The New Nation - Internet Edition

Iajuddin greets Latvian President

BSS, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed today felicitated the Latvian President Valdis Zatlers on the occasion of the Republic day of Latvia that falls tomorrow.

In a message of felicitation on the eve of the occasion, the President expressed his firm belief that the existing bonds of friendship between the two countries would be further strengthened in the years ahead.

He also conveyed his very best wishes for the Latvian President's good health, long life and happiness.

Bangladeshi-Korea Technical Training Centre inaugurated in city

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Centre, first vocational training institution established in the country with Korean support has been inaugurated at Darus Salam in Mirpur here on Monday.

Adviser for Foreign Affairs, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury inaugurated the center with a hope that the center would help creating skill manpower to cope with the better opportunities of overseas employment.

Ambassador of Republic of Korea to Bangladesh Suk Bum Park attended the function as the special guest. Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Matin Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion while Director General of Bureau of Manpower Export Training (BMET) Abdul Malek was in the chair.

The adviser extended thanks to the Korean government for providing financial and technical support to construct the training center renovating the Mirpur Technical Training Centre (TTC).

"Korea and Bangladesh enjoy an excellent bilateral relation and the TTC is the testimony of Bangladesh-Korea friendship,' he said.

Every year more than 2,500 persons will get opportunity to take short course vocational training in the centre furbished with modern technology.

The adviser said this year Bangladesh has made a record of sending 7,62,603 workers for overseas employment till October 2008, which is 10 percent higher than the corresponding period of the previous year.

'During this period, the remittance have also registered phenomenal growth," he said adding so far the country received remittance US$ 7.5 billion, 37 percent higher than that of the same period last year.

Laying importance on development of skill and export of more trained manpower, the adviser said, it brings more remittances and lessens the chance of exploitation.

He said, the government has devised a 9-point strategy to promote overseas employment and ensure welfare of the migrant workers. The government is trying to improve the skill level of the workers through 37 TTC and by setting up public-private partnership programmes (PPP) simultaneously, he said.

The TTC has been renovated with Taka 30.34 crore including Korean Government's financial assistance of Taka 27.53 crore, official said.

DUJA seminar on 'Democracy, Election Mass Media' on Nov 25

BSS, Dhaka

A seminar on 'Democracy, Election and Mass Media' organised by Dhaka University Journalists' Association (DUJA) will be held in the auditorium of Dhaka University (DU) Senate Building at 10 am on November 25.

Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman will attend the function as chief guest. Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz will inaugurate it.

Advisory Editor of the Daily Amar Desh Ataus Samad, Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, former President of DU Teachers' Association Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique and Jatiya Press Club President Shawkat Mahmud will be present as discussants.

Prof Asif Nazrul of DU Law Faculty will deliver the keynote speech while DUJA president Mahabubur Rahman will preside over the seminar.

In the afternoon, the DUJA will accord a reception to its founder members and former members of the association at Teacher- Student Centre (TSC) auditorium.

Iajuddin greets Sultan of Oman

BSS, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed on Monday felicitated Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman on the occasion of the National Day of his country.

In a message of felicitation to the Sultan of Oman, the President said, "the government and the people of Bangladesh join me in extending to you and through you to the brotherly people of Oman my sincere congratulations."

"I am confident that the existing bilateral friendly relations between our two fraternal countries will be further strengthened and diversified in the coming years, the President said.

Prof Iajuddin expressed his best wishes for the Sultan's good health, long life and personal well-being and for the continued peace, progress and prosperity of the brotherly people of Oman.

BCS ICT World kicks off with call for building digital Bangladesh

BSS, Dhaka

The BCS ICT World, an annual gala exposition of computers and its accessories, kicked off here yesterday with a call for building a digital Bangladesh through spreading information and communication technology (ICT) facilities across the country.

Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS) in cooperation with ICT Business Promotion Council under the Commerce Ministry has organised the five-day fair at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Science and ICT Manik Lal Samaddar inaugurated the fair as the chief guest, while Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor S.M.A. Faiz and Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Maj Gen (retd) Manzurul Alam were present as special guests.

The function was also addressed by BCS President Mustafa Jabbar and convenor of the fair AT Shafique Uddin Ahmed.

The slogan of the BCS ICT World is 'Towards Digital Bangladesh'.

Terming ICT as an essential tool in this era of globalisation, Manik Lal Samaddar said it is playing an important role in creating employment, raising work skill and production.

He said a large number of population in the country are living in rural areas and their life and livelihood could be developed by opening up ICT scope for them.

The Special Assistant said the government has formed an ICT taskforce comprising experts to review the progress of the ICT sector and hammer out the strategy.

To make the existing ICT policy time-befitting, the government has also formed a committee to review the policy, he said, adding the revised ICT policy will be finalised soon.

Samaddar said the government is setting up a high-tech park on 232 acres of land at Kaliakoir in Gazipur with a view to flourishing the ICT sector.

Lauding the role of the private sector, especially Bangladesh Computer Samity, in the development of ICT in the country, he said the private sector is the main driving force of the sector.

