02 May 2008

• BB expects economy to grow 6.2pc this fiscal
• India, finally, allows duty-free import of 8m pieces of Bangladesh RMG
• Cyclone More Likely to Hit Burma Than Bangladesh

01 May 2008

• Khaleda, Hasina charged with Niko graft : 8 more names in charge sheet okayed by ACC
• Cyclone Nargis nearly still : CA asks all to stay prepared
• Football - Salahuddin takes office
• Worry over possibility of political instability
• BB quarterly report: 6.2 pc GDP growth projected

30 Apr 2008

• Five advisers to submit pre-dialogue talks report to CA today : Formal dialogue would be meaningless if Hasina and Khaleda are not freed, says AL and loyalist BNP
• UN forms task force to tackle food crisis : Immediate priority must be to "feed the hungry" and urgent funding for the WFB
• Nargis intensifies into a severe cyclonic storm, moves northwards : Panic grip coastal people, many prepare for leaving their villages for safe places
• Admin reforms still a far cry : Bureaucratic process remained as cumbersome as it was with files travelling from the top towards the bottom
• Recruiting agencies extort money from foreign bound youths : Many pass inhuman life abroad, 2500 people return in last 6 months
• Govt, Tata re-start $3b investment talks next month
• 133 constituency boundaries changed, Dhaka gets 20 seats
• Bangladesh exporting rice?

29 Apr 2008

• River erosion likely to make 29,000 people homeless this year
• Free Khaleda, Hasina to hold dialogue : BNP mainstream leaders submit 18-point proposals to 5 advisers at pre-dialogue talks
• Free Hasina to avert conflict : AL to sue govt for arresting party chief
• Cyclone Nargis may cross coast next week : Steps needed to harvest Boro before storm arrives
• SSC, HSC examinees to face 15 marks spoken English test : The schools will be asked to introduce 15 marks viva-voce in English from Class VI
• Make sure next govt won't allow hartal - Business leaders ask CG
• Tk 20b employment scheme for 2m rural poor starts next fiscal
• Britain does not support any military rule: British High Commissioner
• Special Eco-Zone to be set up in Sylhet

28 Apr 2008

• Formal talks with parties in May, says govt spokesman
• Bangladesh needs readjustment of foreign policy, says Iftekhar : ‘We remained linked too long to the metropolitan powers of the former colonial age
• AL won't go to poll minus me - Hasina : She won't quit politics, questions Dr Kamal's whitening of Tk 120cr
• EC-BNP splinter talks - Khandoker Delwar labels it as a ‘staged drama’ : Delwar Hossain is Khaleda-appointed Sec Gen - Lt Gen (retd) Mahbub
• IMF says Bangladesh economy to grow up to 6 pct

27 Apr 2008

• CNG-run auto-rickshaw, cab fares revised upwards-Bus operators increase fares on their own
• Half of population to come under cell phone connectivity by 2011’ : Number is increasing by 10 lakh ( 1 million ) a month
• 28 lakh signatures collected : No election without Hasina - AL leaders
• Power sector in doldrums : Frequent tender cancellation, changing decision blamed

26 Apr 2008

• China offers help for nuclear power project : Tripartite understanding among Bangladesh , Myanmar and China regarding a road linkage
• City transport in chaos : Most filling stations go dry, as CNG price doubles
• Release of Hasina : AL to launch vigorous street agitation
• Govt informal talks with BNP uncertain : We'll join next polls - Saifur Rahman : No dialogue without Khaleda - Hannan Shah
• Erratic outages costing industries dear
• Aziz defends hike in CNG prices

02 May 2008

BB expects economy to grow 6.2pc this fiscal

The Financial Express

The country's near-term economic outlook remains positive because of strong resilience and capacity of the people to make a quick recovery, the Bangladesh Bank (BB) said Wednesday.
The central bank also expects the overall economy to grow upto 6.2 per cent in the current fiscal as the agriculture sector has bounced back and both industry and services sectors have regained momentum.
"The near-term economic outlook is positive, but the government should take immediate steps to improve power and gas supply situation to avert risk in the long run," Chief Economist of the BB Mustafa K Mujeri told reporters while releasing the Bangladesh Bank quarterly for January- March 2008.
The food price inflation came down to 12.92 per cent in March from 14.20 per cent in January on point-to-point basis, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) date.

