The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jumatul Wida observed

Thousands of devotees took part in Jumatul Wida
congregation (last Friday) in the Baitul Mukarram Mosque in
the city yesterday. Banglar Chokh

Staff Reporter

Jumatul Wida, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramzan, was observed across the country yesterday with religious fervour and sanctity for peace and prosperity of the country.

A large number of `musullis' (devotees) attended the Juma' prayers at different mosques seeking divine blessings of the Almighty Allah for continued welfare and unity of the Muslim ummah for coping with the present day challenges.

The largest `Juma'tul Wida' congregation was held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital.

Thousands of devotees took part in the congregation and sought the blessing of the Almighty Allah for peace of the departed souls of their near and dear ones. The management of mosques in many places had erected `shamianas' (tents) outside the main mosque buildings to create additional space for offering of prayers.

At many places, the faithful even offered prayers on roads. Khateebs and ulema delivered special sermons highlighting the significance of Juma'tul Wida.

They exhorted the faithful to submit themselves to the will of Almighty Allah to seek his mercy and blessings.

Juma'tul Wida has a special significance since it is a prelude to the departure of the holy month of Ramadan marked by the showering of divine blessings and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also stressed the sanctity of this day.

Price fixation of beef expires today : Uptrend in city market

Talha Bin Habib

As Eid-ul- Fitr, the biggest festival of Muslims is only couple of days away; the prices of beef, pasteurised milk, ginger and different kinds of vermicelli have increased in the city market.

Customers alleged that a section of dishonest traders have increased the prices of beef to Tk 220 per kg as against Tk 190 to 200 fixed by the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC).

They apprehended that the price of beef might jump to Tk 240 to Tk 250 per kg before Eid as the price fixation of DCC would expire from day after tomorrow (Monday).

"Had the DCC fixed the beef price for the whole month of Ramzan instead of 27 th, then the meat sellers would have been bound to sell it with that fixed price before the day of Eid," customers said.

They alleged that most of the beef sellers are selling beef of imported cows in the name of local cows. They called upon the concerned department to look into the matter.

"It is not possible for me to make a difference between the beef of local and foreign varieties," Abdur Rashid , a private service holder said yesterday at Malibagh Bazar.

The DCC orders beef sellers to hang price chart of beef of local quality at Tk 200 and imported at Tk 190 per kg.

Admitting the beef price hike by sellers, a concerned person of the DCC said this year the DCC has fixed the date to sale the beef price upto 27th of Ramzan which was 26th in the last year Ramzan.

He said unavailability of cows against the growing demand is a big factor for beef price hike.

"As the demand of beef is usually increased during the Eid festival so the price of it usually gone high," said a beef seller on condition of anonymity at Fakirapool Baszar.

They, however, said that the price of beef would come down to a tolerable level after the Eid festival.

The local quality of loose type of vermicelli was sold between Tk 70 to 75 per kg yesterday in the retail markets.

Other types of packed vermicelli's have also increased Tk 2 to 3 per kg depending on their weight.

Wholesalers at Moulvi Bazar said the high prices of raw materials forced them to increase the price of vermicelli.

Pasteurised milk, one of the vital components for preparing delicacies of Eid menu have also increased. One litre Milk Vita, Pran and Arong brands were selling at Tk 47 that was Tk 45 in the last few weeks.

Consumers alleged that traders at different shops in the city have started to stocking pasteurised milk for selling at Tk 50 and even Tk 55 per litre before the day of Eid.

Soybean was sold at between Tk 105 and Tk 106 per kg yesterday as against Tk 108 to Tk 110 over the past few weeks. One kg of super soybean cost Tk 75, which was Tk 80 a few days ago. Palm oil was sold between Tk 70 and 72 per kg that was Tk 75 last week.

Coarse variety of rice was sold between Tk 32 and Tk 33, minicate was sold between Tk 39 and Tk 44 and Nazirshail was Tk 40 Tk 46 per kg.

