The New Nation - Internet Edition

Govt, political parties’ talks flop: JS polls on Dec 18 as scheduled

Staff Reporter

The government yesterday decided that the parliamentary and upazila elections will be held as per the schedule on December 18 and 28 because of "lack of consensus of two major political alliances on a new schedule.

Briefing reporters, government spokesman and Adviser for Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said the government had offered to defer parliamentary elections by 10 days and upazila by 11 days and to withdraw the emergency at a logical point of time keeping in view law and order.

He said the government also assured enforcement of section 91(e) of the Representation of People Order (RPO) with complete transparency.

But both the political alliances did not come to a consensus on acceptance of the government offer, he said.

The proposals were floated in view of the 4-point demand raised by the BNP-led 4-party alliance in consultation with the Election Commission.

Hossain Zillur said the government did this keeping in this view the greater interests of the nation even though the demands were raised at the fag end of the process of preparation for the polls.

The announcement was made after series of meetings with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda and army chief General Moin U Ahmed, and consultation with top leaders of the two alliances led by BNP and Awami League.

The Adviser was scheduled to give the briefing at 4:30pm but it was delayed three and half hours as the government has to take time to reach a conclusion.

Dr Hossain Zillur hoped that all political parties would take part in the forthcoming elections as per schedule for the sake of national interests and practicing sustainable democracy in the country.

He assured that the government and the EC would take all necessary measures and ensure highest alertness to hold the elections on schedule and maintain peace, discipline and security.

"The government hopes all concerned will play their due roles keeping in mind the national interests," he said.

The Adviser readout a one-page written statement and did not respond to questions from journalists.

Four other advisers, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Ghulam Quader and AF Hassan Ariff, Anwarul Iqbal, responsible for the political dialogue with political parties, were present at the briefing.

Polls going to be held this year: President

UNB, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed Wednesday said general election is going to be held this year that would further strengthen country's democratic process.

He said this to newly appointed Argentine Ambassador to Bangladesh Ernesto Carlos Alvarez when the envoy presented his credentials to the President at Bangabhaban on Wednesday.

"Holding the election is a positive move for Bangladesh, which would further strengthen country's democracy," the Ambassador said.

The President emphasized further strengthening cooperation in trade and commerce between Bangladesh and Argentina, saying that the Latin American country can import Bangladesh's world-class products.

"Argentina can import Bangladeshi world-standard products, including ships, pharmaceuticals, readymade garments, melamine and ceramics, at cheaper prices," he said.

President Iajuddin welcomed the new envoy and expressed his satisfaction over the existing bilateral relations between the two countries.

The ties can be strengthened further through people-to-people contact and increased trade and commerce.

Highly praising the Argentine football team, he told the new Ambassador that many people of the country are great fans of his football team.

Through the ambassador the President conveyed his greetings and invitation for visiting Bangladesh to Argentine President Dr Cristina Fernandez.

The new envoy sought President's cooperation in discharging his duties during his tenure in Dhaka and also assured of his cooperation in further strengthening the bilateral and trade relations between the two countries.

Secretary of the President's Office Md Sirajul Islam, Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Acting Foreign Secretary MAK Mahmud and President's Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader were present.

On his arrival at Bangabhaban, a smart contingent of President's Guard Regiment gave the Argentine ambassador a guard of honor.

Police on red alert

Additional police deployed at different points in
the city yesterday to maintain law and order ahead of polls.
This photograph was taken from in front of BNP central
office at Nayapaltan. FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

The Government has put police and law enforcing agencies on red alert yesterday to avert any untoward situation at any place in the country.

The police headquarters also have asked police personnel, on leave to report to their respective units immediately.

A verbal order to this effect was given from the police headquarters to all units.

"Directed by the Election Commission, we have put the forces countrywide on alert so that none can create law and order situation ahead of the general election," a high official at the Police headquarters told the New Nation yesterday

"All police personnel have been told to report to their units," Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammed told journalists.

"There is nothing special about this because we do this on a regular basis," he said.

However, he refused to say whether such an order was being issued in the backdrop of talks between the government and the two major political parties, BNP and Awami League.

Nomination filing date extended till Nov 23

ATM Shamsul Huda

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Nomination deadline for general and Upazila elections have been pushed back three days to Nov. 23 but election dates on Dec. 18 and 28 remain unchanged, the chief election commissioner told bdnews24.com yesterday night.

Earlier, adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman, the government spokesperson, said they wanted to defer the general election to Dec. 28 and Upazila polls to Jan. 8.

