Stock plunge triggers protest again

Capital market investors take to the streets in front of the Dhaka Stock Exchange building at Motijheel on Sunday to vent their anger over share price fall.— Sony Ramany

Staff Correspondent

Dhaka stocks suffered a massive plunge on Sunday, prompting a number of retail investors, uncertain about the efficacy of the capital market stimulus package announced by the Securities and Exchange Commission and its implementation, to take to the streets.

The benchmark general index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, or DGEN, nosedived by 5.73 per cent to close the day at 5,065.17 points.

Retail investors staged a demonstration in front of the DSE building in Motijheel demanding immediate implementation of the pledges made by prime minister Sheikh Hasina one week ago.

‘We have been banking on the prime minister’s assurance of stabilising the market and announcing a mechanism of recovering the capital losses incurred by the small-scale investors. But, the SEC has failed to

specify any such measures in the bail-out package,’ said Bangladesh Capital Market Investors Council president Mizanur Rashid Chowdhury.

He said if the announced measures were really going to help the market then the government should implement them immediately to prove their effectiveness.

He also alleged that ‘A vested quarter is deliberately spreading panic by bulk selling shares and the SEC should identify them’.

If the market is not stabilised in the next two days, the retail investors will launch a tough programme, he announced. 

At around 2:10pm, investors from different brokerage houses gathered in front of the DSE building and formed a human chain. They chanted slogans against finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman, and DSE president Shakil Rizvi.

The demonstrators also brought out a series of processions at regular intervals that paraded from Shapla Square to Ittefaq crossroads. The demonstration ended at around 4:00pm in front of the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh head office.

The day also saw the turnover of the bourse dropping to Tk 451.43 crore from that of Tk 530.92 crore in the previous trading session.

Market operators said the reduced turnover indicated that the institutional investors were yet to become active in the market.

‘The stimulus package could not fully meet the investors’ expectations and we saw the result today,’ Salahuddin Ahmed Khan, a professor of finance at Dhaka University, told New Age.

He said, ‘The market bail-out package will not change the scenario within a day or two and the investors need to understand that.’

The professor, also a former chief executive officer of the DSE, said the announced measures would offer some relief to the banks but they would not be able to increase their participation in the market ahead of December closing.

The SEC, in line with the prime minister’s instructions, announced on Wednesday a 21-point stimulus package containing short-, mid- and long-term measures aimed at increasing participation of the banks and their financial institutions to stabilise the market.

The short-term measures of the package include easing the banks’ exposure calculation system and extending their single-borrower exposure deadline. The stimuli also include withdrawal of the gain tax imposed on foreign institutional investors and non-resident Bangladeshis.  

‘The investors have been expecting an overnight change after the announcement of the stimulus package. But implementation of the announced measures will take some time,’ DSE president Shakil Rizvi told New Age.

He also advised the retail investors not to panic and go for long-term investment and trading plan.

SEC officials refused to make any comment about the market situation on Sunday.

The DGEN gained 947 points in four trading sessions last week following prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention to bring back stability in the market after the index had taken a 560-point plunge in three days since resumption of share trading on the DSE after the Eid vacation.

Of the 254 issued traded on Sunday, only seven advanced, with all the remaining 247 scrip suffering a decline.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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Call to build up resistance against imperialism

  Leaders of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh and the International Anti-imperialist and People’s Solidarity Coordinating Committee inaugurate the 3rd international anti-imperialist conference in Dhaka on Sunday. — Sourav Losker

Dhaka confce begins

Moloy Saha

A three-day international anti-imperialist conference began in Dhaka on Sunday with a vow to continue the fight against imperialism and capitalism’s global aggression.

The conference, organised jointly by the International Anti-imperialist and People’s Solidarity Coordination Committee and the Socialist Party of Bangladesh, was opened at 12:00 noon at Mahanagar Natyamancha.

Manik Mukherjee, general secretary of IAPSCC and a central leader of the

Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), said that people across the globe were rising up against imperialism and capitalism and their movements were gaining in momentum.

‘Even the Americans are rising up against capitalism’s corporate greed. The recent Occupy Wall Street campaign at the financial heart of capitalism proved it,’ he said at the opening session of the conference.

He urged the peoples of South Asia to build up a strong resistance against imperialism’s evil designs in the region.

He criticised most of the leftwing political parties in India for not considering India as an ‘imperialist’ country. ‘But we consider India as an imperialist country because of its anti-people role,’ he said.

The conference will discuss ways to fight imperialism’s economic, political, and cultural aggression across the world with special reference to its occupation of and military intervention in the Middle East, Afghanistan and evil designs against Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and progressive countries in Latin America, the organisers said.

It will also review the progress of the movement in Bangladesh to save its natural resources, including oil, gas and coal, they said.

About 150 delegates from leftwing political parties of 25 countries, including the United States, France, Italy, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Venezuela and Ghana, are attending the conference, they said.

At the beginning of the conference, the delegates paid tributes to the people who laid down their lives in anti-imperialist movements across the world.

The organisers also brought out a procession that paraded different city streets before returning to the conference venue. More than 10,000 activists of SPB joined the procession.

IAPSCC president Ramsay Clerk, also former attorney general of US, and United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Puspakamal Dahal Prachanda, who were scheduled to attend the conference, did not come to Dhaka due to ‘unavoidable circumstances’, the organisers said, adding that  they sent messages wishing the event a success.

SPB general secretary Khalequzzaman, who chaired the opening session, said that they were fighting to protect the country’s mineral resources from being handed over to western corporations.

Terming America ‘an enemy of humanity, peace and civilization’, the US delegate Sara Flounders said that they were also fighting against their government’s imperialist aggression.

Communist Party of Bangladesh president Manzurul Ahsan Khan, SPB central leader Mobinul Hayder Chowdhury, Subhrangshu Chakrabarty, Zahidul Haque Milu, Bazlur Rashid Firoz and Razequzzaman Ratan, among others, attended the opening session.

Two sessions of delegates will be held at the Mahanagar Natyamancha auditorium today. 

The conference will conclude on November 29 with the adoption of ‘Dhaka declaration’.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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Cleaners skeptical about NGOs working for them

An NGO staff teaches children of cleaners at a makeshift school at the Telegu community neighbourhood at Dayaganj in Dhaka.— Ali Hossain Mintu

Ershad Kamol

Cleaners in Dhaka complain that many of the NGOs working in their slums are simply ‘doing business’ and are not working to improve their living conditions.

They said that many of the NGOs provide them microcredit simply to make profit  and not to help improve  their living conditions.

The cleaners, as the sweepers are now officially called, said that some of the small NGOs which run microcredit programmes, with local or foreign funding, charge interests at exorbitant rates, sometimes as high as 40 per cent.

Some of these NGOs also run education, health, and

safe water projects in the slums where Kanpuri and Madrassi cleaners live, they added

The Kanpupris and the Madrassis have been cleaners for generations, unlike the Bangalis, who took to the profession only recently.

‘A foreign NGO that does not operate in Bangladesh anymore had opened a collective savings account for our women at Ganoktuli, but the account holders never received the money they had deposited when this NGO stopped its activities,’ Bangladesh Harijan Oikkya Parisad general secretary Nirmal Chandra Das told New Age.

‘Health and education programmes run by these NGOs don’t help us much, because they are often wound up abruptly without any notice,’ he said.

‘In fact, most of the NGOs, except the big ones, approach us for their own benefits,’ said Harijan Oikya Parishad president Krisna Lal.

He favoured the bigger NGOs who ‘provide us technical support in our negotiations with the government,’ he said.

‘We want the NGOs to provide us vocational training, not loans,’ said Krishna Lal.

He said that the NGOs running programmes for the cleaners are either affiliated with the NGO Affairs Bureau or with the government’s Department of Social Welfare.

The NGO Affairs Bureau does not, said its information officer, keep sector wise information on health and education projects run by NGOs for the cleaners.

‘As each project is multi dimensional, it’s not possible for us to provide specific statistics on funds spent on a specific sector for a particular community’,  NGO Affairs Bureau deputy director AKM Moazzem Hossain told New Age. 

‘And we don’t have any information about the locally funded NGOs affiliated with the Department of Social Welfare which run such programmes,’ he said.

The Department of Social Welfare also could not give any information on funds spent by NGOS on education, health, sanitation and safe water projects for the cleaners.

 Welfare Minister Enamul Hoque Mostafa Shaheed told New Age that the government was keen to work more closely with the NGOs to make their programmes more effective in improving the living conditions of the cleaners.

‘We are holding discussions with the NGOs to find out a better plan for the welfare of the cleaners and other marginal communities,’ he said.

Manusher Jonno Foundation executive director Shaheen Anam told New Age that the foundation provides technical support to the Harijan cleaners in their negotiations with the government for their rights.

She admitted that the NGOs running programmes for the cleaners had some limitations as they were dependent on donor funding for the projects.

 ‘They cannot continue projects if the donors stop the funding support,’ she said.

