The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pure Food Ordinance approved

UNB, Dhaka

The Council of Advisers of the caretaker government Sunday finally approved the Supreme Court Judges (Remuneration and Privileges) Ordinance 2008 to provide them dearness and rest and recreational allowances.

Following approval of the ordinance the SC judges will get 20 percent dearness allowance like government officials and employees and rest-and-recreational allowance in an amount equal to their basic salary after every three years. The perks will have retrospective effect from July 1, 2008.

A meeting of the council of advisers with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair also approved proposed amendment to the Pure Food Ordinance 1959 aiming to "well protect the public health and control quality of various food items".

Following the amendment, instead of LGRD Minister, Health and Family Welfare Minister would be chairman of the National Food Safety Advisory Council.

The meeting also approved a proposal for amendment to the Society Registration Act 1860. As a result, different fees, including society-registration fee, have been increased to Tk 2,500 from the existing amount of Tk 250.

It extended the relaxation period of conditions for attaining specific educational qualifications by registered unqualified primary school teachers through competence test for another six months till July 31, 2009.

The extension was made following stay order from the High Court on holding the competence test. So, the teachers would get the portion of government subsidy on their salary during this time.

After the meeting, CA's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim told newsmen that the meeting also approved a proposal that Bangladesh will ratify the setting up of South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO).

The meeting finally approved the National Poultry Development Policy Guidelines 2008 aimed at boosting production of meat and egg to meet national demand for protein.

It also approved in principle amendment to the Company Act 1994 and sent back the National Shrimp Policy 2008 for further examination.

Members of the Advisory Council attended the meeting at the CA's office. Cabinet Secretary, CA's Press Secretary and Secretaries of Ministries concerned were also present.

Mild cold wave may sweep by month-end

UNB, Dhaka

A mild cold wave, first this winter, may grip the country by the end of this month, while the prevailing foggy weather may lose steam by next one or two days.

This was stated today by weather officials who expect the night temperature to fall further gradually with the discontinuation of fog and overcast skies later this week.

"The persisting foggy weather sweeping the country's northern and central regions in the last few days will improve significantly by next one or two days," meteorologist SM Mahmudul Haq told UNB Sunday.

He said with disappearance of fog the night temperature may also start dropping gradually.

This may result in a mild cold wave sweeping most parts of the country by the end of this month, he said, adding the upcoming cold wave will be felt in the northern and central regions, especially in the districts of Jessore, Rajshahi, Kushtia and Sylhet.

The temperature in those regions may drop by six to eight degrees Celsius next week.

Meanwhile, the sweeping cold coupled with dense fog has disrupted normal life in the country's northern region and the few places in central districts.

Traffic movement on roads, highways and waterways and air flights were also being disrupted due to poor visibility caused by thick fog.

Two people died of cold related diseases at Sundarganj in Gaibandha district in last three days, unofficial sources said.

Hospital sources in the affected areas said rush of patients, mostly children, suffering from cold-related ailments has marked a rise in the last few days due to the rough weather.

Ferry services on different routes, including those on busy Paturia-Daulatdia route, were also being disrupted daily in the past few days, inflicting immense sufferings on long-haul passengers and causing huge traffic jams.

Four held for distributing leaflets against Hasina, Joy

Staff Reporter

Police arrested four BUET students for distributing leaflets against AL chief Sheikh Hasina and her son Joy in the Ramna police station areas yesterday.

The detained persons were identified as Iqbal, Samad, Zahid and Himel and studying in different departments of the BUET.

Police said they were distributing leaflets against Sheikh Hasina and Joy.

A case was filed with Ramna police station in this connection.

All steps taken to maintain law and order-Commerce Adviser

Staff Reporter

Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossian Zillur Rahman yesterday said that the government has taken all necessary measures to keep law and order under control ahead of the election.

He was talking to reporters on the sideline of a view exchange meeting on "Open Education for Deprived Learners: Experience and Prospect" at LGED Auditorium yesterday. The Open University and Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) organised the meeting.

Responding to a question on the security of Awami League President Sheikh Hasian, Zillur said, "Keeping vigil, the government has been taking prompt steps wherever they are necessary.The government has been keeping close watch on the law and order anywhere in the country'.

Asked whether the participation of the candidates, who are in the race with the court order, will create any difficulty for the election, the Commerce Adviser replied in the negative stating that the whole nation, people of the country and all political parties are now fully geared for the forthcoming election." Though the court verdict has marginally told on the rhythm, the whole picture of election nonetheless remains intact ', he noted.

Replying to another question, Hossain Zillur said that the Caretaker Government is prepared to handover state power to the next political government in the shortest possible time.

