The New Nation - Internet Edition

Victory Day today

National Mausoleum at Savar

UNB, Dhaka

The nation celebrates the 38th Victory Day today (Dec 16) commemorating its glorious triumph in the nine-month bloody war against the Pakistani occupation forces through which Bangladesh was liberated this day in 1971.

On the occasion, people will pay rich tribute to the heroic sons of the soil who sacrificed their lives to earn the much-awaited freedom.

The V-day will be celebrated across the country and at its missions abroad with a fresh vow to uphold the spirit of the hard-earned independence and democracy, at a time when the nation is posed for democratic transition from a two-year interregnum since the January 11, 2007 changeover.

On this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani occupation forces, general AAK Niazi, along with 93,000 Pakistani troops, surrendered following a miserable defeat to the joint forces of Mukti Bahini and Mitra Bahini, led by general Jagjit Singh Aurora of India, at Ramna Racecourse, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka.

In one of the heinous acts of genocide in human history, the Pakistan army and their local collaborators launched a barbarous crackdown killing innocent and unarmed people in the erstwhile East Pakistan at midnight past March 25, 1971.

The nation, under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, finally clinched independence on December 16 after the nine-month- long national liberation war.

The day is a public holiday. The national flag will be hoisted atop all government, semi-government and other important establishments. The day will be heralded by a 31-gun salute at dawn.

People from different social groups and political, cultural, professional and academic organizations and institutions will throng the National Mausoleum in Savar to pay homage to the heroes who embraced martyrdom to liberate the country.

President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed would lead the nation in placing wreaths at the monument in high tribute to the martyrs.

Strict security measures have been taken all over the country to check any unwanted incident during the celebrations.

Different political, socio-cultural, professional and academic organizations have taken up elaborate programmes to mark the Victory Day.

The President, the Chief Adviser, BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages on the occasion, calling for the people to work unitedly to build a democratic and prosperous Bangladesh imbued with the spirit of independence.

Meanwhile, members of Bangladesh Armed Forces will join the nation in observing the great 'Victory Day' in a befitting manner, said an ISPR release.

The day's programme will begin with a 31-gun salute at the time of sunrise at the old Airport in Dhaka.

Special munajt will be offered at all mosques of Army, Navy and Air Force all over the country, seeking divine blessings for the peace and progress of the country and development of the armed forces.

President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will place floral wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar with sunrise. Members from Army, Navy and Air Force will pay guard of honour.

The national flag will be hoisted atop services' headquarters and Armed Forces installations. Important buildings of the armed forces will be illuminated in the evening.

Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force bands will perform in Crescent Lake, Farmgate Park area and Mirpur Stadium respectively from 2 pm to 4 pm. They will play different patriotic and popular tunes.

Besides, few ships of the Bangladesh Navy will be kept open to the visitors from 2 pm to sunset in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Mongla, Barisal and Narayanganj.

Army to be deployed from Dec 18: Sabotage feared as emergency goes on Dec 17

Staff Reporter

The army will be deployed across the country from December 18, two days earlier than the scheduled, date sensing sabotage attacks in the intervening period as the state of emergency goes on December 17 ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for December 29.

Earlier, the Election Commission (EC) has decided to deploy army from December 20.

Meanwhile, President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday signed an ordinance repealing the Emergency Power Ordinance 2007 with effect from December 17 in line with the government announcement in this regard.

Talking to reporters, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain yesterday said the precautionary measure to deploy army in advance is being taken in view of the reports in print and electronic media as well as intelligence agencies.

He however said that army troops would start rolling out from December 18, two days ahead of their deployment at the designated stations on duty for the parliamentary elections.

The President has signed the ordinance at 5:00pm, according to Secretary of the President's Office Mohammad Sirajul Islam.

The ordinance was signed in line with an earlier government announcement that the state of emergency would be lifted entirely from December 17 ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary polls scheduled for December 29.

The government last week announced that the state of emergency would go on December 17 while the certain clauses of the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) barring street rallies and marches were lifted on December 12 to facilitate electioneering.

The President also signed an order for lifting the emergency power rules, which is to be sent to the home ministry while the order for repealing Emergency Power Ordinance, would go to the law ministry for required actions.

The President promulgated the state of emergency on January 11, last year and the present Caretaker Government was installed on the following day.

Election Commissioner Sakhawat Hossain said the EC asked the Ministry of Establishment to employ judicial magistrates to deliver spot judgments against the violators of the strict electoral code of conduct.

About the upazila polls, he said the candidates contesting the January 22 local-body elections should not go on campaign before January 1.

The Election Commissioner urged all candidates to abide by the electoral code of conduct during electioneering, particularly refraining from holding rallies and meetings blocking streets and roads.

He said the chiefs of the political parties can hold their meetings at any time. "There's no timetable for the party chiefs," he said.

Regarding the allegations of violating the electoral code of conduct, Sakhawat Hossain said the EC would take proper steps against the violators if recommendation comes to it.