The Special Assistant called upon the private organizations engaged in the sector to provide better service for their customers.

Prof Faiz said a holistic approach would have to be needed by all stakeholders to reach the ICT facilities to the doorstep of the common people.

Manzurul Alam said there will be no development in the ICT sector if 70 percent of people, who live in villages, remain out of the facilities.

Listing various steps taken by the BTRC, he underscored the need for coordination among all ministries and organisations concerned for smooth flourishing of the sector.

Mustafa Jabbar called for taking initiatives to hand over a computer to every child of the country and demanded reduction in broadband internet charge.

A total of 173 stalls have been set up at the fair displaying different brands of computers and its accessories within the range of buyers capacity.

The fair will continue from 10 AM to 8 PM every day till November 21. The entry fee is Taka 20 but school students have free access to the fair, organisers said.

Canadian HC call on Hasina

BSS, Dhaka

Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Mcdougall yesterday said his country would send poll observers during the upcoming general elections.

"We are watching the activities of the Election Commission", he said adding for ensuring fair polls the government of Canada had already supplied over 2.40 lakh transparent ballot boxes.

The Canadian High Commissioner told this to the reporters after his meeting with Awami League President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Sudha Sadan residence here.

Robert Mcdougall, the newly appointed envoy of Canada, said that they have wide range of discussions on various issues relating to bilateral interest between the two countries.

Replying to a question, he said, "I am still a fresher in Bangladesh, and already came to know from newspaper reports various aspects of the forthcoming election of the country".

Avoiding direct reply to another question on state of emergency, the high commissioner hoped that a free, fair and transparent election would be held in Bangladesh.

Briefing the reporters about the hour-long meeting with the Canadian envoy, Hasina's Special Assistant Dr Hassan Mahmud said the former prime minister laid importance on more Canadian investments in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina said Canada could play a significant role for ensuring food safety and boosting Bangladesh's energy sector.

About migration, the AL president requested the Canadian government through the High Commissioner to ease the immigration rules for Bangladeshi professionals intending to go there.

She also briefed the High Commissioner about her party's preparation for the December 18 general elections.

Mahmud said Sheikh Hasina is the first political leader of the country who raised the issue of transparent ballot box and thanked the Canadian government for supplying transparent ballot boxes.

He quoted Sheikh Hasina, as saying if voted to power her party would work jointly with the Canadian government in combating terrorism.

Sheikh Hasina's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad was present during the meeting.

Fathers spend only an hour for kids care

BSS, Dhaka

Fathers in general spend less than an hour a day to take care of their children while mothers give more than four hours a day for the same purpose, a national childhood conference was told here on Monday.

Grandmothers are the second caregivers after mothers in every family in Bangladesh, a country where sisters rank third in terms of giving time to the care of their younger brothers and sisters.

"It is necessary to raise awareness for fathers' involvement in the early childhood development programme, especially for children age group of zero to five years," Professor Nazmul Haq of Dhaka University said at the conference, referring to a recent study.

Bangladesh Early Childhood Development (ECD) Network organised the two-day conference at Shishu Academy, third of its kind in the country after the government took special programmes for child development from early stage in 2000.

Dr Haq, who listed a number of barriers to the development of children, said the main obstacles come from ignorance.

More than 50 percent rural and 70 percent urban parents have little knowledge on managing childhood emotion, he said adding disrespect to child opinions cause major harm to their creativity and self-esteem.

Speaking at the conference, Women and Children Affairs Secretary Rokeya Sultana said the government focuses more on a complete development of children, who need to be taken special care from mother womb to two years.

This time, she said, the children get their basic mental development.

Appreciating the ECD networks initiative, which involves more than 200 NGOs, Rokeya said the children of the country suffer from multiple factors, including malnutrition, stunting and low cognitive power due to poverty and ignorance. Girl children are the worst victims of it, she said.

Mahmuda Akhter, member secretary of ECD network, underscored the need for launching a nationwide media campaign on an urgent basis so that the parents could have knowledge to nurture their kids properly. She also said that spending one dollar at the early stage of a child would yield a return of eight dollars eventually.

A number of thematic papers were presented in the conference, which came up with certain recommendations to improve the child lives in Bangladesh. The recommendations include development of a uniform curriculum for all students and massive investment in the ECD programmes.

"We don't need to depend on donors support too much," said a participant in the conference, suggesting that the micro-finance institutions and corporate bodies should come forward with funds to help develop the future generations of Bangladesh, a country where more than three million newborns come each year.

The mortality rate, however, among the children is still high than other countries in the region, despite a substantial development in reducing child deaths, a precondition to attain millennium development goal (MDG) 4 on child survival. Much of the children die due to unsafe abortion and delivery.

Chaired by ECD Network Chairman Dr Manzoor Ahmed, the function was also addressed by senior project officer of UN children fund (UNICEF) Dr MG Mostafa and Habibur Rahman of the Save the Children, USA.