The New Nation - Internet Edition

Focus on banking sector : Savings Certificates nobody’s baby

Syful Islam

Commercial banks are allegedly discouraging the sale of savings certificates thus indirectly creating obstacles to the growth of government funds, informed sources said.

Violating the directives of the National Savings Directorate that issues the certificates the banks are asking the buyers about the source of fund that are to be used to buy the savings certificates.

Some banks are also discouraging potential buyers by asking them to invest in their different fixed deposit schemes, alluring them high profit rates, instead of buying the savings certificates. To discourage the buyers from taking saving certificates some banks have made the savings schemes available only to their account holders.

More than one third of the savings certificates are normally sold by the commercial banks followed by the branches of National Savings Bureau. So far the post office has maintained the top position among them who are selling the saving instrument.

Director of National Savings Saifuddin Ahmad Majumder said there is no instruction from his office to note the source of fund of the buyers of the certificates. The banks should not ask the buyers the sources of fund or create any obstacles, he said.

A high official of Bangladesh Bank said the creation of such obstacles to the sale of savings certificates or the creation of other funds is violation of central bank directives. This should be handled with utmost care, he said.

The Dilkusha corporate branch of Trust Bank Ltd has made the Know Your Client (KYC) form mandatory for the probable buyers of savings certificates. This has approval of neither the National Savings Directorate nor the Bangladesh Bank, sources said.

"Yes, it is mandatory for the savings certificates buyers. Recently I received a directive from the head office of the bank and I am following the order," said branch manager Monwar Hosen. The manager said that people were buying the savings instruments from his branch.

An official of the City Bank Motijheel branch said they sell savings certificates only to the existing account holders. "We do not sell certificates to people other than the account holders. This is rule of Bangladesh Bank," one Mr Rozario of the branch claimed.

Zakiullah Siddiquee, Principal Officer, Motijheel main branch of National Credit and Commerce Bank Ltd encouraged this correspondent to invest in their different deposit scheme instead of buying savings certificates.

"At present we have no form to sale savings certificates. It will be better for you to invest in our deposit schemes having interest rates ranging from 8 to 12 per cent," Siddiquee said.

One Mr Mamun of Motijheel branch of Mutual Trust Bank said, "We do not sale three-years savings certificates. We only sale five-years savings instruments depending on prior approval of the higher authority," he said.

The Director of the National Savings said the commercial banks have no right to create any such obstacles to the sale of savings certificates.

"They can't ask clients neither to fill up KYC form nor ask them to disclose sources of fund. They have no right to impose new rules on savings certificates," the director said admitting fall in the sale of the savings instruments in 2007 for various reasons.

Majumder said imposition of 10 per cent tax on more than Tk 1.5 lakh profits from savings certificates has hampered the growth of sale while tax-free investment in share market has deepened it.

"We will be taking actions against the banks which are creating obstacles to the sale of savings certificates if any client informs us in writing," he said.

Four arrested for hacking RAB website

Four youths were arrested from the city's Mirpur
area yesterday for their alleged involvement in hacking of
the RAB website. Towhidul Islam, Jayedul Hossain, Shahi
Mirza and Syed Mohammad Ishtiaq are now being questioned.
FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

One of the main RAB website hackers, Shahee Mirza, said that nobody should use his acquired computer skills in such criminal activities like hacking of important Government or private websites.

He told this correspondent at the RAB Headquarters yesterday when asked to explain the motive behind the website intrusion.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a midnight raid at a mess in the city's Mirpur area detained four suspects, Shahee Mirza, Md Istiaque, Zahidul Hossain and Towhidul Islam, for their involvement in the recent hacking of its website.

Unknown saboteurs hacked into the RAB website (www.rab.gov.bd) Friday night and created serious doubts among the people about the venerability of Government's classified information at the hands of few foolish experts.

"Hackers are no criminals, but they happen to be at least ten times better than your (RAB) experts. You guys can't even perceive how meritorious we are," Mirza posted on the page on Friday.

