The New Nation - Internet Edition

Hasina urges world leaders to stop killing in Gaza

Ambassadors of eight Arab countries called on Awami
League President Sheikh Hasina at her Sudha Sadan residence
in the city on Monday. Banglar Chokh

BSS, Dhaka

The majority party leader and Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday vehemently condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip and expressed her profound shock over the death of huge innocent civilians in the aggression.

Sheikh Hasina made the remark while ambassadors and charged d'affaires of seven Middle Eastern countries called on the AL chief at her Sudhasadan residence here.

During the meeting, Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression and called upon the international community leaders to play their due to stop the killings of the innocent Palestinians.

Talking to reporters after the call on, former Ambassador M Jamir, who was present at the meeting, said the Awami League president at the talks expressed her solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The envoys are from Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

Palestinian Ambassador Shaher Mohammad led the delegation during the half an hour meeting. The envoys congratulated Sheikh Hasina for a landslide victory of her electoral alliance- Mohajote-in December 29 parliamentary elections.

Thanking the envoys for their gesture, the AL president urged the diplomats to increase manpower import from Bangladesh and enhance facilities of Bangladeshis working in their countries.

South Asian women's forum formed

Bandana Rana

Staff Reporter

A forum named "South Asian Women's Media Forum" was formed yesterday at the National Press Club in the city.

A 10-member convening committee was formed with Nasimun Ara Hoq, President of Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Forum and Rasheda Amin, President of Bangladesh Women Journalists Forum as joint conveners. Parveen Sultana Jhuma, General Secretary of Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendra was nominated as coordinator of the forum.

The other members of the forum are Mahmuda Chowdhury, Rosy Ferdous, Farida Yasmin, Aditi Rahman, Nadira Kiron, Ibtasam Nasim Mou and Mahbuba Zannat.

Prior to the formation of the forum a discussion was held with Reajuddin Ahmed, President of Bangladesh Chapter of South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) in the chair. It was attended, among others, by Bandana Rana of Nepal, the Regional Coordinator for Gender Equity and Zahiduzzaman Faruq, General Secretary of SAFMA, Bangladesh Chapter.

No more bell of runners, life becomes mechanised: Cellphones takes over appeal of letters

Ershadul Huq

No more nervous parents write to their children staying far a way from them in cities or towns asking them to come home at least for a few days to be with them. And children are also not doing so to remove the unrest of minds of their parents. The worried wives do not send letters in sky blue letter pads doing jobs in distant places to know welfare of their spouses or request them to come home to be with the family at least for a day or two.

No more young girls anxiously wait for the village postman to deliver they letters from their beloved ones. They don' wait for the postman worriedly to know at the door shouting 'letter'. The postmen wearing dust coloured or light brown uniform with a bag on his shoulder regularly pass through the road in front of their house.

Those days are over with the advancement of science and widespread arrivals of mobile phone. Parents can get information of their children instantly by using the cell phone or the Internet.

The number of personal letters sent through the postal service has alarmingly fallen threatening to make the jobs of postmen redundant.

The advent of cell phone and internet have reduced the necessity of writing letters.

The stories or poems written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and many other writers, the film made on the story written by Tagore "strir Patra (letter from wife) and the famous song 'Runer' by Hamanta Mukharjee and the song sung by Sabina Yiasmin "Chitti Deo, protitin', all seem to have fallen into oblivion.

But the type appeal and emotion those letters had is now absent in SMS or mobile phone calls. The cell phone has wiped out the appeal of letters.

Shahed, a student of the Department of Social Science of the Commerce College said, " I wrote a letter to one of my friends many days ago. I met him just a few days back and found the letter in his purse."

Actually, more could be said in a letter to express the mind, what is impossible in a mobile call.

"Life has become now more mechanised. People now easily can reach beloves ones, parents, wives or husbands using mobile phone.

"I am feeling the urgency to write letter, but it does not happen," Shahed said.

Jannatun Noor, a middle-aged housewife said cell phone now is a part of life. You had to wait for days to get a reply after writing a letter, but that time has gone.

Noor said, "I still remember the day the man now my husband came to me. I had intension to say him something, but could not. But I wrote those things in a letter easily."

The letters acted as document of settling disputes. The letters, Chabi Biswas wrote to Uttam Kumar on behalf of (Shuchitra Sen) in London where he went for a higher medical degree in the film 'Pothe Holo-Deri', but the letters Uttam Kumar preserved helped him to get back Shuchitra Sen.

Mobasherur Rahman, director general of Bangladesh Postal Service told the New Nation that the number of personal letters has drastically fallen. The number has dwindled to five percent in 10 years. But the number of official and commercial letters rose by 85 percent during the same period.

