20 Jun 2008

• Emergency set to be relaxed from today : Campaigning ahead of local poll allowed
• Bangladesh will award offshore blocks to prospective bidders : Protest from neighbouring countries will not hamper awarding of the country's oil and gas blocks to the IOCs for exploration
• High Court rules on Ganges water treaty : Asks govt why the treaty won’t be reviewed
• Dialogue successful, claims adviser
• Local firm to build 10 ships for Japan
• Violent politics risks huge growth potential - Says British minister
• Hasina vows to continue anti-graft drive if voted to power

19 Jun 2008

• Council of Advisers approves Right to Information Ordinance
• $1.2b BRAC loan for 6.4m rural poor : BRAC is already operational in five African countries apart from Afghanistan
• Bangladeshi shrimp plants fully compliant : Visiting high-powered team tells US FDA
• Petty corruption engulfs this government - TIB Chairman : Corruption increases in most govt. service providing sectors
• Govt to relax some clauses of EPRs

18 Jun 2008

• Govt. to release Khaleda and her two sons through legal process and on humanitarian ground - Commerce Adviser
• 50 Bangladeshi women trafficked to India a day - Says home adviser : MA Matin said reportedly 400,000 Bangladeshi women are engaged in forced prostitution in India
• ADB for use of Ctg port by neighbours

17 Jun 2008

• Lives, environment, ecology at risk as illegal hill cutting still rampant in Khagrachhari : A truck of hilly soil is sold at Tk 700-1000
• Begum Zia determined not to be forced abroad with her sons
• Per capita income leaps to $599 : High remittance flow seen as major contributor
• Fulbaria erupts into violent protests : 15 shopping centres closed, roads barricaded for hours over death of salesman
• Govt contemplates dialogues with expats through video conferences

16 Jun 2008

• Election Commission retreats from plan to make ID cards mandatory
• Custodial torture got Tarique crippled-Claims his counsel at special court : Court rejects Tarique’s application to go abroad
• Govt plans to free convicts completing half of terms : Steps taken to make space in prisons
• 33,000 billionaires now in BD, engage in trafficking money abroad : Govt privatises all sectors as it fails combat corruption
• Govt asked to explain legality of emergency provisions : HC rejects plea for more time for hearing because of AG’s absence

15 Jun 2008

• BNP reformist leader punched by loyalist activists : No need to apply for releasing Begum Zia - Delwar
• Names of AL delegation for dialogue to be sent tomorrow : AL demands unconditional release of Hasina
• Hasina’s release a positive step to hold credible election - Moriarty
• 'Release of Politicians' - Parties react sharply to Dr Kamal's remarks
• Exports grow 14.66pc in 10 months
• Local hybrid rice seed production jumps 40pc

14 Jun 2008

• Insistence on Khaleda’s going abroad confirms govt’s minus-2 formula : We want to see Begum Zia free from the jail to make the dialogue meaningful
• Hasina arrives in USA : I continue my struggle to make BD a prosperous and happy country - Hasina
• Task force identifies 747 corrupt recruiting firms : Extorting money from workers, issuing fake visa, cheating govt of tax
• Country’s 68 jails over crowded : Around 26,512 held So far
• Govt must not go soft on corruptionists: Dr Kamal

20 Jun 2008

Emergency set to be relaxed from today : Campaigning ahead of local poll allowed

Bdnews24.com/The New Nation BD

DHAKA -The government has finalised its 'amendment' of emergency Power Rules to allow Campaigning ahead of the local elections, an Adviser said yesterday.
The Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman told reporters: "Campaigning will be allowed in the applicable local poll areas from the day of announcement of the schedule to the day of voting."
The adviser declined to reply, however, when asked when the state of emergency would be wholly lifted. He said the government was still acting to send former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her sons abroad for better medical treatment.
Speaking of the dialogue process, he said: "In the 15 dialogue sessions that have taken place so far, we have seen that the political parties are agreed on one issue - a consensus for the nation's sake."