Shaheen Anam, however, said that the NGOs should take comprehensive projects instead of sector wise projects.

She also said that the cleaners have to fight for themselves to bring about better living conditions and rights ‘We can only help them go ahead.’    

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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DCC split, in order to ensure better services: PM

Bangladesh singing bath Sangstha. Dhaka

The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, said that the Dhaka City Corporation into two parts divided has been decided in order to ensure better services for their citizens.

' It is not true that we are Division Dhaka, would remain in its original form. But we are two city form companies with the enlarged areas of Dhaka City, "she said."

The Prime Minister has this taking of the oath-taking ceremony of the Mayor and city councillors of Narayanganj City Corporation in her Office on Sunday.

Hasina, said that divide a Bill Dhaka City Corporation in the current session of Parliament had been brought, such as the city now to Narayanganj in the Southeast and Tongi in the North converted to by been.

She said, was the number of city dwellers increasing day by day and it was impossible to expand services for people from one point.

'Number of the population, the Government has informed management the police in eight zones, appropriate services,' she added.

The Prime Minister said her Government wanted to strengthen the local government offices to the decentralization of power. "We are tirelessly working for the welfare of the people," she said.

She said her Government believed also in empowerment of people and it had been shown in the NCC elections.

"I had surveys in the open, fair and peaceful atmosphere at all costs to keep under the direction of the authorities, the NCC and the people had exercised their voting rights, as their choice," she said.

The Prime Minister asked the newly elected Mayor and city councillors of Narayanganj City Corporation meet the hopes and ambitions of the townspeople mandate the Corporation has carried out.

In this context, Hasina, announced that her Government full cooperation the lost honour of the port city of Narayanganj restore would extend.

In addition, she said, would special attention to the development of the NCC be given as to the Mayor of the city is a woman, because the believe in empowering women.

Prime Minister of the country, Deputy Chairman of the House and the leader of the opposition are women and the Government has empowerment of women through elections directly for women representatives in the local body polls to ensure.

Earlier, the Prime Minister manages the oath of Office newly elected Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy, while Foreign Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam administered the oath of the members of the Council LGRD and cooperatives.

Ministers, consultants, members of Parliament and defined persons from Narayanganj were carried Khan in the function of LGRD and cooperatives Secretary Abu Alam Shahid.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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No polls without caretaker, army deployment: Khaleda

 The BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, addresses a rally at Jessore Eidgah Maidan on Sunday on the concluding day of the party’s road march towards the southern part of the country. — New Age photo

Khadimul Islam and Saifur Rahman . Khulna

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Sunday said that national elections would not be accepted without a caretaker government and without deployment of army troops.

 ‘We will not accept any

vote under the Awami League government. National elections without a caretaker government and without deployment of army troops will not be allowed in the country,’ she told a huge rally at Khulna.

 Khaleda, also leader of the opposition in parliament, said that the country’s sovereignty was at stake and urged the Awami League-led government to step down if it was unable to take bold steps over the issue of the Tipaimukh dam.

 She reassured the government that her party would extend support if it takes a tough stance against the Tipaimukh dam. ‘If the government cannot drive a hard bargain, nobody would give the country anything,’ she said.

 She vowed not to allow any move to construct the controversial dam on the River Barak until a joint survey and technical assessment was conducted by Bangladesh and India at Tipaimukh.

 Khaleda wrapped up her third road march by holding a public rally on the Khulna Circuit House premises. She termed the large attendance at her rallies and wayside meetings ‘a sign of mass awakening’. ‘The mass awakening will turn into a popular uprising against the government,’ she hoped.

 The former prime minister urged the locals to build resistance against a joint-venture project with India for setting up of a coal-based power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat. ‘We [BNP and allies] and environmentalists will stand by you to stop the move for building the power plant which will threaten the biodiversity in Sundarban,’ she added..

 ‘The government should be ousted to save the country and democracy,’ she said, calling on the people to join the anti-government movement.

 Khaleda, addressing another rally in Jessore Eidgah Maidan, urged the people to decide whether they would oust the Awami League-led government or lose the country’s sovereignty.

 ‘The county will lose its independence and sovereignty if the Awami League government remains in power. The government is doing everything to turn Bangladesh into a province of India,’ she alleged.

 ‘The government is taking loan at high interests from the neighbouring country for construction of roads for transport of Indian transit goods, but no roads are being made for the people of the country,’ she said.

Khaleda said that the people were not ready to pay the interest on loans taken for the interest of another country. She urged the government to construct roads for development of the country by the money taken as loan from India.

 The BNP chief accused the government of politicising the judiciary, civil, military and police administrations and criticised it for axing a good number civil, military and police officers from jobs out of political vengeance.

 She said the BNP-led alliance, if voted to power, would reinstate those ‘illegally terminated’ by the government.

 Khaleda alleged that India was planning to transport heavy equipment through Akhaura for gas exploration and construction of the Tipaimukh dam.  ‘No such heavy equipment will be allowed to be transported through Akharua at our cost,’ she said.

 The BNP-led alliance organised the road mach aiming to mobilise public support for the opposition’s key demands, including restoration of the caretaker government system which was scrapped through the 15th Amendment to the Constitution in June this year.

 Senior leaders of BNP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Liberal Democratic Party and other components of the alliance also addressed the rallies.

 Khaleda began the road march on Saturday from the capital’s Uttara area. BNP and its allies set up hundreds of arches on the route of the march to welcome the leader of the opposition.

The convoy led by Khaleda began its journey on the second day from the Jessore Circuit House around 11:25am after staying there overnight. After the rally, the caravan went to Bagerhat where Khaleda offered fateha at Khan Jahan Ali’s shrine.  

She urged the government to take immediate steps for procurement of paddy and rice as the price of aman paddy had fallen drastically during the pick season of harvest.

She pledged to construct two bridges on the River Padma – one at the present site and another connecting Daulatdia and Paturia – if BNP was voted to power in the next polls.

People lined the road at places as the convoy headed for Khulna. They chanted slogans, clapped and showered petals as the caravan passed.

Khaleda led her first road march to Sylhet on October 10 and the second to Chapainawabganj on October 18.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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JS may pass bill today to split Dhaka city

Staff Correspondent

Parliament is all set to pass today a government bill seeking to split the city of Dhaka.

A parliamentary standing committee at a meeting on Sunday approved the bill with nominal modifications.

The bill seeks to amend the local government law to divide Dhaka into two cities.

The committee approved the bill in record five days since it got it for scrutiny.

The government introduced the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Bill 2001 in the House on November 23 and on the same day parliament sent it to the standing committee for scrutiny. 

The Awami League-led government took the move for the hurried split of the historic city in the face of stiff opposition from the civil society, the opposition party as well as the mayor of Dhaka, who even offered resign and stay away from the next city polls in his appeal to the regime not to divide Dhaka.  

The committee on the ministry of local government and rural development is expected to return the bill to parliament today.

The bill on becoming law would empower the government to divide the historic city of Dhaka into Dhaka City South and Dhaka City North.

Unlike the existing local government law, the bill seeking to amend it is silent about the stipulation that a new mayor of Dhaka has to be elected within 180 days of expiry of the tenure of office of a sitting mayor.

Following the amendment the local government law would also empower the government to remove the elected mayor of Dhaka Sadeq hossain Khoka, split the Dhaka City Corporation

into two city corporations and appoint their administrators awaiting election of new mayors of the two new cities.

The bill also proposes dividing the assets and liabilities, records, documents and other materials of the Dhaka City Corporation between the two new city corporations.

Parliament sources said that the session was likely to be prorogued in a day or two.

Members said that the standing committee only dropped two words relating to the qualification of the administrators of the two new city corporations for Dhaka.

They said that the committee dropped the words ‘first class’ from ‘first class public servant’ the stipulated the qualification of officers, the government would be empowered by the amendment to the local government law to appoint as administrators of the two new cities.

Following amendment the local government law would empower the government to appointment civil servants or any other persons, it thinks competent, as administrators until two mayors are elected for the two new cities.

The standing committee approved the bill in five days said its member Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury.

 The meeting over, he said parliament would pass the bill today.

The state minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak had introduced the bill in parliament on November 23.

Nur-e-Alam said the committee approved a separate bill to amend upazila parishad law and it would also be passed by parliament today.

He said that the tenure of office of the administrator would be 90 days and a new administrator has to be appointed after 90 days.

The existing local government law does not permit removal of an elected mayor or his or her replacement by an appointed administrator.

The bill omitted armed forces from the definition of law-enforcement agencies ruling out deployment of troops during city elections.

Following the amendment to the local government law, 92 wards of the historic city of Dhaka would be divided between the two new cities.

According to it, Dhaka North City Corporation would comprise wards 1 to 55 and Dhaka South City would comprise wards 56 to 92.

In justification of dividing the city the bill says it became difficult to provide civic services to one crore people from one centre.

In its objectives for splitting the city, the bill said that the people were not getting the civic amenities.

