The New Nation - Internet Edition

Moeen inaugurates varsity at Mirpur Cantonment

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed offering munajat
after inaugurating the Bangladesh University of
Professionals at Mirpur Cantonment in the city on Thursday.
Banglar Chokh

BSS, Dhaka

Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed on Thursday formally inaugurated the country's 29th Public University named Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) at Mirpur Cantonment here.

"Necessity of establishing a separate university for professionals with facilities of providing higher education was felt since long. With the inauguration of the BUP, the long-cherished desire has come true, said General Moeen inaugurating the BUP as the chief guest.

The BUP will usher in a new chapter in making the members of the Armed Forces more knowledgeable," he said.

Earlier, Vice-Chancellor of the University, Major General Dr Abdul Wadud received the Chief of Army Staff at Mirpur Cantonment.

Terming the inauguration of the university as a centre of excellence, the Army Chief said the university has been established aiming at bringing all educational institutions of the armed forces under an umbrella.

General Moeen described the inception of the BUP as a milestone in the field of the country's higher education and said the university will be emerged as a "beacon of hope" to face the global challenge.

Acting Chiefs of Navy and Air Force, Principal Staff Officer of AFD, UGC Chairman, Secretaries, Vice-Chancellors of different universities, academics, high military and civil officials and Defence and military attaches of different countries were also present on the occasion.

The BUP has started its journey on June 5 this year, with nine affiliated academic institutions: National Defence College (NDC), Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC), Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Armed Forces Medical Institute (AFMI), Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA), Bangladesh Naval Academy (BNA) and Bangladesh Air Force Academy (BAFA).

Initially bachelor degrees of 10 categories in various disciplines of Engineering, Medicine and General Education and Masters degrees of 25 categories in various disciplines of Military Studies, War Studies, Medicine and M Phil will be awarded from this BAU.

The University has full authority like any other public university to confer Ph D degrees. It has five faculties: Faculty of Security and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Technical Studies, Faculty of Medical Studies and Faculty of General Studies to facilitate smooth academic activities.

Besides, Faculty of Business Studies is the direct teaching faculty of the university initially for MBA and Executive MBA and subsequently BBA programmes.

The BUP will deal not only with the education of the Armed Forces personnel but also the civilian students from home and abroad through its affiliated bodies.

Hasnat Abdul Hye joins New Nation as Advisory Editor

Hasnat Abdul Hye

Hasnat Abdul Hye has joined the Daily New Nation as Advisory Editor. Born in 1939, he studied Economics in Dhaka and Washington University and in London School of Economics. He started his career as a teacher in Dhaka University and later joined civil service retiring as Secretary, Govt. of Bangladesh.

Hasnat Abdul Hye is a renowned litterateur and received Bangla Academy Award and Ekushey Padak for his contribution to literature. He has been a regular columnist in English and Bengali dailies.

Obama seen as winner after feisty final debate with McCain

Obama and McCain

BBC Online

Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama head into the final 19-day stretch of their presidential campaigns Thursday after a feisty final debate that snap polls say further cemented Obama's lead in the race.

McCain aggressively and even angrily attacked Obama's policy ideas and goals during Wednesday night's debate in a bid to turn around his flagging campaign.

But instant polls by television networks said voters were dismayed by the Republican's negative barrage, with Obama declared the decisive victor in the candidates' last scheduled face-to-face clash before the November 4 election.

McCain, down a hefty 14 points in one poll as the United States weathers its worst financial crisis in decades, savaged Obama's ties to 1960s radical William Ayers and said his tax plans were nothing more than "class warfare."

Keeping his composure, Obama in turn accused McCain of trying to distract voters on a day that New York's Dow Jones share index posted its second-biggest points fall ever on mounting fears of a crippling US recession.

McCain, 72, said he did not care about "an old washed-up terrorist" like Ayers, once a bomb-throwing militant in the Weather Underground group who is now a Chicago professor of education.

"But as Senator (Hillary) Clinton said in her debates with you, we need to know the full extent of the relationship with you," he said, glaring at Obama seated on the other side of a narrow table at New York's Hofstra University.