Director General of RAB Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, said when the Government was implementing E-governance and E-commence some miscreants tried to destroy it. The elite force is well equipped to deal with any possible cyber crime. He said at a press briefing at RAB Headquarters yesterday.

RAB media wing Director Abul Kalam Azad told the New Nation that they picked up four persons from a Mirpur residence Saturday night. The arrested claimed they were second-year students of a private institution.

Shahee, 'leader' of the arrested youths, confessed to their hacking other sites belonging to different organisations as well.

He also owned the name and e-mail address he had posted after hacking the RAB site.

As people entered the website of the elite security force Friday night, they found the words 'Hacked by Shahee Mirza' posted there.

The hacker alleged that the Government had not taken adequate measures to develop IT sector in the country, though it had passed laws to prevent cyber crimes.

Hacker Shahee claimed in the message he left on the site: "You don't know what cyber security is and you don't know how to protect it yourselves either."

He boasted of hacking at least 22 other sensitive websites till date.

He said, "I did not create any software but used hacker CD to destroy the websites, he claimed.

RAB MIS wing chief Moyeen told the New Nation that a case, the first of its kind, was filed against these amateur hackers.

BNP boycotts talks with EC: Political parties seek JS polls without delay

BNP Office Secretary Rezvi Ahmed handing over a
letter of the party's Secretary General Khandker Delwar
Hossain on boycott of the dialogue with the Election
Commission to an EC official on Sunday. FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the major political parties in the country, yesterday did not join the third round of dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) alleging that a number of electoral laws have been enacted by keeping them out.

The other political parties-Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu), which participated in the dialogue separately demanded general elections first and not to waste time on upazila polls.

They also demanded not to register the parties, which were against the country's liberation war.

The BNP sent a letter to the EC explaining the reasons not to join the dialogue scheduled for yesterday.

The letter, signed by BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain, argued that such talks would not be fruitful keeping newly framed "unconstitutional laws and rules" in force.

It said the BNP was ready to join any discussion to achieve the objective of restoration of democracy through a free and fair election with the participation of all political parties.

A 6-member delegation led by BNP Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed carried the letter to the Commission and handed it over at about 10:00am. The BNP was scheduled to sit for dialogue with the Commission at 2:00pm yesterday but it has decided at the last minute not to join the talks.

The BNP letter said the EC's "unwarranted, immoral and partisan" attitude over the leadership of BNP has disappointed the people and such attitude has also put the neutrality of the EC into question.

It mentioned that the Commission had several rounds of talks with many parties but they did not discuss with BNP, particularly in framing the Voters List Ordinance 2007, the Voters List Rules 2008, the Representation of People's Order Ordinance 2008 and the Representation of People's Rules 2008.

The letter said since BNP could not give its opinion about these laws and regulations, these laws and regulations did not reflect the opinion of the majority of the people.

Secretary General of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB), Maj (Retd) Abdul Mannan, who led the party delegation told reporters that they do want upazila and there was no scope for delaying the national elections centring the upazila polls.

Favouring the party registration to bring back discipline in the election process, he said his party would be able to apply for registration within the timeframe given by the Commission.

The BDB leader called upon the authorities concerned to ensure a fair and credible general polls free from the tyranny of black money and terrorists.

Replying to a question, he said the state of emergency should not be a bar to holding the elections; rather emergency could be in force to ensure fair election.

The BDB delegation included Mahi B Chowdhury, Abdur Rouf Mannan, Shah Ahmed Badal, Shariful Islam, Abdul Aziz Akand and Mainuddin Chowdhury.

CPB General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, who led the party delegation, told reporters that there was no scope for delaying the national polls.

He said the war criminals and religion-based political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami should be declared illegal and denied registration with the Commission.

Selim said the election expenditure should be limited to Tk 3-5 lakh. The candidates can contest the election within this amount if they abide by the election code of conduct.