Lanka take 471-run lead over Bangladesh

UNB, Chittagong

A brilliant 131-run 5th wicket partnership between Thilan Samaraweera and first-innings centurion Tillakaratne Dilshan enabled touring Sri Lanka to take huge 471-run lead over hosts Bangladesh on the 3rd day of the 2nd test at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Ruhul Amin Stadium in Chittagong on Monday.

Sri Lanka resumed the 2nd innings with 13 for no loss in 5 overs and scored 295 for 4 in 95 overs at stumps on the 3rd day adding 282 runs on the day to take strong command over the home side with two days to spare, edging the visitors closer to a series win.

Number six batsman Dilshan, who contributed 162 runs in the first innings, again proved his mettle today contributing not out 81 runs off 114 balls with nine fours while number five batsman Samaraweera remained unbeaten on 72 off 162 balls with nine boundaries.

The only bright spot of the day for Bangladesh was Mohammad Ashraful, who once again displayed his skill in bowling as he removed Prasanna Jayawardene early on and Kumar Sangakkara before lunch.

Bangladesh skipper Ashraful, who performed consistently in the ongoing test series with a century in the first test and 45 runs in the first innings of the ongoing 2nd test, made the first breakthrough on the day dismissing Lankan opener P Jayawardene.

P Jayawardene was caught brilliantly by Shakib Al Hasan at mid wicket off a leg break delivery of Ashraful for 28 runs with scoreboard showing 55 for one in 16.5 overs.

Sri Lanka lost their 2nd wicket in quick succession when Bangladesh pacer Shahadat Hossain Rajib trapped another Sri Lankan opener Malinda Warnapura lbw in the very 2nd ball of the next over with Sri Lanka score stuck at 55.

Kumara Sangakkara and captain Mahela Jayawardene added useful 68 runs in the 3rd wicket stand in the 2nd session before Imrul Kayes caught Mahela (22) off an Enamul Haque Jr delivery to leave Lankans at 123-3.

Sangakkara pairing with Samaraweera contributed 42 runs to guide Sri Lanka to 165 runs for 4 in 58.1 overs. But Sangakkara became the 2nd victim of Ashraful on the day as he was clean bowled after scoring his 28th half century with 54 runs.

Ashraful with his leg break bowling claimed two wickets for 29 runs in 11 overs while spinner Enamul Haque Jr and pacer Shahadat Hossain Rajib took one wicket apiece for 66 and 67 runs respectively.

Ahsanullah murder: 5 death sentenced convicts held in Kolkata

Mamunur Rashid

Kolkata police has arrested five accused who were sentenced to death for murdering an Awami League parliamentarian Ahsanullah Master.

The five, who fled Bangladesh after being sentenced to death, were nabbed by the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) late Sunday night from Kolkata.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of CID sleuths arrested Nazrul Islam alias Dipu, Jakir Husain alias Rupak, Wadud Islam alias Tipu, Safayat Ahmed alias Manju and Zisan from a bus stand at Garia locality in South 24-Pargana.

On May 7, 2004, gunmen shot and killed Awami League parliamentarian Ahsanullah, also the president of Jatiya Sramik League. In this incident 17 others were injured in a burst of fire at a biennial conference of Awami Shechchhasebak League, the AL's volunteers front, at Noagaon near the legislator's house in Tongi.

Matiur Rahman, brother of Ahsanullah, filed a murder case with Tongi Police Station on May 8 against 17 people, identifying Nurul Islam Sarker as the mastermind. The CID (Criminal Investigation Department) later completed its investigation in 60 days.

On April 16, 2005, a Dhaka court handed down death sentences to 22 people and life terms to six others for assassinating Ahsanullah.

"The Interpol had also issued a look-out notice against the five criminals who fled from the country a few years ago."

According to CID sources, the four-member team was operating a crime syndicate in neighbouring Bangladesh through telephone from Garia locality.

They had come to West Bengal last year and rented a house at Garia locality.

Jamaat condemns Israeli attacks on Gaza

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Jamaat-e- Islami Ameer Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami yesterday strongly condemned the Israeli attack on Gaza.

"I condemned and protest the continued deadly ground, sea and air offensive against Hamas in the Gaza strip," he said in a statement.

At least five- hundred Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,250 persons were injured, most of them are civilians. Israeli shells slammed into houses and mosque claiming 16 worshippers at the northern city of Jabaliya, he mentioned.

He blamed Israel for not obeying the UN calling for ceasefire.

The Jammat would hold protest rally on Januray 7 and 9 in the capital and across the country respectively.

BTRC seizes illegal SIMs

Staff Reporter

The joint force of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has seized illegal roaming SIM from a stall of Dhaka International Trade Fair.

BTRC officials and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) conducted a drive at different stalls of the fair on January 4 as a part of its routine task.

They caught the sellers of Awal Call Centre at the time of vending 'World SIM', a product of an international company, for which they were not approved agent said a press release.

According to the first information report the three accused of the organisation deceived people through selling the SIM including Tariff without the permission of BTRC.

