The New Nation - Internet Edition

South Asia has great dev potentials : President

UNB, Dhaka

President Prof Iajuddin Ahmed said South Asia has a great development potential in terms of its diverse cultural heritage and human resources as one-fourth of the world population live here.

"We have great scope for enhancing the living standard of people of this region and enormous opportunities to boost our socioeconomic activities further to mutual benefit," he told leading scouts from SAARC countries Tuesday.

A delegation of scout leaders from the SAARC-member countries, led by President of Bangladesh Scouts and Secretary of the Ministry of Education Md Momtajul Islam, called on the President at Bangabhaban today after their Mouchak meet.

Welcoming the delegation, President Iajuddin hoped that the scout movement among the SAARC countries would strengthen further through the exchange of visits.

The delegation included the scout leaders from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Md. Abdul Karim, also the International Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts, and Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts Md Abul Kalm Azad were with the delegation during the call.

Secretary of the President's Office Md Sirajul Islam, Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohammad Ruhul Amin and President's Press Secretary Abdul Awal Hawlader were present.

National Film Award to be given on Oct 23

BSS, Dhaka

The National Film Award for 2002-2007 will be distributed on October 23 at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will distribute trophies among the artistes, filmmakers and others on the occasion.

A meeting to this regard was held in the conference room of the Information Ministry with INformation Secretary Jamil Osman in the chair, an official handout said.

A 27-member organising and managing committee headed by Information secretary has been working for smooth holding of the function.

The meeting discussed publishing a standard souvenir and holding a grand cultural function marking the occasion, the handout said.

Hasan Hafiz's birthday today

The 54th birthday of Hasan Hafiz, a noted poet of 1970's will be on October 15. On this day he was born in Elahinagar of Sonargaon Upazila of Narayanganj.

So far he authored 55 published books, of which 25 are book of poems. Sangskritik Khabar of Kolkata, published one of his books says a press release.

Hasan Hafiz won a number of awards for his contribution journalism and literature. These include Artish Dipankar Srigyan Gold Medal, Agrani Bank Sishu Sahitya Purasker, DUCSU Literary Award, Kabitalap Purasker, Tonatuni Padak, Commitment Padak, Moulana Bhasani Smriti Padak.

He worked as a journalist in the now defunct Dainik Bangla, the Janakantha and the Boishakhi Television. Currently Hafiz is a joint news editor of The Amar Desh.

Mahfuz Ullah elected IUCN member

Mahfuz Ullah, a leading media professional, environmentalist and development activist of Bangladesh, has been elected member of the Governing Council of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in a hotly contested election of the World Conservation Congress (WCC) held at Barcelona, Spain. The Congress was attended by about 3000 state and NGO members of IUCN. It may be mentioned that he has been Chairperson of the Bangladesh National Committee of IUCN since 12 December 1999, says a press release.

A physicist and a mass communicator by education, Mahfuz Ullah has pioneered environmental reporting in the print media of Bangladesh. He has been a trainer of media professionals and development activist since 1989.

Mahfuz Ullah has actively participated in all the regional and international forums of IUCN since the Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD) joined IUCN as a member.

19 AAGs appointed

UNB, Dhaka

Nineteen junior law officers of the government have been appointed to the Attorney General Office (AGO).

President gave the appointments on Monday under the Law Officers Orders 1972, AGO sources said.

The newly appointed assistant attorneys general (AAGs) are Naharin Ameen, Nusrat Jahan, Marzina Raihan (Madina), AZM Morshed Al Mamun, M Shahidul Islam Khan, M Moniruzzaman, AKM Maniruzzaman, Syed M Javed Pervez, Hosne Ara, Mostafa Zaman Islam, Nurunnabi Bulbul, M Nusrat Alam Chisti, Dewan Abdul Naser, Ahsan Ullah Chowdhury, M Afzal Hossain, M Abdullah, AMM Azizul Huq, ATM Obaidul Hye and M Zafar Ali Khan.

Hearing in Ershad's 2 graft cases deferred

UNB, Dhaka

A court here yesterday re-fixed dates for further hearing of dispositions of witnesses to two graft cases against former President and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad.

Divisional Special Judge M Golam Morshed Majumder re-fixed January 11, 2008 as the next date for dispositions of witnesses to the case filed against Ershad for corruption in procurement of rudders for Bangladesh Biman.

The Judge re-fixed the date as witnesses to the case could not appear

before the court yesterday

The court also deferred the date of disposition by witnesses to November 2 in another case filed against HM Ershad for corruption in installing digital telephone lines in 89 upazilas of the country.

The court re-fixed the date to record statements of five more important witnesses to the case and collect further evidences.