Local variety of onion was sold between Tk 32 and Tk 34 and imported one at Tk 22 to Tk 24 per kg. Local variety of garlic was at Tk 100 and imported at Tk 35 and ginger of local quality at Tk 100 and imported ones at Tk 65 per kg. Green Chilli was sold Tk 40 and Tk 50, aubergine between Tk 35 and Tk 40 and papaya between Tk 10 and Tk 12.

Wall Street rescue deal hits stalemate

BBC Online

Talks to agree a huge $700bn (£380bn) bail-out of the US financial industry have ended in a "shouting match".

After several hours of discussions with President George W Bush, a group of Republican members of Congress blocked the government plan.

The proposal would have seen the government buy bad debts from US banks to prevent more of them collapsing.

Both sides have agreed to resume talks later on Friday. The leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, told ABC News that she "hoped" a bailout plan could be agreed within 24 hours, because "it has to happen".

Financial markets are gummed up because banks do not know exactly how much bad debt they hold and are therefore reluctant to lend to businesses, consumers and each other.

The fall-out of this credit crunch continues to make a huge impact:

The United States suffered its largest bank failure yet, when regulators moved in to close down Washington Mutual and then sold it to US rival JP Morgan Chase for $1.9bn

In a co-ordinated move the European Central Bank, the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank announced new short-term loans to the banking sector worth tens of billions of dollars

Banks continued to cut costs, with UK banking giant HSBC saying it would axe 1,100 jobs

Shares in UK bank Bradford & Bingley fell another 20% to 17 pence before recovering slightly.

On Thursday, Democrat and Republican legislators appeared to have struck a deal.

A group of Democrats and Republicans even made a public statement, with Senator Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, announcing that they had reached "fundamental agreement" on the principles of a bail-out plan.

But after the White House meeting, the top Republican on the committee, Richard Shelby, told reporters: "I don't believe we have an agreement."

The intense discussions reportedly saw US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson literally down on one knee, begging Ms Pelosi to help push through the bail-out package.

However, the agreement unravelled when a group of Republican legislators objected to the principle of the plan.

The talks at the White House, led by Mr Paulson and US President George W Bush, then descended into what one participant described as "a full-throated discussion".

Officials with the campaign team of Republican presidential candidate John McCain spoke of "a contentious shouting match". Democrat candidate Barack Obama and McCain were supposed to meet in Oxford, Mississippi.

But McCain said he wanted to pull out and focus on getting a bailout plan agreed instead. Democrats accused him of posturing and avoiding telling voters how he would solve the crisis.

President Bush on the ongoing bail-out talks President George W Bush has said that legislators will "rise to the occasion" and pass the Wall Street rescue plan.

In a statement he said there were still disagreements because "the proposal is big and the reason it's big is because it's a big problem".

President Bush is expected to resume talks with Congressional leaders later on Friday to try to reach an agreement.

He wants to pass a $700bn (£380bn) rescue package to buy mortgage-backed assets from US banks.

"There is no disagreement that something substantial must be done," he added.

The Republican critics of the bail-out plan are worried about both its cost and how it would involve the government in the financial sector.

Instead, they want a government-backed insurance policy for the huge amounts of bad debt built up by US banks.

Agri-credit disbursement must for commercial banks

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Bank has made agriculture credit isbursement mandatory for all commercial banks and also introduced a ew credit mechanism of revolving crop credit in view of stimulating griculture production.

"The Governor (Dr Salehuddin Ahmed) gave necessary approval in this regard late Thursday," BB deputy governor Nazrul Huda told UNB.

He said two separate circulars would be issued within the next two working days before the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation, giving them effect from this fiscal year.

The practice of directed lending has been apparently absent since the inception of Financial Sector Reform Programme (FSRP) undertaken in 1990, resulting in the freedom of the commercial banks whether they would provide agriculture credit.

But the recent experience of global food crisis has made it clear that there is no alternative to investment in agriculture to face the challenge of food security in the global price situation.

