The New Nation - Internet Edition

Troops reinforcement sent to Myanmar border: BDR on high alert as tension mounts

Staff Reporter

Para-military Bangladesh Rifles have been put on red alert with reinforcements along border areas in Naikhongchhari upazila as tension mounted there following continieous efforts by Myanmar to explore gas in Bangladesh's water territory.

The local UNO told newsmen that BDR jawans have been put on alert in Rezu, Chakdhala, Asadtali, Fultali, Lebuchhari, Dhumdhum, Amtali, Tamru and Ukhia border areas. BDR have taken position in schools of the areas.

Besides, Army has also sent in reinforcements to the areas, sources said.

On the other hand, Myanmar also reinforced troops along the border between the two countries after talks over disputed waters in the Bay of Bengal failed in Yangon.

The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) said Myanmar had started reinforcing troops at strategic points along the 320 km border, partly demarcated by the River Naf.

BDR also alerted people living in the border areas to leave their homes when the situation warranted. The dispute surfaced after Myanmar started oil and gas exploration last week in a stretch of the sea both countries claim.

Bangladesh deployed naval ships to the area and simultaneously sent a diplomatic team to Yangon seeking to solve the issue through negotiations.

Myanmar on Thursday last rejected a demand by Bangladesh to stop new oil and gas exploration in contested Bay of Bengal waters. In a government statement on official radio and television Myanmar termed Dhaka's demand "unlawful and wrongful," and said the exploration will continue.

It was the first official Myanmar response to tension that flared earlier this week over the disputed waters.

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury yesterday told newsmen that the government will take appropriate measures if there is any threat to country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said the government has apprised the matter to China and Korea. "Korea's Daewoo has already dismantled the installation which the Korean government informed us," Dr Iftekhar said.

Several organisations have urged the government to stop aggression of Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal. The Coalition of Local NGOs, Bangladesh yesterday at a human chain in Muktangon in the city urged the government as well as people to come forward to stop the aggression to protect sovereignty.

Shame about the democrats

The views expressed here are those of London-based The Economist, not necessarily ours.

IN JANUARY 2007 Bangla-desh's generals marched into the palace of President Iajuddin Ahmed and forced him to cancel elections, declare a state of emergency and appoint a government of technocrats. On November 3rd Mr Ahmed at last signed an order sending the army back to the barracks. The interim government also lifted restrictions on political campaigning and the press. Bangladesh's state of emergency-the longest any South Asian country has endured-seems to be petering out.

So firm are the commitments by the generals to hold parliamentary elections that a return to multiparty democracy appears a certainty. This week the Election Commission confirmed that a general election would be held on December 18th. This followed assurances by the army to the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, on a two-day visit to Dhaka, that this time it would not interfere.

The front-runners in the race to succeed a period of muddled rule by soldiers, spooks and technocrats are the heads of two feuding dynasties whose careers the army tried and failed to end: the former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina Wajed of the Awami League and Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The two women rotated in power for 15 years from 1991. Their mutual hatred and inability to negotiate played a big part in turning Bangladeshi politics into a prolonged cycle of violent retaliation.

Even so, the view of the army, Bangladesh's foreign aid donors and its voters is now that the "two begums" constitute the only offer on the table. The army tried to send them into exile, hoping new political parties would emerge; then it jailed them and their coteries on charges of corruption. In the end, they were freed on bail. It proved impossible both to hold them to account and to hold elections.

The League is confident it will win the vote. Greeted by large crowds, Sheikh Hasina came back to Bangladesh on November 6th, five months after being freed to receive medical treatment in America. The rival BNP is split and, much harder-hit by the anti-corruption drive, is in a shambles. As the League started its election campaign this week, the BNP was still debating whether to take part. Mrs Zia alleges that the Election Commission favours the League and should resign.

Meanwhile, the army appears to have resigned itself to Sheikh Hasina's becoming the next prime minister or, at least, contesting the elections. For her part, having narrowly escaped an attempt on her life in 2004, she may feel that only the army can protect her from her political rivals. The generals want their state of emergency legitimised, and immunity from prosecution. These are concessions the League is probably willing to make, if not to advertise.

