The New Nation - Internet Edition

Gen Maung Aye back to Yangon

Vice Senior General of Myanmar Maung Aye being seen
off by the Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed at Chittagong
Shah Amanat Airport on Thursday. PID photo

BSS, Dhaka

Vice Chairman of Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council Senior Vice-General Maung Aye left here for home yesterday ending a three-day high-profile visit to Bangladesh seen as a landmark event in bilateral ties between the two neighbours.

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed and senior civil and military officials saw him off at Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport in the afternoon as a special flight of Myanmar's Air Bagan airlines flew him back home along with his delegation.

"His visit has opened up a new chapter in bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar," Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told the media as he saw Maung Aye off here earlier for the trip to Rangamati on the last day of his tour.

During the tour, Aye held bilateral talks with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed while the Myanmar ministers held meetings with their Bangladesh counterparts to strengthen cooperation in different areas including commerce, energy, foreign relations and home affairs.

The business delegation accompanying the general also held talks with Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The two countries reviewed prospects of intensified bilateral cooperation as Aye called on President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban a day after his talks with the chief adviser.

Aye also visited army headquarters at Dhaka Cantonment where he discussed with the Bangladesh army chief matters of bilateral issues.

On the last of his visit, the Myanmar leader flew to Rangamati in an air force helicopter and enjoyed a cruise in the lake there in an army vessel and a cultural show on board.

Pedro Meyer’s retrospective in city

One of the photographs of Pedro Meyer at the
retrospective at Drik Gallery in the city

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Mexican photographer Pedro Meyer is one of the pioneers and most recognised representatives of contemporary photography. He is recognised widely both for his provocative and powerful images and his pioneering work in the digital imaging era. The photographs of Meyer consistently question the limits between truth, fiction and reality. With the advent of digital technologies in early 90's, Meyer evolved from a documentary photographer, who created what is known as 'direct images,' to a digital documentary maker, who combines elements of different photographs to reach a higher or different truth.

The project 'Heresies' is a retrospective of one of the most innovative artists of the world, comprising five decades of photographic work. His famous statement is "Every photograph, either digitally manipulated or not, is both truth and fiction, has earned him being called a 'Heretic' in the orthodox world of documentary photography."

A series of exhibitions titled 'Heresies: a retrospective by Pedro Meyer' will open simultaneously in nearly 60 museums around the world this month and it will be a major breakthrough in the way photographic work is exhibited. As a part of the shows in Bangladesh a photography exhibition of Pedro Meyer titled 'Heresies' was inaugurated at the Drik Gallery in the city on October 8.

Dr Shahidul Alam, photographer and Managing Director of Drik Picture Library, inaugurated the show as chief guest.

This exhibition was curated from more than 300,000 images - both 'analog' and digital - nearly 2,500 documents regarding the professional career of Pedro Meyer. These were then uploaded and cross-referenced according to 20 different themes so that researchers and photographers could use them for their curatorships to produce digital galleries.

The gallery remain opens for all till October 20 from 3:00pm to 8:00pm everyday.

Pedro Meyer was the founder and president of the 'Consejo Mexicano de Fotografía' (Mexican Council of Photography) and organiser of the first three Latin American Photography Colloquiums. Besides his artistic photographic work, Pedro Meyer has been a teacher in various prestigious institutions, as well as the curator, editor, founder and director of the renowned photography website 'ZoneZero,' which hosts the work of over a thousand photographers from all over the world, and is visited by more than 500,000 people each month. More than 5.5 million people visited 'ZoneZero' in one year making it one of most visited sites for content on the web. His work has been presented in more than 200 exhibitions in museums and galleries all over the world and is part of very important permanent collections that include: The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Musee National D'art Moderne Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, The International Centre of Photography also in New York, George Eastman House in Rochester, New York, The California Museum of Photography, in Riverside, The Centre for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona, Casa de Las Américas, Havana, Cuba, Centro Studie e Archivo della Comunicasione dell' Universitá of Parma, Italy, and Comuna di Anghiari, Palazzo Pretorio, Italy amongst others.

Mental Health Day today

BSS, Dhaka

The World Mental Health Day will be observed across the country like elsewhere in the world in a befitting manner.

The day was first observed in 1992 as an annual activity of the World Federation for Mental Health initiated by its the then Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter. The day is officially commemorated every year on October 10th.

The Mental Health Foundation celebrates World Mental Health Day each year, using it as an opportunity to communicate with the general public about mental health issues.