Considering the situation, the high-powered Agricultural Credit Monitoring Committee comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and commercial banks decided on September 16 to make the agriculture credit mandatory and introduce the revolving crop credit system considering the food situation.

Nazrul Huda, who is also the chairman of the committee, said Bangladesh Bank would not impose the credit target of the banks concerned, but would take measures to ensure a rational target.

He said the banks would set their credit target in keeping with their respective financial conditions and inform their targets to the central bank.

"If Bangladesh Bank considers that the target of a particular bank is not enough as compared to their financial condition, it will ask the banks concerned to raise their target further," he added.

The central bank deputy governor said the foreign commercial banks, operating here without having adequate branches, would use the NGO networks to disburse agriculture credit while the foreign banks would have to ensure whether the NGOs were using the fund only as agriculture credit.

He said the new mechanism of revolving crop credit limit would be for a three-year term to relieve farmers of fresh applications, documentation, approvals and often middlemen again for a fresh loan.

He said disbursement of loan would be effective on the basis of area approach, selecting the areas on the basis of intensity of crop production.

As per the new mechanism, the loan account of a farmer will be automatically renewed immediately after full repayment of the earlier loan of a particular product cycle and the farmers will be entitled to a fresh crop loan without any new application.

The eligible farmers for the credit will be identified from the farmers' ID cards, which the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) was providing through a survey.

Earlier, Bangladesh Bank set an agriculture credit target of Tk 4,900 crore for the current fiscal year, which is 13 percent more than the last fiscal year, considering the need for increasing domestic food production.

Shots fired in US- Pakistan clash

BBC Online

The United States military says US and Afghan forces have exchanged gunfire with Pakistani troops across the border with Afghanistan.

A senior US military official says a five-minute skirmish broke out after Pakistani soldiers fired warning shots near two US helicopters.

No one was hurt in the incidents and the US maintains its troops did not cross the border from Afghanistan.

Cross-border action by US-led forces has angered Pakistan in recent weeks.

The latest incident took place along the Pakistani border with the eastern Afghan region of Khost, an area which is a hotbed of militant groups.

Forces from the US-led coalition and the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) patrol the frontier, but Pakistan has been angered by reported US operations across the border in pursuit of insurgents.

A BBC correspondent says the border between the two countries is very unclear and in effect is marked by a 3km-4km (2-2.5 mile) stretch of no-man's land.

Nato said the helicopters - which belong to its Isaf mission - came under fire from a Pakistani checkpoint.

A US Central Command spokesman, Rear Admiral Greg Smith, said Pakistani soldiers at the checkpoint were observed firing on two US OH-58 Kiowa helicopters that had been covering a patrol of Afghan and US troops about a mile (1.6km) inside Afghanistan.

"The ground forces then fired into the hillside nearby that checkpoint, gained their attention, which worked," he said.

"Unfortunately, though, the [Pakistani] unit decided to shoot down a hillside at our ground forces. Our ground forces returned fire."

However, the Pakistani military gave a different account.

In a statement, commanders said troops fired warning shots at the helicopters when they strayed over the Pakistan border.

"When the helicopters passed over our border post and were well within Pakistani territory, our own security forces fired anticipatory warning shots," a statement said.

"On this, the helicopters returned fire and flew back."

In New York, Pakistan's new president gave another version of events when he said that Pakistan forces had fired "flares" to warn the helicopters they were near the border.

Later, in an address to the UN General Assembly, President Asif Ali Zardari referred to the cross-border tension when he said that his country could not allow its territory to "be violated by our friends".

An Isaf spokesman said he believed the incident was a misunderstanding, but he was certain the helicopters had been operating on the Afghan side of the border.

The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan, in Islamabad, says that the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is very unclear.

There is an imaginary border called the Durand line which each side marks differently.

Pakistan says that the area of no-man's land along the border is its territory and Afghanistan makes similar claims.

Tension between Washington and Islamabad has risen since 3 September, when the US conducted a ground assault in Pakistani territory, its first, targeting what it said was a militant target in the tribal region of South Waziristan.

