The New Nation - Internet Edition

Palin looks $150,000 glamorous

Sarah Palin

BBC Online

The life of a vice-presidential candidate may be gruelling, but it can also be glamorous - $150,000 glamorous.

The Republican National Committee has reportedly spent about that amount (roughly £92,000) on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's wardrobe since she was chosen as John McCain's running mate less than two months ago.

Alaska is a state where women are more commonly seen in Mukluk boots and heavy furs than stilettos and expensive tailored suits, but thrust into the national spotlight Mrs Palin has adopted a new look.

A self-professed adorer of high heels, she has sported a number of new styles on the campaign trail. It looks as though Mrs Palin's "the heels are on, the gloves are off" comment was more firmly based in reality than was previously thought.

It is not the first time a political candidate has come under scrutiny for spending large sums of dollars on improving his or her image.

Senator Hillary Clinton's expensive trouser suits provoked comment, while former presidential candidate John Edwards was criticised for his $400 haircuts. Even McCain's $500 Italian leather loafers have been noted, never mind his wife Cindy's Republican National Convention outfit that magazine Vanity Fair valued at $300,000 (thanks largely to a pair of hefty diamond earrings).

However, if this type of spending was poorly-received before, it may go down very badly indeed with voters in the present economic climate.

In the midst of a financial meltdown, those from what Mrs Palin called the "pro-America areas of this great nation"- the Middle America of Joe and Jane the Plumber - have been staying away from the stores.

It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign

McCain-Palin spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt

"Maybe her look could have been reached with $50,000 - $150,000 seems a little over the topt especially when the American economy is in the toilet the way it is."

"That's, like, a new outfit every day from August to the election."

However, she praises Mrs Palin's new look as "very polished and sophisticated" apart from the odd fashion glitch such as knee-high boots, which Ms Sanders deems "inappropriate" for her role.

Sangskriti Bikash Kendra celebrates its 17 years

Artistes perform at the three-day programmes at
Sangskriti Bikash Kendra in the city yesterday. NN
photo

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Country's renowned cultural organisation Sangskriti Bikash Kendra celebrated its 17 years. To celebrate the anniversary it organised a three-day programmes. The programmes ended yesterday at the premises of the Sangskriti Bikash Kendra in the city.

Yesterday was the last day of the three-day programmes. Audio Visual Club presented a documentary on the life of Ustad Bismillah Khan yesterday.

A discussion meeting and cultural function was also held at the centre of Sangskriti Bikash Kendra yesterday. The three-day long photography exhibition of Adnan H Khan, Probal Rashid and Taslima Akhter Lima and sculpture exhibition of Nafis Ahmed, Samiur Rahman Nayan and Shyamal Sarkar also ended yesterday.

Eminent artist Qayyum Chowdhury inaugurated the three-day programmes on October 23.

Prof Liaquat Ali, President Sangskriti Bikash Kendra, Al Mansur, actor, journalists Shaheen Reza Noor, Parvez Hossain and Ahmed Mazhar, among others, were present at the inauguration.

The inauguration was followed by a discussion organised by 'Darshan Club.' Dr. Mahmudur Rahman presented the keynote paper, while Ahmed Musanna and Sabbir Ahmed Mukim were the discussants at the meeting. Artiste Shayan moderated the event.

Six short films made by six young filmmakers - Hasan Shahriar, Kazi Salman Shish, Sadrul Aman Tushar, Samio Shish, Sarfuddin Mahbub and Mahfuza Akhter - were screened after the discussion. Audio Visual Club organised the film screening.

The first day's programme wrapped up with a 'Jugalbandi' of poetry and music by Anandan.

On the second day of the programmes, a seminar was held where Biswajit Ghosh chaired and Ananda Khaled, Ahmed Lipu, Abu Nasib, Probal Ahmed and Rishi Azam presented papers. Ahmad Mazhar, Azfar Hossain and Mohammad Azam were discussants on the occasion. Poet Sajjad Sharif presented a poem. A get together of the members of the centre was also held there.

Later Audio Visual Club presented a film made by Bhutanese filmmaker Khyentse Norbu's 'The Cup.' A chorus performance was held later where Kaniz Sultana played setar, Shamsul Haque played sanai, Alauddin Mia played behala, Kamal Zahir Shamim played sarod and Swapan Kumar Sarkar played santoor. Asit Dey gave vocal during the presentation of instrumental compositions.

C'wealth Secy Gen arrives today

UNB, Dhaka

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma arrives here on Sunday on a 3-day visit to discuss with government leaders and the chief election commissioner the progress towards restoration of democracy in Bangladesh.