McCain also assailed the liberal group ACORN, which is accused in several states of adding fraudulent names to pro-Obama voter registration lists, and chided Obama for persistently linking him to President George W. Bush.

"Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago," McCain said, proclaiming his record of bucking the Republican line in contrast to Obama's inexperience.

Obama, 47, accused McCain of wildly distorting the truth over both Ayers and ACORN, and said voters were turned off by the "100 percent negative" tone taken by the Republican's campaign at a time of rampant economic anxiety.

Obama said he could be forgiven for mistaking McCain's policies for Bush's "because on the core economic issues that matter to the American peoplet you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush."

"I don't mind being attacked for the next three weeks," the Illinois senator added during one of several spirited clashes in the 90-minute debate, which also encompassed abortion, energy, health care and education.

"What the American people can't afford, though, is four more years of failed economic policies and what they deserve over the next four weeks is that we talk about what is most pressing to them, the economic crisis."

Both men appealed to 'Joe the plumber' , or Toledo, Ohio resident Joe Wurzelbacher, who found instant fame when he bumped into Obama on Sunday during a round of door-to-door canvassing and expressed concern that Obama's tax plan would hit him hard.

"Joe wants to buy the business that he's been in for all these years," McCain said. "Worked 10, 12 hours a day. And he wanted to buy the business, but he looked at your tax plan and he saw that he was going to pay much higher taxes."

Obama hit back with his version of his chat with Joe.

"What I essentially said to him was, five years ago, when you were in the position to buy your business, you needed a tax cut then.

"And what I want to do is to make sure that the plumber, the nurse, the firefighter, the teacher, the young entrepreneur who doesn't yet have money, I want to give them a tax break now."

McCain adviser Steve Schmidt, the architect of the Republican's get-tough strategy, insisted the Arizona senator had triumphed in the final debate.

"Senator McCain did a very efficient job and won the debate on the economy tonight. It's clear to anyone who watched tonight that Senator Obama wants to spend our way into a depression," he told reporters.

But the post-debate TV polls told a different story. In CNN's poll, 58 percent of respondents said Obama won the debate compared to 31 for McCain, with 70 percent saying Obama was more likeable. A CBS poll scored the debate 53-22 percent for the Democrat. "(McCain) looked frankly desperate, he looked angry, frankly he did not look presidential," Democratic Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm said.

A New York Times-CBS News poll late Tuesday had Obama ahead nationally by the huge margin of 14 points, 53 to 39 percent.

CNN-Time polls showed Obama up five points among registered voters in Colorado, by eight in Florida, by three in Missouri and by 10 in Virginia-which has not voted for a Democratic presidential hopeful since 1964.

Steps taken to remove traffic jam in city

BSS, Dhaka

A number of steps, including formulation of a traffic policy have been taken to ease the vehicular congestion in the city, Home Secretary Abdul Karim told reporters on Thursday.

The Home Secretary was briefing the journalists after a review meeting at the Home Ministry yesterday on the progress of implementation of the decisions taken at the Chief Adviser's Office to remove the traffic jam in the city.

The meeting, chaired by Adviser for Home Affairs Major General (retd) MA Matin was attended by Communications Secretary Dr Mahbubur Rahman, Education Secretary Momtazul Islam, IGP Nur Mohammad, DMP Commissioner Naeem Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of DCC, chairman of BRTA and other concerned officials.

Abdul Karim said a high-level meeting to ease the traffic jam in Dhaka city will be held next week. The Chief Adviser is expected to attend the meeting, he added.

He said Dhaka Metropolitan Police have already identified 65 points of traffic jams. Those included-Shapla chattar at Motijheel, Malibagh crossing, Maghbazar crossing, Shahbagh crossing, Farmgate, Mohakhali and Bijoy Sarani.

The home secretary said 269 parking areas have been earmarked in the metropolis along with works on parking of buses at the parking bay are going on.

