The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dialogue puts us to polls highway: Zillur: Contentious issues still unresolved

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed having the
dialogue with Awami League leaders at his office on
Thursday. PID photo

Senior BNP leaders holding a meeting at NAM Flat
residence of Khandker Delwar Hossain, Secretary General of
the party, about their preparation of dialogue with the
government on Thursday. Focus Bangla

Staff Reporter

The second phase of government talks with Awami League and BNP ended yesterday without specific decisions on their demands, particularly on unconditional release of their leaders, Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia and their participation in the forthcoming elections.

However, government spokesman Adviser for Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman told reporters that the highest security would be provided to two former prime ministers.

On emergency, the Adviser said the government would relax and repeal the emergency rules in phases in the quickest possible time to ensure safety and security of voters so that they can cast their votes freely in a peaceful atmosphere during the forthcoming polls.

"The government does not have intransigent attitude about the lifting of the state of emergency. We need to ensure safety of voters so they can vote freely and enthusiastically," he said while briefing reporters following the two-and-a-half-hour-long talks with the BNP.

He said that there are no obstacles for Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia in leading their respective party.

"Presence of both the leaders (Hasina and Khaleda) in politics has been ensured.

But the legal matters will be resolved through legal process," he added.

On the outcome of the dialogue, the Adviser said by participating in the talks, he said, "We all are on the electoral highway. We are now heading for the polls fast."

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed led the Government side while Adviser for Communications Ghulam Quader, Adviser for Law AF Hassan Ariff, Adviser for Foreign Affairs Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Adviser for LGRD Anwarul Iqbal and Adviser for Commerce Hossain Zillur Rahman were present.

During the three-hour long dialogue, the 8-member Awami League delegation led by its Acting President Zillur Rahman put forward a nine-point charter of demands while the 13-member BNP delegation led by its Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain placed their seven point demands.

Briefing reporters following the talks, AL Acting Secretary General Syed Ashraful Islam said decisions have come on some issues and some other issues remained still undecided.

He, however hoped that the undecided decisions would be taken in consideration within an expected time before the polls.

Dr Hossain Zillur said the dialogue with political parties was almost concluded, he said, "We are now discussing some very specific issues. These issues will be resolved through discussion."

The post-electoral scenario also came up for discussion, Hossain Zillur said, adding that they talked about how to keep the situation stable.

He said the AL demanded a gap between the national and upazila polls. "We placed some logic for holding the upazila polls immediately, as the grass-roots people are eager sfor upazila polls."

The adviser also hoped a resolution over redrawing of parliament constituencies would be reached soon.

Following the AL's demand for formulating an objective policy and code of conduct for all government and non-government media to ensure their neutral role during the polls, the adviser said, "We will sit with the representatives of mass media to work out a solution on the matter."

Syed Ashraful Islam said, " We talked about a number of crucial issues including unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina and her security."

AL also told the government that the provision that bill defaulters will not be eligible for the coming polls should be done away with.

AL acting president Zillur Rahman, presidium members Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury and Syed Ashraful Islam were in the AL team.

The meeting began at 2.30pm and continued till 5:30 pm at the Chief Adviser's office.

He said they reached a consensus on six points out of seven raised by the immediate-past ruling party, BNP, during the dialogue.

The two sides could not agree on deferment of the dates for the Upazila elections, which he said needs more discussions. "We've raised logic that the Upazila elections could be held on the announced dates," he said.

Regarding the delimitation of the constituencies, he said it is now pending with the court. The government will provide top security to BNP hairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina- two former prime ministers.

Reaffirming government position that the general election will be held on December 18, the adviser said, "We will have to work together so the elections in no way could be questioned."

Asked whether the two leaders will be able to take part in the elections, Zillur avoided a straight answer and said they would lead their parties and conduct political activities. "This will have a logical conclusion within the framework of law."

On government holiday and observance of May 30 and November 7 at state level-a strong plea from the BNP side--the Adviser said they would try to come to a permanent solution about these days mingled with emotions.

BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain told reporters that they reached consensus in principle on six points and hoped that the dates of the upazila polls would be deferred to a reasonable time.

"We've seen positive attitude of the government and we hope the government further expand this attitude," he said, adding that BNP will participate in the elections on December 18 in a congenial

atmosphere without the state of emergency.

"We want total withdrawal of the state of emergency," he asserted on this sticking point raised by both the former ruling parties.

The BNP delegation included Khandaker Delwar Hossain, M Saifur Rahman, Dr RA Gani, Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui, M Shamsul Islam, MK Anwar, T H Khan, Khandaker Mahbub Uddin, Nazrul Islam Khan, Selima Rahman, Sarwari Rahman, Brig (retd) Hannan Shah and Gaeyswar Chandra Roy.