He will meet with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Foreign Adviser Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and CEC Dr ATM Shamsul Huda on October 27.

A release from the Commonwealth Secretariat said these meetings are expected to cover ongoing collaboration between Bangladesh and the Commonwealth in various fields.

Sharma will also discuss the preparations being made for general elections to be held on December 18, designed to restore representative governance in the country, as well as progress in reform of the democratic institutions. The Secretary-General will address the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute on the theme: 'The Commonwealth - current priorities, future directions'.

He will also hold a pre-departure press conference at Sonargaon Hotel on Monday evening.

Many barricades on electoral highway, says Delwar

Staff Reporter

BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar Hossain yesterday said his party would not take part in the elections unless their seven-point demand was not accepted by the government.

" The government has declared that the nation's is on the electoral highway and still there are many barricades," he said as chief guest at a protest meeting organised by Sabujbag thana BNP at Bashaboo community centre in the city.

Alhaj Golam Hossain, Commissioner of Ward No 27 presided over the meeting which was addressed, among others, by Sajjad Zahir, Commissioner of Ward No 28, Shirin Sultana, Shafiul Bari Babu and Habibur Rashid Habib. Khandker Delwar said there could not be free and fair elections, if the government fails to realise the seven-point demand of the party.

"Withdrawal of the state of emergency and release of all the detained party leaders and activists are necessary for holding fair elections," he added.

BNP secretary general termed the cases filed against the detained party leaders and activists as 'false and fabricated'.

Call to defend country's independence, sovereignty

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday laid emphasis on greater unity among nationalist's forces to safeguard the country's sovereignty and independence.

They also called for resisting cultural aggression to face the present global challenges.

Their call came at the discussion on " Bangladesh Under Geopolitical Aggression' organised by the Free Thinkers Forum, Bangladesh (FTF) at the VIP lounge of the Jatiya Press Club.

Jahangir Chowdhury, Chairman, FTF presented the keynote paper.

With Journalist and columnist Sadek Khan in the chair the roundtable was addressed, among others, by former army chief Lieutenant General (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman, eminent playwright Ariful Huq, poet Abdul Hai Sikder, Abu Naser Md Rahmatullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Jatiya Party and Mehdi Hasan Palash.

Speakers said Bangladesh could face geopolitical aggression by developing its relations with the South Asian and ASEAN countries.

Ariful Huq said Muslim had ruled the Indian sub-continent for long 800 years during which there was no record of communal violence.

He said that a section of people was hatching conspiracy for branding Bangladesh as 'failed' and 'communal' state.

"Unless we determine our national identity it will not be possible to face the challenges confronting the nation, " he noted.

General (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman said bilateral problems between Bangladesh and India are yet to be resolved even after 37 years of the country's independence.

"As per Indira- Mujib accord in 1974, Bangladesh handed over 'Berubari' to India, but we are yet to get back 'Tin Bigha' corridor from India ," he lamented.

US professor says: Pak-US relations strained, await dire consequence

BSS, Dhaka

The relations between the United States and its key ally Pakistan have recently been 'strained', said an American political scientist on Saturday, predicting that such waning ties would bring 'dire consequences' for both sides and the region as well.

Professor Charles H Kennedy of Wake Forest University said the six-decade-long relations between the two countries have not only sustained injuries at official levels, but also at people's level.

"More than 72 per cent Pakistan nationals view US presence in Afghanistan as a major threat to Pakistan's sovereignty," Kennedy told a seminar at Dhaka Club, referring to a recent survey in Pakistan and the US.

He said US military interventions around the world are viewed by the majority of Pakistanis as a measure to 'weaken Islamic world and castigate Muslims'.

On the other hand, he said, many US nationals believe that Pakistan has somewhat kept 'Taliban' alive in its restive frontier provinces bordering Afghanistan.

"Any distance would be disastrous for both sides," said Kennedy, also a charter member of North American Bangladesh Council.

He listed a number of recommendations for improving US- Pakistan ties that include changes in US unilateral policies towards Afghanistan and Pakistan and listening to the voice of their peoples.

The professor said the US needs to change its style of operation in the Pakistan-controlled remote tribal areas, where Taliban and Al-Qaeda members are believed to have been hiding to regroup for a massive offensive to offset President Bush's 'war against terror' agenda.

The operation has so far cost $3 trillion, a figure almost equivalent to China's one-year GDP, he added.

He said Pakistan deserves to have military and development assistance from the US, which on the other hand should involve its key ally, Pakistan, in its operation to quell insurgency and terrorism.

The opium business in Afghanistan, he said, should also be stopped to frustrate supply of money to terrorists.