Bangladesh will award offshore blocks to prospective bidders : Protest from neighbouring countries will not hamper awarding of the country's oil and gas blocks to the IOCs for exploration

M Azizur Rahman, The Financial Express

Bangladesh will award its offshore oil and gas blocks to the prospective bidders despite objections raised by neighbouring India and Myanmar, officials said.
Prof. Tamim made this comment after the two neighbouring countries protested against the country's offshore bidding round just before awarding the gas blocks to the bid winners.
Myanmar has recently issued letters to a number of prospective bidders including Irish Tullow Oil and Chinese Longwoods Resources Ltd asking them to be cautious about signing PSCs on the bordering gas blocks.
The Indian government in a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently protested Bangladesh offshore bidding round saying the offshore blocks should not be awarded to the IOCs without resolving the issues relating to the international maritime boundary.
Bangladesh has almost completed evaluation of the latest offshore bidding that ended on May 7 last.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh will ask India and Myanmar to hold rapid tripartite talks to end a dispute over offshore exploration of gas and oil in the Bay of Bengal.

High Court rules on Ganges water treaty : Asks govt why the treaty won’t be reviewed

The New Age BD

The High Court on Thursday asked the government to explain in four weeks why it would not be directed to review the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and take steps to ensure due share of waters.
The bench of Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana and Justice M Rezaul Haque gave the ruling after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyers MK Muraduzzaman and Faruk Hossain on June 8.
Pleading for the petitioners, Tazul Islam argued that the treaty, singed with India on December 12, 1996, failed to protect the interest of Bangladesh and ensure proper and equitable share of the Ganges water.
Bangladesh was getting drier every year because of India’s unilateral withdrawal of water from the common river Ganges. The quality of water down the Ganges point has critically declined because the Ganges water was diverted through various channels in India in violation of the water sharing treaty, he added.

Dialogue successful, claims adviser

UNB/ The News Today

The ongoing series of dialogues between the caretaker government and political parties and other stakeholders have already yielded consensus on four factors fundamental to transition into a stable democratic order from the present interim regime.
Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman, who is acting as government spokesperson at the talks, Thursday named the points of consensus as political reforms, post-election stability, strengthening local government and more democratization of constitutional and institutional structure in exercise of power.
The government side unveiled the matters of general agreement by summing up the intermediate outcome of the current series dialogue aimed at sorting out modalities of the transition.

Local firm to build 10 ships for Japan

Jasim Uddin Khan, The Daily Star

A file photo shows workers painting a ship at Ananda Shipyard & Slipways. Local Highspeed Shipbuilding & Engineering Co on Wednesday in Dhaka signed an agreement with technologically advanced Japanese ship maker Tokyo Freighting Ltd to build 10 small ships.
Industry insiders say the local company's tie-up with the Japanese firm is a boost to Bangladesh's shipbuilding industry.
Highspeed Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, a local shipbuilder, has won a US$50 million order from Japan to build ten small ships, further evidence of the country's booming shipbuilding industry.
This is the first time the country has won a Japanese contract and underlines the increasing global acceptance of Bangladesh as an emerging shipbuilding nation.

Violent politics risks huge growth potential - Says British minister

The Daily Star

Junior British minister for international development Shahid Malik yesterday said Bangladesh will risk its "huge potential" for development and the country's future if it returns to confrontational and violent politics.
Bangladesh has huge potential in development and growth that can be realised through greater investment in education and health, Malik said.
But this potential and the opportunities for future generations would be jeopardised if the politicians return to the confrontational and violent politics of 2006, he said at a press conference at the end of his two-day visit to Bangladesh yesterday.
During his trip, Malik met Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed and Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam. He also visited "char" livelihood programmes and slum education centres run by Brac.
"Elections in 2008 are a must. Consistently we, like many others, have encouraged the creation, in Bangladesh, of a level electoral playing field with a fair referee. It is then up to the teams to play their part," Malik said.