Madrasah students’ admission: DU teachers divided

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz on
Thursday holds separate meetings with the teachers of White
Panel and Blue Panel over the madrasah students admission
issue. Banglar Chokh

DU Correspondent

The teachers of Dhaka University, divided into two groups, met yesterday Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz separately to clarify their position about the new condition, which was imposed on madrasah students to get admitted in the university.

White panel-supported teachers observed the condition as discriminatory and urged the VC to take necessary steps to withdraw the condition soon but blue panel-backed teachers insisted on keeping new rule.

Over two hundred teachers, backed by BNP-Jamaat, attended the meeting while around 35 teachers belonging to the Awami League and Left leaning organisations were present.

White panel teachers stated their position and said they would refrain from admission test related activities if the condition was not withdrawn. Even they might go for tougher movement, it was hinted.

Prof SMA Faiz told the journalists that he would call Deans` meeting soon to resolve the issue. "The Deans will take decision about what they will do. It is their duty, not mine," the VC said.

Prof Sadrul Amin, Dean of Arts Faculty and the President of Dhaka University Teachers` Association, said he did not know about the new condition despite being a Dean of the university.

The Chairmen of the departments, who imposed the condition, did not raise this issue in the admission committee's meeting, the white backed Dean said. Blue panel-backed teacher Prof Harun-or-Rashid, also the Dean of Social Science Faculty, said "This is the matter of respective departments." Any department can change their decision when they wish. But the chairmen of the departments presented the conditions in the admission committee, he said. Eight out of 10 white panel-supported Deans claimed that the condition was not presented in the admission committee.

Earlier, agitating students with madrasah background under the banner of "Committee to Protect Right Preservation of Madrasah Students" staged demonstration on the university campus and held a rally at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla after marching throughout the campus. Later, the students submitted a memorandum to the Chief Adviser through Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz at 11:00am.

a five member delegation of the organisation also went to the VC office but the VC was not present at the time. Later, an official of the VC office received the memorandum.

Woman beheaded at city apartment

Nasrin Aktar Tuli

Staff Reporter

A young woman was beheaded with sharp weapon at the second floor of an apartment in the city's Segunbagicha area yesterday morning.

Three persons including the mother of the alleged killer were also injured as they tried to resist him.

The victim was identified as Nasrin Aktar Tuli, daughter of Rashid Uddin of village Dakkhin Kotapara under Sarail upazila in Brahmanbaria. She passed LLB from the Capital Law College at Mohakhali in the city.

Tuli, an assistant of a senior lawyer, has been staying at the rented apartment of the mother of the alleged killer named Amin as a paying guest.

Officer in-charge of Shahbagh police station Md Rezaul Karim told the New Nation that motive of the brutal murder could not be established immediately.

Killer Amin told the police that he was mentally retarded.

Amin's mother Rokeya Begum told the police that her son returned to the apartment at 8:00 am yesterday after absence of three days and attacked her and his wife. As soon as Tuli came in front of Amin the latter chopped her with a sharp weapon separating her head from the body.

Neighbours said Amin got down from the apartment and came to the street carrying the separated head of the victim. Two persons were also injured when some locals chased him.

Later Amin was handed over to the police after giving a good beating.The police arrested Amin and took him to the Medical College Hospital.

A case was filed with the Shahbagh police station in this connection.

Amin's mother told the New Nation that she sent her son Amin to Saudi Arabia in 2002.He was put behind the bar for four years in Saudi Arabia.After serving prison term, Amin returned home last year and was married with Yasmin. Locals said Amin was involved in a rape case ten years ago. Hospital sources said the body of Tuli was handed over to her relatives after postmortem.

The incident cast a shadow of gloom in the area. Shocked people demanded impartial investigation into the incident.

Melamine contamination: HC asks govt to ban 8 milk powder brands

Staff Reporter

In a latest development the High Court yesterday ordered the government to ban display and sale of eight foreign milk powder brands, which were found contaminated with melamine in a Dhaka University laboratory test.

The eight banned brands are Australia's Diploma and Red Cow, Denmark's Dano Full Cream, China's Yashli-1, Yashli- 2 and Sweet Baby, and New Zealand's Nido Fortified Instant and Anlene.

The High Court also issued a show cause notice to the government to explain within four weeks why its previous inaction over stopping their sale should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench comprising Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Quamrul Islam gave the order on Thursday on a public interest litigation filed by a human rights organisation and others.

As many as eight litigants including 'Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh' filed the complaint.

The Home Secretary, Finance Secretary, Commerce Secretary, the National Board of Revenue Chairman, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, BSTI Director General and Inspector General Of Police have been named in the notice.

The laboratorial test of the Department of Chemistry of the University of Dhaka found that all the eight brands of milk contained melamine ranging between 40 milligram (mg) per kg to 450mg per kg.