The CPB delegation included Md Shah Alam, Dr Dibalok Singh, Mahbub Alam, Sajjad Zahir Chandon and Adv Inun Nahar Lipi.

JSD president Hasanul Haque Inu who led the party's five-member delegation, said a specific date for holding the general election should be declared as early as possible.

He said his party is morally ready to be registered but urged the commission to amend or put off some sections and sub-sections of the registration rules.

Inu said the EC not to register the parties, which were against the country's liberation war.

Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda indicated that the Commission would not finish the consultation process without holding meeting with the BNP.

"We'll wait for the BNP. The dialogue isn't going to draw to a close without their participation," he said.

Talking to reporters, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain admitted that the Commission had received the regret letter of the BNP.

He said the Commission would reply soon in a bid to woo them to the talks.

Govt alone can’t control price hike: Adviser

Staff Reporter

Admitting the big price gap between the retail and wholesale markets the Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday said the government alone could not arrest the price hike unless all other concerned people extend their cooperation to contain it.

"Apart from the responsibility of the government, others have also a role to help bring price situation under control," he said.

He blamed some dishonest businessmen for deliberately raising the prices that created a wide gap of price between the wholesale and retail markets.

"The prices of rice, lentils, wheat, flour and onions are on the downtrend trend while those of sugar and ginger have increased a little bit," he told the media after a meeting which took place to review the market situation in the holy month of Ramzan at the Commerce Ministry.

Top officials of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and the Food Directorate among others, were attended the meeting. The Adviser said the prices of all other items are stable and there is apprehension of danger further price hike if the flood does not prolong. He hoped that floodwaters would recede within a couple of days and the situation would be getting better.

He said that the price of rice was falling and queues of the common people in front of the open-market sale (OMS) shops are no larger as has witnessed in the past.

He informed that OMS shops in many places could not sell all the allocated quantity of rice and 30-40 percent of the allocated remained unsold.

Replying to a question the Commerce Adviser said the government is now contemplating suspending OMS operation in North Bengal.

He told the media that that the Food Directorate has 11.87 lakh tonnes of rice at its stock at present.

"High prices of some products in the neighbouring countries have an impact on the local markets. India has produced 16 lakh tonnes of additional rice this year that has created a positive impact on the local markets," he mentioned.

He said the government would disburse Tk 20 crore every day for poor people from September 15 under which a 100-day programme for which Tk 200 crore has been earmarked.

A total of 20 lakh people will be benefitted from the programme taken for the lean period when scarcity of work prevails.

He said the government is now faced with the challenge of helping the poor and keeping the market stable.

GATCO, Niko cases: Bail petition for Khaleda submitted

Staff Reporter

Lawyers of detained former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday submitted bail petitions to the Vacation Bench of the High Court seeking her bail in Niko and GATCO corruption cases.

Khaleda's lawyer Barrister Rafique-ul-Huq submitted the petitions to the HC Bench comprising Justice Mirza Hossain Haider and Justice Mamnun Rahman. Lawyers said the High Court would hear both the petitions for bail for Begum Zia in GATCO and Niko cases tomorrow.

The BNP Chairperson, who has been implicated in four corruption cases, has already secured bail in two cases-Zia Orphanage Trust and Barapukuria Coalmine.

According to lawyers, the release of Begum Zia depends on securing bail in the two remaining cases.

If she is grated bail in GATCO and Niko cases, there will be no barrier to her release from detention, a lawyer observed.

The GATCO case was filed on September 2 last year and the Niko case on May 5.

Talking to reporters, Barrister Rafique-ul-Huq said appeals have been submitted to the High Court for the bail of Begum Zia.

"Both the petitions will come up for hearing on Tuesday as Number one agenda," he said.

The lawyer said the High Court on July 14 stayed the proceedings of the case. "Other accused have already got bail," he noted.

Another lawyer Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokan said the bail appeal in Niko graft case was launched earlier.

