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The signatories to the framework agreement on the Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation vowed Monday to combat trans-national crimes and make the agreement on trade in goods effective from July 1, 2006.
   The pledge came at the eighth ministerial meeting of the seven-nation forum, attended by four foreign ministers, one trade and industries minister, and one state minister for foreign affairs from the signatory countries. The prime minister, Khaleda Zia, inaugurated the meeting.
   The meeting decided to add seven more areas of cooperation to the six detailed in the framework agreement, according to a joint statement of the BIMSTEC ministerial. These are trans-national crimes, poverty alleviation, agriculture, cultural cooperation, environment and disaster management, public health and people-to-people contacts.
   ‘Three working groups will be set up to address counter-terrorism and trans-national crimes to lessen the menace of terrorist activities in the region,’ the Bangladesh foreign minister, M Morshed Khan, told newsmen at a news briefing after the meeting. ‘The groups include information on terrorist financing, information on trafficking and information on drugs.’
   As far as a free-trade area within the BIMSTEC region is concerned, he said the FTA would be introduced within the stipulated time. ‘I am confident that the agreement on trade in goods under the framework agreement will come into effect from July 1, 2006.’
   The joint statement also hints at the implementation of the agreement as scheduled.
   ‘We underlined the importance of timely implementation of the FTA to increase intra-regional trade and investment, enhance economic efficiency and achieve larger economies of scale and external competitiveness,’ reads the joint statement.
   ‘We expressed satisfaction at the progress realised by the BIMSTEC trade negotiating committee in finalising all issues, including rules of origin, sensitive lists and dispute settlement mechanism, allowing entry into force of the agreement on trade in goods, as scheduled on 1 July, 2006.’
   Morshed told the briefing that the volume of intra-regional trade would be increased between $40 and $60 billion every year once complete trade liberalisation takes place under the FTA agreement. He did not elaborate on the basis of such a projection.
   The ministerial meeting decided to observe June 6 as ‘BIMSTEC’ day to mark the signing of the BIMSTEC agreement.
   The meeting also decided to the Business Travel Card and BIMSTEC visa exemption schemes.
   ‘We further decided that the expert’s group meeting on BIMSTEC Business Travel Card would finalise all relevant modalities.
   ‘We also directed them to consider introduction of a BIMSTEC visa exemption scheme for selected categories of officials and other persons,’ reads the joint statement.
   Morshed said an intergovernmental group comprising of representatives from the member states would be formed to examine the establishment of a permanent BIMSTEC secretariat.
   Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal are signatories to the agreement.
   Besides Morshed, U Nyan Win, foreign minister of Myanmar, Ramesh Nath Pandey, foreign minister of Nepal, Kantathi Suphamongkhon, foreign minister of Thailand, E Ahamed, state minister for foreign affairs of India, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, trade and industries minister of Bhutan, and Karunatilka Amunugama, additional foreign secretary of Sri Lanka, attended the ministerial.
   Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand established BIMSTEC in 1997 to promote trade and investment, technology, energy cooperation, transport and communication, tourism and fisheries and agriculture within the region.
   Nepal and Bhutan joined the regional forum later and the member countries signed the BIMSTEC framework agreement in 2004. Three separate agreements — agreement on trade in goods, agreement on trade in services and agreement in investment — will be signed in phases, reads the framework agreement.
   Negotiations are likely to be concluded soon on the agreement on goods, which will come into effect on July 1, 2006 once differences on major issues are resolved, sources said.
   The negotiations on services and investment will begin after the introduction of the agreement on goods under the BIMSTEC framework agreement.
   Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Reaz Rahman, foreign secretary Hemayetuddin and director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zahirul Hoq were present at the briefing.
   Earlier on Monday, the prime minister, Khaleda Zia, said the private sector must be the driving force in trade and investment.
   ‘The prosperity of our region will depend largely on public-private creativity, their initiative and imaginative collaboration,’ Khaleda said as she inaugurated the 8th ministerial meeting of the seven-nation BIMSTEC at Hotel Sheraton in Dhaka.
   She urged the BIMSTEC nations to identify impediments to progress and recommend measures for overcoming the hurdles to ensure equitable growth in the region.