The result showed Nido Fortified Instant contains highest level of melamine about 450mg per kg and Dano contains lowest level of melamine 40 mg per kg. Other brands, Sweet baby-2 contains 280 mg, Yashli-1 contains 140mg, Yashli-2 holds 290mg, Anline 200mg, Diploma 230mg, and Red Cow 300mg.

However, following demand of the multinational companies that the powder milk available in Bangladesh market do not contain melamine the government on October 19 decided to re-examine the sample of eight-powder milk brands that tested positive.

To this effect the government formed two committees to conduct three tests on the eight powder milk brands. The authorities asked the committees to submit their report within seven days.

A twelve-member expert committee comprising two teachers from Department of Chemistry of Dhaka University (DU), three members each from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), and the BCSIR, two members from Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI), one member each from the Health Ministry and the Plasma Plus, a private laboratory was formed to examine the milk powder.

The committee will conduct two tests separately on the eight powder-milk brands within the country and one in a foreign laboratory.

After getting the test report from the expert committees, the government will take final decision on the eight powder milk brands, Commerce secretary Firoz Ahmed told newsmen.

Govt to examine 36 brands of milk powder, baby food

Staff Reporter

The government will examine all 36 brands of milk powder available in the market to detect whether those are contaminated with melamine, expert committee sources said.

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has already colleted the 36 brands of milk powder that also include much talked about eight brands. A laboratory test of the Chemistry Department of university of Dhaka found the eight brands of milk contaminated with melamine.

Sources in the Ministry of Commerce said apart from powder milks the ministry will also examine baby foods available in the market considering health situation of infants.

Committee Convener Joint Secretary of Ministry of Commerce Mohammad Ali said the examination of all brands of milk powder will begin once the re-examination report of the eight brands of powder milk ends.

The expert committee, which formed to re-examine the eight brands of powder milks, has already started its work and yesterday visited the two labs of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Institute.

Meanwhile, the High Court yesterday ordered the government to ban display and sale of eight foreign milk powder brands, which were found contaminated with melamine in a Dhaka University laboratory test.

The eight banned brands are Australia's Diploma and Red Cow, Denmark's Dano Full Cream, China's Yashli-1, Yashli- 2 and Sweet Baby, and New Zealand's Nido Fortified Instant and Anlene.

The government, meantime, has started to upgrade the regulations regarding import of milk powder and baby foods.

Call to boycott artificial baby food

Staff Reporter

Experts and officials of Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation (BBF), a socio-welfare organisation, yesterday called the Government to discourage importing infant formula in the country and asked all concerned to put allout efforts to campaign for breastfeeding.

Existence of toxic melamine in powder milk samples of some major brands in the market exposes babies to the risk of feeding artificial food instead of breastfeeding, they said at a press conference organised by the BBF at Dhaka Reporters Unity.

Expressing their alarm that presence of melamine in powder milk already led to illness of many babies in China, BBF President SK Roy stressed the need for ensuring exclusive breastfeeding of infants up to six months and not to feed the babies infant formulas. He urged the authorities to stop marketing of artificial infant foods for safeguarding the health and welbeing of the future generations.

The BBF president said an infant does not require any food other than his or her mother's breast-feed until six months of age. He said breast feed that contains appropriate amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat is the perfect source of nutrition for infants.

Prof Soofia Khatoon, Secretary General of BBF said the exact composition of breast milk could be duplicated. Human milk contained living cells, hormones, active enzymes, and immunoglobulins that could be replicated in infant formula, she said.

Prof Dr Abdul Hannan, executive director of Institute of Child and Mother Health (ICMH) said breastfeeding provided the digestive proteins, minerals, vitamins, and hormones that infants need. Breast milk contained valuable antibodies from the mother that may help the baby resist infections, he added.

Biman Kumar Saha, executive Director of National Nutrition Program (NNP) said infants were not the only ones who benefit from breast-feeding; mothers, too, were the recipients of many positive hormonal and physical effects.

Among others, journalist Sarwar Zahan, chairperson of BMS code of BBF also spoke on the occasion.

UN under fire for failing to establish peace

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a discussion blasted United Nations for its failure to take effective steps for establishing peace and harmony in world and ensuring human rights.

The discussion on " United Nations for peaceful World" was held at VIP Lounge of National Press Club yesterday on the occasion of its 63th anniversary.

Speakers said the world is now in turmoil and peace is eluding people world over. They termed many of the steps of the United Nations controversial and called for establishing an alternative United Nations soon.

Amar Desh Pathak Mela and Debate Bangladesh jointly organised the discussion which was presided over by Mirza Galib, former president of Debate Bangladesh.

