The New Nation - Internet Edition

Melamine-tainted milk still on sale

Chittagong Correspondent

The High Court's ban on the display and sale of eight foreign brands of milk powder is not being complied with in the port city mainly in the absence of monitoring and enforcement of the order by the law enforcers and the local administration.

The High Court bench on Thursday prohibited display and sale of Australian brand Diploma and Red Cow, Denmark's Dano Full Cream , China's Yashili-1, Yashili-2, Sweet Baby-2, New Zealand's Nido Fortified Instant and Anlene for containing melamine.

Grocers at majority of the kitchen markets in the city have neither removed the banned brands of the milk powder nor stopped their sale. In some cases the grocers traded hot words with the customers defying the ban.

"Why should we take these brands down from the display and stop selling. We have cash involvement in the trading of these products. If we stop selling the brands who will compensate us?" shot back a grocer at the city's Karnaphuli market.

People not aware of the High Court's ban and ignorant of the adverse impacts of melamine contained power milk order are still buying the banned items. Absence of suitable alternatives are also forcing to buy these brands without hesitation. Prices of the banned brands have not even fallen in most cases, locals said.

A retired official said that only the court order would not work against the greedy and unscrupulous grocers. Strong monitoring and mass awareness could successfully stop the sale of these toxic brands.

Some of the residents expressed their apprehension that the dishonest power milk traders might try to push the sale of banned milk brands by subtly changing the packets.

"Who is there to protect us from the hands of the culprits when the government itself denied responsibility and asked parents to make the decision on giving the toxic milk to their children?", a social researcher said while explaining the health hazards of consuming these toxic brands.

An official of the district administration, however, said that vigilance against rotten and toxic milk powder has been going on over the last couple of months.

He informed that vigilance team would be sent to the field from today (Saturday) and legal action would be taken against the violators of the High Court order.

Tigers meet Kiwis in 2nd Test today

Mohammad Ashraful & Daniel Vettori

Sports Reporter

After losing a hard-fought three-wicket defeat by New Zealand in the first Test in Chittagong on October 21, Bangladesh will meet New Zealand in the second Test which starts today at 9-30 AM at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS). Bangladesh Television will telecast the match live everyday from the stadium while Bangladesh Betar will be airing the running commentary everyday.

Before today's Test match, Bangladesh faced New Zealand in seven Test matches but the Tigers lost to the Kiwis in all the affairs.

Mohammad Ashraful, the skipper of Bangladesh team said, "Daniel Vettori was the difference in the first Test match and we will have to find ways to get him early. We still have a lot of positives from the first Test as we bowled and batted well but could not finish it off." Ashraful said they have the talent to win the second Test. He said the pitch will support their bowlers. He also said They did well in the ODIs and also in the first Test. He hopes to continue that performance in the second Test.

When asked about his own performance, he said that he would try to do better in the last and final Test.

Daniel Vettori said, "I am not mutch concerned whether Bangladesh team will make a come back after a close fight in the first Test," Vettori said they have got to improve from their first Test performance.

It may be mentioned that Kiwis all-rounder Jacob Oram can not take part in the second Test due to injury.

Bangladesh team took part in the full-fledged practice session at the SBNS yesterday morning while the Kiwis had not their practice at the afternoon due to dizzle at the same ground.

Anti-sculpture rally foiled near airport

Police and members of the statue demolition
committee met face-to-face near Zia International airport as
their scheduled rally could not be held due to intervention
of the law-enforcing agency. NN photo Police and members of
the statue demolition commit

Staff Reporter

Murti Protirodh Committee, a newly formed body against sculptures, failed to hold their scheduled anti-sculptures rally in the city yesterday, as a huge number of police were deployed following government ban on such programmes.

Police said some 25 platoons of police, each having 25 members, were deployed since morning at the Zia International Airport (ZIA) roundabout where a sculpture depicting five `bauls' was installed but later removed by the government in the face of heavy protest by fanatics. Besides, some 12 platoons of police were also deployed outside the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque to avert any untoward incidents following demands by the same group for constructing a Hajj Minar at the ZIA roundabout.

The Committee also could not hold their anti-sculptures rally at the Baitul Mokarram National Mosque premises due to heavy police presence.

Police earlier gave the `musullis' (devotees) body-check before allowing them inside the mosque for Jum'a prayers.

Officer-in-Charge of Paltan Police Station Farid Hossain told the New Nation that the members of the committee opposing sculptures wanted to hold a rally at the north gate of the Baitul Mukarram mosque but they were asked to leave as the DMP imposed ban on such programme.