The theme of the day of this year is "Making mental health a global priority - Scaling up services through citizen advocacy and action".

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed gave separate messages on the eve of the day. In his message, Professor Iajuddin said, besides the physical health, the mental health of the people is also important. Sound health and sound mind is the key elements for innovative works, he said adding, "I think it is needed to create mass awareness about improvement of the mental health of the people of the country."

The theme of the day of the year is very much befitting, Professor Iajuddin said and expected that the government and private organisations would work relentlessly in upholding mental health rights of the people.

He wished success of the day.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in his message said, the theme of the day for the year is the demand of the time considering the importance of the mental health.

It is time to realize that without sound mental health, it is not possible to attain the progress of the nation, the Chief Adviser said.

He expected that the mental health issue would get due importance with the joint efforts of the government and private organisations engaged in providing mental health services. "The traditional wrong ideas of mental health would be removed and we would be able to build a sound society free from deprivation," he expected and wished success of the day.

AL calls for all-party polls

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

A top Awami League figure has repeated the party's request to the Election Commission, as well as the government, to take steps to ensure participation of all political parties in the general election.

AL acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, speaking to reporters at the party president's political office in Dhanmondi yesterday, said: "We want the next general election with the participation of all political parties."

"If any party objects to participating, the government and the EC must sit with them to find out why they are reluctant and to remove the obstacles."

Ashraf also informed reporters that Awami League has started the initial work of nominating party candidates.

He said the party is reviewing the previous list of nominees for the cancelled Jan 22 2007 election, as well as the two previous polls, and is collecting information from field level.

He added that the selection of grassroots candidates would be given emphasis.

Ashraf said Awami League would amend some sections of its party constitution for registration with the Election Commission.

Asked whether the power of the party president would be reduced in the constitution for registration, in line with new electoral laws, he said: "Most of the conditions in the new RPO were in the AL constitution already."

None of the powers of the president need to be curbed for registration with the EC, the AL leader said.

"A party working committee meeting slated for Saturday will discuss these issues in detail," said Ashraful.

He elaborated: "Nomination from the grassroots, ensuring a 33 percent women's quota in the party by 2020, not keeping any front organisations, only associate bodies, would feature prominently in the discussion."

When asked about his comment on Tuesday about setting free all fronts or associate organisations, Ashraf said that during the talks with the EC on Wednesday they projected their party position on maintaining associate organisations only and the EC had accepted it.

JP to amend its constitution

BSS, Dhaka

Jatiya Party at a meeting of its presidium on Thursday proposed some amendments to its constitution before the party is registered with the Election Commission.

According to one amendment, none would hold the posts of chairman and secretary general for more than two terms.

The proposed amendments would be placed at the extended meeting of the party on October 12 for approval.

The presidium meeting was held at party chairman's office at Banani with Chairman HM Ershad in the chair, said a press release.

Begum Rowshan Ershad, Kazi Zafar Ahmed, Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, party's Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Dr TIM Fazle Rabbi Chowdhuy, GM Quader, Syed Abu Hossain Babla, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Golam Habib Dulal, Alhaj Karim Uddin Bharasha, Prof Delwar Hossain Khan, Jahangir Mohammad Adel, Mostafa Jamal Haider, Fakir Ashraf, Matiur Rahman, SMM Alam, Zia Uddin Ahmed Bablu, among others, attended the meeting.

The meeting constituted a four-member sub-committee headed by Kazi Zafar Ahmed to formulate party's election manifesto. Other members are Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud and GM Quader while ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader is the member secretary.

Rahman Biswas meets Begum Zia

Staff Reporter

Former President Abdur Rahman Biswas yesterday evening called on Chairperson of BNP Begum Khaldeda Zia at her cantonment residence in the city.

The detail of their discussion could not be known. But party sources said that former president made a courtesy call to Begum Zia and inquired about her health.

It may be mentioned that Abdur Rahman Biswas served as president during the BNP rule from 1991-96.

Call to form pro-freedom fighters govt in next polls

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Kallyan Party (BKP) Chairman Major General (Retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, Bir Pratik, yesterday called upon the people of the country to elect a pro-freedom fighters government in the next parliamentary elections by boycotting forces of anti liberation and terrorists.

"It is our irony of fate that freedom fighters have been passing their days with abject conditions while the anti liberation forces and war criminals are riding cars by hosting national flags, " he said while exchanging views with the freedom fighters at the party's chairman office, New DOHS, Mohakhali in the city.