India, finally, allows duty-free import of 8m pieces of Bangladesh RMG

The Financial Express

The government of India has issued a notification allowing duty-free import of eight million pieces of garments from Bangladesh.
The notification dated April 21 has laid down harmonized system (HS) code and other details of the garments products which will be eligible for import.
India's notification marked the end of prolonged delays on the part of the Indian government in permitting duty-free market access of Bangladeshi apparels to the Indian market.
The Indian cabinet in a meeting March 13 last endorsed the deal that it signed with Bangladesh in September of 2007.
Under the new dispensation, exporters from Bangladesh will be allowed to export without restrictions on raw material sourcing.
Similarly, the Indian government gave its approval to Sri Lanka for allowing duty free access to the Indian market up to six million pieces. For an additional two million pieces, exporters will have to pay concessional duties.

Cyclone More Likely to Hit Burma Than Bangladesh

Steve Herman, VOA

A cyclone is moving towards Burma, but it has the people of Bangladesh on edge, as well. Nargis is the first cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal since Sidr, which killed thousands of people in Bangladesh, last November. News of the approaching cyclone is already causing some alarmed Bangladeshis to take cover.
The lead scientist at the British center, Mark Saunders, says the prospects of Nargis turning into a super cyclone are about one in three.
Although the storm is on target to hit Burma, there is also significant concern in Bangladesh. The country, now in the midst of a critical rice harvest, saw more than three thousand people die and 2.5 million others made homeless when Sidr struck.
However, local media report many panicky residents, with memories of last year's cyclone still fresh, have already taken refuge in schools and other designated shelters.

01 May 2008

Khaleda, Hasina charged with Niko graft : 8 more names in charge sheet okayed by ACC

The Daily Star

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday approved the charge sheets in two graft cases against detained former premiers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia and 18 others for awarding gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko Resources through corruption and abuse of power.
Of the 18 other accused, eight have been indicted in the charge sheets while 10 were named in the first information reports (FIR) of the cases.
Investigating officers of the cases filed the cases with Tejgaon Police Station on December 9 had submitted their probe reports in March this year after two months' investigation.
According to the charge sheet in the case against Hasina, the accused in collaboration with each other awarded gas extraction work at Chhatak, Kamta and Feni gas fields to Niko by cheating to gain personal financial benefit.
The ACC also alleges that the accused cheated and abused power by showing the east part of Chhatak gas field--explored by Bangladesh but yet to be extracted--as marginal and abandoned.

Cyclone Nargis nearly still : CA asks all to stay prepared

The Daily Star

Severe cyclonic storm Nargis is still almost stationary on the West Central Bay of Bengal and likely to be intensified further while moving very slowly towards the North Eastern Bay, with the possibility of crossing Bangladesh-Myanmar coast not before a couple of days.
A special bulletin of the met office said the eye of the tropical storm was about 1,000 kilometres (km) southwest of Chittagong port, 935km southwest of Cox's Bazar port, and 875km south-southwest of Mongla port yesterday evening, with a minimum wind speed between 90 and 120 kilometres per hour (kmph), within a 54km radius of its centre.
Meanwhile, the council of advisers to caretaker government yesterday took a close look at oncoming Nargis, with Chief Adviser (CA) Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed directing all concerned to take precautionary measures for any emergency while closely monitoring the storm, reported UNB.
The government took special measures and the Office of Chief Adviser will remain partially open today and tomorrow during May Day and the weekend, with some officials and employees concerned assigned to monitor the situation of cyclone Nargis with readiness to take care of any emergency.
Meanwhile, panic gripped many people as soon as they heard about the oncoming cyclone, Nargis. People from all walks of life took shelter in schools and cyclone centres at Southkhali on Tuesday night fearing a strike by Nargis, recalling the horrors of dreadful Sidr.

Football - Salahuddin takes office

The Daily Star

One team, one leader: The newly elected executive committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) started its operation with this motto.
As soon as outgoing president SA Sultan handed over the baton to new chief Kazi Salahuddin yesterday, football in the country entered a new era: the era of democracy.
"It is a unique process. I am proud to be a part of this. Never in the history, a BFF president could be present to hand over charge to his successor but the fact that I am doing this proves that we have had a free and fair election," said Sultan at the BFF Bhaban in his farewell speech.
"Salahuddin is an ornament in our football and I want that football goes only forward in his able hands."
Salahuddin was optimistic as ever in his brief speech. "I agree that dwelling in the past will take us nowhere. Our goal is to take the game to the right place and we, the 21 committee members, are all excited. Its one game and one committee working for one purpose: to develop football," said Salahuddin.

Worry over possibility of political instability

Ashfaq Wares Khan, The Daily Star

Influential Western diplomats are increasingly concerned about the nation's return to political instability ahead of polls because of a lack of preparations by major parties and confusion surrounding the fate of two detained former premiers.
The concerns persist despite the breakneck speed of voter registration with photograph because of what they say is a heightened sense of "political uncertainty".
Both the newly appointed US ambassador James F Moriarty and British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury echoed these concerns over the last week.
None of the interviewed diplomats however believes the situation is at a 'crisis point', but they have identified hurdles on way to ensure acceptable elections.
They said the government and political parties both need to engage in dialogues to clear the air and build confidence of the electorate and gain assurances of participation by major parties.
However, another senior diplomat said he feels this issue is not a deal-breaker and that too much focus on the two leaders would ensure "individuals remain more important than the parties".