On October 31, the cabinet approved the bill for splitting the city of Dhaka.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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PM rules talks with opposition leader

Says the next general elections under EC

Bangladesh singing bath Sangstha. New York

The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has about the need for the meeting for talks with the opposition leaders ' excluded various problems in the country.

On a "Meet the Press" program said with journalists on Bangladesh of's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on Saturday, the Prime Minister the most important

"Requirements of the BNP leaders have been ' damaged sons", end process against war criminals and withdrawing the money laundering cases, which release against their sons.

"Would not the trial of war criminals in illegal interests of a political force be?" The corrupt should be released? Attack would brought not the people, the people by grenade stand in the dock, and those who embezzle money to orphans to book?,' asked them the questions.

For 40 years, Hasina, said the country was free and the Awami League was in power for 10/11 years. "The development and the welfare of the people were only made when the Awami League, which was in power, but others have plundered the country property,", she said.

Dipu Moni, Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, Bangladesh of Foreign Minister's Permanent Representative to the UN, Foreign Minister Mijarul Finley's Abdul Momen, PM spokesman Abul Kalam Azad and Bangladesh press Ministers in Washington Swapan Kumar Saha present on the occasion.

At the beginning of the program, the Prime Minister marked different programs of their 11-day tour of New York.

She said that the US President, Barack Obama, Bangladesh had asked, and Obama the exchange of greetings with her to the reception, organized by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and US first lady Michelle. "The President expressed to visit interest in Bangladesh", she said.

Their Government has the Prime Minister had strong efforts make flight from Biman Bangladesh Dhaka-New York again.

The Prime Minister has the work of the United Nations was not only limited to peace. "We want the world to see body more effectively." We want to see, want contradictory world... we leave a peaceful environment for the new generation, "she said."

To do this, she expressed, the United Nations would play a special role.

The 'they peace model' in her speech in 66. The UN General Assembly revealed on Saturday, said Hasina, peace in the world would come, if questions which have been implemented in accordance with the model of peace.

The Prime Minister said that her Government wanted to make the people of the source of all power or owner. ' The people would vote ruling would decide the country and the people are the greatest strength of their power.

About the country's economy, she said that the purchase the poverty, the main obstacle to development, been reduced to increased to the people, while.

Highlight the need for peace and stability of the country to improve the standard of living which people, said they all had combines work to eliminate poverty.

The regional connectivity said Hasina of the current global social and economic system remains no country insulated. "Making regional connectivity is a must," she said, added that her Government for the welfare of the people has been working, through the establishment of friendly relations with all neighbouring countries.

The Prime Minister further said the establishment of regional connectivity India had agreed for transit, Nepal and Bhutan while Manmohan Singh's last visit to Bangladesh.

"The question of cooperation of water power in the region, discussed even during his", she said.

On relations between Bangladesh and India, she said that friendly relations between the two countries exist. "Discussions in progress are over the water share the common rivers, including Teesta", she said.

She also said that discussion, whether a preliminary agreement on the water could be made part of Teesta. They hope "would if we could fix parts of the aisle a complicated problem like water, we also able to reach an agreement on the water parts of teesta River be ink,'.

Khaleda Zia's comments, which the BNP election would not go without the caretaker Government, said the Prime Minister, that elections would take place when the time comes, and all political parties would involved is about.

Mr leinen reports Hasina said, would take place the next general elections under the supervision of the Electoral Commission and all political parties would participate in the polls

"The Government will not intervene in none of the elections," she said.

The Prime Minister said that her party was at first a movement for the Transitional Government forged. ' The BNP wanted it not... but she said, there was not a neutral person in the country with the exception of mad people and children.

Then, they were forced to be the caretaker: Government Bill in the House at midnight.'

Mention the special experience it on the caretaker Government Justice Latifur Rahman, who said the Prime Minister that he dismissed 13 Secretaries (Latifur), between a half an hour to talk about oath and at that time, were not appointed the other consultants and meeting of the Cabinet was not held.

She said that the BNP President Iajuddin Ahmed as caretaker head of Government in 2007 after against the law, framed by the party.

Mention that all the heads of the previous interim Government, the BNP created that were, plundered she said that she (BNP) thought that she would be able from money abroad to siphon, they during their rule.

Hasina, said that their Governments do not want to cancel the managing system of Government. But she said pronounced judgment declaring the Court illegally the managing system of Government.

"How would we legalize caretaker Government system, which has been declared by the apex court for illegal?,' they called into question."

The Prime Minister said that the Awami League was not entitled, in the year 2001 to power come as the party does not agree to sell gas from abroad.

"Sheikh Hasina policies sell the interests of the country for the greed which does not," she said.

Mention that BNP would power movement never successfully, Hasina said the people of the country would not stand for the corrupted. "they (BNP) not the development and progress of the country could hinder,", she said the BNP not pushing something to do, the people who suffer from deals.

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Police, RAB unacceptable excesses: JS Panel

Ofiul Hasnat Ruhin

The Parliamentary Committee on the Interior Ministry on Sunday worried the role of the rapid action battalion in the death of a leader of Juba Sanghati in Sylhet on stamping of a pro-hartal vigil in Dhaka by the police and in question provided.

The Committee warned police officers not to excesses on duty to maintain law and order.

The Standing Committee at a meeting also asked the Interior Ministry to investigate the incidents the Committee, who know what had happened, meeting said sources.

A legislator Jatiyo party and member of the Committee related to questions of stamping a picket line by the police during the September 22 Hartal enforced, by the Bangladesh nationalist party-led opposition and the death of Monwar Hossain Monir, Secretary General of Sylhet district Juba Sanghati, youth before the Jatiyo party early Saturday allegedly of torture by the RAB, said sources.

"It is not acceptable, that picketing or any of the police officers to death would be beaten" Chairman of the Committee of Abdus Salam told reporters after the meeting, added that she had discussed the incidents.

He said that the Committee had warned the Lawman previously against the excesses and exaggerated behavior. "Now, that such incidents have taken place, the Committee would statements after investigations."

Salam, said however, that the enforcement hartal

no right of anarchy and public property of political programs to unleash damage.

Sources said also law enforcement agencies of tarnishing the image of the Government by such activities had often accused members of the Committee.

"I of the Inspector-General of the police asked whether punitive action against the police officers responsible for stamping a picket was taken and he said that an investigation was," Jatiyo party said legislators Mujibul Haque Chunnu new age, added that the police was asked to report on the incident to the Committee for investigation.

He also said that the Director-General of RAB, the death was asked by Monir in Sylhet and he explained that Monir died of cardiac arrest, which the Committee does not have included.

The Committee also said for a detailed report of the RAB of the incident, the legislator JP.

The police during the Hartal hours on 22 a vigil in the town of Motijheel stamped area. The image of the incident was published and broadcast by the media.

Sylhet unit Juba Sanghati leader Monir, also President of the Cultural Organization MohanA singing critique Sangstha, was arrested on June 19 by RAB and police. He died early Saturday in Sylhet Medical College Hospital.

His brother Altaf Hossain, said that his brother of torture by the RAB had died.

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NTC fighters enter Sirte

National Transitional Council prepare their weapons fighters before their fighting in the city of Sirte on Saturday. ­ - AFP photo

Agence France-Presse. Sirte

Home town in the Gulf of Sirte from the East joined hundreds of fighters for Libya's new rulers on Sunday, when the city for a second straight day hit NATO planes in Muammar al-Gaddafi.

Flash V for victory signs, the fighters moved in Sirte in pickup trucks and larger trucks, supported by three artillery tanks, as they shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest), an AFP correspondent said.

Other fighters of the Transitional National Council, could their West of the Mediterranean city, as deadly clashes raged also faithful in the Western oasis of Ghadames, close to the Algerian border.

And West of Sirte, NTC, forces outside Bani Walid mounted a new attack on the city, the only other remaining Gaddafi jump.

As they rolled by Sirte of the Eastern Gate, rushed two ambulances with sirens on fire, and other NTC fighters emerged from the bastion of Gaddafi, where they said there was small arms firefights.

"We struggle with Kalashnikovs and small arms to the city centre," said Mar'ee Saleh Ali Hassan Jabar Brigade.

"We are on Gaddafi's men raise, but her return fire is not very strong," he said, when he finished the Eastern Gate.

Saleh added, the ' NATO several strikes carried out today. I have it. "

Many of the pickup trucks in the city carried out said food and water supplies, as well as mattresses, an indication that the fighters were to positions in Sirte, the correspondent.

West of Sirte NTC could say but forces her, that they do not, you launch a new attack in Sirte allow statements of NATO had received on the implementation of transactions.

On the political front were NTC Chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil, said an interim Government next week would be known and that 'weapons banned Gaddafi International' now under his control.

Earlier, said one of the fighters in Sirte of the Eastern Gate stationed, that fighters were looking for land mines.

' We fear that forces have buried Gaddafi landmines on the outskirts of the city. So we are out. So far today it is quiet after heavy yesterday confrontations, "Hameed said frontline fighter Abdul.