   ‘To sustain development, our economies must grow together. Our strategies should be aimed at equitable growth. Our motto should be mutual benefit. Our guiding force should be regional solidarity,’ she said.
   ‘I’m happy to know that important progress has been made in the BIMSTEC-FTA negotiations. I hope the Free Trade Area will become operational according to schedule,’ she said
   ‘This will be vital in promoting our growing sectors, particularly those facing the challenges of globalization,’ she said.
   Khaldea also called for giving priority to social issues as she said economic development cannot be meaningful without social progress. Social issues, therefore, must remain high on the agenda.
   Khaleda proposed to host a ministerial meeting in Dhaka on Poverty Alleviation early next year, with the hope that the meeting would be able to devise concrete actions to collectively address the problem in the BIMSTEC countries.

The government on Monday announced a fresh bounty for the capture of the top brass of the banned Islamist organisation Mujahideen Bangladesh as it scaled up the hunt for the militants.
   Any individual or group will receive cash rewards in the range from Tk 1 lakh to Tk 10 lakh for providing information to the police, the Rapid Action Battalion or the intelligence agencies that may lead to the arrest of the JMB lynchpins, says a home ministry press note, issued on Monday.
   The latest announcement of cash reward follows the order for the arrest of JMB district commanders and will be applicable for members of Majlish-e Shura, the highest policymaking body of the militant organisation, its suicide squad and Ehsar.
   The bounty for the arrest of a Majlish-e Shura member is Tk 10 lakh, suicide bomber Tk 2 lakh and Ehsar Tk 1 lakh.
   Of the eight-member Majlish-e Shura, Ataur Rahman Sunny, Abdul Awal and Javed Iqbal alias Mohammed are now in police custody. The other members are JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman, Bangla Bhai, Salauddin, Khalid Saifullah and Hefez Mahmud.
   Sunny, brother of Abdur Rahman, was in-charge of Dhaka division in addition to his duty as the military operations commander of the organisation. His son in law Awal was in charge of the northern region.
   Salauddin leads the Sylhet division and part of Mymensingh, Kahlid the Chittagong division and part of Dhaka and Hafez the Khulna division. They work under the supreme command of Abdur Rahman.
   The police claimed to have arrested more than 20 members of the JMB suicide squad but there was no such claim for the arrest of any Ehsar member.
   As per statements of the arrested JMB members, the JMB policymaking body consists of eight members while more than 200 members of the suicide squad are active across the country.
   The number of Ehsar, who leaves all other jobs and works for the outfit over a certain period of time, is still unknown. However, intelligence sources estimate the number to be several thousand.
   Earlier on September 11, the government announced cash rewards of Tk 50 lakh each for the arrest of JMB chief Abdur Rahman and his close aide Bangla Bhai.
   The police department has already prepared profiles of Majlish-e-Shura, Ehsar and suicide squad members on the basis of its investigation and interrogation of the arrested militants.
   ‘We have got numerous names since the August 17 countrywide serial bombings from which we are trying to short-list the key players,’ said a senior intelligent official told New Age Monday night.
   The serial blasts and subsequent bombings, including five suicide attacks in different parts of the country, left 30 persons killed and several hundreds wounded. The casualty included judges and lawyers as the militants targeted the courts of law.
   The police are preparing two separate posters containing identities and photographs of the militants in different guises. The posters, which will also contain telephone numbers, will soon be circulated across the country.
   The official said the details of the Majlish-e-Shura members would be put in large-sized posters while those of others in small-sized posters.
   The police and the intelligence wing of Rapid Action Battalion have been conducting drive throughout the country on the basis of such details.
   Sources in the home ministry said the announcement of cash rewards proved the government’s sincerity. ‘It is part of our desperate effort to overcome the crisis over the militant upsurge since September,’ said a senior official.
   He said the police department was trying their best but the participation of the people was essential to arrest bombers and stamp out the militancy.
   Intelligence sources claimed that the wanted militants, including lynchpins Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai, were hiding somewhere in the country.