BB quarterly report: 6.2 pc GDP growth projected

The New Nation BD

The growth of the country's GDP is expected to be between 6 per cent and 6.2 percent during the current fiscal, according to a quarterly report of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) released yesterday.
The report said the production of 'Boro' is likely to surpass its target of 17.5 million tonnes due to the government's massive agriculture rehabilitation programmes.
The report laid emphasis to see to it that the farmers get the fair procurement price of Boro fixed by the government. The fair price will give them incentives and encourage them to invest and produce more in the following seasons, the report added.
During the quarter of the current fiscal year the overall growth of manufacturing sector has been moderate and service sector has also maintained a reasonable growth, according to the report.
The report also suggested the government to act quickly to ease the electricity, gas and other infrastructure constraints so that production activities in different sectors can go unhindered which was earlier caused by natural disaster.

30 Apr 2008

Five advisers to submit pre-dialogue talks report to CA today : Formal dialogue would be meaningless if Hasina and Khaleda are not freed, says AL and loyalist BNP

The Bangladesh Today

In preparation for the holding of the formal dialogue between the emergency government and the political parties, the five advisers assigned to prepare a report on the basis of the outcome of the pre-dialogue talks have accomplished their task on Tuesday and the report would be submitted to the Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed today.
It may be mentioned that five advisers had been assigned to hold the pre-dialogue talks, which began on Apr 7 as preparation for the government's formal dialogue with political parties. They held pre-dialogue talks Awami League, both factions of BNP, Jatiya Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, with the business community, NGOs and union parishad representatives.
Meanwhile, leaders of major political parties Awami League and mainstream BNP are frequently demanding release of their detained parties' presidents before the expected formal dialogues.
Both leaders of Awami League and mainstream BNP during the pre-dialogue talks with the government said immediate release of the two leaders Sheikh Hasina and Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is a must to make the dialogues fruitful, meaningful and the upcoming election, fair, credible and acceptable. Otherwise the much-talked about formal dialogue between the government and political parties will be meaningless, they warned.

UN forms task force to tackle food crisis : Immediate priority must be to "feed the hungry" and urgent funding for the WFB

The Daily Star

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday ordered a top level task force to take on the global crisis caused by rising food prices and urged key producer nations to end export bans.
The UN chief said the immediate priority must be to "feed the hungry" and called for urgent funding for the World Food Programme.
Ban said after a meeting of the heads of 27 key international agencies that the new task force would be led by the UN's top humanitarian official, deputy under-secretary John Holmes.
Ban urged countries such as Brazil and Egypt to drop export restrictions on certain foods and commodities, saying they have reduced supplies and contributed to price hikes.
Lamy described such restrictions on exports as "not good economic solutions" in the short-term.
The UN's special rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, has called biofuels a "crime against humanity" and urged their production be immediately abandoned.
Biofuels are touted as a way to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, held responsible for global warming, but since they are grown on land that would otherwise be used for food production, they have been increasingly blamed for soaring food prices.
His call was echoed by international development charity Oxfam which on Monday called for an end to the biofuels mandates in rich countries.

Nargis intensifies into a severe cyclonic storm, moves northwards : Panic grip coastal people, many prepare for leaving their villages for safe places

The Bangladesh Today

After the severe cyclonic storm 'SIDR' that hit coastal regions of Bangladesh on November 15, another cyclonic storm "Nargis" over southwest bay and adjoining southeast bay moved slightly northwards and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm "Nargis" (with ecp 984 hpa.), said a special weather bulletin of Met Office.
It now lies over west central bay and adjoining southwest bay centred at 12 noon on Tuesday about 1170 kms southwest of Chittagong port, 1100 kms southwest of Cox's Bazer port and 1050 kms south- southwest of Mongla port (near lat 13.8 ° N & long 85.5° E).
The cyclone might intensify gradually and move in a northerly direction towards the Bangladesh-India coast. Maximum sustained wind speed within 64 kms of the storm centre is about 90 kph rising to 115 kph in gusts/ squalls- sea will remain very rough over north bay and high near the cyclone.
Meanwhile, the government has directed all volunteers in the coastal districts to remain alert in view of the severe storm.