He also pointed out that decision has been taken to take stern measures to prevent car parking at random. Apart from conducting mobile courts to stop plying of outdated and old buses in the city, 40 bus routes have been fixed for smooth vehicular movements which will come into effect by October 20, he said.

The communications secretary also briefed the journalists saying that 500 quality buses will be introduced on the city routes of which 300 will be belonged to the BRTC.

The parking policy has already been prepared which will be finalised within one month. On an average 101 different types of new buses are hitting the city streets, he added.

Dr Mahbub said the DMP would take necessary steps to restore discipline in parking management at Motijheel, Gulshan, Banani and Dhanmondi areas. It would also ensure loading and unloading of goods including perishables items inside the city at night, he said.

Int’l business confce begins in city Oct 31

Staff Reporter

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) will organise an International Business Conference in the city on October 31 and November 1 to mark its 50th founding anniversary.

The conference will be held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre. Leading economists, entrepreneurs, policy makers, trade ministers, Nobel laureates, chamber leaders and members of international media are expected to attend the conference.

The theme of the conference is "Next Fifteen Years: A Vision for Growth."

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed is expected to inaugurate the conference at 9:30am on October 31 while UNCTAD Secretary-General Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi will be the keynote speaker.

DCCI sources said the conference programmes include, four parallel roundtables, trade fair, a grand light and sound show at Lalbagh Fort depicting changes of couture and cuisine of Dhaka over the last 400 year, unwrapping of a book on 400 years of Commercial history of Dhaka and DCCI business awards.

Amu, Suranjit could not meet Hasina

Staff reporter

Awami League (AL) presidium member Amir Hossain Amu yesterday said that during his visit to Brussels and London he could not meet with party chief Sheikh Hasina as she was busy with family affairs.

Amu was talking to reporters at his residence on his return home at the end of his 11-day visit to Brussels and London where he held meetings with the European Commission officials. Another AL presidium member Suranjit Sen Gupta accompanied him. Amu said, " I talked to her over telephone. During the telephonic talks Hasina gave guidelines on some vital issues such as party strategy ahead of general elections, grand alliance and distribution of seats among allies.

Replying to a question, Amu said Suranjit and himself attended meetings at the European Institution with the permission of Hasina.

He informed that they held a series of extensive meetings with the EU officials including James Moran, External Relations Director for Asia, as well as Helen Campbell, head of unit for Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Mrs Hernadez, Desk officer Bangladesh.

"During these meetings we made it clear that we are ready and willing to face long-awaited national election," he said.

Amu said that the EU delegates asked him to know about latest political development and the upcoming general election.

He further said during the meetings with the EC Commission officials they raised the issues of unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina, complete withdrawal of state of emergency and deferment of the upazila polls by at least 45 days after the national elections.

Expansion of trade, export of frozen fish from Bangladesh to EU countries and co-operation in the field of textile also figured prominently during our talks, he noted.

He blamed the government for lobbying in the international field for lingering state of emergency.

He was also critical of the government for holding meeting with a person like Ali Ahasan Mujahid, Secretary General of Jamaat-e- Islam, who is evading arrest. "The government itself is irresponsible for the state of the law and order," he observed.

Contaminated milk 5,800 Chinese babies hospitalised

AP, Beijing

Nearly 6,000 Chinese babies remain hospitalized with kidney problems resulting from milk powder adulterated with the industrial chemical melamine, the Health Ministry said.

Six of the children were in serious condition, the ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site late Wednesday.

The government has been trying to contain the fallout after baby formula contaminated with melamine was blamed for causing the deaths of four infants and sickening about 54,000 other children in mainland China.

In Hong Kong, the government said Wednesday another child had been found with kidney stones after drinking Chinese-made tainted milk, the eighth such case in the territory.

The 8-year-old boy was hospitalized after being diagnosed with a stone in his right kidney, the Department of Health said. The boy had been drinking three packs of pure milk produced by a Chinese dairy each week since 2003, authorities said.

The tainted milk scandal has sparked global concern about Chinese food imports, with more than 30 countries restricting Chinese dairy products, and in some cases all Chinese food imports.