Hasina vows to continue anti-graft drive if voted to power

The Daily Star

Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said if her party is voted to power through a fair and credible election they would continue anti-corruption drives.
Hasina was addressing leaders and activists of the party's US chapter at her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy's Cambridge residence in Boston in the USA, reported US-based American News Agency (ANA).
Corruption remains one of the major obstacles to the country's development, said Hasina, who is staying in the US for medical treatment. The AL president was released temporarily on an executive order of the caretaker government on June 11.
Referring to the achievements made during her party's rule from 1996-2001, Hasina urged the AL leaders and activists to work unitedly to uphold the country's image across the globe. The AL chief also urged the expatriate Bangladeshis to work together for the country's welfare.
Hasina along with Joy and other family members will leave Boston for Washington today. She will go to Orlando in Florida for ear treatment after undergoing eye check-up in Washington.

19 Jun 2008

Council of Advisers approves Right to Information Ordinance

BSS/ The New Nation

The Council of Advisers at a meeting yesterday approved, in principle, the draft 'Right to Information Ordinance-2008' to ensure transparency, good governance and accountability of government organisations, as part of the ongoing institutional reforms.
The Chief Adviser, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, chaired the meeting held at his office attended by the Advisers and The Chief Adviser's Special Assistants. The advisers discussed the draft in detail and requested the concerned ministry to place it before the council for final approval after vetting by the law ministry, with its suggestions.
The proposed ordinance, he said, would require the government to appoint a three-member Information Commission headed by a Chief Information Commissioner.

$1.2b BRAC loan for 6.4m rural poor : BRAC is already operational in five African countries apart from Afghanistan

The Financial Express

Non-government organisation BRAC on Wednesday announced US $ 1.2 billion loan for 6.4 million poor and underprivileged rural people across the country in the fiscal year 2008-09.
BRAC Chairman Fazle Hasan Abed made this announcement at a function titled "Meet the Best Social Entrepreneur" organised by Entrepreneurship Development Forum (EDF).
Abed also said that business entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship cannot be seen as adversary to each other, rather they are complimentary as both of them aim at creating opportunities and the betterment of the living standard of people.
Abed also applauded the strides Bangladesh has made in recent decades in health care, especially in reducing infant mortality and fertility rate and the role BRAC has played in achieving it.
He stressed on visionary thinking, appropriate and calculative planning as well as organising power for successful entrepreneurship.

Bangladeshi shrimp plants fully compliant : Visiting high-powered team tells US FDA

Jasim Uddin Khan, The Daily Star

A high-powered Bangladeshi team, now on a visit to the US, on Tuesday told US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials that local shrimp processing plants fully comply with US FDA requirements.
The visit by the officials begins on hot heels of allegations by AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) that Bangladesh shrimp plants use child labour and lack standards.
The Bangladesh team will also invite the US officials to inspect shrimp processing plants in Bangladesh again.
The team will also make presentation before the United State Trade Representative (USTR) officials and congressmen to tell them the shrimp industry in Bangladesh creates huge numbers of employment.

Petty corruption engulfs this government - TIB Chairman : Corruption increases in most govt. service providing sectors

The Bangladesh Today

Corruption has increased significantly in five sectors including education, health, local government, land administration and NGO during January-June of 2007 compared to that of July-December 2007 and overall rate of petty corruption has also increased since this caretaker government took over power after 1/11 situation.
This was disclosed by the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) while revealing its "National Household Survey 2007 on Corruption in Bangladesh," yesterday.
The survey also says that considering all sectors 66.7 % households experienced corruption during interactions with different service providers and overall 42.1% of households paid bribe for receiving different services. Payment of bribe was most prevalent in the law enforcing agencies with as many as 64.5% households forced to pay bribe for receiving services from different law enforcing agencies including the joint forces.