Admin reforms still a far cry : Bureaucratic process remained as cumbersome as it was with files travelling from the top towards the bottom

Mustafizur Rahman, The New Age BD

The administrative reforms committee, formed nearly a year ago, has instilled hardly any dynamism in the functions of the government machinery, causing frustration to civil bureaucrats.
After assuming office in January 2007, the military-controlled government of Fakhruddin Ahmed embarked on the ambitious plan to infuse dynamism, accountability and transparency into the administration.
But nothing has happened as per the plan and bureaucrats have now started venting their resentment and frustration, seeing signs that the latest committee may end up in rhetoric as in the past.
Formed in July last year, the chief adviser-led cabinet committee on administrative reforms and good governance could so far hold only one meeting, officials said.
Bureaucratic process remained as cumbersome as it was with files travelling from the top towards the bottom, requiring numerous notes and signatures and causing inordinate delays in the process, according to sources.

Recruiting agencies extort money from foreign bound youths : Many pass inhuman life abroad, 2500 people return in last 6 months

The Bangladesh Today

Ignoring the government rate, a large number of manpower recruiting agencies in association with their representatives, are extorting excess money from the people specially from the youths who are going abroad in search of jobs.
Around 750 manpower recruiting agencies are now running their business across the country. Taking three times higher than the actual rate from the youths they are sending them as labour to foreign countries: Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Yemen under the very nose of concerned authorities.
On the other hand, after being assured by the recruitment agencies when the Bangladesh youths go to foreign countries, they have to face various problems as they are not provided in job as per contact. Many of them return home as they are issued fake visas.

Govt, Tata re-start $3b investment talks next month

Jasim Uddin Khan, The Daily Star

The government and Tata are going to restart talks on the Indian conglomerate's stalled investment proposal sometime in the first week of next month.
The US$3billion investment proposal from Tata remained undecided since August 2006. In 2005 the Tata Group initially proposed to set up a 1,000MW power plant, a steel mill with an annual production capacity of 420,000 tonnes and a fertiliser unit with one million tonnes capacity in Bangladesh.
Official sources said the Ministry of Finance has made a directive to the BoI to invite any representative of Tata for a dialogue afresh.

133 constituency boundaries changed, Dhaka gets 20 seats

The Daily Star

The Election Commission (EC) yesterday unveiled a draft list of parliamentary seats with their boundaries redrawn district-wise. Of the 300 constituencies, 133 have seen changes in boundaries and the rest remained intact.
According to the catalogue, seats representing 17 districts in parliament have either increased or decreased.
After massive delineation of boundaries, seven new seats have been added to Dhaka district. Metropolitan areas with high density of population won all the seven additions.
The number of constituencies in the capital now stands at 15, up from eight, while that in Dhaka district at 20, rising from 13.
The EC, which yesterday published the gazette notification of freshly demarcated parliamentary seats, plans to finalise the list within June.

Bangladesh exporting rice?

Naim-Ul-Karim and Mushir, The Financial Express

A group of exporters have cashed in on government's free rice export policy by shipping record amount of the staple this fiscal year, despite shortages at home that have pushed tens of millions of people on the verge of starvation.
The country exported rice worth Tk372 million in the first eight months of the fiscal, up from Tk 282 million the same period last fiscal, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) said Tuesday.
In the first eight months to February, the country imported rice worth US$600 million, up at least ten times than the same period last fiscal, which was partly responsible for the country's biggest balance of payment crisis, officials said.
EPB said export of rice hit the highest monthly figure of Tk56 million in February alone, at a time when the country was busy pleading with the Indian authorities to sell half a million tonnes of rice from its stock.
Officials said the export figure is the highest in recent years, with exporters shipping both aromatic and non-aromatic rice to the United States, the United Kingdom and the Gulf countries and South East Asia.
Rice prices have risen around 100 per cent in the international market since the beginning of the year, amid supply worries in major producing nations in South East Asia and Australia.

29 Apr 2008

River erosion likely to make 29,000 people homeless this year

The Financial Express

Cooperation among upstream and downstream countries underscored for loss mitigation. Some 29,000 people living in the vicinities of the Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Padma rivers are likely to lose their homesteads by river erosion this year, said a government prediction report.
The report was presented at a seminar titled 'Proactive Disaster Risk Reduction Through Erosion Prediction', arranged by Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) at a city hotel.
Speakers at the seminar underscored the need for long-term plans and integrated cooperation among the upstream and downstream South Asian countries for mitigation of the losses of lives and property.