Professor Dr. Emaz Uddin Ahmed, Former Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University was chief guest at the function while Engineer Mahmudur Rahman, Chairman of Amar Desh Publication Ltd and former chairman of Investment Board, attended it as main speaker.

Dr. Abdul Mannan Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor of World University of Bangladesh, Dr. Habiba Khatun, Professor of Dhaka University, Advocate Shishir Monir, former president of Debate Bangladesh, among others, participating in the discussion.

Dr. Emaz Uddin said the United Nations was established to establish peace and protect humanity. But its contribution to realise those goals leaves much to be desired. He pleaded for increasing the budget of the world organisation.

Mahmudur Rahman said the United Nations was established after the second world war to rid the world of violence .He regretted that the world body dismally failed to stave off war, clashes and violence for its weak role.

He counselled the world body to play its role with firm determination in the interest of world peace and harmony.

The discussion was preceded by "United Nations Mock Model Debate." . Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron, Chairman, Debate For Democracy, moderated the mock debate.

3 businessmen missing with Tk 500m debt

Chittagong Correspondent

Three merchants engaged in delivery order (DO) brokerage at Khatunganj, biggest hub of the wholesalers, allegedly went underground yesterday keeping transactions of nearly 500 millions to fellow traders pending.

This is the second of such incident at Khatunganj in less than a week and recurrence of similar disappearance of merchants is widely known among the fellow traders.

Earlier, a trader went traceless without setting the prices of credit purchase of different commodities worth not less than 800 million. Leading merchants are now working hard to bring the missing trader back to business after amicable negotiations.

The incident of going underground by three of the leading merchants came to the notice of fellow traders when cheques given by the missing merchants started bouncing from the banks concerned.

As the news of cheque frauds went around at the business hub, credit dealing among the fellow merchants was halted. A kind of distrust and frustration shrouded the dynamic business place.

Some of the top merchants declined to call the incident 'fraud and disappearance' disappearance a case of financial insolvency but claimants did not agree with their contention.

Security agencies have been called in to investigate the incident and lend necessary cooperation to the claimants. Leading merchants are learnt to have been negotiating with the bankrupts through their employees and family members.

The trend of cheque frauds at Khatunganj started in 1980 when a number of traders suddenly became traceless leaving behind debts worth about Taka 600 million. Some 109 traders of this business hub did similar fraud over the last two decades and a half.

EC approves registration for AL, BNP, Jamaat, JP: Govt asks EC not to register Shahadate-Al-Hikma, Jagrata Muslim Janata, JMB, Huji as political parties

UNB, Dhaka

The Election Commission yesterday approved the registration procedures of major political parties like Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Party, thereby giving them ticket for going to the crucial polls in a changed situation.

The commission also started finalizing the registration process for other major political parties which have taken part in dialogue with the commission on electoral reforms that also induced changes in the parties.

Meanwhile, EC's technical committee head joint secretary NI Khan told reporters Thursday that the Home Ministry issued a notice to the Election Commission asking it not to register four parties with the commission for their suspected track records as militant groups.

The groups are Shahadat-e-Al-Hikma, Jagrata Muslim Janata, Jamaat-e-Mujaheedin and Harkatul Jihad.

"The first phase of registration work about Awami League, BNP, Jamaat and Jatiya Party has already been completed. Now I've asked for

publishing the public notification about them," Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda told reporters at the EC secretariat in reply to a question.

He said the commission got satisfied with the four political parties that had applied to the commission through submitting the requisite papers.

Dr Huda said there would be no problem for the remaining 12 political parties that participated in the dialogue to get registered with the commission. "But the field-level verification has been going on about the new political parties."

Asked whether the EC sees some alternatives to the delimitation issue, the CEC ruled out an alternative thinking as he said the hearing has been started in the High Court to settle the disputes. "I hope that the court will soon give us the decision about it," he said.

Replying to a question, Dr Huda reaffirmed that the election schedule would be announced on November 1 or 2 for the general election set for December 18. Describing party registration as a process of bringing the political parties in legal framework, he said the journey of democratization started off in the country through this process. "It's a pleasure that the political parties are cooperating with the commission about the registration."

Ban on anti-sculpture rally at airport

UNB, Dhaka

Government authorities banned the holding of rally by an organization styled Bimanbandar Golchattar Murti Protirodh Committee on the airport premises today. "It was learnt that the organization will hold a rally on the airport premises On October 24. Holding such programme is contrary to the Emergency Powers Rules, 2007," Dhaka Metropolitan Police said in issuing the prohibition.

The Metropolitan Police requested all concerned to refrain from holding such programme.

"Else, legal actions will be taken against the violators of the law," the police forewarned.

The religious group is agitating for dismantling the sculptures of mystic singer-philosopher Lalon Shah built on the Zia International Airport premises.