Fighters who stationed to stay told another AFP correspondent, what, had said of the NATO coalition put on Sunday and retention of a planned new attack on the City West of Sirte.

NATO aircraft launched at least a dozen air raids to Sirte on Sunday morning, said correspondent.

On Saturday NATO planes exploded 29 armed vehicles, a brand position, two command and control nodes and three ammunition storage facilities in the area of the Alliance said in an operational update.

On Saturday, fighter Sirte what apparently came to a pincer movement from the South and East.

"Our troops went seven kilometres through the eastern gate and it sometimes heavy clashes with Gaddafi was forces sporadically," said Commander Mohammed al-Marimi Fakriddin-Sallabi-Brigade.

Misurata military Council spokesman Abdel Ibrahim said seven NTC fighters killed and wounded 145.

The fighters used tanks and pickups mounted roadblocks with flak delete Gaddafi forces and drove towards the city of Sirte, building their own defense in advanced positions.

On a Beach Road, surrounded by craters and pock-marked buildings struck a 106 mm anti-tank Cannon Gaddafi repeated positions, supported by a barrage of mortar fire and multiple rocket launchers.

A Sirte residents who managed to escape said early on Sunday, fighting at 19: 00 on Saturday at waned.

' There are African mercenaries roaming throughout the city. You are in houses with flak in the trigger a ' at the western edge of Sirte, he said, refusing to give his name for security reasons.

He also said he saw Gaddafi's son Mutassim twice - once in a command in a hospital basement, in the last three weeks.

Front line fighter in Sirte have said repeatedly that the Mutassim is perforated in the southern suburbs.

Saturday's attack came after reports of a rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the city of about 75,000.

NATO troops in Gaddafi forces met, after reports of Sirte "Executions, hostage-taking and the calculated targeting of individuals, families and communities in the city" was a coalition statement said.

The attack on Ghadames, said Tripoli, came at dawn, at least eight NTC fighters killed and wounded 50, 600 km southwest of Muhandes Sirajeddin, Deputy Head of the Municipal Council.

"The attack began at 05: 30 (0330 GMT)." Around 100 Gaddafi Loyalists, including mercenaries, consisting of Algeria (border) and took the Tuareg groups to the fight, "he said."

Sirajeddin and two other residents, said that clashes there were still under way, in Ghadames, a UNESCO world cultural heritage and is home to the Roman ruins.

Heavy fighting also in Bani Walid, the only other remaining Pro-Gaddafi raged bastion, with NTC fighters under fire from within the city, an AFP correspondent said.

NTC Commander Omar Mukhtar said his men are "Bundling" but would attack not on Sunday.

"We are always ready," he said as five tanks at the front roll up an AFP correspondent.

NTC forces believe that Gaddafi best-known son Seif al-Islam, until in Bani Walid is perforated. "We know exactly where he is," Mukhtar said.

In the meantime, the Transitional Council Sunday said the remains of more than 1,700 prisoners who 1996 prison in a mass grave in the capital were found by warden Tripoli of notorious Abu Salim, a spokesman for the national.

"We found the place where these martyrs were buried," said Khalid Sharif, spokesman of the military Council of the NTC, adding of it was Beweis criminal acts ' by the Gaddafi regime.

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| Source: newagebd.com

Police, polls official intervention in Ivy briefing

A team of police officers and election intervened officers on Sunday at Selina Hayat Ivy, a candidate mayoral candidate for the elections Narayanganj City Corporation, one held press conference on Sunday.

The press conference of Ivy

The Press Club of Narayanganj operation the police team under the direction of the SADAR began police officer-in-charge, MD aktar Hossain, SADAR shortly at noon and about half an hour later, election officer Rakibuzzaman and Assistant organiser for the society elections Mosleuddin in the Press Club and a heated exchange took.

Aktar Hossain and Rakibuzzaman, Ivy said that she had visited the site to information, there was a campaign code of conduct going against the electoral law.

"I to the venue of the press conference went as election officials asked to go there ourselves," said aktar new age.

Ivy briefing reporters on their position about the rumors, which widely used for a few days was, that link them or negotiations with the Bangladesh nationalist party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, so that she could win the elections.

She said she was the daughter of Ali Ahmed Chunka and she would never stop with the Awami League. "Other candidate on the rumors, disseminated", added to them.

She also told reporters that her father of President of the urban society was and she was elected as Chairman of ?????????? Mnicipal Corporation. 'I am city Awami League Vice President of the unit and now I'm mayoral candidate of City Corporation surveys.'

In reply to the question of the reporter, she said "I've never leave Narayanganj, and I will be in future by the inhabitants of the city."

For visiting the policemen and election officials and intervention in the press conference she said that it was clearly meant to thwart the citizens right to vote.

She demanded the army unwanted situations prevent deployment before the elections.

Head of administration and the head of the police are serves the purpose of Shamim Osman, and they are transmitted, if the elections free and fair must, Ivy said.

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Muhith is looking for support from WB, IMF

United States news of Bangladesh. Dhaka

The Minister of finance. The need for improved financial support by the World Bank and the remainder said Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, support by the IMF.

This was stressed in his statement for the 2011 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC and World Bank Group on Friday, said a press release from the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC.

He said were carefully planned Bangladesh public investment and expenditure and for the core of the development goals to reach, such as salts women at the forefront of development, employment, price stability, generate energy, food, and programme for social security and combating climate change, impact.

He noted that budget support reduce support all these efforts must under poverty credit (PRSC) program of the World Bank and balance of payments are completed under the extended credit facility (ECF) of IMF support.

"Such support would key fiscal space and reduce pressure on the already tense country's balance of payments", he added.

Crisis makes those achievements of Bangladesh in maintaining a stable macro-economic situation in the face, when the world economy, particularly in the field of balance of payments, maintaining stable export growth, expanding domestic demand, strong performance in rural and agricultural sectors and maintaining an overall growth rate of 6%, the Finance Ministers that Bangladesh said legally earned financial support by the World Bank for additional investment had thus a, to achieve them.

Muhith, the Governor of the World Bank and the IMF for Bangladesh, said Bangladesh has placed poverty alleviation for its development efforts and associated with up to 53.12% of the budget for poverty, the reduction in spending.

On the experience of the global financial crisis, the Finance Minister urged the President to restructure the global financial, monetary, and architecture.

He suggested, that the G20 or the Board of Governors as an agenda Subscribe topic should initiate a meaningful restructuring of the global financial system restructuring.

He makes concrete proposals for reflection G20 be informal mechanism, raised some legal court, managing liquidity of the global public sector, including monitoring and control of the IMF.

It reaffirms the need for a strengthened focus by the World Bank with the mediation of surplus resources for investment in deficit, increased efforts to overcome poverty and hunger, grains and petroleum to develop a pragmatic trade, financing and administration of the volatility of commodity prices, in particular the Fooed.

Muhith leads a high Bangladesh delegation to the 2011 annual meetings of the Board of Governors of the World Bank and the IMF in Washington, DC.

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| Source: newagebd.com

Magura car accident kills 11

Our correspondent. Magura

Eleven people, including four children were killed when a speeding up of truck parked human tug rest both vehicles in a roadside waters at Saitrish in Magura SADAR shortly on Sunday afternoon.

The deceased, all the three-wheeled human hauler Magura town of Alamkhali went, was announced by the police.

Angry local put up barricade tree felling, exposed to traffic on the highway for nearly four hours.

Later, police and district officials crashed and that assures stirring mob of measures including speed breakers to include road accidents.

Magura Police Superintendent Proloy Chisim said that people were the barricade on about 19: 00, after they came to build speed breakers at various points of the highway.

Dead five Pravir Kumar Ghosh were 45, teacher for Rawtara, HM high school, as well as Suraiya Begum, 35, and her sister 12 years Sumaiya Akter, residents of Hajipur village SADAR shortly, 5 year old Madina Akter, 12-year-old Mohammad Sohag, a resident of Lokqiol village recognisable.

Identifies the other could be not immediately known.

Police said Magura Jhenidah Highway at Saitrish the accident happens bus stand on about 16: 30 at Dhaka vegetables loaded truck binding the permanent human tug taken on passengers at the bus stop.

"We are trying both retrieve the vehicles from the water." We have already recovered the bodies of the human tug. So far, I came to know that killed 11 people in the accident, "he said."

He said that the driver of the truck fled the scene after the accident.

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Automatic vehicle control centres in operation taken

Shahin Akhter

The Bangladesh road transport authority plans, local consultants run five automatic vehicle control centres, are to appoint idle for more than a decade.

Because the Danish International Development Agency the centres set up handed that under a joint care and rehabilitation of road schemes, to BRTA in 1999, the authorities could foreign consultants to gain operational plants.

BRTA engineering department director Mohammad Saiful Haque said new age, that under the joint project with Danida, five vehicle centers in different parts of the country in 1997-98 had set up fiscal years.

Each of the centres with a capacity of 150 vehicles per day, has been checked up, at a cost of TK one crore, he said.

"But the Danida consultants in 1999 left the country without the support of the operational side of the plants and as a result, they could work not for a single day", he said.