But now they plan to hold polls on Dec.18 since major parties failed to reach consensus, he said.

Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda had said hours before they were ready to reschedule the general election for Dec. 28 if the government could get all parties to agree on the date. However, the Election Commission had not received any directives from the government until in the evening, he told reporters.

"We've waited until the evening, but are yet to get any hints from the advisers," ATM Shamsul Huda said at around 5:45pm as he left office.

"We are still sticking to the existing election schedule for now, but for the sake of participation of all parties, we've no objection to deferring polls."

Huda said the government has proposed a 10-day delay, but there needed an all-party consensus in that regard.

Given a consensus on holding the general election on Dec 28, upazila polls will be delayed accordingly, he added.

The government was expected to give a statement after a meeting between chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and AtM Shamsul Huda, the chief election commissioner, at the Chief Adviser's Office earlier in the day.

The two met for a second time in 24 hours in the wake of intense negotiations on Tuesday over the election schedule.

On whether the deadline for nominations was being extended, Huda said after the meeting: "We have given our views and we stick to our previous schedule for now."

"Now it is a matter of understanding between the government and the political parties. The government will brief all in this regard."

Wednesday's meeting came after leaders of the two major parties hinted that the Dec. 18 vote could be deferred by some days as part of an apparent consensus reached in talks with advisers the previous night.

The new date, on or around Dec 28, was considered after the BNP's demand for deferred polls received tacit backing from most quarters, including Dhaka's influential diplomatic community, for the sake of an accord, it emerged.

Huda yesterday was accompanied by two other commissioners M Sakhawat Hussain and Muhammed Sohul Hussain to the CA's Office.

AL MP nominee Kabori divorced

Kabori

UNB, Narayangaj

Famous actress Kabori has been divorced by her husband Shafiuddin Sarwar, alias Babu Sarwar, ostensibly on political reason.

Nominated by Awami League to contest the upcoming parliamentary election from Fatullah-4 constituency Kabori told newsmen that the divorce was part of a conspiracy. "Reason is I've got the AL nomination."

Giving a dam to the divorce and happy at embarking in politics 62-year old legendary actress said no conspiracy would deter her.

Kabori got AL nomination in preference to former MP Shamim Osman, who fled the country after the 1/11 change over and now believed living in self-exile in India. Sarwar is uncle of Shamim.

National and international award winner Kabori married Sarwar in 1978 leaving her first husband Chitta Chowdhury. She had no child from Sarwar.

Sarwar divorced Kabori at Amtali kazi office on Monday and submitted the talakanama at the Gulshan office of the Dhaka City Corporation.

Army should refrain from intervening in political process: NDI

Staff Reporter

National Democratic Institute (NDI), an US based NGO, yesterday suggested the Government to lift the state of emergency as soon as possible and not to deploy police or military personnel on election day in polling stations.

A delegation of NDI, led by former US congressman and current NDI board member Sam Gejdenson, arrived in Dhaka on November 15 to assess preparations and observe election atmosphere ahead of the parliamentary polls.

The delegation held several meetings with

the caretaker government, EC, leaders of political parties, representatives of domestic monitoring groups and other civic organisations and members of the diplomatic community.

The US based organisation placed a set of prescriptions for the Government, the Election Commission, political parties, civil society and military to abide by.

While placing its written recommendations at a press conference at a city hotel yesterday the NDI team advised, "the military should accept its proper role in a democratic society and refrain from intervening in the political process."

But, the NDI mission chief parried questions on what it suggests about the role of the diplomats and foreign election observers intervening in the Bangladesh affairs.

They suggested the caretaker government to continue dialogue with the political parties and the election commission to ensure broad participation in the election.

"Act in a completely neutral manner during the election and refrain from actions that, in fact or appearance, favour or oppose any candidate or party," the NDI delegation said in its written statement.

It suggested the EC to amend its Domestic Election Monitoring Guidelines to ensure the independence of monitors and not permit political parties to veto monitoring organisations or individuals without a hearing.

It also suggested the EC to review campaign finance limitations and the issue of shutting down mobile phone networks on election day and to provide the voters list in print from as well as digital to ensure that all parties and candidates are able to reach eligible voters.

It suggested that the Commission should adopt measures to ensure that minority groups can exercise their rights on election day and are not subjected to post-election violence.

"The Caretaker Government should lift the state of emergency so that political activity can begin as soon as possible" it said and suggested "not to deploy police or military personnel on election day in polling stations or in a manner that appears intimidating to voters or that interferes with the electoral process."