Timely polls now a certainty: Tofail

Staff reporter

Awami League (AL) presidium member Tofail Ahmed yesterday welcomed the decision of the Election Commission (EC) that it would announce the schedule for the long-awaited parliamentary polls on November 2 and said that there was no alternative to holding the election on time to establish democracy in the country.

Tofail made this remark while talking to reporters after a meeting of the 14-party alliance at the party's head office.

"This decision of the EC has ended all doubts over holding the parliamentary polls on December 18," he said.

The AL leader made this comment following the announcement of the EC that it would announce the schedules for both the national and the upazila polls on November 2.

He also hoped that the government would take initiative to create a congenial atmosphere for a fair and credible national election by implementing the nine point demands, which they placed to the Chief Adviser (CA) during the dialogue held last Thursday.

Asked about the agenda of the meeting of 14-party alliance, he said: "During the meeting we emphasised on keeping the alliance united to win the upcoming national election." Tofail was hopeful of enlarging the alliance ahead of the national election, which might be finalised after the party chief Sheikh Hasina returns home and said, "A larger alliance will be formed with the progressive and democratic forces."

When asked whether Sheikh Hasina would be able to participate in the national elections or not, he replied," Hasina faces no legal obstacle in contesting the elections. The advisers cannot say who are allowed to participate in the elections and who are not. Only the Constitution of the country can decide it."

"If someone is barred from participating in the national polls by force, we will think that the government does not want the elections to go ahead," he noted.

He also opposed holding of the upazila polls during the tenure of the caretaker government and under the state of emergency.

Demanding immediate lifting of state of emergency, he said that the political parties were not allowed to conduct political activities, as the state of emergency was prevailing in the country. No political parties can survive without political activities.He also demanded unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina so that she could lead the party to contest in the national elections and urged the government to ensure maximum security for Sheikh Hasina.

He held President Iajuddin Ahmed responsible for the anarchic situation in the country from October 28 of 2007 to January 11 of 2008 saying," If he did not become the CA, the anarchic situation would not been created."

He also criticised the damaging of the Baul singer Lalon's sculpture and termed it an attack on the non-communal spirit of the countrymen.

MA Aziz, acting president of Dhaka City Awami League, presided over the meeting. Advocate Kamrul Islam, acting general secretary of Dhaka city Awami League, among others, spoke.

Two BRAC staff abducted in Afghanistan

BSS, Dhaka

Two BRAC staff members, Akhter Ali and Mohammad Shahjahan Ali, were kidnapped on October 23 from the Ghazni province of Afghanistan, where they have both been working as BRAC Afghanistan Area Managers for the last three years.

According to a message received here yesterday from BRAC Afghanistan authorities in Kabul, Akhter and Shahjahan were abducted at gunpoint by four men from BRAC Afghanistan's Moi Mobarok branch office in the provincial capital, Ghazni City, where they had traveled as part of their regular office visit schedule.

During the attack, the manager of the branch office, Hasmatullah, an Afghani national, was also severely beaten. The identities of the attackers are yet to be confirmed.

In immediate response, BRAC Afghanistan authorities contacted the Afghani Minister of Interior, Hanif Atmar, Thursday night to inform him of the incident.

Atmar assured BRAC that the Afghan authorities would provide all necessary support in rescuing the two BRAC staff members. He also communicated with his Advisor of Security and conveyed a message to the Ghazni police.

BRAC Afghanistan authorities also informed the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the Afghan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of the incident and are now in continuous communication with the Afghan authorities regarding the matter, said a release of BRAC issued here yesterday.

A high level team has been sent to Ghazni from the BRAC Afghanistan head office in Kabul to gather information and to liaise with the Afghani authorities, including the Governor and Chief Security Officer of Ghazni.

Four party to hold rally today across the country

Staff Reporter

BNP standing-committee member Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui yesterday called upon the government to accept and implement the seven-point demand of the party.

"People of the country want to see free, fair and acceptable elections," he said while addressing a representative meeting of Narsingdi district BNP at the Engineers Institution in the city.

Qazi Asaad, coordinator of the district committee presided over where about 160 delegates took part in the daylong meeting.

Former Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Prof Abdul Mannan Khan, Khairul Kabir Khokon, among others, attended the programme.

Tanvir Siddiqui said although the government said that it had accepted six out of seven points of demands but accepting demands and their execution are not the same things.

He also said the government must prove how far it is sincere in holding free and fair elections.

Mentioning the importance of the committee's activities, Tanvir Siddiqui said, BNP is restructuring its organisational activities to cope with the future challenges.

He called upon the political leaders to be united so none could create another 1/11 for stemming the elections.

The divisional committee meeting has also decided to gear up the party's activities in all districts of the division.