He said the hearing on the petition would also take place in the same bench tomorrow.

Earlier, Khaleda's another lawyer Nasiruddin Ahmed Ashim told reporters that they hoped that Begum Zia would get bails in the two cases since the other accused persons in the cases have been granted bail.

The charge sheet of GATCO case accused persons by misusing power gave work of operating Chittagong Port and Kamalapur Container Depot to Global Agro Trade Company (GATCO) while the Niko case alleged that the agreement with the Canadian company on exploration of oil and gas made the state count about Tk 13,777 crore in losses.

Begum Zia and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko were arrested on September 3 last year. Koko is now undergoing treatment in Thailand on parole.

It has already been reported that the BNP Chairperson refused to be released on parole or on the basis of executive order, rather she wanted freedom through legal process.

Adviser for Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman on Thursday told reporters that the former prime minister would get released if she gets bail in the two cases.

He also said the government would not oppose her bail petitions.

AL under fire for attending Iftar party with Jamaat

Workers Party leaders led by its President Rashed
Khan Menon holding a meeting with Awami League leaders at
the Gulshan residence of the party's acting President Zillur
Rahman on Sunday. Focus Bangla

Staff Reporter

The leaders of 14 party alliance yesterday expressed their dissatisfaction over the attendance of some Awami League (AL) leaders at an Iftar party sponsored by the Saudi ambassador along with Jamaat-e-Islami man who played controversial role in the liberation war of Bangladesh.

They also criticised this saying that it was a violation of promise.

The leaders of the Workers party Bangladesh (WPB), Ganatantri Party and Samyabadi Dal (ML) were talking to reporters after holding separate meetings with the AL leaders at the Gulshan residnece party's Acting President Zillur Rahman.

The meetings were arranged ahead of third round dialogue of AL with the Election Commission (EC) on September 9, as the 14 party alliance wants to place common demands on some vital issues like parliamentary polls, upazila elections and release of Sheikh Hasina.

WPB president Rashed Khan Menon suggested boycotting the war criminals both socially and politically.

Menon said, "We do not want to create any contradictory situation, which may raise questions among the people. The war criminals should be boycotted socially and politically."

he further said, "We never want to underestimate religious sentiment, But we want to say that the war criminals must be boycotted in every sphere," he added.

Asked about the results of the meeting with the AL, he said, "We have reached in consensus on some issues such as announcement of schedule for the parliamentary polls immediately, lifting of the state of emergency completely, holding national election ahead of any other pollsand banning war criminals from contesting the elections."

He noted that the government was trying to maintain the present 'controlled situation' in the country. AL and WPB had discussed how the country could get rid of this political deadlock, he informed.

Nurul Islam, president of Ganatantri Party, told reporters that the party had agreed with the AL on a number of issues, which include placing main emphasis on the national elections.

"We will not participate in any other elections ahead of the national election and we will resist any move to foil the national elections," he said.

Terming AL's participation at the iftar party with Jamaat leaders an unexpected occurrence, he said: "AL has breached the alliance's decision on Jamaat-e-Islami."

Samyabadi Dal general secretary Dilip Barua said, "We have reached an agreement that the 14-party alliance will not join any programme with war criminals, even diplomatic ones."

Acting AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said, " AL will always stick to its previous stand on the war criminals. We want that the war criminals should be brought under trial and banned from contesting the elections."

In the face of repeated query from the reporters, Ashraful Islam said AL did not violate any agreement of the 14-party alliance by attending the iftar party with the Jamaat. It was a minor matter, he opined.

The policy makers of AL faced a lot of questions after they attended in the iftar party of the Saudi ambassador on Friday along with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders.

AL presidium member Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Begum Matia Chowdhury were also present in the meeting.

Meanwhile, acting AL president Zillur Rahman expressed doubt on holding of the parliamentary election by December as per roadmap announced by the EC.

