the platform while Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) started to abstain from participating in the 11-party programmes in protest against the move to extend the coalition with AL.

These parties are active to float "purely left-minded" platforms as they think that "the bipolar politics led by the bourgeois" to the root of all the problems of the nation.

However, there are some 30 parties of socialist and communist ideologies in Bangladesh who did not join the 14-party alliance earlier, and are criticising the former for forging nexus with local collaborators of imperialist forces.

Leaders and activists of these parties, who have separate fronts, are trying to break the 14-pary alliance by exercising moral pressure on them from outside.

The parties may take a move to consolidate all the left leaning political parties into a single front, or they may split into two alliances: one left political front and another left-democratic and secular political front.

Negotiations to this end is advancing diffidently as AL is yet to clear its position regarding expansion of the coalition and forging greater unity with JP, LDP and BDB.

AL is going slow over the issue and is expected to remove the curtain from its backstage moves at the fag end so that the leftists do not get the opportunity to consolidate themselves.

According to AL insiders, the leftists can add meagrely enough votes for an electoral coalition but their supports help us consolidate an ideological base and enhance the credibility and acceptability to a wide range of intellectuals.

In voting politics, the largest party is very much technical and wants to enlarge the coalition by forging ties with some sort of Islamists parties and also with JP of former military dictator Ershad who enjoys emotional supports in Rangpur area.

Before the last general election, secular AL took a U-turn into an inexplicable marriage of expediency signed up with Khelafat-e-Majlish, the ultra orthodox Islamist group led by Shaikul Hadith Allama Azizul Haq.

General Secretary of NAP Advocate Enamul Huq, Co-ordinator of Left Front Abu Hamid Shahabuddin, Secretary of CPB Ruhin Hossain Prince and a host of leftist leaders and workers said that AL has lost credibility by forging unity with some controversial parties without any prior negotiation with its allies.

Corrupt individuals agree to return Tk 10cr to state coffer

Staff Reporter

Some 25 corrupt individuals have agreed to pay more than Tk 10 crore to the national exchequer in return for clemency by the Truth and Accountability Commission (TAC), informed sources said.

These 25 corrupts have been heard by the TAC during the first four days of the hearing and have been asked to deposit over Tk 10 crore to the state coffer.

Sources said these people would be given seven to 15 days of time to deposit the money before they are issued with certificates granting clemency by the TAC.

The TAC is also scheduled to hear today some 15 clemency seekers, the highest number on one day since the beginning of the hearing on Monday last.

These 15 individuals include employees and officials from Titas Gas and sub-registrars.

The three-member Commission, headed by Justice Habibur Rahman Khan, has so far heard the pleas of 25 individuals, including one businessman. The others are government officials of different departments.

The TAC heard the pleas of seven individuals on the opening day (Monday) of hearing, four on Tuesday and six on Wednesday and eight on Thursday.

The TAC has so far received applications from 199 corrupt individuals seeking clemency in return for their ill-gotten wealth. Apart from two businessmen, other clemency seekers are government officials and employees and some of their wives.

Not a single politician has so far applied to TAC seeking clemency.

Iftar party has nothing to do with politics, says Ashraful

Staff Reporter

Awami League (AL) Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said that the Iftar party the Awami league leaders had attended on Friday at the invitation of the Saudi ambassador and in which jamaat leaders also attended beyond their knowledge , was simply a religious party and that it has nothing to do with politics.

When asked AL took a decision to boycott any programme in which the Jamaat-e- Islam will attend, Ashraful said, "AL never does politics on the basis of religion and we will never join in any political programme with Jamaat."

He was speaking to reporters after coming out from a meeting with the retired army officers ,eight of whom formally joined Awami League. The meeting took place at the Gulshan residence of party's acting president Zillur Rahman.

He urged all not to mix religion with politics.

Clarifying his stand, Ashraful said Muslims irrespective of their political opinions come to mosque to say their prayers. Will it be fair and just from religious point of view to leave the mosque if jamaat men join the prayer in the mosque ?, he asked.

Asked if his party leaders will attend the future religious programmes

at the invitation of embassies of the Muslim countries in which jamaat leaders might attend, he said " let the invitation come first and we will think

what to do".