Govt to relax some clauses of EPRs

BSS/The Bangladesh Today

DHAKA - Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman on Wednesday said the government is going to finalise the proposal for relaxing some clauses of the emergency power rules (EPRs) before the local government elections.
He said, "The Election Commission (EC) is taking preparations for holding the local government elections and going to announce the schedule of some local government polls soon."
The commerce adviser said this at a joint press briefing after a political dialogue with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Ziku) here on Wednesday.
Dr Hossain Zillur said as part of the ongoing dialogue with the political parties and the citizen groups, the government will sit with the citizen group in Chittagong on June 28 for the first time outside Dhaka.

18 Jun 2008

Govt. to release Khaleda and her two sons through legal process and on humanitarian ground - Commerce Adviser

The Bangladesh Today

Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman on Tuesday said the government is going to take necessary steps to release the political top brasses including BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and her two sons, Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman, for treatment through legal process and on humanitarian consideration.

50 Bangladeshi women trafficked to India a day - Says home adviser : MA Matin said reportedly 400,000 Bangladeshi women are engaged in forced prostitution in India

The Daily Star

Every day 50 Bangladeshi women are lured to India and sold there, Home Adviser Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin yesterday told the inaugural ceremony of a new police investigation unit formed to strengthen fight against human trafficking.
The unit labelled "Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) Investigation Unit" has been set up within the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) with Additional Deputy Inspector General Abdul Jalil as its head.
The unit will initially have 12 police officials having specialised training on investigations into human trafficking at home and abroad.
The home adviser said poverty, land fragmentation, natural disasters, landlessness, and demand for dowry push people of Bangladesh to search for opportunities abroad.
He went on to say most illegal migration flows to India as Bangladeshi traffickers have built up bases in the border districts of India. He also said an estimated 90 percent of trafficked women are forced into prostitution.
He stressed the need for close collaboration and cooperation between the police, community and social partners to effectively fight against human trafficking.

ADB for use of Ctg port by neighbours

The Daily Star

The ADB (Asian Development Bank) outgoing country director has stressed upgradation and opening up of Bangladesh's premier Chittagong Port for the usage of eastern Indian states and other landlocked neighbouring countries to develop it a regional hub, which could be a major driver for the country's economic development.
“Chittagong Port may be the regional business hub if it can be connected with other regional ports,” Hua Du told the regular monthly luncheon meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) at a city hotel yesterday.
The ADB representative in Bangladesh is scheduled to complete her 6-year tenure very shortly.
Hua Du said all the sector level reforms in the Chittagong Port have improved its efficiency by 30 percent and cut costs by 40 percent recently.
In her prepared speech on 'Bangladesh Economy : Opportunities and Challenges' she said with the current growth trends, the country has the potential to reach the threshold of a middle income country by the year 2020.
“With higher GDP growth rates of 8-9 percent a year, Bangladesh can even become a middle income country earlier than 2020,” she said.
A hopeful Hua Du said a robust private sector is the key to attracting investment, entrepreneurship and technological innovation needed for quick economic growth. It is obvious that without private sector investment, jobs and economic opportunities for thousands of people cannot be ensured, she added.

17 Jun 2008

Lives, environment, ecology at risk as illegal hill cutting still rampant in Khagrachhari : A truck of hilly soil is sold at Tk 700-1000

The Daily Star

Unabated hill cutting in eight upazilas under Khagrachhari district is posing serious threat to lives, natural environment and biodiversity of the hill district. As hill cutting continues in the name of development work, houses and business centres are being made ignoring existing environmental laws and defying ban by Department of Environment (DoE).
At least 50 thousand people in hill district Khagrachhari are facing threat of hill slides at the onset of the rains as they built their houses, business centres and other development structure cutting the natural hill and without any environment friendly plan, sources said.
Despite a government ban, illegal hill cutting continues unabated in different parts of hill district Khagrachhari.

Begum Zia determined not to be forced abroad with her sons

The Bangladesh Today

Detained BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia on Monday said that she did not want to be released on the condition that she too has to go abroad with her two sons.
Talking to reporters at the Special Court after hearing in GATCO case, she said the every body knows that her two sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman are critically sick and they need better treatment abroad. But what is the relation between sending them abroad for treatment and forcing her to go with them? she asked. She reiterated her determination not to go abroad as she likes to stand beside the people of the country who are suffering from various problems including price hike of essential food commodities.
She ruled out allegations against her sons saying that the cases against her sons are false and motivated and they cannot commit such crimes as they are not Tom, Dick and Harry and their father was late President and independence proclaimer Ziaur Rahman and their mother was three times' Prime Minister.