Pakistan reacted angrily to the action, saying 20 innocent villagers had been killed by US troops.

Local officials have said that on two occasions since then Pakistani troops or tribesmen have opened fire to stop US forces crossing the border. The claims were not officially confirmed.

On Wednesday, a drone believed to be operated by the CIA crashed inside Pakistan.

The US and Nato have called on Pakistan to do more to curb militants operating in the border area.

CA addresses UNGA session : World leaders assured of Dec 18 elections

UNB, New York

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday assured the global leaders that his caretaker government is now totally focused on fulfilling the pledge to hold free and fair

parliamentary polls on December 18.

He expressed the confidence that all political parties would participate in the elections under new laws and regulations.

"Let me reiterate here that my government is completely and totally focused on fulfilling our pledge to hold free and fair parliamentary elections on December 18 as announced last week," Dr Ahmed said in a statement at the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly.

Chief Adviser's wife Mrs Neena Ahmed, Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Women and Children Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury, Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ismat Zahan and CA's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim were present, as Dr Ahmed delivered his speech at 10:25am (local time, 8:25pm BST).

The Chief Adviser, speaking for the second time at the world body after assuming office on January 12 last year, said an election is only the first pillar of democratic governance and during the past 20 months, his government relentlessly worked to shore up democracy's other pillars as well.

In his about 20 minutes' speech, he said the judiciary was made fully independent, National Human Rights Commission established to protect fundamental rights of all citizens and Right to Information Law enacted to provide the transparency to a well-functioning democracy.

Besides, he said, the government in consultation with political parties amended and strengthened People Representation Order under which forthcoming elections will be held. This law and regulations, under which it will require registration of political parties for elections, ensure intra-party democracy and implement campaign finance reforms to limit the influence of corrupt money in the political system.

On his government's anti-graft drive, Dr Ahmed said holding of a truly democratic and meaningful election was not an easy task, as decades of corruption had seriously undermined the country's democracy and economy.

"Corruption's ill effects corroded our vital public institutions, and the cost was ultimately borne by the ordinary citizens of Bangladesh, who could ill-afford it."

He said legal actions were initiated against corrupt individuals, but "we never compromised with due process and judicial independence."

Dr Ahmed said the fight against corruption has been the first step in a long and difficult process, and hoped that the work will continue under the independent Anti-Corruption Commission.

The Chief Adviser, who also spoke on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), stressed the importance of food security, democracy and development which are inextricably linked to one another, and are of fundamental importance to the welfare of the Bangladeshis as well as of other LDCs.

He said extraordinary rise in food prices this year has undermined the food security of many LDCs. Calling for long-term solutions for a hunger-free world, he said food security for all citizens in this world must be acknowledged not just as a development imperative, but also as a moral imperative.

The Chief Adviser said the recent global rise in food prices has been acutely felt in Bangladesh, even though imports account for a small percentage of the cereal consumption.

He said domestic rice prices spiked by nearly 60% during the year through February 2008. This precipitated against the backdrop of two devastating floods and a tropical cyclone that largely destroyed one of the country's key harvests.

Dr Ahmed said that for a country like Bangladesh, where roughly 40% of the population lives below the poverty line and where poor households spend as much as 70% of their income on food items, such a steep increase in food prices has had significant adverse effects on food security, poverty and human development.

He said food insecurity can disrupt the core of a democratic polity and derail its development priorities. Making food available for all, and at affordable prices, remains a cardinal responsibility of all governments.

Kalyanpur Murder: DB arrests two for killing Parvez

Staff Reporter

Police arrested two suspected killers of an employee of Sohag Paribahan from the city's Shyamoli and Mohammadpur areas.

The arrested were identified as Sumon, son of Khalilur Rahman of Sheikher Tek, and Faruq Hossain, son of Tajuddin of Darus Salam Road under Shah Ali Police Station.

Detective Branch (DB) officials, at a press conference at its headquarters yesterday, said they first arrested Sumon from Shyamoli on September 23 on suspicion of killing Parvez and interrogated him.