Saiful Haque, said that the BRTA tried to attract other foreign companies, but they showed interest in the work.

He said "So we have asked the Ministry of communication, delicate local consultant appoint, and invite the plants as soon as possible, enable".

He hoped, that the tender for local consultants this year floated would be.

Earlier, Deputy Director of the Department of Sheikh Mohammad Mahbub-e-Rabbani new age said BRTA that fitness centres would check motor vehicles, by you automatic equipment, including brake tester, testers, smoke Tester and under chassis Lady.

He said that there were two centres in Mirpur and Ekuria in Dhaka and three more in Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi.

BRTA sources said that on this vehicles have been manually reviewed by 57 motor vehicle inspectors all over the country.

The sources said about 16 lakh registered motor vehicles were plying the highways and all annual re-registration required.

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Today, oil and gas body begins road March.

Moloy Saha

The National Committee for the protection of oil, gas, makes natural resources, and begins ports his three-day Dhaka-Chittagong road March today urges the seven point demands, including the scrapping of the deal with ConocoPhillips for hydrocarbon exploration in two offshore gas field in the Bay of Bengal.

The demonstrators in three buses, be started for Chittagong today morning after holding a rally before the National Press Club at 10: 00.

Coordinator of the Organization, will preside over the rally Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah. Academics Serajul Islam Choudhury and Akmal Hossain, columnist Syed Abul-Moksud, the Organization Member Secretary ANU Muhammad, leader of the left-wing political parties will say also. Comilla reach the March today after rallies on the way of Sonargaon, Daudkandi and Chandina keep. The demonstrators leave Comilla Tuesday morning and rallies in FeNi, Chauddagam and Mirsarai.

The demonstrators will leave Mirsarai in the morning on the third day on Wednesday and hold a rally in Sitakundu before the last rally in Laldighi keep Maidan in Chittagong.

Shadeedullah and ANU in a press statement issued on Sunday calls people to the programmes successful.

You demanded the scrapping of model production and share contract 2008 and calls for the Government not, the creation and Exchange to 2011 for hydrocarbon exploration in onshore gas prepare contract areas. They claimed that the Department of energy was controlled by multinationals and some officials have been referred to the foreign companies serve.

The Organization holds 'a large rally"in Dhaka gas field in October and a National Convention on November 30 after a March on the Sunetra in November.

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| Source: newagebd.com

Saudische König gibt Frauen Wahlrecht

Agence France-Presse. Riyadh

Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday granted women the right to vote, and run in local elections, in a historic first for the ultra-conservative country where women are subjected to by many restrictions.

"Starting with the next term, women will have the right, at the local elections run and the candidates according to Islamic principles, choose," he said in speech

Life on State television broadcast in the Shura Council.

Women's rights activists have long fought for the right to vote in the Gulf Kingdom which applies a strict version of Sunni Islam and prohibits women from driving, or without the consent of the male guardian travel.

Manal al-Sharif, a 32-year-old computer security consultant, was arrested on 22 may have been and 10 days after posting on YouTube a video of themselves driving around the eastern city of Khobar, said the King decision as "a historic and courageous."

"The King is a reformer," she said of the 86-year-old monarch, whose Land was spared a wave of protests rocking the region with the autocratic regime in Tunisia and Egypt were overthrown.

The King decision means that women take part in the elections, which take place in four years, as the next vote will be held on Thursday and nominations are already closed.

In addition to participate in the only public surveys in the country, women had the right to all appointed Shura (consultative) Council join the, he said the new term in the address the Assembly.

'We have decided that women will take part as members in the next legislature in the Shura Council,' said the King in the unexpected movement, enfranchise women.

More than 5,000 men compete in local elections on Thursday, only the second in the history of Saudi Arabia, 285 local councils to fill half of the seats in the Kingdom. Appointed the other half by the Government.

The first elections were held in 2005, but the Government extended the existing Council term for two years.

King Abdullah said his decision came because we refuse marginalization of the role of women in Saudi society in all areas and followed by 'Consultations with various scholars.'

He mentioned not about women's right to go where they need to hire male drivers, or depend on the good will of the related if they do not have the resources in the Kingdom.

However, he said that ' balanced modernization, committed with our Islamic values are a necessary demand is in an era where there no place for those who hesitate ' in moving forward.

Saudi Arabia has seen many changes because Abdullah King was in 2005.

Norah al-Fayez, who was named to the post of Deputy Minister of education for women's education in 2009, was the first woman ever named a Minister in the country.

She called over 60 intellectual and activist women exclude in may for a boycott of the round September because 'local councils the authority to carry out its role effectively is missing' and 'half of its members are appointed", than also because.

The Shura Council had recommended that women in the next local polls to vote, officials said.

In April, Samar Badawi said they Municipal Affairs Ministry of defence, the ban on women, the participation of the local poll was sued.

A complaint to the administrative court in Mecca against the Ministry of women's right as voters handed Badawi registered.

Also in April, a group of women defied the ban on women in the elections of at a registration voters in the Red Sea in Jeddah in a rare public demonstration against the male emerges only electoral system.

But they were that turned back, the head of the Center, who said were still banned them women from the vote.

The oil-rich Kingdom of Sunni has place however seen smaller sporadic demonstrations by Shiites, which took in the Eastern province.

Sahrif was the symbol of a campaign by a group of defiantly Saudi women behind the wheels of their cars drive on 17 June in calls to the nationwide action against the ban, have.

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has publicly thrown their support behind the campaign, say that "what do these women, is brave, and what they are looking for is true."

' The Saudi woman, will for the first time, you become a partner in the decision-making process. I hope, it gets assigned as Minister ", said Sharif.

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Mamata threatens to pull out of UPA

West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee accused the Congress of keeping her party in the dark and of not giving it a voice in the Union Cabinet.

In a virtual rebellion against the UPA government, its largest ally Trinamool Congress on Friday threatened to pull out over the petrol price hike. The party has sought an appointment with the prime minister Manmohan Singh before taking ‘any vital decision’.

‘Our withdrawal of support may result in fall of the government. But since the prime minister is away, we want to discuss with him and have sought an appointment with him,’ Trinamool

Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the State Secretariat here. Her party’s Parliamentary wing has submitted a resolution calling for pullout from the UPA.

Mamata, in the first ever attack on the Congress since the formation of the UPA-II government in 2009, said her party would seek an appointment with the Prime Minister sometime between November 8 and 10.

It was unacceptable that such a crucial decision on petrol price hike had been taken in the absence of the Prime Minister, she said.

Mamata said an emergency meeting of the Trinamool Congress parliamentary party was in favour of quitting the UPA for the unilateral decisions of major ally Congress, without consulting allies and keeping them in the dark, she said.

‘We have been silenced and not heard in the Union Cabinet. Our only cabinet minister Dinesh Trivedi, when he raises any issue concerning the people, is told to keep quiet.

We have tolerated so much and adjusted,’ Mamata said, adding there was lack of coordination and cooperation in the UPA.

Pointing out that Congress was dependant on support of allies like the Trinamool Congress, NCP and DMK to run the UPA government, she added, ‘But we are not dependant on Congress.’

‘They may be a big party, and we may be smaller parties. But they do not have the majority of their own at the Centre. They are dependant on the support of the allies for survival,’ Mamata said.

While maintaining that she was not trying to blackmail the government, the Trinamool chief said the rise in fuel prices so frequently was ‘unacceptable’.

‘We want the government to run for five years. We follow the coalition dharma. This was our commitment when the government was formed. We are not trying to blackmail the government.

‘In West Bengal, we are in power with two-thirds majority and we are not dependant on Congress to run the government. We can run the government in this state on our own even if Congress is not with us, but we take the partner in confidence in the policy decisions of the government,’ she said.

‘I want to appeal to the Centre to please take care of the people. Eleven times price rise of petrol and petroleum products in 12 months is unacceptable. Price hike may not affect the Central government, but it affects us in the States...We have a commitment to the people and we will never compromise on the question of imposing economic hardship on the masses,’ she asserted.

Mamata, who till recently was Railway Minister before being elected to the State Assembly, said, ‘I am grateful to my Parliamentary party that they have taken this bold decision to quit UPA.’

She said she held discussions with union commerce minister Anand Sharma during the day.

‘I have spoken to Union minister Jairam Ramesh following the latest hike in petrol price. My party colleague Mukul Roy last night also contacted Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee who pleaded helplessness in the matter.’

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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JnU students rampage demanding repeal clause

Dhaka University unit Chhatra League activists student beat when Jagannath went students on Sunday on the road to the Supreme Court building in protest against State funding rules for the University. -New-age-photo

Bdnews24.com. Dhaka

The police of the High Court have to charged with batons, to distribute hundreds of students of the University of Jagannath, blocking of roads close to require removal of funding generally, which has angered.

The police action Sunday came on after they were driving, to ignore repeated calls to the authorities on the streets.

Has the police of his last almost two hours protests, 14: 00 to move, to distribute them.