Replying to a question about the 'No Vote' he said the system of keeping the no-vote provision would preserve the citizens' right.

"They (voters) will cast 'No Vote' if they don't like any candidate," he observed.

Hasina seeks mandate to end terrorism

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina waving to the
people at an election rally at Karwan Bazar in the city on
Monday. Banglar Chokh

Staff Reporter

Awami League (AL) president Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her party, if elected to office, would not pass any laws that go against the Quran or Sunnah.

She made the declaration at an election rally of Jahangir Kabir Nanak, the grand-alliance candidate for Dhaka-13 constituency.

Addressing a large section of the electorate who are non-Bengalees, she said, ""Those who were born in this country are the citizens of this country and if they accept Bangladesh as their own country then they will be assured of employment and all other facilities."

At the campaign rally at Karwan Bazar for Asaduzzaman Khan, the AL candidate for Dhaka-11 seat, Hasina pledged to turn Dhaka into a modern city if her party won the December 29 election.

She promised measures to check pollution, develop an improved communication system, and construct monorails, underground rails and flyovers.

Education for all will be ensured and power production and water supply shortages will be removed as per the manifesto, she added.

She said, "If the Awami League is elected through people's vote then corruption and terrorism will be removed from society."

Introducing Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal as a freedom fighter, she said, "People like him fought in the war and gave us independence and, hopefully, he will also bring us victory in the upcoming polls."

Hasina presented comparative pictures of the price of essentials between the times of the AL and BNP-led governments and asked the people to vote for boat, the party's polls logo.

She said, "Those who have robbed the people of their freedom do not have the right to come to power."

It was now clear who had inserted false voters into the electoral rolls to come to power, she added. She said being the daughter of the 'father of the nation' independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, "I have fought for establishing your rights and I will continue to do so. If necessary, I will give my own blood as did my father.

Introducing Mostafa Jalal Mohiduddin for Dhaka-7 seat, she said, "I am giving you an educated and courteous person who is like my own son."

After Kawran Bazar, Hasina went to Hazaribagh Park and campaigned for Fazle Noor Tapash, AL candidate for Dhaka-12 constituency.

Hasina is supposed to address rallies at Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Pallabi, Kafrul and Uttara on behalf of AL candidates.

Bush ducks shoe attacks in Iraq

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tries to block
US President George W Bush after an Iraqi man threw his
shoes at Bush during a joint press conference at Maliki's
private office on Sunday. AP photo

BBC Online

A surprise visit by US President George Bush to Iraq has been overshadowed by an incident in which two shoes were thrown at him during a news conference.

An Iraqi journalist was wrestled to the floor by security guards after he called Bush "a dog" and threw his footwear, just missing the president. The US president has now continued to Afghanistan to inspect troops there.

He arrived before dawn at Bagram air force base, and is due to hold talks with President Hamid Karzai.

Earlier in Baghdad, Bush and Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki signed the new security agreement between their countries. The pact calls for US troops to leave Iraq in 2011 - eight years after the 2003 invasion that has in part defined the Bush presidency.

Speaking just over five weeks before he hands over power to Barack Obama, Bush also said the war in Iraq was not over and more work remained to be done.

His previously unannounced visit came a day after Defence Secretary Robert Gates told US troops the Iraq mission was in its "endgame".

In the middle of the news conference with Maliki, Iraqi television journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi stood up and shouted "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog," before hurling a shoe at Mr Bush which narrowly missed him. Showing the soles of shoes to someone is a sign of contempt in Arab culture. With his second shoe, which the president also managed to dodge, Zaidi said: "This is for the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq." Zaidi, a correspondent for Cairo-based al-Baghdadiya TV, was then wrestled to the ground by security personnel and hauled away.

"If you want the facts, it's a size 10 shoe that he threw," Bush joked afterwards.

Al-Baghdadiya's bureau chief told the Associated Press that he had no idea what prompted Zaidi to attack President Bush, although reports say he was once kidnapped by a militia and beaten up.

"I am trying to reach Muntadar since the incident, but in vain," said Fityan Mohammed. "His phone is switched off."

Correspondents said the attack was symbolic. Iraqis threw shoes and used them to beat Saddam Hussein's statue after his overthrow.

'American security'

Bush's first stop upon arriving in Baghdad was the Iraqi presidential palace in the heavily-fortified Green Zone, where he held talks with President Jalal Talabani.

"The work hasn't been easy but it's been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope and world peace," Bush said during his talks with Talabani.

The Iraqi president called Bush "a great friend for the Iraqi people, who helped us liberate our country".

The BBC's Humphrey Hawksley, in Baghdad, says the key issue at present is exactly how American troops will withdraw within the next three years and what sort of Iraq they will leave behind.

The US media has just published details of a US government report saying that post invasion reconstruction of Iraq was crippled by bureaucratic turf wars and an ignorance of the basic elements of Iraqi society.