The court cases against the two prime ministers have in effect been put on hold until the election. If the past is any guide, the next government will control the judiciary, so convictions will never happen. Observers believe that endless behind-the-scenes talks with the leaders, aimed at bringing their parties to the polls, are likely to have included guarantees by the two ladies not to put the losing rival in prison.

Yet, barring upsets, more than 80m Bangladeshis will next month be allowed to choose a government for the first time since 2001. And the election has a better chance of being credible than any since independence in 1971. The Election Commission has purged 12m surplus names from voter lists. The authorities claim the poll will be almost impossible to rig.

What Bangladeshis still do not know is whether the army's intervention has shocked the country's squabbling, petty politicians into a new approach. The world's seventh-most populous country needs a government devoted not to a perennial political vendetta, but to tackling poverty, climate change and terrorism.

Gen Moeen addresses BATEXPO closing session: Army will do everything to protect RMG sector

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed was present as the
chief guest at the closing ceremony of BATEXPO-'08 at Hotel
Sonargaon in the city yesterday. US Ambassador James F
Moriarty and European Commission Ambassador Dr Stefan
Frowein were present as special g

Staff Reporter

Army chief General Moeen U Ahmed yesterday offered all out cooperation to safeguard the 'national asset' and said no one would be allowed to ruin the country's export-earning readymade garment sector.

"RMG is a national asset… no one has the right to spoil it or destroy it… let us stand together to save the sector… Bangladesh Army is beside you," he said addressing as chief guest the closing ceremony of a three-day apparel show at a city hotel.

Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA) organised the BATEXPO-2008 as part of their activities to showcase the RMG products to world buyers.

General Moeen noted that the apparel industry made an ambitious export target of US $25 billion and an additional 2 million jobs in next five years and said the army would help the BGMEA achieve the target. "The government is always in supportive role for the development of the sector and the minimum wage for the RMG workers has been fixed already," said the army chief.

He suggested the RMG factory owners to foster relations with the workers as they (workers) are the partners of the owner. "You have to go ahead along with the workers so the workers feel that they are the owner of a certain factory. And through this process you can avoid attacks from outside the factory," he added. The chief of the army staff mentioned that the contribution of the RMG sector is very much significant in social and financial arena.

"Especially the sector helped women empowerment by employing 80 per cent of total RMG workers," he said.

Narrating various development activities of the government for the well-being of the RMG sector, he said the turnaround time at Chittagong seaport got reduced to less than two days, Chittagong customs went under automation, efficiency in the port increased 40 per cent and the port-use cost came down to 30 per cent.

Regarding the ongoing worldwide recession Moeen U Ahmed said the RMG sector should prepare to face the shock and must make an advance plan how to offset the shock from the financial meltdown.

BGMEA president Anwarul Alam Chowdhury Parvez presided over the closing ceremony where Dr Stefan Frowein, Ambassador and head of delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh, and James F Moriarty, US Ambassador, were present as special guests.

Stefan Frowein said that the traditional markets for Bangladeshi apparels are now under turmoil due to the sweeping recession.

But he assured the RMG owners that the change in the GSP system, which is knocking at the door, would be development-friendly and the EU would work to promote interests of the LDC countries as it did in the past time.

The US ambassador, James F Moriarty, noted that the world economy is now under an unpredictable situation due to the ongoing recession.

He said Bangladesh might get a shock from this recession in a medium term.

But he viewed that the RMG sector of the country had already proved its competitiveness in the recent years and this time around this sector would prove that again.

JU teachers go on strike: Demand expulsion of accused students

JU Correspondent

Academic activities have come to a standstill on the Jahangirnagar University campus as teachers are abstaining from taking classes demanding expulsion of the students involved in assaulting their colleague of Drama and Dramatics Department.

The Jahangirnagar University Teachers Association (JUTA) called the continuous work abstention and non-cooperation programme till their demand was met. They also thanked the teachers and students for observing the first day's programme of indefinite work stoppage peacefully.

However, general students are frustrated as their studentship is going to be lengthy for the uncertain situation created by the call. The upcoming admission test of the academic session 2008-09 which is scheduled for January 3 is facing uncertainty due to the programme.

No classes and other academic activities except for the pre-announced final examination were held in different departments of the university on the first day of the work abstention programme.