Per capita income leaps to $599 : High remittance flow seen as major contributor

The Daily Star

Per capita income in Bangladesh has shot up to $ 599 this fiscal year from the previous year's $523, demonstrating that the country's overall income has significantly gone up despite many odds.
The odds include fall in growth by one to three percentage points in agriculture, manufacturing, construction and service sectors.
According to the latest national accounts data of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the increase in per capita income is very significant because it (per capita income) used to be $440 in fiscal 2003-4, $463 in 04-5 and $476 in 05-6.
Bangladesh's achieving the status of a middle-income country from that of a Least Developed Country (LDC) is not very far away. A country remains an LDC till its per capita income remains below $ 750.

Fulbaria erupts into violent protests : 15 shopping centres closed, roads barricaded for hours over death of salesman

The Daily Star

Alleged killing of a salesman by his employer sparked violent protests and closure of at least 15 shopping centres yesterday in Fulbaria area in the capital. The salesman, Aminur Rahman Rana, 35, an employee of SK Traders in Bangabazar market, died Sunday night after he had finished work and gone home.
Kamal Hossain, one of the owners of SK Traders, is said to have beaten up Rana earlier in the evening the same day.
As the workers barricaded the streets and shouted slogans demanding immediate arrest and punishment of Rana's killer, the surrounding streets witnessed a massive gridlock for at least a couple of hours.

Govt contemplates dialogues with expats through video conferences

The New Age BD

An adviser to the interim cabinet on Monday said that the government considering holding of dialogues with Bangladeshi expatriates through video conferences across the globe alongside the on-going talks with political parties and civic groups for transition to democracy.
A group had already been given the responsibility for organising video conferences to consult the expatriates who were contributing a lot to the country’s economy.
Iqbal, who is also a member on the advisory panel for the government-initiated dialogues, said the expatriates had expressed their interest in taking part in the dialogues.
Iqbal asserted that the upazila polls would be held before parliamentary elections.

16 Jun 2008

Election Commission retreats from plan to make ID cards mandatory

The News Today BD

The national identity cards that the Election Commission is preparing will be of no use in the next general elections planned for December-end as the cards are being found to be full of errors.
"The ID cards will not be mandatory to be produced by the voters while using their franchise in the next polls," said a high official of the commission.
EC sources said the commission retreated from its plan to make ID cards mandatory for the elections as the information of many cards are found to be incorrect.
The official, however, said the cards would be made mandatory in the polls next to the upcoming general elections after necessary correction.
According to the sources, 7,68,01,106 persons have been enrolled as voters till June 9 against the total estimated voters of eight crore.

Custodial torture got Tarique crippled-Claims his counsel at special court : Court rejects Tarique’s application to go abroad

The Daily Star/The Bangladesh Today

Torture in custody caused serious spinal injury to Tarique Rahman, the senior joint secretary general of BNP, said his attorney to a special court yesterday, urging it to look into the matter.
During the hearing on charge framing in the Tk 21-crore bribery case against Tarique, former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and six others, Tarique's counsel barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia said, "Tarique was youthful and a completely fit individual at the time of his arrest, but he is physically impaired today. His spinal vertebrae had been damaged due to tortures in detention."
"To ensure justice, the court should look into the matter [to find out] how it could happen during custody," barrister Rafiq added.
Meanwhile, A Special Court of Dhaka rejected two petitions of BNP senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman praying for allowing him to go abroad for medical treatment and staying proceedings of Tk 21 crore bribery case in connection with Bashundhara Group's director Sabbir murder.
In the morning Tarique Rahman's wife Zobaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman jointly applied to the Home Ministry for sending him abroad for better treatment. Home Adviser told reporters that he has received the application and now the government will take necessary step in this regard.