Free Khaleda, Hasina to hold dialogue : BNP mainstream leaders submit 18-point proposals to 5 advisers at pre-dialogue talks

The News Today BD

The mainstream BNP leaders urged the government Monday to free Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina before formal dialogue to ensure a meaningful dialogue between the caretaker administration and the political parties.
BNP leaders and five advisers of the caretaker government held a pre-dialogue talks Monday at the state guest house Meghna. The BNP delegation led by its standing committee member Chowdhury Tanveer Ahmed Siddique submitted a written 18-point proposal, aiming for a meaningful dialogue.
Besides demanding release of all political leaders including Khaleda, Hasina, Tarique Rahman, the BNP called for ending the political stalemate. They alleged that a kind of panic situation has been created through different sorts of intimidation and threat of filing cases against the political leaders and workers.
It was alleged that BNP secretary-general Khandaker Delwar Hossain was not allowed to distribute food among the destitute and that was snatched away by the police.

Free Hasina to avert conflict : AL to sue govt for arresting party chief

The News Today BD

Awami League leadership Monday termed the ''signature campaign'' demanding unconditional release of party chief Sheikh Hasina a silent movement against the government and asked the caretaker regime to meet the popular demand in order to head off the country from conflict.
They were speaking at the concluding ceremony of the mass-signature campaign to press the government to implement a four-point demand, including unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina. AL Dhaka City unit organized the programme at Engineers'' Institution.

Cyclone Nargis may cross coast next week : Steps needed to harvest Boro before storm arrives

The News Today BD

The deep depression in the south west Bay of Bengal and adjoining south east Bay has intensified into a cyclonic storm codenamed ''Nargis'' Monday morning but remained stationary over there, met office said.
But, it may intensify further and move in a northerly direction, the met office said in a special bulletin Monday afternoon while advising the maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla to keep hoisted distant warning signal number two.
It also warned all fishing boats and trawlers in the north Bay to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice.
The depression intensified into a deep depression Sunday night and Nargis was born in the morning of Monday. Born within five months of its predecessor SIDR, which ravaged the south western coast on November 15, the Nargis also evoked memories of a storm lashing the southern coast on April 28,1991.

SSC, HSC examinees to face 15 marks spoken English test : The schools will be asked to introduce 15 marks viva-voce in English from Class VI

The New Age BD

The education ministry has planned to introduce spoken English exams for the SSC and HSC candidates from 2009. ‘We have planned to make it mandatory for each candidate of the secondary and higher secondary certificate exams to face 15 marks spoken test in English. The plan is aimed at developing speaking skill of the students,’ said a joint secretary of the ministry.
‘The communicative approach of English that is in practice from Class I to Class XII has four kinds of skills but only writing skill of the students is being evaluated in the SSC and HSC (both public exams). There is no test of reading, speaking and listening,’ he said. The school authorities would be asked to buy cassette players at their own expenses for improving the listening practice of students, he added.
‘To improve students’ speaking skill, we are now seriously considering that the schools will be asked to introduce 15 marks viva-voce in English from Class VI,’ he said.

Make sure next govt won't allow hartal - Business leaders ask CG

The Daily Star

Top business leaders of the country yesterday urged the caretaker government to make sure before the next general election that the political forces which will come to power through polls will not allow hartal or closure of ports in any situation.
The business community leaders also unanimously suggested lifting the state of emergency as soon as possible. And some of them proposed a ban on student politics as well as teachers politics for long for what they said is in the greater interest of the country.
The business bigwigs came up with these suggestions at a meeting with four advisers of the caretaker government at the State Guest House Meghna.
“Businessmen do not want to see any more a political situation that prevailed before 1/11 (prior to state of emergency). We want to see a qualitative change in the political culture,” the FBCCI chief said in presence of the other business leaders.

Tk 20b employment scheme for 2m rural poor starts next fiscal

Shakhawat Hossain, The Financial Express

The caretaker government has finalised a Tk 20 billion 'Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme' to be launched in the next fiscal, officials said.
The scheme, a part of the government's overall social safety net programme would provide 'work for cash or cash' to at least 2.0 million hardcore poor during the lean period between March and April.
Details of the scheme have already been chalked out as per decision by the budget monitoring and resources committee early this month, said a senior finance ministry official.
Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, who is heading the committee, said some new programmes targeting the poor will be introduced in the next fiscal to widen the existing social safety net programmes.
The decision to widen the safety net programme has been taken following suggestions from different quarters to help the hardcore poor hit hard by the spiralling prices of food items.

Britain does not support any military rule: British High Commissioner

The Bangladesh Today

Outgoing British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury on Monday said his country would not support any military rule as it only believes that functional democracy can led a country to progress. He made this remark while addressing a press conference organized by the Diplomatic Correspondents of different media houses at National Press club yesterday.
Replying a query, the British High Commissioner said, "Britain is a democratic country, we believe only in democracy, so we always encourage democratic process in stead of any military rule."
He also said, "I am hopeful that the next parliamentary election would be held as per the EC announced road map.
Asked if the next election is not held as per the road map then what would be the role of Britain, British High Commissioner said, "We are observing the situation very closely. We do not want that such situation should take place."