Abul Kalam Azad, Secretary General, Sadek Ahmed Khan, freedom fighters Hannan Mollah Polash, Sanwar Hossain, Prof Shahjahan Ali, Aminur Rahman, Badruddozza Babla, Modasser Hossain, Omar Ali, Captain (Retd) Afazul Huq, Maulana Mufti Bin Nuri and Maulana Mohammad Hossain of BKP among others, were present.

2 killed, 20 hurt in Mymensingh road accident

UNB, Mymensingh

Two people were killed and 20 others injured in two separate road accidents in the district yesterday.

Police said a Mymensingh bound local bus turned turtle at Gazipur of Gouripur upazila at noon, killing an unidentified youth and injuring 19 other passengers of the bus.

Five of the injured were admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

In another incident, a Dhobaura bound autorickshaw from Goatola in Tarakanda thana hit a brick-laden lorry after its driver lost control over the steering at 10 am, leaving two autorickshaw passengers injured.

One of the injured passengers,Selim,24, died at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

Myanmar keen to boost trade with Bangladesh

UNB, Chittagong

Myanmar's apex trade body signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the port city yesterday with a larger aim of expanding communications and trade and commerce between private sectors of the two countries.

President of the local chamber Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and president of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Myanmar U Win Myint signed the accord on behalf of their respective sides.

"The government and businessmen of Myanmar are eager to further improve economic and commercial relations with Bangladesh," leader of the visiting Myanmar trade delegation and National Planning and Economic Development Minister U Soe Tha said.

He was speaking at a meeting between the two chambers at the CCCI office, which ended with the signing of the MoU.

He observed that Bangladesh has become a target for foreign businessmen and investors due to various factors, including geographical location and cheap labour.

The Myanmar Minister called upon both private and public sectors of the two neighboring countries for playing more active role for exploiting economic and other prospects for to the mutual benefit of the two peoples.

Addressing his business audience, Myanmar Commerce Minister Brigadier General Tin Naing Thein said his government has already decided to upgrade the amount of annual bilateral trade to 500 million US dollars and would take "all necessary steps" for reaching the target.

Tin Naing Thein stressed regular exchange of trade delegations between the two countries and holding trade fair for boosting bilateral trade ties.

In his address the president of the local chamber, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, called upon the governments of the two countries to identify the hurdles to improvement of bilateral trade ties and remove these immediately.

Germany wishes successful transition to democracy

UNB, Dhaka

German Ambassador Frank Meyke has said his country wishes Bangladesh a peaceful and successful transition to parliamentary government in December, as general election here is scheduled for this month.

"We will expect and hope that the elections will ensure sustainable democracy for Bangladesh, free from confrontational politics of the past," he said at a reception of the Day of German Unity at a local hotel on Wednesday evening.

Meyke hoped that political parties would successfully work together for a stable, democratic and prosperous Bangladesh, and Germany would continue to be a reliable partner on this way.

Commerce and Education Advisor Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman was the guest of honour at the reception largely attended by politicians, diplomats, businessmen, editors, academics, high officials and the elite of the city. The European diplomat said democracy and human rights are core values for the Germans and the people of Bangladesh alike and these values form the foundation of Bangladesh-Germany relations, which he said are expanding.

On the economic front, he said German Trade Show would take place in Dhaka November 5-8. He said the Germany-Bangladesh trade volume increased by 16 percent in the first seven months of 2008.

The Ambassador said last year German shipping companies ordered 10 ships worth US$150 million to be built by Bangladesh shipyards. Within next few days, he said, a second order of another 10 ships is in the pipeline.

Meyke said he would soon put forward comprehensive proposals to the Bangladesh government for expanding links between German and Bangladesh schools and their students.

Housewife stabbed to death in Ctg

BSS, Chittagong

A housewife, who was stabbed by a neighbour Wednesday, succumbed to her injuries at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) yesterday morning.

Police and hospital sources said that victim Mariam Begum, 35, is wife of Abdur Razzak of Hulain village under Patiya upazila of the district.

They said she had fallen into the wrath of the neighbour during a quarrel between her son and a boy while they were playing on their home premises.

As the guardians of both the boys were locked into a clash, a neighbour suddenly stabbed Mariam and left her there grievously injured, the sources said.

Mariam's family members immediately rushed her to the CMCH, where she died at 9 am today. Her husband lodged a case with Patiya police station in this connection.