Failing to hold their programme, the leaders of the committee strongly criticised the role of police and demanded removal of all the sculptures set up on important roads across the country.

They also demanded immediate construction of a `Hajj Minar' at the ZIA.

Earlier, on Thursday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) slapped a ban on a rally called by an organisation styled `Bimanbandar Golchattar Murti Protirodh Committee' on the airport premises.

DU taboo on madrasa students: Is it compatible with varsity rules?

MD Jamal Uddin

The dream of madrasah students to get admitted to the country's highest seat of learning- University of Dhaka- faded, as a group of teachers are out to resist their entry to the university.

Questions have been raised from different quarters as to why the teachers of the blue panel are vehemently opposing their admission when the madrasah background students are cutting good scores in almost all departments and many of them are becoming teachers for their outstanding results.

The decision contravenes the Constitution of the country and Dhaka University ordinance 1973.

Article 28 of Section 3 of the Bangladesh Constitution stated that no citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth be subjected to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to any place of public entertainment or resort, or admission to any educational institution.

Section 6 of the University ordinance mentions that university shall be open to all persons of either sex and of whatever religion, race, creed, class or colour.

Sources said the blue panel took the stance in a bid to keep their hegemony in DU administration as well as in different bodies of the university.

It was observed that in recent past, the blue panel teachers have faced defeat in all elections, including DU Teachers' Association (DUTA), Deans' committee, Syndicate and Senate elections. The madrasah background teachers played an important role in defeating the blue panel in those elections.

As madrasah students they are doing academically well in large number and becoming teachers, the blue panel finds it difficult to win the elections in future.

Many teachers and students termed the act of blue panel irrational and undemocratic.

"It is totally unjust to destroy one's academic life," said a teacher of the rival group of the university.

He also apprehended that if the madrasah students were barred from entering the mainstream education system, frustration would grip them, which might lead to the boom of extremist activities in the country.

Another BNP-backed senior teacher of the university said the decision is discriminatory as the government recognised the madrasah students equivalent to the students of HSC. He also said this was a lame excuse to gain personal agenda.

The left-leaning students' organisations are also opposing the DU authority's decision, though not in public.

"The total education system-from primary to higher level is inter-related. The authorities cannot bar them at the university level, as they are not responsible for the curriculum of the secondary and higher secondary levels under madrasah board," said a top leader of Bangladesh Chhatra Federation.

Md Nuruzzaman, convener of 'Committee to Protect Rights of Madrasah Students' (CPRMS), said the authority's discriminatory decision violates 1973 University Ordinance, the Constitution of the country and United Nations Human Rights Charter.

"We are not seeking anybody's empathy, we are just demanding our democratic rights to sit for the admission test," he said.

DU Teachers' Association (DUTA) president and the Dean of Arts Faculty Prof Sadrul Amin said, "The authority's decision is completely discriminatory, undemocratic and anta-constitutional"

Prof Harun-or-Rashid, Dean of Social Science Faculty, said, " The number of drop outs is increasing day by day in the university due to admission of underqualified madrasah students."

Asked to give the number of dropouts, he said he was not obliged to give an answer to the question.

The madrasah students have been passing their examinations by unfair means, said Blue panel-backed Prof Mohammad Samad and added that they have no qualifications to cope with the general students, he said.

Eight top DU departments-Economics, English, International Relations, Bangla, Mass Communication and Journalism, Information and Library Science, Linguistics and Public Administration-recently enacted a new admission rule barring the madrasah background students.

The Department of Public Administration later withdrew the decision.

"We withdrew the decision as we observed that madrasah background students were clinching the top positions almost every year in my department," said Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, Chairman of the Department.

Loopholes in the Right to Information Ordinance: Experts point at 20 cases in which information may be withheld

Mamunur Rashid

The Right to Information Ordinance, which is meant to ensure people's inalienable right to information, has several loopholes, specialists taking a cue from similar laws in different countries, including India said.

Under ordinance there are 20 cases in which requests for information can be denied, including cases of corruption and human rights violations in any department of the Government.

It has restricted people's access to information classified under at least 20 categories, which will obstruct journalists from disseminating information on important issues in a responsible way.

Designated officials will have to comply with information requests from the public within 20 days of formally receiving them. But in cases involving the right to life and liberty, requests for information would have to be met within 24 hours.

There are some provisions, which weaken economic and business reporting disregarding the principles of mass communication, the specialists said.