Special Eco-Zone to be set up in Sylhet

The Bangladesh Today

The country's first 'special economic zone' is going to be set up in Sylhet. According to sources at the Board of Investment (BOI), the special economic zone projects has already been approved by the cabinet and preliminary work on the project is completed. After completion of the project in Sylhet, more special economic zones will be established in the country gradually.
BOI sources said, three sites have been selected primarily to build the new special economic zone in Sylhet. The sites are situated at Bateshwar on Sylhet-Tamabil road, in Fenchugonj fertiliser Factory area and Fenchugonj bypass area.
The government is giving priority to the project and expatriates welfare and foreign employment affairs adviser Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdury visited Sylhet during April 22-23 and held talks with the leaders of Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and British-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce (BBCI) and government officials concerned in this regard.
The 'non-resident Bangladeshis' (NRB) have expressed their eagerness to invest in the special economic zone, a senior BOI official said on condition of anonymity.

28 Apr 2008

Formal talks with parties in May, says govt spokesman

The New Age BD

The military-controlled administration hopes to start formal dialogues with the political parties in the first half of next month to discuss ways to hold the stalled ninth parliamentary elections and transfer of power to an elected government, an official spokesman said.
He said the four-member panel of advisers would wrap up the ongoing phase of pre-dialogue consultations with the stakeholders Tuesday and submit a report on their outcome, on which the chief adviser would fix the modalities of formal dialogues.
When asked to specify the agenda and modalities of the talks, the press secretary said the chief adviser would set them through discussion on the report with his cabinet colleagues. ‘Everything depends on the report, the outcome of the consultations.’

Bangladesh needs readjustment of foreign policy, says Iftekhar : ‘We remained linked too long to the metropolitan powers of the former colonial age

The New Age BD

Foreign Adviser of Bangladesh on Sunday stressed the need for readjustment of the country’s policy in the context of the new ‘Asian era’.
He also emphasized the need for breaking out of the trap of donor-recipient relationship, which is a legacy of the past. ‘Perhaps we don’t realize that there is more reverse transfer of resources to those developed countries who buy from us. We pay many times more in duties to them than we receive in aid.Our efforts for easier market access will and must continue, but the system is unfairly skewed against us,’ said the foreign adviser.
‘There is a new Asian era beginning, and Bangladesh needs to adjust her foreign policy to these new circumstances,’ said the foreign adviser.
The adviser made the comments two days after Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi’s Dhaka visit. On April 24 Yang stated that China wanted to see Bangladesh as a key actor in regional and international affairs and would provide its support for the purpose.

AL won't go to poll minus me - Hasina : She won't quit politics, questions Dr Kamal's whitening of Tk 120cr

The News Today BD

Detained former premier and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina Sunday said her party wouldn''t participate in the next parliamentary elections without her, hinting at her release prior to the polls.
Talking to her lawyers in the courtroom, Hasina also stuck to her guns on the question of her retiring from politics, saying that she won't quit politics "under any pressure". She noted that it is the people and she herself are to decide whether she would be in politics or not. Hasina said the way people are being "persecuted", the question of her quitting politics does not arise.
About Gano Forum president Dr Kamal Hossain's remarks that those who call for movement for the release of the political leaders detained on corruption charges should also be brought to justice as sidekicks, the Awami League president questioned how this man could speak against corruption after "whitening Tk 102 crore".
The former Prime Minister mentioned that during her rule, people bought rice at Tk 10 per kg and edible oil at Tk 40 per litre. Now the price of rice has been raised to Tk 40 and edible oil to Tk 120. "Now people clearly understand who are the corrupt," she said.
About the judiciary, Hasina said she had challenged the Anti-Corruption Commission notice asking her to submit the wealth statement and she won the legal battle through the High Court order that observed that the ACC notice was flawed.

EC-BNP splinter talks - Khandoker Delwar labels it as a ‘staged drama’ : Delwar Hossain is Khaleda-appointed Sec Gen - Lt Gen (retd) Mahbub

The Bangladesh Today

The pro-reformist splinter group of BNP has at last admitted that Khandoker Delwar Hossain is the Khaleda Zia-appointed legitimate Secretary General of the party which they were refusing to accept so long, although they are reluctant to merge with the mainstream.
"We could have come here under the leadership of our secretary general Khandoker Delwar Hossain, who is appointed by the party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, and we also made our proposal to him, but he refused," Lt. Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, a standing committee member of BNP of reformist camp told.
"However, the process of reunification in the party is on. Our different leaders are communicating with leaders of different stages of rival camps to bring unity in the party and I hope a united BNP will take part in the next general election and will secure the victory," Mahbubur Rahman observed.
Meanwhile, when the leaders of the BNP reformist faction were holding dialogue with the EC inside, a large number of garment workers were kept waiting outside in an effort to show their political strength.