Bishwa Shaita Kandra President Prof Abu Syed chaired the view exchange meeting where Mass Education and Cultural Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury, Open University Treasurer AKM Ruhul Amin Akhand, Acting Director of PPRC, addressed, among others, in the view exchange meeting.

Exchange of seats among grand alliance candidates

UNB, Mymensingh

Awami League led grand alliance has left Gaibandha-5 to Rawshan Ershad of Jatiya Party in exchange of Mymensingh-4.

Ending confrontation by the grand alliance candidates Sheikh Hasina today announced that Rawshan Ershad would withdraw from Mymensingh-4 leaving the field for elderly Awami League leader Principal Matiur Rahman.

She also announced withdrawal of Awami League candidate from Gaibandha-5 leaving it for Rawshan Earshad.

Hasina announced the change of the alliance candidates while addressing the public meeting at the circuit house maidan yesterday.

10 hurt in Sylhet road accident

UNB, Sylhet

A bus carrying women returnees from an election meeting skidded off the road and fell into a ditch leaving 10 injured at Amtail in Bishwanath upazila Sunday.

Riana Begum, 65, and Raisa Begum, 60, were admitted to Osmani Medical College Hospital in a serious condition.

Four other elderly women were admitted to Bishwanath health complex while four were given the first aid.

Locals said the women were brought to the meeting for projection of BNP candidate M Ilias Ali at his residence, which was addressed by his wife Tahsina Rushdie.

BNP activists prevented the photojournalists to take snaps of wounded women.

Giasuddin Kamal, son of injured Riana Begum, told journalists that his mother was taken to the meeting with a pledge of giving her Tk 500.

RAB seized 10kg gunpowder from Sharsha

UNB, Jessore

RAB yesterday seized 10kg gunpowder from the house of an alleged smuggler at Kaliani village in Sharsha upazila.

Major Sarwar of RAB told newsmen that on secret information they raided the house of Nasirul Islam and seized the gunpowder, which may be used for making bombs.

Nasir, a known smuggler, was not in the house during the raid. None was arrested. A case was filed with kotwali thana against Nasir.

RWPB unveils poll manifesto

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Revolutionary Workers Party (RWPB) on Sunday announced the party's manifesto with a promise to ensure food security and create employment opportunity for the unemployed people.

Party general secretary Saiful Haque formally announced the 13-point election manifesto at a press conference at the party office making an appeal to the people to boycott the corrupted persons, black money holders, godfathers of the terrorists and war criminals in the December 29 polls.

The election manifesto also pledged to check the price hike and to make an end to corruption, looting, terrorism and politicization, to increase productivity and alleviate poverty.

Giving priority to the agriculture sector and farmers, it also laid emphasis on flourishing the industrial sector, health education and cultural sectors, establishing equal rights for the women, protecting the rights of the minorities and tribal people and the national resources.

Central leaders Bahnishikha Jamali, Abdus Sattar Majumder, Dhaka metropolitan unit general secretary Jubran Ali Jewel and party candidate from Dhaka-12 constituency M Bahran-e Sultan Bahar were, among others, present on the occasion.

Supported by Ganatrantik Bam Morcha, RWPB will compete in five constituencies with their reserved symbol 'spade'.

Security tightened countrywide for polls

UNB, Dhaka

Some 50,000 military troops and adequate paramilitary BDR patrols started patrolling all metropolitan, district and upazila areas on Sunday to build up foolproof security for the ninth parliamentary elections.

The security personnel went on patrol as part extensive security measures taken up by Home Ministry following instruction of the Election Commission to help in holding peacefully the polls now scheduled for December 29 after lots of political hiccups.

A total of 6,000 members of the elite-force RAB as well as a sufficient number of Armed Police Battalion (APBn) personnel will also start performing their election-security duties from December 24 to further beef up the security bulwark.

Besides, about 466,000 members of Ansar will be on duty for the general election, which was earlier stalled in January last year amid a crisis over the election issues.

Home Ministry officials said the members of the armed forces, BDR, Coast Guard, RAB and APBn would work as striking forces to thwart any trouble and "maintain peace in every constituency across the country".

A total of 35,216 polling-centres will be set up with 177,107 polling-booths for voting. The number of voters is 8,10,58,698, including 4,12,36,149 females.

Security planning has been done dividing the polling centres as general and important categories.

A team of 18 law-enforcers comprising police, Ansar and village police will be deployed at each important polling-center while 14 at general polling-center to maintain security in metropolitan areas. The number is 16 and 14 outside the metropolitan areas.

Eighteen teams comprising Navy and Coast Guard will be on duty as striking force in the coastal districts. The Armed Forces Division will keep ready adequate number of helicopters to transport manpower and goods as well as for maintaining peace in remote areas, including the hill districts.