China's iconic White Rabbit candy returned to the shelves in Shanghai on Wednesday, but company officials said overseas sales would resume only later, the Shanghai Daily reported. The candy was pulled from shelves in the U.S., Europe and Asia following tests that found it contained melamine.

A company official said they were no longer using milk from companies on the blacklist compiled by China's food quality authority.

China sought to reassure Taiwanese consumers that its dairy products were safe, saying Wednesday that mainland authorities were very concerned about the scandal.

"We have taken a serious approach," Yang said. "China has launched a thorough investigation into this issue to help restore the trust of Taiwanese consumers."

After China's melamine tainting scandal broke last month, Taiwanese authorities launched a sweeping inspection of milk powders and related food items. More than 160 products containing Chinese milk and vegetable-based proteins have been removed from stores.

Taiwanese and Chinese food safety authorities have agreed to set up a hot line to inform each other of food safety emergencies.

The Chinese milk scare and related economic losses have led to renewed Taiwanese animosity toward rival China. The two sides split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing still claims the island as a part of its territory.

On Thursday, Vietnamese state media reported that melamine was found in three milk products imported into the country from Singapore.

Recent tests found melamine in products from Pokka Corp., a Singaporean company, according to a report on Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper. It did not give details on the level of contamination.

About 1,000 cans of the three products, including milk melon and milk coffee were recalled, the report said.

Chinese authorities have blamed dairy suppliers for the food safety scandal that began last month, saying they added melamine to watered-down milk to fool quality control tests and make the product appear rich in protein.

Melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers, can cause kidney stones as the body tries to eliminate it and, in extreme cases, lead to life-threatening kidney failure. Infants are particularly susceptible.

CA, EC talk 'polls preparation’

Bdnews24.com Dhaka

Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed had talks with chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda and two other election commissioners on preparations for elections yesterday

After a meeting at the Chief Adviser's Office, election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain said they primarily focused on the December national election.

"We apprised the CA of our overall preparation for the national polls," Sakhawat told bdnews24.com.

Registration of political parties and the tasks of the EC were also on the agenda.

Wrapping up exams at all educational institutions by November, appointment and training of election officials, and the law and order situation were also discussed at the meeting.

The EC has extended the deadline for political parties to apply for registration by Oct 20.

As of Thursday, 29 political parties including Awami League had applied.

BNP and its allies, however, have so far refused to take a decision on registration, saying it would not be possible before further talks and consensus with the government on several debated issues.

BNP leaders say they expect to have another dialogue with the government before Oct 20.

Sakhawat Hussain said that the state of emergency came up for discussion at the meeting, with the CA stressing that the government would soon take a decision on the matter.

The CEC had said earlier in the week that any specific clauses in Emergency Powers Rules to which parties objected, they should discuss directly with the government in dialogue.

The national election is set for Dec 18, and upazila polls for Dec 24 and 28.

The CEC has said the schedule for polls would be announced by Nov 2.

Advisers were also present in yesterday meeting..

Judicial Commission meets : 4 names recommended for appointment as Appellate Divn Judges

UNB, Dhaka

A meeting of the Judicial Commission, headed by Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin, yesterday recommended to the President the names of eligible candidates drawn from the High Court Division for appointment as Appellate Division Judges.

After the meeting, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President and member of the Judicial Commission Barrister Shafique Ahmed told UNB that four names, two for each vacant post in the Appellate Division, were recommended maintaining the seniority list of the High Court judges.

They are Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman, Justice M Abdul Quddus, Justice M Abdul Aziz and Justice Bijan Kumar Das. Two Judge's posts at the Appellate Division have been lying vacant since July this year, court sources said.

No name was available before the table for scrutinizing additional judges of the High Court Division, the Bar leader added. Law Adviser AF Hassan Ariff and Attorney General Salah Uddin Ahmed were, among others, present at the meeting of the nine-member Judicial Commission.

Both divisions of the apex court have been suffering from shortage of judges.