You smashed at least a dozen vehicles, and not less than six to arrest police, students from the scene.

Deputy Police Chief Krishnapada Roy said Dhaka City, she had no other options but go for measures such as the students ignored its repeated calls.

"We asked them to leave the road several times and go back to their campus and peacefully demonstrate." But when she began vandalising vehicles and the police had to act ", he told reporters."

The students said she wanted to that immediate withdrawal of a clause of the University Act, which says the institution is not eligible for any Government funding.

Earlier, JnU Vice-Chancellor Professor Mesbah Uddin Ahmad visited the demonstrating students at 13: 30, and urged them to free the streets. The students refused.

The students, which continues to shown on the University campus, before they marched through the streets at 11: 30 to reach above the High Court Division.

During the business hours of protests, position on the streets around the roundabout between the National Press Club and the High Court took the students and chanted slogans urging withdrawal of the clause.

The protests broke to out, after they came from a newspaper report learn, provided that the Jagannath University Act 2005, that the University must maintain funds themselves.

The protest concerned area paralyzed times how traffic movement had come to a halt.

Jagannath University proctor Ashok Kumar Saha said: 'Article 27 (4) of the Jagannath University Act - 2005 says that the University authority have to earn the cost of the operation of the University itself.'

"We hold discussions with the Government, has the effect of this clause because their implementation would tuition hike and it is a little difference of Jagannath University with other private initiatives," he added.

The students claimed that their semester fees of TK 3,500 TK 20,000 increase you sales of the University had to be increased.

Requests the students include also recovery which set up University dormitories, library and the transportation facilities.

Earlier, the students smashed vehicles to the University area.

Activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League Jagannath University was unit supposed to beat police and disperse the angry students, blocked the traffic on the street in front of the National Press Club.

A group of 10 to 12 BCL activists were against the protesters and she hindered photograph press corps, who beat them tried a demonstrator at the Shikkha Bhaban.

The BCL activists with the demonstrators at the beginning was but became angry when she beat the students about their request to demonstrate, by leaving the road.

BCL Jagannath University unit convener Saiful Islam Akhand, however denied the claim. 'Those who had beaten protesters not Chhatra League belong to,' he told the news agency.

The Education Minister said the decision on the financing of Jagannath University are demanding abolition of self-financing would determine after consultation with all stakeholders, hours after his students roads blocked and vandalized vehicles.

But Nurul Islam Nahid criticized their vandalising cars.

The Minister told journalists in the Secretariat, ' I with the Vice-Chancellor of the University and the University Grants Commission spoke. We will find a way to solve this problem by talking to everyone.'

He also stressed that the relevant legislation will be changed, needs to resolve this issue, but could not specify how long it will take.

Question whether the law will be changed to the Minister said, 'I can't say whether it be changed unless a decision is made after talks.',

"We are not releasing their Reasons…with education costs rise, students have the right, worried," the Minister said.

But vandalism can not the answer, Nahid said, ' caused such disease by the destruction of property of the people damage the image of students. "

Increase the universities urging their internal sales, Nahid, said "It is not possible to develop everything with funds from the Government."

He added that the students also the universities increase should help.

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AL leaders, lawmakers want Raju to explain stand

Awami League leaders and lawmakers at a rally in Narsingdi on Friday asked the posts and telecommunications minister, Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, to explain the steps he would take to bring killers of Lokman Hossain, the Narsingdi mayor who was shot dead on November 1, to justice.

The superintendent of police in Narsingdi, Akkas Uddin Bhuiyan, and additional superintendents of police Enamul Haque and Bijoy Bashak were, meanwhile, withdrawn on Friday night.

The police officials have been withdrawn for administrative purposes, the inspector general of police, Hasan Mahmood Khandker, told New Age on Friday night.

A new additional superintendent of police has already been appointed and he will take over the charge as acting superintendent of police as soon as possible, he added.

The withdrawal order came a day after the police at midnight past Thursday recorded a case against 14 people, including Salauddin Ahmed Bachchu, younger brother of Raju, on charge of killing Narsingdi municipal mayor Lokman.

Two cases were filed early Friday against more than 500 unnamed people over train blaze and railway station vandalism in Narsingdi on November 2.

Ten compartments of the intercity Egaro Sindur Express train burned after the train had been set on fire and the railway station vandalised during a general strike enforced on the day by the Chhatra League in protest at the killing of Lokman, who was shot dead the previous night.

The Narsingdi railway station master Maran Chandra Das and the Egaro Sindur Express guard Abdul Bari filed the cases with the Government Railway Police of Bhairab for vandalism and setting fire to the train.

The complainants said that vandalism of the railway station had caused a loss of Tk 37 million and the train blaze a loss of Tk 20 million.

Lokman’s younger brother Md Kamruzzaman filed the case with the Narsingdi police against 12 Awami League and two Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders more than 48 hours after Awami League leader Lokman, 35, elected twice chief of the Narsingdi municipality, had been shot dead by masked assailants.

Kamruzzaman filed the case against Salahuddin, telecommunications minister’s assistant private secretary Masudur Rahman Murad, former Narsingdi municipal chairman Abdul Matin Sarker, also former Narsingdi district Awami League vice-president, Narsingdi city Awami League president Montajuddin Bhuiyan, district Awami League deputy publicity secretary Mobarak Hossain Moba, local Awami League leaders Amir Hossain Amu and Manun, city Juba League president Ashraf Hossain Sarkar, local Juba League leaders Monwar Hossain Khan Moin, Hiron Mia and Kabir Sarker, and former Narsingdi Government College Central Students Union vice-president Mia Mohammad Manjur.

Narsingdi sadar upazila

BNP general secretary Nurul Islam and former district unit BNP executive committee member Tarek Ahmed, who is now in Saudi Arabia for Hajj, are also among the accused.

Former BNP lawmaker Khairul Kabir Khokan, arrested on November 2

apparently in connection with the murder and sent to jail on November 3, however, was not made accused in the case.

The police earlier arrested five local BNP activists in addition to Khairul being arrested. A Narsingdi court sent the six to jail after rejecting their bail petitions.

The superintendent of police in Narsingdi, Akkas Uddin Bhuyian, also told New Age that the case had been handed over to the Detective Branch on Friday for investigation.

Detective Branch inspector Mamunur Rashid, also the investigation officer of the case, told New Age on Friday evening that he had just received the case and he would take appropriate steps after examining the case immediately.

A close relative of the slain mayor told New Age that the filing of the case had been delayed as the family was in fear of reprisals after the ruling Awami League high command had mounted pressure on them not to sue people whom they suspect.

He alleged that the government had threatened them that they would be implicated in the case of setting fire to the

train if they did not comply with the AL leaders’ instructions in filing the murder case.

The district unit Awami League on Friday held a rally at the district Awami League office protesting against Lokman’s killing.

Addressing the rally, local lawmakers and ruling AL leaders said that the minister must explain his stand.

Raju has to say who has killed Lokman and what will be his role in bringing the killers to justice, AL lawmaker Zahirul Haque Mohan said. ‘We need to see what steps he takes.’

Lawmaker Nurul Majid Humayun urged the minister to take necessary measures to find out the killers.

Lawmaker Nazrul Islam Hiru said that the killers must be punished no matter how powerful they are.

Another lawmaker, Anwarul Ashraf Khan, demanded a proper and thorough investigation of the killing. ‘Killers can never be our friends.’

Several thousand leaders, activists, supporters and common people, wearing black badges, attended the rally, chaired by the party’s district unit president Ahaduzzaman.

The minister, now on an official tour abroad, however, claimed that the murder was part of a ‘deep-rooted conspiracy’ against the Awami League.

In a statement issued on Thursday, he also said, ‘Vested interests are creating confusion to hide the real culprits.’

Lokman’s younger brother Shamim Newaz, also the Narsingdi district Chhatra League general secretary, and SM Quaiyum, a close aide to Lokman and former central vice-president of the Chhatra League, are likely to meet the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in the capital today.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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Travellers tangled in tailback

People get onto a truck at Gabtali in the capital on Friday to reach their destinations. The government banned truck carrying people after the Mirsarai traffic accident that killed 43 people.— Sony Ramany

Tapos Kanti Das and Mohiuddin Alamgir

Rundown roads and streams of traffic triggered miles of tailbacks on all national highways on Friday causing thousands of passengers long and agonising wait on their way home to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha.

All buses and trains left Dhaka two to ten hours late forcing many train passengers to return home.  Overcrowded trains forced many passengers to cancel the journey home.

A goods train derailed in Comilla halting trains running between Dhaka and Chittagong for about four hours and increasing the commuters’ troubles.

Defying all the hassles, people left the capital for their ancestral homes, on roofs of launches, trains and buses and by trucks risking their lives to celebrate Eid which falls on Monday.

Passengers at Mahakhali, Gabtali and Sayedabad inter-district bus terminals alleged that transport operators were making windfall profits by forcing them to pay extra

for tickets and keeping them waiting in queues for hours.