A number of security and intelligence agencies have been kept out of purview. However, if the information related to their corruption and human rights violation is demanded, they are obligated to provide those within 30 days under the ordinance.

The ordinance came into effect with the government publishing a gazette notification late Monday asking authorities concerned to appoint a responsible officer within 60 days of the promulgation of the law at each information delivery unit.

People will have to wait 90 working days before they can make use of the law to get information from all public, autonomous and statutory organisations and other private institutions run on government or foreign funding.

According to an official statement issued Monday night an Information Commission would be formed within the next 90 days to oversee execution of the law and resolve public complaints regarding access to information.

The agencies, which would remain out of the jurisdiction of the law, are National Security Intelligence (NSI), Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Defence Intelligence Unit and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police.

The Special Security Force (SSF), intelligence cell of National Board of Revenue (NBR), Special Branch of Police and intelligence unit of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) would also be kept out of its purview.

The ordinance classifies such information which may pose threat to security, integrity and sovereignty national, obstruct law enforcement or incite any offence, endanger public security or impede due judicial process of a pending case that cannot be divulged.

The ordinance also provides for with holdings such classifies information that may effect any criminal investigation, be prejudicial to the special rights of Parliament, documents including summaries to be placed before the cabinet, or the council of advisers and information relating to discussion and decision of such meetings.

Politicians must bring about qualitative change: Hossain Zillur

UNB, Dhaka

Education and Commerce adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said yesterday that quality improvement of politics in the country is now a major challenge, but it is the only way to bring about overall qualitative change in society.

He made remark while speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of the four-day 'International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC)' at Hotel Sheraton.

Bangladesh Society of Total Quality Management (BSTQM) has organized the 33rd conference of ICQCC. Some 500 foreign delegates - from a number of countries including Japan, South Korea, India, Nepal, Pakistan Singapore, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Taiwan-have signed up for the conference.

Inaugurating the conference, Dr Hossain Zillur reminded that

politics is a noble profession whose fundamental task is to ensure public welfare.

He said: "The country is already on the 'highway of election' and it is now time for our political leaders to bring about qualitative change in politics."

The Adviser also suggested change of attitude in every sector of society including education, politics and public administration. "We must have a total vision and education can be the key medium for such a change," he said.

BSTQM president MA Awal, secretary general AMM Khairul Bashar and former Vice-Chancellor of BUET Prof. Dr. Abdul Matin Patwary also spoke at the inaugural session.

BSTQM president said quality control here means an improvement in work culture, human relations, empowerment, solving problem and quality of human resources.

Hhe said Bangladesh policymakers and entrepreneurs would get an opportunity to share experience and knowledge at the conference with their counterparts from developed countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

Four special keynote papers on quality management in public and private sectors were presented at the conference today. Some 155 case studies and 10 technical papers covering steel, dockyard, power, textile, electronics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, real estate, defence, education and service industry will also be presented.

Low over Bay: Maritime ports advised to hoist cautionary signal three

Chittagong Correspondent

After a week-long hot spell the port city and the coastal areas in the region yesterday experienced light to moderate showers under the influence of depression in the west- central Bay.

Though the rainfall gave some relief to the people hitherto smarting under sweltering heat it damaged seedlings of winter vegetables at some places in the region much to the frustration of small growers.

Meanwhile, a weather bulletin said that the well-marked low over west-central Bay and adjoining area has moved to west-northwest direction and has been getting stronger.

It is likely to intensify further and move to a north or northwesterly direction affecting the usual operation of the maritime ports. Maritime ports in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal number three.

All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay and deep sea have been advised to get nearer to the coast and proceed with caution.

Body of SDO exhumed after 37 years

Narail Correspondent

The body of Sub-Divisional Officer of Narail, Amjad Ali Khan, was exhumed on Thursday from his grave in Narail and returned to his native Patuakhali district after 37 years of his killing.

Prof Monwara Begum, Head of the Department of Political Science of Government Titumir College in Dhaka, daughter of the deceased, and her brother Didarul Alam, received the body from Mohishkhola area in the town.

She said at the fag end of the Liberation War on December 10 in 1971 some freedom fighters took her father and his Office Assistant Yahia Khan to the Dak Banglow by the order of the Area Commander, Captain Komol Siddiquee.

His captors shot him and Yahia dead on the bank of river Chitra. Two days later on December 12 his dead body was found floating on the river, earlier on December 10 the body of Yahia Khan was recovered. Family members of Yahia buried both the bodies on the south side of Mohishkhola mosque in the town.