The NDI team said the parties should agree to sustain several of the reforms adopted by the caretaker Government, including reforms to the Public Service Commission, anti-corruption efforts and securing judicial independence.

The parties should agree to end hartals and to use their elected roles in parliament as the principal forum for conservative deliberation issues and resolving disputes.

The parties should continue efforts to reform their parties internally to make them more democratic and responsive organisations.

NDI suggested the parties should provide for a meaningful role for the opposition in parliament.

The US NGO suggested the civil society of Bangladesh to educate public about the need to refrain from violence, calling for accountability to the law through and beyond the elections.

Members of the team Saumura Tioulong, member of the national assembly of Cambodia, Peter Manikas, senior associate and regional director for NDI's Asia programmes, and Jacqueline Corcoran, NDI/Bangladesh senior resident director also addressed the press.

ME envoys for all-party participatory elections

Staff Reporter

Ambassadors from Middle Eastern countries yesterday expressed their optimism that there would be a free, fair and all party participatory elections in the country for establishing an effective parliament and government chosen by the people.

"We the Arab diplomats hope for a fine and peaceful election," Shaher Mohammad, Palestinian Ambassador, told journalists after a meeting with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leaders at the party central office at Moghbazar in the city.

Ambassadors of Egypt, UAE, Morocco, Libya and Charge d' Affaires of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman were present.

Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ameer, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed, Secretary General, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Qader Molla, Assistant Secretaries General and Tasneem Alam, Publicity Secretary of Jamaat-e- Islami, among others, were present.

"Arab countries will closely work together whatever party comes to power in Bangladesh," Shaher Mohammad said.

When asked whether the diplomats are meddling in the country's politics he said, " We are not interfering into internal matters of this country and the people here are free to choose whatever they prefer".

He, however, said that the support and solidarity of the Arab countries would always be with the people of Bangladesh

Asked whether they discussed about new election schedule with changed date he said it is a matter to be decided by the government and the political parties.

"Ameer of Jamaat told the envoys that we ( Jamaat) want to participate in the election. He also explained to the ambassadors the 4-point demand made by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia," said Jamaat Secretary General.

Money laundering, terror financing must stop

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a workshop said that the government and financial institutions should play their respective roles in detecting, preventing and taking repressive action in money laundering and terrorist financing.

The Money Laundering Prevention Ordinance 2008 can play vital role for reducing terrorist financing in the country, the speakers said this at a daylong workshop on 'Money Laundering Prevention Ordinance-2008'. The Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) organised this at its Conference Room yesterday. Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB) Ziaul Hassan Siddique was present as chief guest in the inaugural session of the workshop.

Ziaul Hassan Siddiqui said that if the concerned authorities fail to prevent people from money laundering it will enhance criminal activities in Bangladesh.

"Money laundering might make financial institution vulnerable," he said, adding, if the authorities fail to prevent money laundering, it may encourage people to undermine laws.

The BB Deputy Governor stressed on the importance of adopting the new anti-money laundering act-2008.

Prof Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University said that the Bangladesh Bank should train up its staff to draw up effective anti-money laundering act.

Former Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank Nazmul Hasan in his keynote paper said, "Money laundering is the criminal practice of filtering ill-gotten gains or dirty money through a series of transactions so as to give the money a look that the money appears to have originated from legal activities."

He emphasised that the Bangladesh Bank has to develop expertise to understand and analyse the operations of reporting agencies as to be able to detect the money laundering trail.

He said that the concerned agencies need to keep a close watch over alternative remittance mechanism to keep track of money laundering and terrorist financing.

Head of Legal and Compliance of Standard Chartered Bank Chowdhury MAQ Sarwar said that Bangladesh has been leading the way in South Asia to have criminalised money laundering well ahead of India, Pakistan,

Sri Lanka, Nepal and Afghanistan through enactment of money laundering prevention act 2002 now repealed by the money laundering prevention ordinance 2008.

Money laundering is a process whereby the illicit proceeds of crime are hidden or transformed so that criminals can be used or re-invested into a criminal organisation, he observed.

Bangladesh Bank has been invested with wide powers and authority to take necessary measures to prevent and detect transaction intended to commit offence under this ordinance through any banking channel, he recommended.

Bangladesh Bank has been empowered to authorise to call for reports about suspicious transaction from banks, compile and preserve all statistics and records related to terrorist financing, create and maintained a database of all suspicious transaction reports, monitor and observe the activities of the banks and provide training to staffs and officers of banks for the purpose of dictation and prevention of suspicious transactions as may be connected with terrorist financing, Sarwar also said recommended.