Govt plans to free convicts completing half of terms : Steps taken to make space in prisons

The New Age BD

The government is thinking of releasing many convicts who have already served half of their terms of imprisonment, reportedly to create space in the grossly overcrowded prisons in order to accommodate the people detained in the ongoing countrywide crackdown by the law enforcers.
The concerned authorities in the metropolitan cities and districts are scrutinising the cases to find out who are the convicts whose terms of imprisonment deserve to be remitted or shortened.
The home adviser, MA Matin, who was also present at the briefing, said the accommodation capacity of the country’s prisons was 27,368, but the number of inmates was 86,504 on June 7.

33,000 billionaires now in BD, engage in trafficking money abroad : Govt privatises all sectors as it fails combat corruption

The Bangladesh Today

The government is going to privatise all sectors as it has failed to combat corruption of different state-run organizations, said politicians, economists and diplomats at a roundtable discussion held at CIRDAP auditorium on Sunday.
"Mere privatizing is not enough but proper and efficient management system is necessary to make the loss organisation profitable. DESCO and DESA have been privatized but these are all losing concern," they said.
Criticising the proposed budget TIB Chairperson said in the proposed budget government has mentioned that expenditure of development work will depend on foreign aid and credit.
"It is not good sign for the economic development as the government has decided to spend money from foreign aid bank loans for the development work. It is very sorrowful for us our businessmen don't give tax to the government. So the government will have to take initiative how to realise tax from the businessmen. Around 33000 billionaires are now living in the country and they are also engaged in trafficking money to the foreign countries.

Govt asked to explain legality of emergency provisions : HC rejects plea for more time for hearing because of AG’s absence

The New Age BD

The High Court on Sunday issued a rule on the government to explain in four weeks the legality of some provisions of the Emergency Powers Rules and Emergency Powers Ordinance, especially the restriction on seeking bail and appealing against the lower court’s orders and placing under the emergency rules the offences committed before the declaration of emergency.
The High Court bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Farid Ahmed passed the order after hearing the public interest litigation writ petition filed by New Age’s editor Nurul Kabir, rights activist Sultana Kamal, also a former adviser of the caretaker government, and Dhaka University’s law faculty teacher Hafizur Rahman Karzon on June 5.

15 Jun 2008

BNP reformist leader punched by loyalist activists : No need to apply for releasing Begum Zia - Delwar

The Bangladesh Today

BNP loyalist faction on Saturday punched a leader of reformist faction at the BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain's NAM flat residence. As part of exchanging views and opinions of the leader and activists of the district level BNP, when Naraynganj district unit of BNP leaders and activists led by former Lawmaker Ataur Rahman Khan came to NAM flat, the activists of BNP loyalist faction became furious and locked in a serious altercation. At one stage the loyalist faction chased them and started punching Badruzzman Khasru, small and cottage industry affairs secretary of BNP central committee. Badruzzman, is also brother of Ataur Rahman. After being chased and beaten up by the loyalist activists, the reformists' brothers fled the scene immediately to avert further untoward incidents.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain on Saturday said there is no need to apply to the government for releasing party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

Names of AL delegation for dialogue to be sent tomorrow : AL demands unconditional release of Hasina

The Bangladesh Today

"We are giving thanks and gratitude to the government as it released our party President Sheikh Hasina for the time being. But simultaneously we are demanding her unconditional release and holding of the national polls soon," Awami League Acting Secretary General Syed Asharful Islam told reporters after an emergency Awami League Working Committee meeting held at Dhanmondi party office yesterday.
"Side by side, we are also calling upon the government to arrange trial of war criminals. On the other hand, government will have to release the leaders and activists of Awami League arrested earlier," Syed Asharful said.
He informed the newsmen the party will send the names of Awami League leaders for taking part in the dialogue tomorrow (Monday). "A nine-member delegation led by Awami League acting President Zillur Rahman will participate in the dialogue. We will send the names of the members of delegation on Monday.