Though BTRC did not award them call centre licence, the three have been deceiving people under the patron of Awal Call Centre. The force seized relevant papers in this regard from a house of Adabar.

Maj Gen (Retd) Manjurul Alam said "We are taking more effective measures to stop irregularity in telecommunication sector. BTRC will not hesitate to punish the people who will commit anything against telecommunication act."

He, however, hoped that the law violators would be respectful to the existing telecommunication act.

Charging the three, BTRC filed a case at Adabar Police Station in this regard.

Delwar condemns killings of BNP activists

Staff Reporter

BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar Hossain yesterday expressed concern over the killings of Nazrul Islam, president, 56-Ward of Shechchhachebok Dal and Subashini Das of Netrakona by the terrorists of their political adversaries.

In a statement he condemned the killings and demanded arrest of the culprits and bringing them to the book.

"Attacks on BNP activists and lootings of their shops continued to happen across the country which remind us their past atrocities in the country," he added.

Meanwhile, BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar Hossain yesterday condemned the case filed against party office secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed by an Awami League leader.

Terming the case as 'false and fabricated' Delwar demanded immediate withdrawal of the case.

In a statement he said Awami League was torturing leaders and activists of BNP. The office secretary of our party came under the wrath of Awami League as he had revealed all post-election misdeeds to the media committed by Awami League.

"Awami League is reappearing in its old face by filing fabricated case against our party office secretary," he said.

Eight killed in Mymensingh road mishap

UNB, Mymensingh

At least eight people were killed and two others injured when a truck rammed into a microbus on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at Chelerghat in Trishal upazila yesterday morning.

Police said the Mymensingh-bound truck from Dhaka crashed into a rented microbus coming from opposite direction at about 7:30 am, killing eight of its passengers, including driver, on the spot and injuring two others.

Nine passengers of the microbus hired the vehicle from Mymensingh for going to Dhaka in the morning, the sources said.

On information, police and fire brigade rushed to the spot and rescued the two injured people and sent them to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

The condition of the injured was stated to be critical. Police and fire brigade were trying to recover the bodies trapped inside the microbus till filing of the report at 10am.

Identities of the deceased and injured could not be known immediately.

Cop killed in clash with rubber-garden workers

UNB, Bandarban

A policeman was killed and seven rubber-garden workers were injured by bullet in a clash at Baishari in Naikhyangchhari upazila of the hill district yesterday morning.

Local sources said the workers of a rubber garden under PHP group had long been struggling for wage hike and other facilities. They had been on work abstention for about one month to press home their demands.

A clash ensued today between rival workers when one group joined their work following an understanding with the owners.

Abul, manager of the PHP Group which owns the rubber garden, called in police when the workers began demonstrations at about 7:30 am.

"At one stage, police opened fire on the agitated workers to bring the situation under control, leaving seven of them injured," says a report from the far-flung area.

Policeman Bacchu Alam, who was fatally injured in beating with stick by the workers, was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries at 7:30 pm.

Five of the injured workers - Nurul Hakim, Jamal Ahmed, Uthoyai Ching Chak, Kathoyai Ching Chak and Saber Hossain - were admitted to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital.

BDR teams rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Police Super M Shamsuddin told newsmen that BDR were deployed at the garden to avert further trouble.

Deputy Commissioner Moudud AK Qaium Chowdhury said, "Action would be taken against the responsible persons after investigation of the incident."

CG leaves behind strong economic management

UNB, Dhaka

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday said the caretaker government leaves behind a strong economic management and it would be a challenge for the new government to maintain it.

"The caretaker government is going out, leaving behind a sound economic management and it'll be the prime challenge for the next government to continue it," he said during a farewell meeting with officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) at its conference room.

About the sliding fuel oil price, the Finance Adviser said some sectors would get increased subsidy due to downtrend in fuel oil prices as some sectors are going to get less subsidy. "The next government will have to tackle this issue wisely," he said. Referring to achievements of the outgoing caretaker government in the last two years, Aziz said the country has got a record level of foreign currency reserve and remarkable growth in revenue collection. "The macro-economic indicators are quite good. So, there is no reason for the next government to be concerned about the country's economic condition," Dr Aziz said.

Hasina’s daughter Putul arrives

UNB, Dhaka

Saima Wajed Putul, the daughter of Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, arrived here yesterday morning from Canada wherein she lives.

Hasina, who is set to be sworn in as the new Prime Minister of the country today, received Putul as she disembarked from a Gulf Air flight at the Zia International Airport at about 9:30am, party sources said.

Putul accompanied by her husband Khandaker Mashrur Hossain and their three children come on a visit to Bangladesh following the Awami League-led grand alliance's landslide victory in the December 29 national elections marking a new journey of democracy after two years of army-backed rule by interim government.