The AL boycotted the celebrations on the country's victory day and Independence Day in the previous year at Bangabhaban, protesting the invitation to Jamaat-e-Islami men who played a controversial role in the war of independence, he noted.

Welcoming the ex-army officials in the party, Ashraful said we will work

together for the good of the country and welfare of the people.

AL presidium member Amir Hossain Amu said: "We cannot avoid any diplomatic invitation as we are involved in politics.

In this connection, he reminded that when Sheikh was prime Ministry of the country she attended a party of the Pakistan High Commission here.

The officers who joined AL are majors (rtd) Khandaker Abdul Hafiz, Hossain Ahmed Khan and Taifuddin Khan, captain (rtd) Shahed Ullah Chishti, retired air force squadron leader Masrur-ul-Haque, major Yusuf Hossain, captain Nowsher Ali, Anwarul Islam.

Hasan Mahmud, special assistant of Sheikh Hasina, former army chief KM Shafiullah and former navy chief Rear Admiral Nurul Islam, among others were also present.

AL will start formal negotiation with its 14 party allies from today. the party will sit with Bangladesh Workers party and Gonotronti Party today.

GATCO, Niko cases: Khaleda asks lawyers to begin procedures to secure bail

UNB, Dhaka

Detained former premiere Khaleda Zia asked her lawyers yesterdayto start legal procedures to secure bail in GATCO and Niko graft cases, lawyers said. After visiting Khaleda at the makeshift jail, her lawyer barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon told UNB that the BNP chairperson asked them to start the legal procedure for bail and it might take two to three days to complete the whole process.

Two lawyers, including Khokon, visited Khaleda at the sub jail on the Sangsad Bhaban premises to discuss bail issues and sought her permission to move the petitions.

Khaleda's counsels on Friday said that they would move to the High Court with petitions for bail.

Another counsel barrister Rafiqul Islam Mian after visiting Tarique at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) yesterday said that all documents were in their hands to file bail petitions today with a vacation bench of the High Court.

Last week, Khaleda secured interim bail in two other cases --- Zia orphangage trust embezzlement and Barapukuria coalmine scams.

Khaleda along with his younger son Arafat Rahman Koko was arrested on September 3 last year in connection with GATCO scam case. She has been behind bars since then pending trial.

All the cases have remained stalled following High Court orders on quashing petitions.

Koko is now free and receiving medical treatment abroad.

Khokon said Khaleda inquired about her elder son Tarique who is now being treated at the BSMMU when they met with her yesterday.

Quoting Khaleda, Khokon said that Tarique's medical treatment would be ensured abroad in line with the advices of the doctors.

Tarique was released from jail on Wednesday but doctors advised him to continue to stay at the hospital, as he has long been suffering from various complications.

He is likely to travel to London soon for better medical treatment.

JP’s U-turn, JS polls first demanded

Staff Reporter

The third round of dialogue between the Election Commission (EC) and political parties kicked off yesterday with the demands for holding of the stalled general elections before the upazila polls and declaring a specific date for the parliamentary elections.

The parties also demanded for relaxing the conditions for party registration with extension of the timeframe and withhold the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies before the general polls.

On the first day, a total of four political parties took part in the dialogue separately. The parties are-Jatiya Party (Ershad), Worker Party of Bangladesh, Ganotantrik Party and Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (ML).

The Commission piloted the third round of dialogue aiming at smoothing the differences brewing over the schedule of upazila and national polls and registration of political parties in accordance with new electoral laws.

The EC side comprised Chief Election Commission Dr ATM Shamsul Huda, Election Commissioners-Muhammad Sohul Hossain and Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain and EC secretary Muhammad Humayun Kabir.

During the dialogue, Jatiya Party, which earlier demanded for upazila polls first, did a U-turn saying that they have no objection if the parliamentary elections are held before the upazila polls.

Emerging from the dialogue Jatiya Party Chairman and former HM Ershad told reporters that his party earlier had demanded holding of the upazila polls before general election apprehending that the local-body polls might not be held after general elections.

He, however, said that his party would abide by the decision of the Commission, in case the upazila election is held after the parliamentary polls.