Prof Monwara Begum claimed her father was not engaged in any anti- liberation activities.

When contacted, Captain (Retd) Kamol Siddique said that they had no plan to kill either Amjad or Yahia at that time. The killing could have happened due to victims' personal clash with the freedom fighters, who were not under strict discipline at that time.

Police on action

Staff Reporter

Police will arrest the persons who will display and sell the eight foreign milk powder brands found contaminated with melamine in a Dhaka University laboratory test following the direction of the concerned authority.

Inspector General of Police Nur Muhammad said yesterday that his administration received the copy of the High Court order in this regard.

"If the concerned authorities direct us, we will deploy police force to arrest the persons, who will display and sell the eight brands," he said.

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 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 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 laboratory 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.

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.

Big parties consensus: Graft convicts to be kept at bay

Rafiqul Islam Azad

The major political parties, including BNP and Awami League, want people found corrupt by the court to be disqualified not only for elections but their party membership should also be terminated.

Leaders of the parties, however, told The New Nation yesterday that convicted people should get the opportunity to be heard in higher courts.

The leaders said this when their attention was drawn to the list of convicted corrupt political leaders and activists submitted to the government recently by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Awami League presidium member Suranjit Sengupta told this correspondent that if anybody in the party is convicted by the Supreme court on corruption charges, his party would not own them.

“But we (Awami League) cannot take a decision in this regard before having final judgment from higher courts,” he said.

Asked to comment on the fate of convicted party leaders and activists, AL leader Amir Hossain Amu and Abdur Razzak said the matter is yet to be discussed at any level of the party.

“We will take decision after observing all aspects relating to the matter,” Amu said.

Abdur Razzak said the government is yet to inform them formally to this effect.

BNP Standing Committee Member Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman told The New Nation that according to their party constitution, convicted persons are not only disqualified to take part in the elections but there is also no room for them within the party also.

Asked about the party stand regarding convicted party leaders, the BNP leader said it is a matter of law and court.

“Nobody is above law. We will remain respectful to the law of the land,” he added.

BNP Vice-President MK Anwar, however said that BNP’s position in this regard is to abide by the existing laws of the country.

He explained that if anyone is convicted for more than two years under the existing law, he/she cannot take part in the elections. But, according to him disqualifying anyone before the final judgment by the higher courts is nothing but the violation of the Constitution and that is not acceptable.

“None should be disqualified before appeal to the higher court,” the BNP leader observed.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed told this correspondent that if anyone is convicted by the highest court through open trial, he/she will be able to participate in the polls.

“But if the trail is not conducted in open court and there is no scope for the convicted people to appeal in the higher court, we will not be able to give nomination to them despite having our willingness.

“That’s why, the Jamaat leader said, “We always oppose existence of state of emergency which violates the Constitutional and fundamental rights of the citizen.”

The ACC list said a total of 116 persons including former ministers, MPs, political leaders belonging to the major parties, their family members, ward commissioners, businessmen, bureaucrats and trade union leaders have so far been convicted by the trial courts in 100 cases on corruption charges under the state of emergency.

Most of the convicted leaders belong to the BNP and the Awami League. The BNP leaders include Begum Khaleda Zia’s former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, former ministers-Barrister Nazmul Huda, Barrister Aminul Haque, Shajahan Siraj, Morshed Khan, former state ministers-Barrister Shahjahan Omar, Aman Ullah Aman, Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud and Ziaul Hoque Zia. Among former BNP MPs, Salauddin Ahmed, Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan, Ali Asgar Labi, Eng Monjurul Ahsan Munshi, Rashiduzzaman Millat, Helaluzzaman Talukder Lalu, Mosaddek Ali Falu, Hafiz Ibrahim, Advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker and M Naser Rahman have also been convicted on corruption charges.

The AL leaders who have been convicted on charges include former minister Mohammad Nasim, former state ministers Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah, former AL MPs- Kazi Jafarullah, Shamim Osman and Joynal Abedin Hazari, Sheikh Helal Uddin, Dr HBM Iqbal, Mostfa Rashidi Suja, Haji Selim and Haji Mokbul Hossain.

Among other party leaders, the list also include former minister and Jatiya Party chairman Anwar Hossain Manju and his wife former MP Tasmima Hossain, former Jamaat MP Shajahan Chowdhury and former IOJ MP Mufti Shahidul Islam.

According to the section 11(5) of the Emergency Power Rules-2007 that says those convicted during the state of emergency in the trial court for corruption cannot participate in the elections.