During his regime, HM Ershad with the help of Kazi Feroz Rashid and T&T former Chairman Maksud Ali Khan allegedly caused a loss of Tk 28.62 crore to the state coffer in the name of installing digital telephone lines in 89 upazilas and inflicted a burden of Tk 71.56 lakh loan on the government yearly.

The former president who ruled the country for nine years with an iron hand appeared before the court along with his counsels in the morning.

Chinese-Taiwanese co keen to invest $30 m in ceramic sector

UNB Dhaka

Thailand-based Chinese-Taiwanese company is keen to invest US$ 30 million in Bangladesh's ceramic sector.

According to official sources, a high-profile delegation of the company, Chengtech Chinaware (Thailand) co. Ltd, arrived here yesterday on a four-day visit to discuss the investment with the government.

Managing Director of Chengtech Chainaware Co. Ltd., (Taiwan) China, J.H. Hsu Team is leading the team, which is scheduled to meet the Executive Chairman of the Board of Investment (BoI), Chairman of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and the Chairman of the Privatisation Commission.

The team will also visit various sites across the country to explore their investment options.

In its communiqué to the Ministry of Industries, the Chengtech Chinaware said that the delegation has planned to visit here "to survey the initial investment, manufacturing, logistics and export environment of Bangladesh".

It further noted that the company has informally conducted a number of survey trips in the past when it found there was a huge potential for investment in the country.

"We believe Bangladesh can be a future ceramic manufacturing base … it could be a ceramic centre of the region," the company said in the letter.

"From our survey we believe that there are sources of raw materials for ceramic in northern Bangladesh," it said.

Regarding the energy resources, the company observed, Bangladesh is a country with a large natural gas reserve.

However, local high quality coal can be another source if natural gas is unavailable, it said.

It said the company has a plan to set up a ceramic industrial zone where investors from China, Taiwan and Thailand could initially invest US$ 30 million.

Some 50,000 people will get jobs if the plan gets through, the company said.

Proper education can ensure peace

UNB, Dhaka

Prof Dr Emajuddin Ahmed said yesterday Mahatma Gandhi was the best personality of recent centuries for his prescription of building peace in the troubled world.

Prof Emajuddin said Gandhi's prescription for peace was the best option in the present day world, which is marred by war and conflict.

He made the statement at a discussion meant to mark the International Day of Non-violence at the Ramesh Chandra Majumdar auditorium on Dhaka University premises.

Prof Emajuddin said proper education was the key to change human psychology for quality politics and economic system that can ensure peace in the society.

"So we need to rethink about our education system," he said.

The birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) was recogniged as the Internatioanal Day of Non-Violence by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007.

The seminar was also told that the resolution by the General Assembly asked all members of the UN system to commemorate October 2 in "an appropriate manner and disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness."

The seminar was jointly organized by Center for Peace Initiatives (CPI), Gandhi Ashram Trust and Gono Unnayan Prochesta (GUP).

President of CPI Prof Dr Dil Rowshan Zinnat Ara Nazneen chaired the discussion while Dhaka University teacher Prof Dr Dalem Chandra Barman and Gandhi Ashram Trust Coordinator Pulak Raha also spoke on the occasion.

Bus catches fire in city

UNB, Dhaka

A CNG-run passenger bus caught after its gas cylinder exploded in the city's Khamarbari area yesterday afternoon, creating panic among its passengers.

Police said the gas cylinder of the Mothijheel-bound bus from Mirpur went off at Khamarbari crossing at about 4:35pm, but no one was hurt as all the passengers managed to get down before the fire could spread.

On information, firefighters rushed to the spot and doused the flame.

Police said defects in the gas cylinder might have caused the explosion, but the firefighters cited technical fault in the engine as the reason behind the explosion.

The bus partially got damaged in the explosion.

Mirza Azam released

UNB, Dhaka

Jubo League general secretary and former Awami League MP Mirza Azam was released on bail from Dhaka Central Jail yesterday evening.

His lawyer Motahar Hossain Saju told UNB that his client was released from the jail at 7:05pm.

On October 5, the vacation bench of the High Court granted bail to Azam in an EPR violation case.

Police arrested Azam on charges of violating the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) soon after his release from jail on bail on September 18 in a case involving ill-gotten wealth.

According to the prosecution, police had arrested Azam near GPO Crossing as he along with his party men was trying to break the EPR section 16 (2).

The HC had earlier granted him bail on September 16 for three months.

On July 16 this year, Azam was first sent to jail after Metropolitan Sessions Court denied him bail on his surrender in the ill-gotten wealth case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

3 held with a revolver

UNB, Dhaka

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested three young men along with a revolver from Hatirpool area in the city Monday night.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of RAB-2 arrested Khorul Islam alias Koru, Mahmudur Rahman alias Mamun and Arafat Alam alias Shuvo from behind shopping complex Eastern Plaza on Sonargaon road at about 10pm.