During the interrogation, Sumon confessed to his involvement in the killing and disclosed the name of his accomplice, Faruq, who also took part in the killing mission.

According to the statement, plainclothes policemen arrested Faruq from a house at Babar Road in Mohammadpur on September 24. They also recovered two foreign-made revolvers, one pistol and four round of bullets from there.

On September 11 four armed extortionists approached the Kalyanpur ticket counter of Sohag Paribahan soon after Parvez opened the counter at about 5:45am. They shot dead Parvez as he refused to pay demand money and fled the scene.

Extortionists had been demanding Tk 5 lakh from the owner of Sohag Paribahan for the last 2 to 3 months, police said.

Creators of grand alliance will not come to power, says Sircar

Staff Reporter

Speaker Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar yesterday said creators of grand alliance would not be able to go to power.

"There will be no benefit to form alliance with more hundred political parties including the person who had transformed Bangladesh as a number one corrupt country. The people will reject the alliance of autocrat and creators of one party government," he said while addressing a discussion meeting at the National Press Club in the city.

The Speaker hoped that the people would cast their votes for the nationalist and democratic forces who had established the rule of law and ensured their food.

The function, organised by Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) with its president Prof Dr MA Matin in the chair, was also addressed, among others, by BNP Joint Secretary General Goyesher Chandra Roy, Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, JAGPA president Shafiul Alam Prodhan, New Nation Editor Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Prof Shahida Obayed, NAP chairman Sheikh Anwarul Haque, BJP acting secretary general Abu Naser Md Rahmatullah, Islamic Party secretary general Advocate Abdul Mobin and NPP chairman Shekh Shawkat Hossain Nilu.

Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar said there was no way to stop corruption and terrorism except establishing of the democracy.

"Welfare of people cannot be ensured and democracy will not flourish if there is no democracy," he observed.

Referring to the grabbing of power by the autocrat in 1982, the Speaker said though the power was grabbed with the promise of removing corruption, the country turned into a reign of terrorism and corruption from then.

Dr MA Matin said, 'the people would elect those who want to protect country's independent and sovereignty.'

He called upon all nationalist forces to get united to fight against corruption and terrorism.

Muhmaad Kamaruzzaman said, the nation cannot be protected from any crisis without holding elections.

He said, the elections would not be free and fair without withdrawal of the state of emergency.

Goyesher Roy said, the country needs to be freed from cronies not only free from terrorism and corruption.

He called upon for creating unity between the nationalist and Islamic forces based on ideals.

Islam a religion of humanity

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a discussion meeting cum iftar party yesterday said that Islam is the religion of the humanity.

The function was organised by the Jatiya Chetana Parishad with its president Principal Nowab Ali in the chair.

Prof Shamser Ali was the keynote speaker at the meeting, which was also addressed by Mostafa Kamal Majumder, the editor of The New Nation, Syed Mohammed Hasan, executive president of the Parishad and Eng. Sahriar Mahmud, among others.

The speakers said that Islam was revealed to the world for establishing peace in human race irrespective of creed, colour and faiths. Prof Shamser Ali said scientists have of late started realising that the entire three million creatures living on earth have been created not without a purpose. The importance of the protection of bio diversity to preserve the natural system clearly makes this point, he added.

He said Islam is a religion, which is close to a blending of faith with socialist ideology to uphold equality and rights of poor people in the society. Islam is against all forms of exploitation, he noted.

The function was rounded with a munajat.

Holy Ramzan: Holy Quran was revealed on Lailatul Qadr

Majority Islamic scholars are of the opinion that the Holy Lailatul Qadar or Shab-e-Qadar is the 27th night of Holy Ramzan, the night after the 26th Ramzan. According to some others, the night may be anyone of the uneven nights after the 20th Ramzan as 21st, 23rd, 25th or 27th. However, Razman being the best month, the Lailatul Qadar is the best night as the Holy Quran, guide to mankind, was revealed on this night. The relevant verse of the Holy Quran: "We have revealed this (Message) in the night of power and what will explain to thee what the night of power is? The night of power is better than a thousand months." (97:1-3)

The merit of Lailatul Qadar (the night of power) thus stands supreme as the Quran was revealed in the night of power and it is 'better than a thousand months.'