It may be mentioned that Ahmed Sani, a teacher of the Drama and Dramatics Department, proved innocent by the syndicate, the highest policy-making body of the university, joined the department on October 21 and on the same day some of his students assaulted him indiscriminately.

Hearing the news the JUTA authorities submitted a memorandum to the acting Vice-Chancellor on that day demanding punishment of the accused students. The JU VC suspended six students temporarily but the JUTA demanded expulsion of all of them.

When contacted the JU VC, Prof Mohammed Muniruzzaman told this correspondent that he was trying to resolve the issue through consultation with the JUTA soon.

70 injured in pre-poll clashes

Staff Reporter

At least 70 people were injured in three separate clashes yesterday at Comilla, Patuakhali and Noakhali between rival groups of supporters of Awami League prospective candidates for the ensuing election.

Awami League nomination aspirant and former FBCCI president Yusuf Abdullah Harun was among 10 people injured in an attack by his rival group at Muradnagar upazila in Comilla yesterday.

It was alleged that Muradnagar AL secretary Jahangir Alam Sarkar, also aspirant for party ticket for the upcoming election, launched the attack at the extended meeting of AL upazila committee.

Harun later at a press conference squarely blamed Sarkar for the attack and demanded punishment for the troublemakers

He said representatives from the grassroots overwhelmingly supported him as the Awami League candidate.

In Patuakhali, clashes broke out between two rival groups at a meeting of the grassroots level councillors called at Baufal upazila AL office at Janata Bhaban on Daspara Road at 10:00 yesterday morning.

Supporters of four AL nomination aspirants including ASM Firoz, upazila AL president and former lawmaker, Firoz Alam, vice chairman of Mercantile Bank, Khondokar Reza, advocate of Supreme Court, Zobaidul Islam Russell, businessman, assembled in front of the office to attend the meeting.

When Firoz Alam with his supporters tried to enter inside the meeting room, supporters of ASM Firoz opposed them and both groups engaged in clashes following an altercation.

The clashes created panic in the town and disrupted normal life in the upazila town for more than an hour.

Police baton charged to bring the situation under control at about 11:30 am in which at least forty people including Zakir Hossain, Officer in Charge and Harunur Rashid, Assistant Sub Inspector of Baufal Police Station, Firoz Alam and Zobaidul Islam, nomination aspirants, and Saiful Islam Uzzal, RTV reporter were injured.

Firoz Alam alleged that 'cadres of godfather' ASM Firoz attacked him and he will lodge a case with Baufal Police Station in this connection. He said that he would submit his nomination before the central committee.

ASM Firoz denying the allegation said that Firoz Alam was not a member of Baufal AL and while he tried to enter the meeting with BNP cadres, the local AL councillors opposed and chased them away.

No case was lodged in this connection till late last night and the meeting was going on under the chairmanship of Shahjahan Faruki, AL Patuakhali district committee member.

Meanwhile in Noakhali the AL extended meeting began at the local Bar Council auditorium in the morning with district unit AL president Prof M Hanif in the chair.

The trouble began at about 4:30pm when supporters of AL district vice-president and former MP of Noakhali-6 Mohammad Ali locked in an altercation with the supporters of another former MP from the same constituency Wali Ullah.

Later, both the groups took position in different parts of the town and attacked each other with sticks and brickbats, leaving some 20 people injured from both sides.

One of the injured, Azad, 22, was admitted to General Hospital, while the rest were given first aid.

Hasty EC move to register controversial parties

Staff Reporter

The Election Commission has taken a hasty move to register some minor political parties, including highly controversial ones, without giving people the chance to raise objection about those.

On the eve of ending the party registration process tomorrow (Monday), the EC yesterday sent two parties for public notification to ascertain if there are any objections about those. The parties are Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP-Naziur) and Bangladesh NAP.

Public notification for Oikkyabaddho Nagorik Andolon, an overnight floated party by a foreign funded NGO- Proshika, will be issued at the last moment, so that none can get chance to argue against it, sources in the EC said.

By misusing huge foreign funds, the NGO is hurriedly hiring party offices at different places of the country to fulfil the criterion for registration with the EC, it is reported.

The employees of the NGO are allegedly being forced to join the newly floated party. However, the EC will not go for further inquiry at the field level for scrutinizing the political parties' information.

In the earlier cases of registrations, citizens were given enough times, at least a week, to raise objections and place their arguments.

