The New Nation - Internet Edition

P-3-13 M Phil degree awarded

Md. Moniruzzaman Shaheen, Assistant Controller of Examination of Barisal Education Board has obtained M Phil degree recently from History Department of Jahangirnagar University. His supervisor was noted historian Prof Dr. Md. Nurul Islam Manjur. He is the eldest son of Md. Abdul Majid Howlader and Monowara Begum of Chandpasha under Babuganj Upazila in Barisal. He seeks blessings from all, says a press release.

Dialogue on public-private partnership for economic dev today

UNB, Dhaka

A dialogue on public-private partnership for economic development will be held here today aiming at sustained economic growth and improvement of business climate.

Bangladesh Better Business Forum (BBBF), a government initiated private-public interface, in association with Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has organized the dialogue, which will begin at 10am at Radisson Water Garden Hotel, said a press release.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will attend the occasion as chief guest.

Council of advisers, diplomat and mission heads, high civil and military officials, civil society representatives from different profession and strata of the society will attend the programme.

Thai miniature exhibition in city on Sept 17

UNB, Dhaka

A Thai miniature exhibition will be held at Bangladesh Shishu Academy here on Wednesday (September 17). Thai Ambassador Chalermpol Thanchitt will formally inaugurate the exhibition at about 12 noon.

Thai Embassy in Dhaka in collaboration with Bangladesh Shishu Academy will organize the exhibition with the aim of fostering cultural relations between the two countries and promoting better understanding of Thai culture among Bangladeshi people.

The exhibition is a collection of about 30 miniature models of traditional Thai desserts displayed in the traditional Thai house background to portray the Thai ways of life in an attractive way to children, said a press release yesterday.

Excellent result in HSC exam of Gulshan Commerce College

Gulshan Commerce College (GCC) has achieved outstanding results in the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination-2008. GCC secured 6th position among the top ten colleges of Dhaka Board. The rate of success is 100 percent, says a press release. M.A. Kalam, Principal and founder of the College, said that we are always trying our best to give the students quality education.

Call to pursue enactment of arms trade treaty in UNGA

BSS, Dhaka

The government has been urged to play its due role in pursuing the enactment of the proposed arms trade treaty in the General Assembly of the United Nations next month.

The proposed treaty after enactment would reduce availability of the small and light arms, which are mostly used in anti human rights activities, as a total of seven lakh people killed across the globe in a year with bullets from small and light arms by both legal or illegal users.

This was highlighted at a press conference titled "Action on new arms trade treaty" organized by Bangladesh Network on Small Partnership Center (BDPC) and Bangladesh Network on Small Arms (BANSA) at the Jatiya Press Club here today.

Director of BDPC Sharif A Kafi read out the written statement at the conference.

Chairperson of BDPC Maksuda Faroque Ratna, project director Abdul Hasnat, representative of BANSA Atiqa Majumder, representative of Bangladesh Coalition for Chiled Rights (BCCR) Rosni Jahan, and representative of Nari o Manobadhikar Foundation (NAMAF) Shahana Begum were present.

Sharif A Kafi said the United Nations General Assembly in October will discuss the new arms treaty, which was proposed in 2006 to bring transparency and accountability in arms manufacture, sales, trade and uses of arms.

"With enactment of the treaty, the supply of illegal arms, which are causing rise in poverty and hampering development activities, would be reduced," Sharif A Kafi hoped.

On this occasion hundreds of institutions and thousands of people will observe a week long programme from September 13 to September 19 this year to create awareness among the people, he said.

Under the previous arms trade treaty, there were scopes of illegal arms trades, he said adding that since there was no provisions for monitoring the whereabouts of the arms, many institutions and individuals used to sell arms to illegal users.

If the proposed new arms trade treaty is enacted in the UN general Assembly, it would be possible to stop illegal trades of arms and thus reduce conflict in the world and save lives of innocent people Sharif A Kafi mentioned.

A total 1,289 arms factories in 92 countries in the world are producing 80 lakh small and light arms and 1,200 bullets, which is two bullets for every inhabitants in the globe. The legal trade of arms in a year amounts to four billion US dollar while there is further trade of one billion US dollar illegally, he added.

DU to honour 3 Sr academics as "Professors Emeritus"

BSS, Dhaka

Dhaka University will honour three senior academics with the status of "Professors Emeritus" in recognition to their outstanding contribution in respective fields of education.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the DU Syndicate held with Vice-Chancellor Professor SMA Faiz in the Chair, DU sources said.