On March 26, President Prof Iajuddin Ahmed promulgated the Supreme Judicial Commission Ordinance 2008 as part of interim government measures to remove the scope for politicization in appointment of judges to both the High Court and the Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court.

The interim government has taken the initiative in the face of a strong public demand, as all the successive governments in the past had allegedly appointed judges to the apex court 'on political considerations' sans academic qualifications, professional skills, honesty and reputation.

The ordinance prescribes the formation of a nine-member commission, headed by the chief justice, which will recommend names for appointment as additional judges to the High Court.

The commission will also recommend names of eligible candidates drawn from the HC Division for appointment as judges of the Appellate Division.

DU lab gutted

DU Correspondent

The office and the lab of Genetic Engineering and Bio-technology Department of Dhaka University were gutted in a fire yesterday morning.

Electric short circuit was blamed for the fire.

On information, the fire service people rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire. But they could not save computers, air coolers and other accessories from destruction.

Vice-Chancellor of the University Prof SMA Faiz, Pro VC Prof Yusuf Haider and Proctor Prof AK Firoz Ahmed visited the spot and assured to extend necessary help.

An investigation committee headed by Dr Jesmin, chairman of the same department has been formed to investigate into incident and asked to submit its report within three days.

BNP must apply by Oct 20 for registration: EC

BSS, Dhaka

Election Commissioner Muhammad Sahul Hossain on Thursday said BNP must apply for registration by October 20 if it wants to be registered with Election Commission (EC).

"It is its matter whether the party will decide about the registration after dialogue with the government. But, our deadline is October 20," he said adding "the party must apply by that time if it wants to be registered."

Talking to reporters at his office, Sahul Hossain said a technical committee is scrutinizing the applications and the constitutions of the political parties submitted to the commission for registration.

He said the parties concerned would be notified about any discrepancies in their constitutions and giving opportunity to correct those by October 30.

The commissioner said the EC asked the authorities concerned to remove all posters with Eid-greetings from walls and islands of the city by October 15. The commission will preserve pictures of the posters of the persons, who are yet to remove their posters even after expiry of the timeframe.

"If the persons want to contest in any future election, they may face trouble," he warned.

Another commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said the EC would inquire the allegation of distributing cash and kinds among the people by the aspirants of the next election. He urged the people to inform the field level EC officials of any such allegation.

Graft cases: Ex-minister, MP among 24 to be chargesheeted

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission has decided to charge sheet former state minister Salahuddin Ahmed, ex-MP Reza Ahmed Bachchu, Awami League leader MK Alamgir's two sons and 20 others in seven graft cases.

ACC director general (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told the Commission's regular briefing yesterday that the anti-graft watchdog has approved the submission of charge sheets in these cases.

Former State Minister for Communications Salahuddin and 15 others will be charge-sheeted in the case filed for grabbing land of others through abuse of power.

The ACC will press charges against ex-lawmaker Bachchu for corruption relating to CI sheet while AL leader Alamgir's sons Jalal Alamgir and Joy Alamgir will be charge-sheeted in separate cases filed for not submitting their wealth statements in due time.

Patuakhali Pourasava mayor Moshtaque Ahmed Pinu and sub-assistant engineer Abdul Latif Khan will be charge-sheeted for misappropriating about Tk 1.02 crore.

Charge-sheets will be submitted in two more cases against another three individuals for misappropriation of money.

Three killed in Rangpur Road mishap

UNB, Rangpur

Three people were killed in a road accident at Baniapara Hajir Hat on Rangpur-Dinajpur highway in Sadar upazila late Wednesday night.

The deceased were identified as Korban Ali, 18, a rickshaw puller, and two rickshaw passengers, Arif, 15, and Labu, 28.

Police said the accident occurred as a paddy laden truck hit a rickshaw from behind, killing the rickshaw puller and its two passengers on the spot.

Being angered over the accident, local people set two goods laden trucks and another night coach of Shaymoli paribahan on fire and blocked the highway, hampering vehicular movement.

Vehicular movement on the highway resumed at 4am with the intervention of police.