Hasina’s release a positive step to hold credible election - Moriarty

UNB/The Bangladesh Today

DHAKA - US Ambassador in Dhaka James F Moriarty on Saturday described the release of former premier Sheikh Hasina as a positive step ahead of the national election and said the participation of all parties in the poll is a must to arrange it in a free, fair and credible manner.
He was replying to a question by a journalist about Hasina's recent release from makeshift jail.
The US envoy hoped that all the complexities regarding the elections would be dissolved and the polls would be held within the set time. He reiterated his call for making "compromise" among all the political parties to hold a free and fair election.

'Release of Politicians' - Parties react sharply to Dr Kamal's remarks

UNB/The Daily Star

DHAKA - In a latest fracas in the political arena, major political parties dismissed as “wails from a broken heart” Dr Kamal Hossain's remarks perceivably against the release of Sheikh Hasina and a move to release Khaleda Zia.
Awami League, BNP and Workers Party leaders told the UNB that they did not expect such comments from a “guardian” like Dr Kamal Hossain who virtually termed Hasina and Khaleda corrupt and rebuked the caretaker government for releasing Sheikh Hasina and its move to set free Khaleda Zia.
Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon termed Dr Kamal's remark “wail of inability” and asserted Sheikh Hasina's release proved that the cases against her are political.
BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan described Dr Kamal's remarks as a manifestation of “broken hope”, saying that he perhaps uttered it out of his personal animosity.
He said cases against Awami League President Sheikh Hasina were not proved while even trial process against BNP chairperson has not started.

Exports grow 14.66pc in 10 months

The Daily Star

The country fetched US$11.37 billion from exports during the July-April period of the current fiscal year, registering a 14.66 percent growth over the corresponding period a year earlier.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), $11.65 billion was the target of export earning in the first 10 months in FY 2007-08 against the overall target of $14.5 billion.
The earning in April stood at $1.21 billion against $875.04 million in the same month last year, sources in the state-run export promotional agency said, adding that during this period overall price index declined by 1.07 percent.
EPB data shows exports of knitwear, the prime forex earner, reached $479 million in April, while $4.39 billion was earned from exports of the item in the July-April period, which is 20 percent up on a year earlier.

Local hybrid rice seed production jumps 40pc

Sohel Parvez, The Daily Star

Domestic production of hybrid rice seed jumped by about 40 percent this boro season as some agribusiness companies such as ACI Seed have gone into production in large scale, growers said.
"We are very happy. We have been able to produce about 300 tonnes of seeds this season from below 10 tonnes last season," said FH Ansarey, executive director of agribusiness division of about Tk 400 crore worth ACI. "We want to produce about 1,000 tonnes of hybrid rice seed next season," he said.
The growers said total local production of hybrid rice seed stood at about 2,500 tonnes this season from about 1,800 tonnes last season due to efforts made by both new and old companies to produce more and reduce their import dependency.
Industry people said favourable weather condition during the recent boro season has resulted in higher production of hybrid rice seeds.

14 Jun 2008

Insistence on Khaleda’s going abroad confirms govt’s minus-2 formula : We want to see Begum Zia free from the jail to make the dialogue meaningful

The Bangladesh Today

As part of implementing its minus-two formula, the emergency government has now started processing to send BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia abroad against her will, soon after sending Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.
"There is no need to apply to the interim government for releasing BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. We want to see Begum Zia free from the jail to make the dialogue meaningful. Our party Chairperson does not have any intention to go abroad as she wants to stay in the country. We still believe that Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has been sent abroad for her treatment but if the government insists on Khaleda's going abroad, it will prove that the government is going to implement its minus-two formula," BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan told The Bangladesh Today on Friday.
He said leaders and activists of BNP are demanding Khaleda's release for political reason because her presence among the party's rank and file is necessary for not only participating in the dialogue but also for implementing the decision of the dialogue.