Such a graceful night is at our door. According to the Quran, it is also 'Lailatum-Mubarakah' or 'the night of honour': "Surely we revealed it on a blessed night-indeed we are ever warning."(44.3)

The Shab-e-Qadar embraces Divine Injunctions of the Quran and its Messenger for mankind and the universe.

According to Imam Ahmad bin Hambal (R), a Hadith narrated by Ibne Umar (RA) claimed that Rasulullah (Sm) said: Whoever seeks the night, let him seek it on the 27th." The Messenger of Allah said."He who spends the Lailatul Qadar through prayers in full faith, shall have all his previous sins and faults forgiven."

Rasulullah (Sm) said, "Pray this in the night of Qadar: O Allah, you are Forgiving, you love forgiveness. So, forgive me."

The Holy Lailatul Qadar or Shab-e-Qadar is in our midst before we go to celebrate the Holy Eid-ul-Fitr. In this festive and sublime occasion, the people should engage themselves to seek the bounties and mercy of Allah. This night should be passed in prayer, supplication, tilawat, zikr-azkar, durud-salam, charity and praying for the departed souls.

We should take pledge to establish the Quranic principles in our lives to build the society in the light of Islam and thus ensure peace and prosperity.

-Abdul Muqit Chowdhury

Lailatul Qadr today

BSS, Dhaka

Muslims across the country are to observe today the holy Lailatul Qadr, the night when the first verses of the holy Quran were revealed to the Greatest Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).

According to the Holy Quran, the night is better than 1,000 months as the angels and the spirit descend therein, by the permission of Almighty Allah with all decrees. This is one of the holiest and most blessed nights, which is likely to occur on one of the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramzan and most likely to be the 27th of the holy month.

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed issued statements, greeting the nation and Muslims across the world and seeking eternal blessings for the peace and progress of the country on the occasion.

"On this holy night, we seek the blessings of Almighty Allah and pray for the peace in our life in this world and life thereafter," the president said.

The chief adviser in his statement said the Holy Quran was revealed on this night to show the mankind the path of worldly and eternal emancipation.

"I pray to Almighty Allah for the overall welfare of the country, nation and the Muslim Ummah on the occasion of the Lailatul Qadr. Let this night brings for us fortune, undisrupted peace and prosperity," he said.

The devout Muslims traditionally observe the occasion though nightlong special prayers, milad, Quran Khwani, religious discussion at Mosques and in their houses on this holy night.

Thousands of Muslim devotees also visit graveyards to seek eternal blessings for the departed souls of their near and dear ones.

The day is a national holiday. Newspapers publish special articles while the state-run Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and also private television channels put on air special programmes highlighting the significance of Lailatul Qadr.

Although the literal translation of the word "Qadr" is "measure", the day is popularly referred as Night of Power. It is also the anniversary of the night when the Quran is believed by Muslims to have been revealed in its entirety.

The Muslims also believe that this is the night when their fate in the following year is decided and hence they pray to Allah throughout the night for mercy and salvation.

To the Muslims, the entire month of Ramzan is a period of spiritual training wherein the believers devote to fasting, praying, recitation from the holy Quran and offering charity.

Kuwaiti help for construction of Padma Bridge assured

UNB, New York

Kuwait has assured Bangladesh of providing necessary financial support for construction of the long-awaited Padma Bridge, as Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed made the request during a meeting with the premier of the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Prime Minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Nas'r Muhammad Al-Sabah, gave the assurance at the bilateral meeting with the Chief Adviser on the sidelines of the 63rd session of UN General Assembly at the UN Headquarters on Thursday evening.

The meeting over, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim told newsman that the Kuwaiti Premier told the Chief Adviser that his country is willing to provide financial assistance from the Kuwait Fund.