"Still we are confused whether the parliamentary elections will be held in time or not. The government and the EC are responsible for creating confusion among the political parties and the people about the general polls," he said.

He made the remarks when a delegation of Bhairab Students Welfare Association in Dhaka came to meet the veteran politician at his residence.

Today AL will sit with other allies including National Awami Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Gono Azadi League.

Tarique applies for UK visa

Staff Reporter

BNP Secretary General Khandker Delwar Hossain yesterday upheld the decision of BNP not to join the Election Commission (EC) dialogue, scheduled for yesterday.

He told reporters after meeting recently released BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital.

Replying to a question, the BNP Secretary General held the EC and authorities concerned responsible for disrupting the polls, not the BNP.

"We are prepared to take part in the dialogue and the elections if a congenial atmosphere is created," he said.

Meanwhile, lawyers of Tarique Rahman yesterday applied for a UK visa for him.

"Process of the visa application has started; we hope to let you know about it in the afternoon," said Tarique's lawyer Ahmed Azam Khan.

According to him, Tarique's wife Zobaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman have also applied for UK visas.

The lawyer said they could also apply for US and Germany visas for Tarique.

Tarique Rahman was released on bail on September 3 and remains under treatment at the BSMMU Hospital. He might be sent to UK or Germany for treatment.

Tarique's physician Dr Kazi Mazharul Islam Dolon, who is also a member of the medical board formed for Tarique Rahman, told reporters that his back pain had worsened yesterday.

He requests the visitors to stay away from meeting Tarique as he has been advised to take complete bed rest until his departure for treatment abroad.

Threat of closure looms: No security for garment units in sight

Staff Reporter

The police was yet to take any concrete action for the security of the garment factories at Savar and Gazipur regions despite the threat of closure of the units by the owners, if adequate security was not provided by the law enforcing agencies.

The garment factory owners 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 came under attack and increasing number of police stations in Gazipur district.

BGMEA president Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez termed the development serious and said, "I have taken the contents of the memorandum seriously and called an emergency board meeting."

Earlier, some people posing as workers engaged in terrorist acts in a number of garment factories.

Police sources said they were waiting for orders from higher officials to provide security to the garment factories.

Worn out cars affect patrol duty : DMP motor workshop in pitiable state

Mamunur Rashid

A large number of motor vehicles of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) remain out of order as its motor workshop suffers from logistic support and is beset with bureaucratic problems.

Sources said if they need to replace parts of the DMP vehicles, they have to wait for a long time, as they have to call tenders for supply of the spare parts. Such processing needs more than six months or more.

Sometimes tenders bidders are unable to supply the spares parts of vehicles, which are at least 15 to 32 years old.

DMP Motor Transport (MT) Department sources said that they were going to call tenders to procure new spare parts for the vehicles. If they bring new parts most of the out of order vehicles will be road worthy, source added. In the DMP there are 180 technician policemen but none of them have sufficient knowledge of doing motor maintenance works. In the workshop there is one inspector of police and one sub inspector.

Source said most of the police technicians at the workshop received training but they have not become technicians.

Most of the police drivers do not bring their vehicles to the workshop when minor repair and maintenance work should suffice, and ultimately discard those when they go out of order.

The DMP has a pool of 614 vehicles. Of them, 69 are fully damaged for the last five years.

As many as 545 dilapidated DMP vehicles are running on the roads with some 50 to 60 vehicles visiting the DMP workshop daily. Most of the vehicles reportedly cannot be maintained due to lack of logistic support.

There are about 1,050 Chinese motorbikes run by patrol duty policemen but most of the bikes are not properly maintained. The police do not change lubricants in due time and as a result engines of most of the bikes get damaged.

Every day the police motor workshop maintains at least 25 vehicles as against some 50 vehicles brought to the workshop.

Sudip Kumar Chakrabarty Assistant Commissioner (AC) of the Motor Transport (AC-MT) Department told the New Nation that DMP has taken initiatives to properly run the workshop.