IMF says Bangladesh economy to grow up to 6 pct

Serajul Islam Quadir, Reuters

Central bank governor Salehuddin Ahmed told reporters that what the IMF said was of "no matter to us", though he added: "Now the IMF agreed with us about the growth of the economy."
Rumbaugh led an IMF team to Dhaka from April 22 to 27 to assess recent economic developments and the outlook for the national budget in the fiscal year to the end of June 2009.

27 Apr 2008

CNG-run auto-rickshaw, cab fares revised upwards-Bus operators increase fares on their own

The New Age BD

The government on Saturday revised upwards the fare for CNG-run auto-rickshaws and taxicabs, not CNG-run buses, after the April 25 increase in CNG price. Auto-rickshaws and taxicabs started charging extra fare without waiting for an official announcement of the new fare chart.
Along with this, most CNG-run city service buses on their own also increased their fares although the government did not increase the fares for such buses.
Such a situation has pushed people, already burdened with essential goods price spiral, into further trouble and the drivers said they had no other option but to charge high fares to meet their costs.
The fares for auto-rickshaws and taxicabs were revised at a communications ministry meeting. The government did not, however, increase the fares for CNG-run buses as they had already been taking the same fares charged by buses run on costlier diesel. According to the new rates, the fare for CNG auto-rickshaw for the first two kilometres is Tk 18, up from Tk 13.5, and for subsequent kilometres each Tk 6, instead of Tk 5.5. The minimum fare for short distance has been set at Tk 18, in place of Tk 15.

Half of population to come under cell phone connectivity by 2011’ : Number is increasing by 10 lakh ( 1 million ) a month

The New Age BD

Half of the country’s population is expected to come under cell phone connectivity by 2011, helping the booming telecom sector to have a turnover of around Tk 50,000 crore.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission chairman, Monzurul Alam said this at a meet-the-press programme with Telecom Reporters’ Network of Bangladesh at the BTRC office Saturday afternoon.
‘Some seven crore people of the country will come under mobile phone connectivity if the growing trend of cell phone subscribers continues.
‘The world’s big ICT companies are now showing interest to invest in Bangladesh’s telecom sector, as the telecom market here continues to expand very fast,’ Alam said.

28 lakh signatures collected : No election without Hasina - AL leaders

The New Nation BD

Senior Awami League leaders yesterday warned that that there would be no election excluding their detained party chief Sheikh Hasina. Addressing the separate meetings in different places in the city including Motijheel and Mohammadpur to mark the conclusion of the mass signing collection programme demanding release of AL chief Sheikh Hasina and send her abroad fro treatment, they also demanded holding of parliamentary election before any election.
AL sources said the party has collected a total of 28 lakh of signature from across the country demanding release of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
This would be submitted to Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed on Monday next for consideration.

Power sector in doldrums : Frequent tender cancellation, changing decision blamed

The New Nation BD

Canceling decisions frequently on flimsy grounds, toying with tender process and finally inordinate delays in decision making are being blamed for putting the country's power sector in the doldrums, especially in this sultry summer.
Experts believe these unexpected reasons are putting the power sector's development into a vicious circle and the present post-1/11 caretaker government is also not being able to get out of this predicament of the power sector. They said it has been a common practice that without inviting three to four times, the PDB cannot finalise any bidder for any power-plant project.
A recent incident of cancellation of a tender, for which the Power Development Board (PDB) spent more than a year, again exposed the similar weakness.
The committee said that the tender was invited under "One Stage, Two Envelop" system, which is not compliant with the Public Procurement Regulations (PPR) 2003. The PPR 2003 provides for "Two Stage, Two Envelop" system.
Now the question has arisen if the Purchase Committee and the Economic Affairs Committee should reject the tender proposal, why the Finance Ministry and the Chief Advisor's office gave their earlier nod to it, on the basis of which the PDB proceeded and spent a year's time.
Now, after the refusal, the PDB has again to invite international tender for the project and it will take at least a year to reach the final stage of approval.

26 Apr 2008

China offers help for nuclear power project : Tripartite understanding among Bangladesh , Myanmar and China regarding a road linkage

BSS/ The New Nation

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury yesterday said Dhaka and Beijing are "partners in the new Asian age" as his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi left here ending a two-day visit.
During the two-day trip, Yang Jiechi offered assistance to Bangladesh for setting up a nuclear power plant and a 60 million yuan free grant for this year.
Both countries also signed letter of exchange to construct an exhibition centre in Bangladesh.
The Chinese foreign minister in the past two days held bilateral talks with Chowdhury and called on Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed.
In a brief appearance before the press yesterday Yang also took a shot at the Western media, saying they have not reported that two-thirds of world countries are supporting Chinese actions in Tibet.