The trial of 24 Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh activists, including JMB military chief Ataur Rahman Sunny, charge-sheeted in five cases relating to the August 17 countrywide blasts and arms and explosives recovery, will begin on January 4.
   Eighteen cases were filed with the Ramna, Tejgaon, Demra, Motijheel, Paltan, Kotwali, Lalbagh, New Market, Khilkhet, Gulshan and Airport police for the blasts in Dhaka.
   But, the investigation officers submitted charge sheets in three of the 18 cases filed with Paltan, Khilkhet and Aiport police and two more cases filed with the Sabujbagh police in connection with the recovery. Sunny is charge-sheeted in four cases.
   Fourteen of the charge-sheeted including AHM Shamim, Zakaria Jewel, Noor-e Azam Siddik alias Yasir and his wife Aleya Ferdousi Ayesha, Akramul Islam, Belal Hossain, Monwar Hossain, Enayet Ullah Khalid, Faysal Ahmed, Rezaul Haq Razu, Abdur Rahman Masud and Nurul Islam alias Ujjal are in jail and Sunny is in police custody.

At least 40 suicide bombers of the banned Islamist organisation Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh are active in greater Mymensingh and ready to launch an attack anytime, the police quoted the JMB area commander, who arrested on Sunday, as saying during interrogation.
   Asaduzzaman is learnt to have told the police that he was among 50 persons, who had been trained by the JMB military operations commander, Ataur Rahman Sunny, Ghoradap in Jamalpur in 2003.
   ‘We were given training on arms and explosives during the three-day training,’ he was quoted as saying.
   Asad denied his involvement in the August 17 countrywide blasts and claimed that Sunny had made frequent visits to Mymensingh.
   He, however, said he had never seen either the JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman or his operations commander Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai.
   Asad was among the 12 picked up by the law enforcers after the recovery of a huge quantity of bombs and explosives from two suspected JMB dens in Mymensingh early Sunday.
   Asad, along with Rubel Alam and Saidur Rahman, was placed on five-day remand for two cases filed with the Kotwali police accusing more than 40 people, including Abdur Rahman, Bangla Bhai and Sunny.
   Five others, including owners of the two houses, were placed on five-day remand while Humaira Begum, a tenant of the house – owned by Syeda Noor, was set free after interrogation on Monday.
   Her two sons, Zeon Khan and Hamman Khan were placed on three-day remand on Monday as the police suspect them to be involved in militancy.
   Asad was sent to Dhaka on Monday for further questioning by the members of a taskforce for interrogation.
   In Rajshahi, three JMB militants, arrested by the law enforcers on Sunday with about 5,000 electric detonators, were placed on seven-day remand on Monday.
   Meanwhile, members of the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles seized a sizeable quantity of bomb-making materials, including five power gels, at the Kalasadek border outpost under Companyganj upazila in Sylhet early Monday.
   BDR officials said their patrol team had found a handbag abandoned near the outpost.
   They found the power gels, apparently made in India, weighing 125 grams each, four non-electric detonators and nine safety fuses, after searching the handbag, the officials said.
   In Chapainawabganj, the BDR seized seven powerful bombs from near the Joharpur border under Sadar upazila on Monday and detained a young man.
   The Netrakona police arrested a suspected member of the JMB suicide squad, Alamgir Fakir alias Alam, from Madanpur Purbapara on Monday.
   The police said Alam was one of the accused in a case filed under the Explosive Substance Act.

After a heated debate, the cabinet on Monday decided to further scrutinise the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Bill that sought enactment of a new law replacing the existing Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 to deal with financial and economic crimes on the one hand, and to identify links of terrorist groups abroad with clandestine funding or transactions on the other.
   The weekly regular meeting of the cabinet, held Monday night with the prime minister, Khaleda Zia, in the chair, asked the finance ministry to place the bill at the cabinet after scrutinising it in consultation with the ministries of law and home affairs, said sources present.
   According to the sources, the cabinet also decided to exclude provisions for prevention of terrorist financing from the bill, as a new stringent and comprehensive Anti-Terrorism Act is in the offing and will include the same provisions.
   Excepting those, other provisions for prevention of money laundering, including financial and economic crimes, will remain in the bill, sources said.