General Manager of Anti-Money Laundering Department of Bangladesh Bank Mahfusur Rahman in his paper said that the proposed mobile banking might facilitate terrorist financing, money laundering as well as promotion of illegal 'Hundi' business.

BEI President Farooq Sobhan said that anti-money laundering act has a profound impact on countering terrorism as no terrorist organisation survives without financial transaction.

He said that Bangladesh Bank and commercial banks should take appropriate actions to reduce financial transactions through informal or illegal channels. In this regard, monitoring the movement of funds on the part of financial institutes has turned out a matter of greater importance, he added.

4-party decision on polls today

Staff Reporter

The emergency meeting of the BNP-led four-party alliance yesterday could not reach a decision on the issue of joining the polls on December 18.

The leaders of the alliance would meet again today.

"We have put forward four-point charter of demands to the government and they did not meet those," Khandker Delwar Hossain, Secretary General of BNP told journalists after the meeting of the four party alliance at BNP Chairperson's Gulsahn office in the city.

Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ameer, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Moulana Abdul Latif Nezami, Secretary General of Islamic Oikkya Jote, Barrister Andlib Rahman, Chairman and Shamim Al Mamun, Secretary General of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), among others, attended the meeting.

"We again call upon the government to withdraw the state of emergency and give us scope to participate in the election," Delwar said.

Bar Council polls today

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Bar Council (BBC), a statutory body regulating the lawyers, goes to the polls today to elect its 14 members with three panels running the race.

Seven of the members will be elected to general seats and one each to another seven regional groups' seats. The elected members in their first meeting will elect a vice-chairman for the Council and constitute other standing committees to run the institution for the period of three years from takeover.

The Attorney General, the chief law officer of government, is the ex-officio chairman of the Council.

According to BBC, nearly 29,750 voters from 79 bar associations across the country will cast their vote at their respective bars and on civil-court premises.

It said all preparations for holding the election properly have been made appointing 134 judicial officers as presiding officers to conduct the election at 77 vote centres across the country.

"The voting kicks off at 10 am and will continue up to 5 pm without break," added a BBC release.

Attorney-General Salahuddin Ahmed in a statement sought "all-out cooperation from all concerned in making the election a success".

Three panels- Sammilita Ainjibi Samannoy Parishad led by incumbent Supreme Court Bar Association president Barrister Shafique Ahmed, Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel led by senior advocate ABM Nurul Islam and Ainjibi Oikya Panel led by Advocate KM Zabir- are contesting the election.

The last election to the Council was held on May 13, 2004.

Now the Council runs by an ad hoc committee constituted by the government since July 1 last year after the expiry of the elected body.

An official of the Council told UNB that its election could not be held as per the set rule due to "strict enforcement of the state of emergency".

Govt urged to reduce foreign aid dependence

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar yesterday requested the government not to tow the line of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

They also urged the politicians and bureaucrats to come out from the dependency on foreign aid, and give importance to the mobilisation of domestic resources.

The seminar on "Doha Conference on Development Financing: Reproduction of Poverty in Bangladesh and Demand for Compensation' organised by Equity and Justice Working Group (EquityBD) at the National Press Club in the city. EquityBD convenor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury moderated the seminar, while Professor of Dhaka University Dr Abu Ahmed, Sapatahiki Editor Golam Mortaza, BSS Editor Joglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Ex MP Sahiduzaman and Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Ex Ambassador Waliur Rahman, Journalist Farooque Ahmed, AHM Bazlur Rahman, Mostafa Kamal Akanda, among others, took part in the discussion.

Dr Abu Ahmed said, "The rich countries always try to give loans in the name of development projects, we should innovate mechanism to mobilise resources of our own."

He also demanded disclosure of statistics of foreign currency loss in the name of profit repatriation, education and health expenditures of rich people abroad.

The speakers urged all the politicians and others to take a vision for silver jubilee of the liberation of Bangladesh in 2021 for a sovereign economy without any foreign aid and loan.

They demanded that the government should not negotiate further on any loan with the international financial institutions and also not to sign any contract with any foreign company, until a political government takes power in the country.

Md. Shamsuddoha, Secretary General of the organisation, presented keynote paper.

In his keynote paper Shamsuddoha demanded of the interim government to declare the country position in terms of development financing in public in the upcoming United Nations Finance for Development (UNFFD) conference to be held in Doha during November 29 to December 2, 2008.