City transport in chaos : Most filling stations go dry, as CNG price doubles

The New Nation BD

Commuters in the city are bearing the brunt of the recent doubling of the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by the government, as the drivers of CNG-run cabs and three-wheelers were charging exorbitant fares on the first day of the price hike yesterday.
The doubled CNG price put autorickshaw and taxicab drivers in a difficult situation and in most cases it led to quarrel and even scuffle with the passengers. As a result many passengers faced difficulties in reaching their destinations.
Most private car owners who recently converted their vehicles to CNG for its cheap price have expressed resentment over the doubling of CNG price.
On Thursday the Government has raised price of CNG from Tk 8.50 to Tk 16.75 per cubic metre effective from Friday.
Meanwhile, talking to the media yesterday the Finance and Planning Adviser Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam said the increase of CNG price was 'logical' despite some sufferings as 'subsidy cannot go for long'.

Release of Hasina : AL to launch vigorous street agitation

UNB/ The New Nation

Awami League leaders yesterday pledged to launch vigorous street agitation for the release of detained party president Sheikh Hasina, if she is not freed through party's ongoing peaceful movement.
They alleged that the party is compelled to launch tougher movement against the government, as it is not showing any positive attitude following their peaceful movement.
The AL leaders said this while addressing a programme at the party's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue, as city AL leaders handed over a memorandum containing mass signatures demanding unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina. Party presidium member Amir Hossain Amu received the memorandum.

Govt informal talks with BNP uncertain : We'll join next polls - Saifur Rahman : No dialogue without Khaleda - Hannan Shah

The Bangladesh Today

The much-talked-about government-sponsored informal talks with the mainstream BNP has become uncertain as the military-controlled government has postponed its dialogue for an indefinite period which was known to be scheduled for today (Saturday).
Earlier, the government had postponed the much-talked-about informal dialogue with the BNP that was scheduled to be held last Wednesday. The meeting with BNP was postponed due to an impromptu meeting of the advisory council on that very day.
Commerce and Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman, who is in charge of arranging informal talks with the political parties, declined to comment anything on the issue.
According to sources in the government, the government is not interested to hold the talks with the loyalist faction right now as holding dialogue with Khandoker Delwar Hossain might embarrass the EC as it is going to hold its long-pending dialogue with a splinter group of BNP on April 27 disregarding the letter of five standing committee members of BNP. However, Zillur claimed that the EC's invitation to the BNP's faction would not stand in the way of dialogues between the government and other political parties.
Meanwhile, acting Chairperson of the pro-government reformist splinter of BNP M Saifur Rahman reiterated that his faction will join the next polls and it is immaterial whether or not the conformists boycott the general election.
On the other hand, BNP Chairperson's adviser Brig (retd) ASM Hannan Shah said, the BNP would not join the government-sponsored formal dialogue if their detained Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is not released before holding the dialogue.

Erratic outages costing industries dear

Kazi Azizul Islam, The New Age BD

Frequent outages without prior notice are hitting hard manufacturing industries across the country with small and medium units suffering the most, industry people said.
Volumes of production in garment units declined by around 30 per cent due to unpredictable electricity failures that also doubled the cost of production in steel units and raised energy bills in potato cold storages by at least 20 per cent.
Small and medium units, especially those which only cut and sew garments and do not have captive power generators, are the worst sufferers.
The knit industry leader warned that many of the exporters would risk missing shipment deadlines or opt for air transportation, which will eat into their profit. Owners of steel and re-rolling units claimed that blackouts without prior notices were doubling their production costs.
Business sources told that a delegation of FBCCI leaders raised their concerns in a meeting with chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed on Tuesday, but returned without any quick fix.

Aziz defends hike in CNG prices

The Financial Express

Finance Adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam said Friday a hefty allocation of subsidy financed by loans would hurt the economy in the long run. The adviser's comment came a day after the government almost doubled the prices of CNG, ending a four-year-old rate.
'If the government would have kept financing subsidy at the same rate as before without increasing the prices of CNG it would have a long-term effect on the economy,' Mirza Aziz said.
'We are giving high subsidy in different sectors, including gas and fertiliser. The rate of subsidy in our country is higher than in many neighbouring countries. In the current fiscal year, about Tk 6,000 crore (60 billion) was allocated for subsidy, but the amount was hiked to about Tk 12,000 crore (120 billion)."
Replying to a question, the adviser said he would request the authorities so that CNG autorickshaw drivers do not charge higher than fixed fares.

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