   The enactment of the new law replacing the existing money laundering act was penned at the suggestion of the United States in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and in the context of the worldwide rise in terrorist activities.
   The summary of the bill placed by the finance ministry informed the cabinet that the law had been designed in line with the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the US Justice Department's suggestions.
   The bill proposed provisions for a Financial Crime Investigation and Prosecution Office and would allow the government to take foreign assistance in investigating these crimes.
   It also proposed empowerment of the government to cooperate with any foreign country in investigating and prosecuting such crimes and also in carrying out court orders including confiscating assets or funds of criminals.
   The government would have the right to share any forfeited wealth of such criminals with any foreign country which may assist it in probing and prosecuting such crimes or in confiscating the wealth, the bill said.
   The country’s courts would also have the power to order actions like confiscation of wealth upon request of the Bangladesh Bank in order to carry out the rulings of any foreign court for such crimes.
   The cabinet approved a bill seeking amendment to the Acid Control Act 2002 to exclude Caustic Soda from the definition of acids.

A section of non-governmental organisations, grouped under the Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh, urged the government on Monday to launch a combined operation against Islamist militancy and bombings.
   The federation said the bombers had already targeted the NGOs and urged the government to ensure the safety and security of the NGOs and their beneficiaries.
   ‘We have called upon the government to launch a combined move against religious militancy and bomb attacks,’ the FNB chairman, Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, told reporters after a dialogue with the prime minister, Khaleda Zia, at the Prime Minister’s Office.
   Khaleda assured the NGO leaders of long- and short-term measures against the rise of militancy, the bombers and the planners of the recent spate of bomb attacks, the press secretary to the prime minister, Tajul Islam, told reporters.
   The 14-member FNB delegation included its vice-chairmen Kamaluddin Akbar and Rasheda K Chowdhury, treasurer Abul Hasib Khan, board members Zehin Ahmed, Shah-e-Mobin Jinnah, Shahidul Haque, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Zakir Hossain, Md Azharul Islam, Belal Ahmed, Sheikh Asaduzzaman Khokan, Kazi Mizanur Rahman and director M Tajul Islam.
   Muyeed Chowdhury said they had expressed their sense of insecurity to the prime minister as the militants had targeted the NGOs.
   ‘The bombers have put the country’s economic development at stake,’ he said. ‘Even the foreigners have become frightened.’
   ‘We have demanded take tough action against militants,’ said Muyeed Chowdhury, also executive president of BRAC. ‘The planners must be nabbed.’
   He said all government and non-government quarters should work together to motivate misguided madrassah students for curbing religious extremism.
   Rasheda said the NGO leaders had demanded security for the entire community and its beneficiaries, as they believed the bombers had already made the community a target.
   She said the NGOs would work extensively at the grassroots to wipe out the illusion among a section of people.
   Meeting insiders told New Age that the NGO leaders had assured Khaleda of mobilising their total workforce and beneficiaries against religious militancy.
   Suggesting to modernise madrassah education, a top NGO leader said, ‘Once it was usual to be gentle to madrassah students. Now, we have become afraid of them.’
   Zia assured the NGO leaders of taking long-term measures along with the ongoing steps to curb militancy.
   ‘We have been taking all-out measures against militants,’ she said. ‘The government will enact a new law against militancy and the existing anti-money-laundering provisions will also be amended.’
   FNB director M Tajul Islam claimed that Monday’s discussion was not a part of the political dialogue sponsored by the government.
   ‘We have nothing to do in a political dialogue,’ he told New Age after the discussion. ‘We contacted the prime minister’s aides earlier seeking an appointment with her to express our concern about the recent spate of suicide blasts.
   ‘We were asked to come today. It simply coincided with ongoing dialogue.’
   The PM’s press secretary, however, dismissed the FNB director’s claim.
   Later, a group of pro-government Islamist activists, academics and clerics participated in a dialogue on the same issue with the prime minister.
   They condemned recent terrorist activities including bomb attacks in the name of Islam and assured her of their support to the steps taken by the government.