A 30-kilometre-long tailback between Daudkandi and Chandina on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway and 40-kilometre traffic congestion on Dhaka-Jamuna highway in Tangail persisted from early Friday.

An increase in the number of vehicles and delay in toll collection at Tora in Manikganj led to a tailback on Dhaka-Aricha highway. A similar tailback was created in Gazipur on Dhaka-Mymenshing highway on the day.

Abdur Rashid, assistant station master at Comilla railway station, told reporters that train communication on the route came to a halt around 3:00pm on Friday after a wagon of a Chittagong-bound boulder-carrying goods train derailed.

A rescue train from Laksam put the wagon back on the track around 7:00pm, he added.

The rush of traffic on highways and frequent schedule failures of buses take the journey home at least three times what it usually requires.

Many passengers were seen waiting for buss at Kalabagan, Kalyanpur and Rajarbagh, where most of the bus counters are located, till late into the night.

Overcrowded launches were seen sailing from Sadarghat terminal mostly for southern districts. At the Kamalapur railway station passengers swarmed every train that left Dhaka for different destinations.

‘I could not get in the train with my family. There is no space left. I am returning home with my wife and child cancelling the trip,’ said Anwar Sadat Robi, an official of the Bangladesh Television, at Kamlapur railway station after failing   to board the Rajshahi-bound Silk City express train.

Home-bound passengers had to wait for hours for transport at Gabtali, Sayedabad and Mahakhali bus terminals, Kamalapur railway station and Sadarghat launch terminal.

Men at counters of Sohag, Greenline, Eagle, Hanif Paribahan Sky Line, Shyamali, and other transport agencies at Kalabagan, Kalyanpur and Rajarbagh told New Age that every bus was leaving the terminals 10-12 hours late due to traffic congestions in Comilla, Tangail and at Paturia-Daulatdia ferry terminals.

A number of passengers at Kamalapur railway station told New Age that the trains bound for different destinations, including Chittagong, Sylhet, Kishoreganj, Rangpur and Dinajpur, had left the station three to five hours late.

Kamlapur station master Sitangsu Chakrabarty said the trains were behind the schedule because people protesting at the killing of Narsingdi mayor Lokman Hossain had set fire to a Dhaka-Kishoreganj passenger train in Narsingdi on Wednesday.

Twenty-three trains and five Eid special trains, left Kamalapur station on the day.

Rafiqul Islam, deputy director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority at Sadarghat, told New Age that about 80 launches had left the terminal on the day. ‘We are trying to check overcrowding of vessels.’

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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Mumbai outraged by ‘eve-teasing’ murders

The Indian city of Mumbai has been stunned after two young men were killed by a gang of knife-wielding thugs when they tried to stop their female friends from being sexually harassed.

Keenan Santos, 25, died on the spot when he was stabbed outside a bar in the northern suburbs of India’s financial and entertainment capital on October 20, while

Rueben Fernandes, 28, died in hospital this week.

Four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are in custody, police said. But the nature of the crime has sparked public outrage in the metropolitan city.

Now, friends, family and associates of the two victims have taken to the Internet to try to ensure that the tragedy is not repeated, amid concern about increasing violence.

Tribute pages have been set up on the social networking site Facebook and on the micro-blogging site Twitter, all gathering widespread support and expressing revulsion at what they said was a senseless crime.

A group of activists is also trying to use the deaths as a spur to tighten laws against sexual harassment, or ‘eve-teasing’ as it is widely known in India.

‘There have been a number of cases wherein girls have been molested and sexually harassed at some stage but the laws are not strong enough to deal with them,’ said Sagar Bekal, of the Zero Tolerance Campaign.

‘There’s no kind of strict vigilance from the government and the machinery is so weak. We are looking for a reform of the laws. If we have stringent laws, maybe the perpetrators will think twice,’ he said.

As well as spreading the message on the web, activists from the campaign, which Bekal said has the backing of the victims’ families, are mounting a petition campaign outside city nightspots starting this weekend.

The petition will be sent to the state government.

‘This is an extreme case that has actually got people up in arms but because we’ve got this anger, we can make a difference rather than people venting it out for nothing,’ said Bekal.

The campaigns are part of wider moves in India and South Asia to change public attitudes towards ‘eve-teasing’, a term which women’s rights campaigners say trivialises the issue of sexual harassment and molestation.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, crimes against women rose from 2,03,804 in 2009 to 2,13,585 last year, although it is thought that many more incidents go unreported.

Supporters of Fernandes and Santos have slammed police for not doing enough to stamp out the practice but Mumbai police rejected the criticism.

‘This is an isolated incident. It’s not a pattern. The police are in control. We have patrolling and beat marshals on the road. People should not be worried,’ said force spokesman Nisar Tamboli.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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Massive throng of Muslims begins Hajj rites

Doves fly over Muslim piligrims near the Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Makkah on Thursday. Around 2.5 million Muslims from around the world are expected to perform the Hajj.— AFP photo

Agence France-Presse . Makkah

More than 2.5 million Muslim pilgrims began on Friday the rites of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, leaving the holy city of Makkah for Mount Arafat, where the prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final Hajj sermon.

Dressed in white, they flooded the streets as they headed towards Mina, around five kilometres east of the holy mosque.

The day is known as Tarwiah Day, as pilgrims traditionally watered their animals and stocked water for their trip to Mount Arafat, some 10 kilometres further on.

Many pilgrims took buses, while others set off on foot for a village that comes to life for just five days a year.

Others were using the Mashair Railway, also known as Makkah Metro, to go to Mount Arafat and its surrounding plains where they will gather for the peak Day of Arafat on Saturday.

The Chinese-built railway will operate for the first time this year at its full capacity of 72,000 people per hour to ease congestions and prevent stampedes in which hundreds have been killed in past years.

The dual-track light railway connects the three holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Mount Arafat — areas that see massive congestion during the five-day pilgrimage.

It will replace 30,000 cars previously used, said project director Fahd Abu-Tarbush.

‘The train this year is restricted to the pilgrims coming from inside Saudi Arabia and Gulf states, as well as 2,00,000 pilgrims coming from south Asia,’ Tarbush said.

‘Mashair Railway will transport 5,00,000 pilgrims from Mina, passing by Muzdalifah, reaching to Arafat, in addition to one million pilgrims on the Tashreeq days,’ which are on the 11th, 12th and 13th of the Muslim month of Dhul Hijjah.

Around 1.7 million Muslims descended on Makkah from around the world while between 7,00,000 and 8,00,000 pilgrims are coming from inside Saudi Arabia.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed at least once in a lifetime by all those who are able to make the journey, and it is a dream that can take years to come true.

‘To me, this is a miracle. I’ve been dreaming of going to Hajj for years, and this dream is now being fulfilled,’ 67-year-old Nigerian pilgrim Salahuldin Mohammed said.

Another pilgrim, 58-year-old Mohammed Sadoreen from the Palestinian territories, said: ‘I couldn’t believe the day has come when I would see this sacred place. This is the first time I come to Hajj.’

The Hajj will end on Sunday with Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice.

Coping with the world’s largest annual human assembly poses a security headache for Saudi Arabia — guardian of the two holiest Muslim shrines in the cities of Makkah and Medina, the birth places of Islam.

Saudi authorities have numbered the buses and tents in Mina according to the countries from which the pilgrims have come to prevent chaos.

The oil kingpin has invested billions of dollars over the years to avoid deadly stampedes that have marred the Hajj in the past.

In January 2006, 364 pilgrims were killed in a stampede at the entrance to a bridge leading to the stoning site in Mina, outside Makkah, while 251 were trampled to death in 2004.

In July 1990, 1,426 pilgrims were trampled to death or suffocated in a stampede in a tunnel, also in Mina.

The deaths prompted authorities to dismantle the old bridge and replace it with a multi-level with one-way lanes to ensure a smooth flow of pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia also launched a new $10.6-billion project for a new extension to Makkah’s Grand Mosque to increase its capacity to two million worshippers.

‘We haven’t faced any problems. I didn’t expect all these services to be available,’ said 55-year-old pilgrim Abdulhadi Badran.

Iran’s Shia pilgrims are another headache Saudi authorities are faced with during Hajj season.

However, Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz has dismissed any threat from pilgrims coming from Iran, despite rising tension between Tehran and Riyadh over an alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi envoy to Washington and past confrontations.

‘The Iranians have always shown their respect for the Hajj,’ he said.

A total of 97,000 Iranians — the maximum allowed for Iran under a Saudi system apportioning pilgrim quotas among the world’s biggest Muslim countries — are in the holy cities of Makkah and Medina, Iranian media said Monday.

‘We hope this year’s Hajj will take place in a very calm and spiritual atmosphere,’ the representative of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the pilgrimage, Hojatoleslam Ali Ghazi Asgar, said last week.

Saudi security forces have several times in the past confronted Iranian pilgrims holding anti-US and anti-Israeli protests.

In 1987, Saudi police efforts to stifle such a demonstration sparked clashes in which 402 people died, including 275 Iranians.