The BNP-led 4-party alliance will stage demonstrations across the country today as part of their move to press home their demands. The central rally will be held at the Engineers Institution at 3pm.

Jamaat chief calls for lifting of emergency

UNB, Dhaka

Jamaat chief Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami yesterday said no credible election could be held in emergency situation and warned against attempt to leave out any political party from the election fracas by creating artificial deadlock.

Addressing party workers at Ukhiya and Chakoria in Cox's Bazar he called for national unity to resist any conspiracy to foil the election set for December 18.

He urged the government to ensure participation of all parties in the election. Political leaders should be set free and emergency lifted. They should be allowed to meet freely with the voters and similarly voters meet them without the fear of falling under the mischief of emergency rules.

Recalling the past Nizami said election set for January 22 last year was frustrated by the 'logi-baitha terrors' under the blue print of turning the country to a vassal state. The present government did not take any action against those terrors.

The Jamaat chief asked the party rank and file to see that logi-baitha forces could not again raise their head.

Madrasa students admission: DU deans to discuss issues with dept heads

DU Correspondent

Dhaka University Deans at a meeting yesterday decided to discuss the dispute over madrasah students' admission in the university with seven departmental heads to resolve the issue once and for all.

Dean of Arts Faculty Prof Sadrul Amin and the Dean of Social Science Faculty Prof Harun-or-Rashid were asked to discuss with the chairmen of the departments. But no time was fixed to solve the dispute-a hot topic of discussion across the country.

The meeting chaired by Vice Chancellor of the University Prof SMA Faiz was held at the VC lounge on the request of white panel teachers.

Prof Sadrul Amin, also the Convener of White Panel, told the journalists that it would be in human, if a large number of students were deprived of education in some departments of the university due to any condition.

They would try to mitigate the problem through discussion with the related departments, he said and added that if they fail at this stage, they would go to the Academic Council, a high-powered body for academic decision.

A total of nine Deans out of 10 were present at the meeting. Of the Deans, eight belonged to the white panel and one from blue panel.

On the other hand, the teachers of Blue and Pink Panels jointly held a press briefing at the Teacher`s Club of the University. They criticised the recent role of White Panel-backed teachers about the new condition imposed by some departments.

They alleged that the teachers of the group were trying to interfere in the autonomy of the departments.

Blue and Pink Panels-backed teachers, Prof Harun-or-Rashid, Prof Anwar Hossain, Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Prof Shafiquzzaman, Prof Muntasir Mamun, Dr Wahiduzzaman Chan and Dr Zinat Huda Wahid, among others, were present at the press briefing.

2 JMB men held in C'nawbganj

BSS, Chapainawabganj

Shibganj police arrested two alleged members of the banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Kansat Biswanathpur in the early hours of yesterday.

The arrested are Hazrat Ali, 22, of Pabanpur village under Niamatpur upazila in Naogaon district and Rafiqul Islam, 27, of Suvangdanga village under Nilphamari Sadar upazila.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shibganj thana Abul Kalam Azad told BSS on Saturday, acting on a tip-off, a police team raided the house of Ekramul at about 1.30 am and picked up the two, who along with four others were holding a secret meeting there.

However, the other members of the outlawed party, including Ekramul, managed to evade the arrest.

The arrested militants confessed to the police that they are the members of JMB, the OC said.

Fuel prices cut from Sunday midnight

BDnews 24.com

Fuel prices will come down from midnight Sunday, following the governments decision to fall in line with global oil prices, a special aide said

The energy ministry has sent a proposal regarding cuts in the fuel prices to the chief advisers office for his approval, M Tamim, the chief advisers special assistant in charge of energy, told bdnews24.com.

Ministry officials said the proposed reductions would cut the price of diesel and kerosene to Tk 48-50 from Tk 55; the price of octane would come down to Tk 80-83 from Tk 90; petrol, now Tk 87, would be set at Tk 2 less than the price of octane.

With the chief advisers approval, the reduced price will come into effect from midnight Sunday, said Tamim.

The government had hiked fuel prices on June 30, on the back of rising oil prices on the global market-raising the prices of diesel and kerosene to Tk 55 from Tk 40, of petrol to Tk 87 from Tk 65, and octane to Tk 90, up from Tk 67.

Crude oil prices per barrel have plummeted since June, from a life-time high of over $145 to $62.7 on Friday.

Bangladesh sees an annual demand of nearly 4 million tonnes of petroleum. Some 3.7 million tonnes petroleum was consumed in 2007-2008, including 2.3 million tonnes of diesel. The demand for 2008-2009 fiscal has been estimated at 3.8 million tonnes.