The Election Commission has so far found 22 political parties eligible for getting registered with the EC as per changed politico-electoral rules out of a long list of 107 who have applied for the registration.

Fourteen parties have so far received registration certificates from the EC, with eight more ready to be certified.

"Another handful of parties also look likely to be registered after scrutiny of their applications is complete," said EC joint secretary and technical committee head NI Khan.

The commission is proceeding to complete the process of party registration within November 10 by stamping its seal on the qualifying parties to contest the ninth parliamentary elections.

"We'll stop registering the political parties within November 10, although the process will actually not end," Nurul Islam Khan, joint secretary of the EC secretariat, said yesterday.

He said the technical committee does not want to further continue with the inquiry at the field level for securitizing the political parties' information. "We're thinking about not continuing the scrutiny in the field level anymore."

"Non-registered political parties will be barred from upcoming elections, but they will be free to do politics," he added.

The 14 parties so far registered are: Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party (Ershad), Jamaat-e-Islami, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu), Liberal Democratic Party, Bikalpadhara, Jatiya Party (JP), Krishak-Sramik Janata League, Samyabadi Dal, Ganatantri Party and National Awami Party (Muzaffar).

The eight parties ready for registration are: Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Tarikat Federation, BSD, Bangladesh Jatiyo Party (BJP), Khelafat Andolon, Zaker Party, Islami Oikya Jote, and NAP (Enamul).

EC deputy secretary Mihir Sarwar Morshed told reporters, "Some 141 symbols have been set aside for the upcoming elections. Besides the ones earmarked for the registered parties the rest will be distributed among independent candidates."

AL won't accept postponement of polls

Staff Reporter

The central leaders of Awami League (AL) yesterday categorically said the party would not accept any deferment of the long a waited parliamentary election scheduled for December 18.

AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said this while talking to reporters after Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) meeting at the party's

Dhanmondi office."No deviation from the December 18 polls will be accepted. If so, AL, along with the people, will resist it by all means," Ashraful told this.

The ALCWC meeting, presided over by Sheikh Hasina, again urged the caretaker government to defer the date for upazila polls.

"Upazila elections are non-political whereas the parliamentary polls completely political. Then, if two such different types of massive polls take place at a time, it can foil each other," Ashraful Islam said.

He said the ALCWC thinks that the upazila poll schedule should be declared after the general election.

Ashraful Islam urged all political parties to participate in the polls if "all parties get a congenial atmosphere before the polls."

He asked the government to fully lift the state of emergency immediately, saying that if the emergency law prevails, many parties may use it as an excuse to boycott the polls.

"If any party does not participate in the polls showing excuse of the emergency law, there will be nothing to do. So the government must remove the emergency law immediately," he said.

When asked what AL will do if the emergency law is kept in force during the parliamentary polls, Ashraful said they would take the decision as per demand of the time.

AL in its working-committee meeting took several decisions, including reforming the party's parliamentary board and the election-conducting committee.

In the meeting, Ashraful Islam was named as the member of the Parliamentary Board while other members who were selected through a party council will remain as usual.

The Election Conducting Committee led by Sheikh Hasina includes HT Imam as its co-chairman and Ashraful Islam member-secretary.

"Besides, all the members of the working committee will be the members of the Election Conducting Committee. But the inclusion of Advisory Council members in the election committee will be made later on," he said.

Private sector aviation training school in the offing

Shamim Jahangir

A multinational company invested $6.8million to start its first ever aviation school to coach aspiring pilots and flight engineers in Bangladesh.

The company has already bought three aircrafts including Cirrus SR-20, a four-seat capacity third generation fleet made in US, PC-12 and Cessna C-208.

The Youngone Flight Department, a sister concern of the Korea based Youngone Corporation has already invested $6.8 million to buy three aircraft to start its new project in the country, Sikder Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Director of Operational Support of Youngone Group Bangladesh said.

The company will also order for two new aircraft before starting the school, he added.

The corporation has already selected site beside the Zia International Airport for establishing its flight school, Mesbahuddin said.

He said that the corporation will be able to start its flight school within six month.

"A total of 10 science group students who have physics and mathematics in their HSC level examination, will be eligible to apply," he said.