The three senior academics are: Professor Abdul Matin of the Department of Philosophy, Professor Sultana Sarwat Ara Zaman of the Institute of Education and Research and Professor Nazma Chowdhury of the Department of Women and Gender Studies.

"For the first time after the Independence, female teachers were made Professors Emeritus in Dhaka University," the Vice- Chancellor said.

Earlier, five senior teachers of Dhaka University were given the status of "Professors Emeritus" in June this year after a break of long two decades.

As per the DU rules, the holders of this highly prestigious post serve in their respective departments as lifetime teachers and enjoy all facilities as professors of the university until their death.

Those, who were honoured with the post of Professors Emeritus in June, were: Professor Kazi Zaker Hossain of the Department of Zoology, Professor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury of the Department of English, Professor Anisuzzaman of the Department of Bengali, Professor Syed Zahir Haider of the Department of Chemistry and Professor Mohammad Kibria of the Department of Print-making under the faculty of Fine Arts.

Professor Sultana Sarwat Ara Zaman began her career as a teacher in the Department of Psychology in Dhaka University. Later, she founded the Department of Special Education at the Institute of Education and Research (IER).

She is also one of the pioneers of launching studies as well as action oriented programmes on development of psychology for the mentally retarded in the country.

Besides, she is one of the founders of Bangladesh Protibondhi Foundation, an organization looking after the welfare and proper rehabilitation of mentally retarded and handicapped sections of the people.

Professor Abdul Matin, besides his academic activities, helped a number of his students to become teachers and prove their worth as renowned academics in the Department of Philosophy.

Professor Nazma Chowdhury, who began her career as a teacher of the Department of Political Science, founded the Department of Women and Gender studies and helped raise its importance and significance in various levels of the society.

'Flood forecasting technologies to diminish agriculture losses'

BSS, Dhaka

Recently adopted flood forecasting technologies as part of the country's disaster preparedness will bring significant changes in saving lives and properties and reducing investment losses to the farmers, experts said.

The scientists observed that the community people those are most vulnerable to disaster, from now on, might not incur agriculture-investment losses as they are now capable of harvesting their major crops ahead of flood.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and the BWDB jointly implementing the project.

Technical specialist of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) Dr SHM Fakhruddin told BSS that Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has adopted a long-time flood forecasting technology instead of existing 3-day (72 hours) to cope with the perilous impact of climate change.

The technology consist three-type of forecast schemes-short term (1-10 days), Medium term (20-25 days) and long term (1-6 months) are successfully being applied by using European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWFC).

Five pilot areas have already been selected for testing the application of newly introduced long-lead flood forecasting technology. The regions are Rajpur union of Lalmonirhat district, Unia union of Gaibandha district, Kaijuri union Sirajganj district Bekra Atgram union of Tangail district and Gazirtek union of Faridpur district.

"The decision of reaping the crops should be taken in early July before its complete maturity or wait until middle of July to ensure good quality", he said.

Harvesting during mid-July before its maturity might cause significant damage to crops due to excessive rain and onrush of water, said Dr Fakhruddin.

Besides, a 10-year disaster management plan has been taken under the framework of Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), a comprehensive environmental data and information provider worldwide, to improve sustainable water resources management in the country.

Under the plan, Bangladesh is going to evolve another flood recasting model and to be applied in River Meghna and the country's remaining river basins will be brought under the model in phases attuned to the Meghna model.

Iftekhar condoles death of Bangladeshis in Saudi road crash

BSS, Dhaka

Adviser for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury on Saturday expressed deep shock at the death of four Bangladeshis in a road accident in Saudi Arabia.

In a condolence message, he conveyed sympathy to the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls.

The foreign adviser also directed Bangladesh mission in Saudi Arabia to arrange for sending the bodies of the victims to Bangladesh quickly.

Application invited for admission into MS course in DU Philosophy dept

BSS, Dhaka

The Dhaka University (DU) authorities have invited application from interested students for admission Into a year-long professional MS course in the Department of Psychology.

Primary admission forms for 2006-07 academic year, will be distributed from September 14 from the office of Department of Psychology which will be continued till September 25, a DU press release said.

The admission test will be held at 10 am on October 14 at room no 3044 of Arts Building of the university.