Hasina arrives in USA : I continue my struggle to make BD a prosperous and happy country - Hasina

The Bangladesh Today

Awami League President and Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said she will continue her struggle to make Bangladesh a prosperous and happy country, according to private television channels.
"People of Bangladesh want to see the restoration of democracy. Nobody will be able to make the people of Bangladesh refrain from participating in the movement as they are fighting to bring back democracy," after arriving at Logan Airport at Boston in USA yesterday morning, Sheikh Hasina told reporters there.
Hundreds of leaders and activists and relatives including Sheikh Hasina's son Sajib Wajed Joy received her at the airport.
Earlier, on Thursday morning the Former Prime Minister left Dhaka for the United States via London. Hasina's younger sister Sheikh Rehana met her at Heathrow in an emotion-charged atmosphere.
Meanwhile, leaders of Awami League are mentally prepared to hold dialogue with the government in a bid to pave the way for holding a free, fair and credible election.
Hasina will be staying with her son in Boston for few days before leaving for Florida where she will have treatment to her damaged ears. Later, she will go to Canada to see her daughter Saima Wazed Putul.

Task force identifies 747 corrupt recruiting firms : Extorting money from workers, issuing fake visa, cheating govt of tax

The New Nation BD

The Task Force and other law enforcing agencies identified 747 corrupt manpower-recruiting agencies and cancelled the licences of 24 such firms recently. These manpower-recruiting agencies out of 757 in the country, violating Government rules and regulations, were extorting excess money from the overseas job seekers and cheating the Government on taxes.
Most of these agencies were collecting Tk 3.50 lakh to Tk 4 lakh per worker in the name of various office expenses under the very nose of the authorities concerned. The Government had fixed Tk 84,000 per labour for a work visa especially in the Middle East.
Every day an average of 800 to 1,000 Bangladeshi workers are going to the following countries, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Yemen and Korea with work visa.
They were also involved in various other illegal activities such as sending people with fake visas, passport transfer, hundi and human trafficking.
The Task Force found only 10 manpower recruiting agencies following the Government rules and regulations on sending workers abroad.

Country’s 68 jails over crowded : Around 26,512 held So far

The Bangladesh Today

Following the massive arrest during crackdown launched by joint forces and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the police in the country's 68 jails are facing acute accommodation problems.
"Over 86 thousand people are now languishing in 68 jails throughout the country. The 68 jails have the capacity to accommodate 27 thousand people but 86 thousand prisoners are staying there. As a result, the jail authority has been facing serious difficulties," Shamsul Haidar Siddique, Deputy Inspector General (prisons) told The Bangladesh Today on Friday.
The DIG (Prison) said on an average two hundreds people after arresting from different places of the city, are sent to the Dhaka Central Jail everyday.
With arrest of more 1539 on Friday around 26,512 people were arrested in the last two weeks on various charges from different parts of the country during the countrywide on going crackdown.

Govt must not go soft on corruptionists: Dr Kamal

The Daily Star

Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday asked the caretaker government not to bow down to any pressure for weakening the rule of law, while demanding investigations of government personnel who are associated with corruptionists.
After 1/11, massive reforms were started in the country which should see a successful conclusion, Dr Kamal stressed.
"Questions are being raised about the government's ability to manage," he said, urging officials of the military backed caretaker government, "You have taken up a responsibility. Your patience, competence and honesty are being tested. Don't let the corrupt people browbeat you."
The eminent jurist made the remarks at a time when the government had released Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina.
Dr Kamal Hossain also demanded that the government duly completes the trials of those corruption suspects against whom charge sheets have already been submitted, while also demanding that the charge sheets be made public within a couple of weeks. He also demanded publication of 'white papers' on the corruption suspects.
Urging the government to be alert about national security, Dr Kamal said 'many godfathers are now trying to regroup in border areas and the government should not show any leniency towards them'.
Hinting at the BNP leadership, he said, "You should be ashamed of your deeds. It is not the time for you to be eyeballing on the TV screen. You should seek mercy from the people."

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