As part of this, the Youngone Corporation on Thursday inaugurated its latest up-to-date design aircraft Cirrus SR-20 at a brief function at Bangladesh Flying Club Limited premises.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Youngone Corporation Kihak Sung was present at the inaugural ceremony as chief guest while Managing Director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Air Commodore Zahed Kuddus was present as special guest.

Kihak Sung said that the corporation has used its own aircraft during the last 10 years successfully.

"Our corporate aircraft help us to promote our business across the world," he said.

He hoped that the corporation would start flight school after government

Approval.

"The flight school will help the manpower generation in aviation sector from the country," the Youngone Corporation CEO said.

Capt Sahab U Ahmed, President of the Bangladesh Flying Club Limited, Wing Commander M Kamrul Islam, the Director of Flight Safety of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh and Sikder Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Director of Operational Support of Youngone group Bangladesh addressed the programme.

The Bangladesh Flying Club Limited is the lone organisation conducting training programme for pilots, cabin flight engineers in the country.

$109m IDA credit for the cyclone-hit

UNB, Dhaka

The World Bank on Thursday approved US$109 million credit to Bangladesh in support of government's efforts to repair infrastructure and restore the livelihoods for thousands of families affected by last year's Cyclone Sidr.

The credit from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessionary arm, has 40 years to maturity with a 10-year grace period; it carries a service charge of 0.75 percent, said a press release yesterday.

The credit, through the Emergency 2007 Cyclone Recovery and Restoration Project, will finance reconstruction and improvement of some 300 multi-purpose shelters and rehabilitation of 100 km of coastal embankments using cyclone-resistant building techniques.

It will also support activities in the agriculture sector that will help farmers prepare for the next growing season and strengthen their ability to cope with future disasters.

The project will also strengthen the government's medium- and long-term disaster risk mitigation and reduction capacity, including support to the Disaster Management Bureau, the release said.

It will also finance preparation of future projects for river bank improvement, coastal embankment strengthening programs, disaster shelters, and up-gradation of rural road network.

This project builds synergies with the livelihood operation under the Bank's Social Investment Program Project as well as other ongoing agriculture support programs funded by the Bank, United Nations and other bi-lateral donors.

With this project, the Bank's support to Bangladesh's cyclone response totals US$259 million.

Fake medical certificate: 11 doctors to appear in docks today

Staff Reporter

Eleven doctors and the registrar of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), summoned by the Supreme Court for signing a "false" medical certificate for detained former BNP lawmaker Mosaddek Ali Falu, are expected to appear in the dock today.

The doctors are: Prof M Alauddin, Prof Serajuddin Ahmed, Prof AKM Fazlul Haque, Prof AKM Anisul Haque, Prof Pran Gopal Datta, Prof AKM Anwar Ullah, Dr ABM Abdullah, Dr M Idris Ali, Dr Md Jonayed Shafiq, Dr Chowdhury Meshkat Ahmed and Registrar Md Abdul Gafur.

The doctors are allegedly involved in issuing a fake medical certificate used for getting bail by the former adviser of ex-premier Khaleda Zia in graft cases. The Supreme Court registrar issued summons to them to appear before the Chief Justice on November 9.

Earlier, the apex court had stayed the High Court bail order obtained by Falu using the fake medical certificate issued by the doctors of BSMMU after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) moved to Appellate Division of the Supreme Court to vacate the bail and stay orders in four graft cases.

Meanwhile, a High Court bench, hearing the bail petition of the politician-turned businessman Falu, who owns two TV channels and a newspaper, asked the ACC to produce investigation report of the medical board about the health of the BNP leader.

Elderly man shot dead in city

Staff Reporter

An elderly Modhubagh resident was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the city's Dakshin Khan yesterday. The victim was identified as 96 years old Abu Bakar Siddique.

Ataur Rahman, the victim's grandson, said the assailants entered the house of Abu Bakar at the dead of night when he was asleep. They fired a hail of bullets on him and fled the scene. Abu Baker was rushed to Bangladesh Medical Hospital in Uttara and then shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead at about 3:30am.

Police visited the spot and recovered a bloodstained bed sheet and pillows.

Police suspected the killing was pre-planned and some relatives of the victims might have been involved in the murder, as Abu Bakar owned vast landed property and a hefty bank balance.