An Iranian official said that Iranian pilgrims are this year going to hold their demonstrations within the boundaries of their own camps as they did in the past few years, to avoid confrontations with Saudi security forces.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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3 of a family killed in road mishap

Three members of a family were killed as a bus hit their motorbike at Nimtoli Chaltapara in Sirajdikhan upazila Friday morning.

The deceased were Md Sahabuddin,45, hailed from Charfashion upazila of Bhola, his wife Jharna Begum,30 and daughter Bristi Akther,12.

The police said the accident occurred when Sahabuddin was going to Bhola from Dhaka in a motorbike to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha.

Officer-in-charge of Sirajdikhan thana Mahbubur Rahman said the motorbike was totally smashed being hit by a bus at about 5:15am, leaving its three riders dead on the spot.

The police recovered the bodies and sent those to hospital morgue for autopsy.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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Hasina is "You're with me or against me": Yunus

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A leaked US embassy cable has observed that a prophet has no honour in his own country, at least as far as Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus and the Awami League-led government attitude towards him is concerned.

The cable sent to Washington from the US embassy in Dhaka on November 30, 2009, said, ‘Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and foreign minister Dipu Moni made clear their distrust and suspicion of Yunus in several recent meetings with senior US government officials.’

WikiLeaks on August 30, 2011 released a number of diplomatic cables which had noted that while the government claimed Yunus was engaged in corrupt practices at Grameen Bank, his ties to the military-controlled interim administration and his brief contemplation of a role in

Bangladesh politics were more likely the reasons for Awami League’s disdain.

‘No one in Bangladesh can escape politics, however,’ said the November 30, 2009 cable.

One of the cables said Yunus wanted to resolve whatever ‘misunderstanding’ existed with Hasina over his efforts and organisation Grameen Bank and asked the US government to assist him in urging Hasina to change a long-standing rule that gave the government control over his position as Grameen Bank chairman and sought US help to resolve the problems.

Hasina signalled her displeasure with Yunus by refusing to ratify the interim regime’s ordinance that had empowered the Grameen Bank board of directors to appoint its chairman, said the November 30, 2009 cable sent by the then US charge d’ affaires Nicholas Dean.

‘Fearing [that the] government displeasure with him would jeopardise Grameen Bank and his other initiatives, Yunus requested the US ambassador to put in a good word with Sheikh Hasina on behalf of Grameen and Yunus,’ the cable read.

On November 5, 2009, when the US ambassador at a meeting with Hasina raised the Yunus issue, ‘the prime minister theatrically rolled her eyes and shook her head.  She spoke at length about her estrangement from Yunus and nodded her agreement when an advisor in the meeting characterised Yunus as ungrateful for the Grameen Phone deal that the prime minister had made possible.’

On November 11, 2009 ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer met with Hasina, when the former was also interested in meeting with Yunus.

 ‘Most keenly, the prime minister felt Yunus had exercised poor judgment by courting military officers who had presented Yunus the possibility of coming to power through military backing in early 2007,’ the cable said. 

‘Perhaps we don’t work together.  But we don’t stop him.  When I was in Sweden (recently), Yunus was there and we exchanged hands.  It is our family tradition.’ Hasina was quoted in the cable to have said. 

When ambassador Verveer met with foreign minister Dipu Moni the next day, however, the latter had a litany of complaints against Yunus. Dipu Moni presented a range of allegations against Yunus and Grameen. 

‘She complained about the high interest rates Grameen charges its customers and alleged that the bank used “vicious practices” to recruit customers and obtain loan payments,’ the cable read.

Dipu Moni said, ‘Yunus broke rules and Grameen didn’t comply with Bangladesh law, including auditing requirements.  Many people in Bangladesh were upset when Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize given his corrupt practices.’

She also said government leaders understood the power of Yunus’ international reputation and therefore ‘bit our tongues’ when accolades were heaped upon him. 

According to the cable, on a personal note, Dipu Moni the foreign minister also complained that Yunus did not visit Sheikh Hasina in the hospital after she was injured in a 2004 bomb attack.

Ambassadors Verveer and James F Moriarty met with Yunus on November 11, 2009, when Yunus disputed all the allegations and said he and Grameen complied with all laws, including annual audits.

Yunus agreed that the prime minister likely viewed him as part of the caretaker government that tried to remove her and her rival, Khaleda Zia of the opposition BNP, from Bangladesh’s political scene. 

Yunus said Hasina’s attitude was, ‘you’re either with me or against me.’ 

 This dispute also raises questions about the long-term future of Grameen Bank.  Yunus is 69 years old.  Yunus told Moriarty and Verveer that he had offered to retire on a number of occasions, but the bank board had refused his offers, claiming there would be a run on the bank if he left. 

Yunus said he had been grooming a successor, but claimed government leaders had wooed that person into their camp and now he was working against him within the bank.

Another cable sent to Washington on August 12, 2009 by the then US ambassador James F Moriarty in Dhaka, said when the ambassador had met with Yunus on August 9, 2009 to congratulate him on winning the presidential medal of freedom, Yunus reported that tensions between him and the prime minister continued, but he hoped to meet with her soon to clear any misunderstandings over his efforts and organisation. 

Yunus said he had not yet received an appointment with Hasina despite his sending in an urgent request in late July 2009. Yunus perceived that even supportive government officials felt pressured to distance themselves from his recommendations and proposals.

Moriarty in another cable he sent to Washington on May 11, 2009 disclosed that Yunus had asked that the US assist him in urging Sheikh Hasina to change a long-standing rule giving the government control over his position as the Grameen Bank chairman.

Bangladesh’s 2007-2008 caretaker government passed an ordinance removing the GOB’s authority to select the bank chairman, but the parliament has not yet ratified that ordinance, the cable said.

In a May 10, 2009 meeting with the ambassador, ‘Yunus requested our input on the best way to request the PM reconsider her refusal,’ Moriarty said in the cable.

Yunus also discussed with the ambassador his disappointment over the AL government. He said the new government had to focus on the nation’s power needs and improve the quality of government bureaucracy in order for Bangladesh to weather the current economic turmoil, it said.

During the meeting Yunus said parliament had refused to approve an amendment to legislation that established Grameen Bank in the early 1980s; the amendment would have given the bank’s board of directors, rather than the government (as has been the practice), the authority to select the chairman of Grameen Bank, a position held by Yunus since the bank’s inception and renewed every two years.

In order to create Grameen Bank in 1983, Yunus sought support from the government to transform his micro-credit venture from a charitable organisation to a full-fledged bank, the cable said.

The government of Bangladesh passed an ordinance creating Grameen Bank, that decreed that the government would own 60 per cent of the bank and would have the authority to appoint its chairman. 

‘Since 1983, the GOB’s share of Grameen Bank has gradually declined; now the government only owns 5 per cent of the bank.’

The GOB has also continued to re-appoint Yunus the bank’s chairman.  However, Yunus has long desired to change the rule giving the GOB control of his position as chairman, the cable said. 

Over the years, Yunus told the ambassador, he had applied repeatedly to the GOB to amend the rules regarding the selection of the chairman.

The ambassador and Yunus went on to discuss more generally the prime minister’s performance during her first four months in office.

Yunus was critical of Hasina’s actions to strengthen the central government at the expense of local government.  He also criticised the AL government for exacting petty retributions against the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its leader Khaleda Zia.  ‘This is a divisive strategy,’ Yunus said.  The prime minister ‘must build bridges.’

Moriarty commented, ‘Despite, or perhaps because of, Yunus’ international reputation, many among Bangladesh’s political elite regard the Nobel Laureate with suspicion.  In the atmosphere of Bangladesh’s cult-of-personality politics, Sheikh Hasina and others likely view Yunus’ achievements and stature as a threat to their authority; in their minds, his very brief attempt to establish a political party in the early days of the 2007-2008.’

‘Yunus and his supporters, including the United States, need to convince the prime minister that an independent Grameen Bank is in her interest,’ he concluded.

More on Bangali News | Source: newagebd.com

3 fall off train roof, die in Tangail

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Staff Correspondent

Three homebound passengers of Silk City Express died and four others were injured after falling from the roof of the speedy train at Dewbhog under Mirzapur upazila in Tangail Friday night.

‘The victims fell on the ground from roof of the train after hitting an overhead electric cable at about 7:30pm,’ Golam Mostafa, subinspector of the Mirzapur police station, told New Age.

Two of them died on the spot while another died at Mirapur Kumudini Medical College Hospital.

Two of the deceased were identified as Al Mamun of Pabna and Jahrul of Chapainawabganj.

One of the injured said they, along with a huge number of people, climbed to the roof of the Rajshahi-bound train which left the

Kamlapur railway station Friday afternoon.

He said they opted for the risky train journey as the exorbitant bus fare was beyond their capacity and, what is more, the bus tickets were not available.

In another incident, two passengers were injured after they had fallen from the roof of a Dinajpur-bound train at the same place at Dewbhog.

They were admitted to the local hospital, but their identity could not be ascertained immediately.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

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