"I have created upazilas and the people of the country accepted those very well. The Jatiya Party is ready to participate in the upazila elections whenever they are held," he said.

Regarding party registration, the JP Chairman, who for the first time personally met the Commission, said his party has no difference of opinion with the EC on registration of political parties but time is required to amend the party constitution.

Ershad did not participate directly in the first and second rounds though other JP leaders attended.

The JP delegation included Quzi Zafar Ahmed, ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud and GM Qader.

Rashed Khan Menon, President of Workers Party of Bangladesh, which was the first party to sit with the EC yesterday, told reporters that his party demanded holding of the upazila elections after the parliamentary polls.

He said specific dates for both the national and upazila polls can be declared simultaneously but the general polls should be held first.

The WP President said they discussed the matters of party registration, the revised Representation of People Order (RPO) and election atmosphere.

"We've told the commission to allow party front organisations of teachers and students for the time being," Menon said.

He demanded of the government for lifting the state of emergency immediately for holding a free and fair election.

Replying to a question, Menon said the CEC assured them that the Commission would take its decisions in consultation with parties."

The WP delegation also includes Bimol Biswas, Haider Akbar Khan Rono, Fazley Hossain Badsha and Anisur Rahman Millik.

Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (ML) demanded declaration of a specific date for the general election and extending the timeframe for party registration.

Dilip Barua, president of the party and leader of the delegation told reporters that his party urged the Commission to make some conditions flexible for the registration.

"We have asked the Commission to maintain the extension for six months after national elections to fulfil the conditions of the registration," he said.

Ganotantrik Party president Nurul Islam told reporters that his party extended supported to the party registration since it is necessary for transparency and accountability.

He, however, opined that emergency should be withdrawn in the context of the present situation.

Nurul Islam urged the Commission to put on hold the delimitation of the parliamentary constituencies following the High Court order of stay.

According to the schedule, the Commission will sit with BNP, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal today.

A total of 16 political parties are participating in the current phase of dialogue.

It may be mentioned that the general polls are scheduled to be held in the third week of December and the Commission is planning to hold the long-overdue upazila elections first, along with election to Dhaka City Corporation, tentatively in-between October 23 and 30.

'World-class physiotherapy college to be set up soon’

BSS, Dhaka

A world-class physiotherapy college will be set up in the country soon to create physiotherapists to meet the increased demand for physiotherapy treatment, said a senior Health and Family Welfare Ministry official said yesterday.

Speaking at a roundtable on "Physiotherapy Education, Present Situation, Problems and Ways to Overcome", organised by Health Reporters Forum, Bangladesh (HRFB) at Jatiya Press Club Joint Secretary Anwar Hossain Munshi said that the government would set up the college at a suitable place after evaluation of various factors later this month last.

Chaired by HERB president and senior reporter of the daily Jugantar Moniruzzaman Uzzal, Director of Health Education and Human Resource Development of the Ministry Prof Dr Shefayet Ullah spoke as special guest.

Coordinator of Gano Shasthya Kendra Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury, General secretary of Bangladesh Physiotherapy Society Md Quamruzzaman, People's University of Bangladesh Lecturer Pradip Kumar Saha, Bangladesh Physiotherapy Students Union (BPSU) convener Russel and Dr Zakir Uddin of Bangladesh Institute of Health Sciences (BIHS) Hospital, among others, spoke.

Experts told the roundtable that 12 per cent people of the country are disabled, of whom 46 per cent are physically disabled needing physiotherapy as the key treatment.

Besides, obstetric patients need physiotherapy as do who sustain sports injury as well as surgery patients, before and after operations.

Bangladesh has only 500 registered physiotherapists compared to 15,000 in neighbouring India, they said.

Anwar Hossain said the government had been trying to ensure quality healthcare services to all through partnership of public and private sectors.

Under the plan, he said, it planned to incorporate physiotherapy course in each public and private medical institutions.

Dr Shefayet said the government was planning to set up separate physiotherapy department to facilitate career planning in the modern physiotherapy.

He said that Taka 2 crore had already been allocated towards that end.

Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury described physiotherapy as an integral part of healthcare service, that would benefit the aged.