Sabotaging polls will be catastrophic: Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia addressing an
election rally at Jessore Town Hall ground on Monday.
Banglar Chokh

Staff Reporter

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday warned that people of the country would not accept any attempt to sabotage the forthcoming parliamentary elections on December 29. She said any attempt to sabotage the polls will be catastrophic.

"Conspiracy is under way to foil the elections," she said at an election meeting in Jessore and Khulna.

Earlier on Sunday after offering wreaths at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in the capital, the Chairperson of BNP headed for southwestern districts to address election rallies.

She had already addressed meetings at Manikganj, Rajbari, Kushtia, Meherpur, Chuadanga and Magura before arriving at Jessore and Khulna yesterday.

In Jessore Town Hall ground Begum Zia said the conspirators appeared to be jealous after sensing the huge popularity and certain victory of the BNP led four-part alliance in the polls. " We have to watch carefully if anybody is plotting to foil the polls," she added.

Warning against any conspiracy to foil the election she firmly said that people will not tolerate any conspiracy and foil any evil designs damaging the polls.

She claimed that every day newcomers were joining the BNP and would cast their vote to 'Sheaf of Paddy' like in the election in 2001.

"Inshallah by the mandate of the people the BNP will come to power like in 2001," she asserted. She claimed that a particular party was getting favour from the administration. The BNP Chairperson urged the administration to act neutrally.

The four-party alliance chief said the whole country has been converted into a jailhouse during the past couple of years. People now want to be free again.

She said the anti graft drive was launched to depoliticise the country. " The corrupt are hale and hearty all right. It was the people's representatives who were arrested and persecuted and sued," she added.

She alleged having failed to finish her the authorities put her sons behind bars and tortured them.

"We had to suffer because we love the country. Ziaur Rahman also gave his life as he loved his country and people," she mentioned.

Claiming that extensive development was effected during the immediate past BNP rule, the former prime minister said some quarters had then conspired to sabotage the BNP government that had initiated measures for the country's development.

She said the conflicting political situation following the end of four-party alliance rule in 2006 ushered in the emergency rule on January 11, 2007-all of which came off anti-BNP plots.

The January 22, 2007 polls were cancelled because all were against the imminent BNP victory, which would ensure continued happiness for the voters"

Calling upon everybody to work together, the BNP chairperson said, "Let's all work together to restore democracy and save the people and the country."

Khaleda introduced the four-party alliance candidates running the polls from six seats to the people. They were BNP leader Tariqul Islam (Jessore-3), TS Ayub (Jessore-4), Abul Hossain Azad (Jessore-6), Jamaat-e-Islami leader Azizur Rahman (Jessore-1), Shahadat Hossain (Jessore-2) and Islami Oikyo Jote leader Mufti Muhammad Wakkas (Jessore-5).

Accompanied by BNP's vice president Sarwari Rahman, Khaleda started for Kalaroa of Satkhira after rounding off the Jessore meeting.

She was scheduled to address seven public meetings in Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira districts.

A day before announcing BNP's election manifesto on Saturday, Khaleda launched her polls campaign on Friday through addressing public meetings at Sylhet, Habiganj and Brahmanbarhia.

She addressed a number of meetings in the capital that had started in the evening on Saturday after unveiling the party manifesto. The BNP Chairperson is expected to return the capital today.

Aziz opens JB NRB branch Manifestoes reflect economic challenges

Staff Reporter

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday hailed the political parties for incorporating some of the country's major economic challenges in their election manifestoes.

"I have seen some reflections," the Finance Adviser said, replying to a question after the inaugural function of the NRB Branch of Janata Bank Limited at Hotel Purbani.

The first such branch dedicated exclusively for the non-resident Bangladeshis is housed on the second floor of the Janata Bank Bhaban in Motijheel commercial area.

However, the Adviser did not go into details about the economic issues of the manifestoes and preferred to hold a press conference in this regard before leaving his office.

Addressing the function, Dr Aziz also mentioned that all the political parties in their election manifestoes emphasised on focusing the rural economy and poverty alleviation.

He appreciated the initiative of Janata Bank for opening a unique branch dedicated exclusively for the non-resident Bangladeshis who are contributing to the country's economic life no less than the export earnings in net terms.

Initially, the NRB Branch will be connected on-line with three desks of Dhanmondi, Kamal Ataturk Avenue and Uttara branches of the bank and offer three products namely Continuous Benefit Account, Advance Benefit Account and NRB Home Loan Scheme.

The Finance Adviser asked the bank to motivate their staffs to be prompt and courteous in dealing with clients to make the bank's mission successful, and also to improve overall services of the bank.

He recognised the need for consumption of the remittance by the beneficiaries in the country, as they have to meet the expenditures like food, health and education.

But, the Adviser said, there is a scope to mobilise a part of the remittance into the banking system and invest in productive sectors like agriculture, SMEs, agro-processing and labour intensive sectors to help reduce poverty.

Finance Secretary Dr Mohammad Tareque, Board of Investment executive chairman Kamaluddin Ahmed and Janata Bank chairman Suhel Ahmed Choudhury also spoke on the occasion.