Members of the law-enforcing agencies who will be deployed at polling-centres will have to be present at the respective station along with the Presiding Officer, Assistant Presiding Officers, Polling Officers and polling goods a day before the polling date.

Similarly, they will return from the centre with electioneering goods after completion of the election.

"Members of the law-enforcing agencies will be under the Presiding Officer concerned until depositing ballot papers, ballot boxes and election results after election," a Home Ministry release said.

Death threat on Hasina an attempt to foil polls: AL

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League Sunday apprehended that the reported plan to kill its president Sheikh Hasina could be an attempt to foil the December 29 parliament election.

The party asked the government to ensure foolproof security for Hasina as her life is at risk.

AL election conducting committee co-chairman H T Imam made the remarks at a press briefing at the party's media cell at Dhanmondi.

Imam said Awami League today informed the Chief Adviser, the Home Adviser and the Home Secretary to beef up her security as the matter is also a threat to national security and sovereignty.

CNN-IBN, India-based television channel, yesterday reported, that "Indian intelligence agencies have warned Bangladesh that a six-member suicide squad of the banned Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (Huji) has been trained to assassinate Hasina."

Asked whether Hasina cuts short her election campaign in the wake of the threat, Imam ruled out such possibility, saying that it could be a tactic by opponents to stop her campaign.

Imam alleged that BNP and Jamaat have been increasingly violating the election code of conduct but the Election Commission did not take any action against them.

He urged the Election Commission to form a different cell to investigate such violation of code of conduct promptly.

Logi-Baitha root cause of people's sufferings: Nizami

BSS, Dhaka

Amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e- Islami (BJI) Moulana Matiur Rahaman Nizami yesterday said the Awami league (AL) is the prime responsible of the people's suffering in the country as the present government was installed due to their politics of anarchy.

A non representative government cannot ease the sufferings of the people rather worsen the problems which happened exactly due to Awami League as it unleashed reign of terror through Logi- Baitha on the streets on October 28, he said in a huge rally at Darshana Sugar Mills Football Ground here.

So, logi-baitha was the root cause of the people's suffering, he said adding the AL is blaming four party alliance with ulterior motive for the price hike of the essentials including rice, pulses and oil.

He introduced the BJI candidate and former MP Moulana Habibur Rahman from Chuadanga-2 and BNP candidate Wahidul Islam Biswas from Chuadanga-1 in the rally.

How AL can claim itself as the friend of Bangladeshi nationals as it depicting the people of the country as the terrorists in the international arena, he questioned.

They are branding the followers of Islam as terrorists, Nizami said.

Earlier, Moulana Nizami also addressed some road side election rallies on his way to the district town.

"Dari Palla" (Balance) the symbol of BJI and the "Sheaf of Paddy," the symbol of BNP are the symbols of peace, prosperity, education and development said Nizami responded by the cheers of the crowd.

EC allocates symbols to 3 candidates

BSS, Dhaka

The Election Commission (EC) has reached a solution about the candidates who regained their candidacy with the verdicts of the Court and allocated symbols to three of them.

The EC yesterday instructed the concerned returning officers for allocating sheaf of paddy to Major (Retd) Manjur Quader contesting from Sirajganj-5 constituency, boat to Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir from Chandpur-1 and sheaf of paddy to Mobasher Alam Bhuiyan from Comilla-10 seat.

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said that the directives have been given to the concerned returning officer after a meeting of the commission in this regard.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the four-party today complaint with the EC against the private television channel ATN Bangla for making purposeful broadcasting.

Regarding this, the CEC said, the commission would give necessary guidelines to all concerned so that no party or candidate is affected by the publication and broadcasting of the newspapers and televisions.

"The commission thinks that the complaint of BNP is correct and it is not wise for any media to publish or broadcast anything against anyone without proven facts," he added.

"Although the EC does not formulate code of conduct for the media, we wanted to do that, but could not do it on objection of the media," the CEC said adding: "We hope no media would publish or broadcast any news which is not fact based."

Replying to a question whether the mobile phone network would remain operative during the polls time, the CEC said there was no decision in this regard was taken yet.

Help desk at ZIA for foreign journalists

BSS, Dhaka

The government has opened a help-desk at Zia International Airport (ZIA) for foreign journalists and observers to be arriving here for election coverage.

Officials of the Press Information Department (PID) will provide assistance to the journalists and observers round the clock till December 29, an official handout said.

The PID will open a media centre at Hotel Sonargaon for local and foreign journalists to provide them with professional support. The media center will remain open from December 28 to 30.

The media centre will be equipped with computer, Internet, fax, and local and ISD telephone services, the handout said.