   They also urged the government not to harass innocent madrassah teachers and students in the name of manhunt for militants. ‘The law enforcing authorities can search madrassahs anytime keeping the head of the institutions in the team,’ the general secretary of Jatiya Imam Samity, Kazi Abu Horaira, told reporters after the dialogue.
   The BNP secretary general and LGRD and cooperatives minister, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, also addressed the NGO delegation.
   The political secretary to the prime minister, Harris Chowdhury, was present.

A youth was shot dead and four others, including a railway official, were injured as gunmen fired shots indiscriminately at a bridal party at Shahjahanpur in the capital on Monday night.
   The deceased Rajibul Islam, 28, son of Rafiq, of Uttar Shahjahanpur, was a contractor, the family members said.
   The police and local people said the gunmen attacked the bridal party at about 9:00pm at the Railway Officers’ Club close to the residence of the housing and public works minister, Mirza Abbas.
   All the injured were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared Rajibul dead. Four others — Rabiul Islam, a railway official, Shahjahan, Khaliur Rahman, and Abdul Baten — were undergoing treatment.
   The police and locals suspected that the incident might be a sequel to conflict between Rajibul and his rivals over construction business.

Aspirants are lobbying influential leaders of the ruling BNP for appointment to the top posts of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education and three education boards, as the education ministry’s search for ‘suitable persons’ for the ‘strategically important positions’ continue.
   With the transfer of Professor Shaheda Obaed, chairman of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka to the National Academy for Educational Management on Thursday, the number vacant posts of chairmen of the education boards stood at three. The posts of the chairmen of the Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rajshahi and Jessore have remained vacant for about six months.
   To add to the list of vacancies, Dilara Hafiz, the incumbent director general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education is scheduled to go on leave preparatory to retirement on December 29.
   The principal of the Government Eden College, Feroza Begum, and the newly appointed director general of NAEM, Shaheda Obaed, have their eyes fixed on the post of the DSHE director general, say sources in the ministry and academic circles.
   Besides, the incumbent director general, Dilara Hafiz, wife of the minister for water resources, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, is also said to be trying to secure a contractual appointment for at least a year.
   Dilara was made the directorate general on January 31 after just over a year as chairperson of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board. She was appointed to the textbook board in March 2004 although her tenure as the principal of the Eden College since the BNP-led alliance government’s assumption of office in 2001 had been deemed as a complete failure.
   Feroza, wife of the state minister for religious affairs, Mosharef Hossain Shahjahan, took over from Dilara as the principal of the Eden College in March 2004. She was earlier the principal of the Government Bangla College.
   Shaheda, wife of BNP standing committee member KM Obaedur Rahman MP, was made chairperson of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka in April 2004 after she had served as principal of the Government Titumir College.
   There are at least 20 other selection-grade professors available for the post of the DSHE director general beside about 50 senior professors in the education cadre, a senior professor of a college in the capital told New Age on Friday.
   The director general of the secondary and higher education directorate is required to monitor and supervise administrative affairs of about 30,000 secondary and higher secondary educational institutions, including madrassahs and other special organisations.
   The director general also oversees promotion, salaries and evaluations of around five lakh teachers and employees of both government and non-government educational institutions.
   As for the vacant posts of the chairmen of three education boards, hectic lobbying are being done by those who are now running the organisations as acting chairmen. Besides, there are many other senior professors vying for the jobs.
   ‘I shall try my best to run the board properly,’ the acting chairman and incumbent secretary of the Dhaka board, Harunur Rashid Shikder, told New Age on Friday.
   The responsibilities of the chairman of an education board include supervising the functions of junior high schools, high schools and intermediate colleges, and conducting secondary and higher secondary examinations.
   The chairman of an education board told New Age on Friday that an acting chairman could not exercise the power of a full-fledged chairman. ‘So, the administrative and academic affairs of the boards are being hampered due to lack of full-fledged chairmen.’
   ‘We are looking for suitable persons for these vital posts in the secondary and higher secondary education sector,’ said an education ministry official. ‘A few names have been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office for approval.’
   The state minister for education, ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan, told New Age on Friday that the recruitment to the posts was underway. ‘Only the prime minister knows who will be the next DSHE director general.’

The government and the police were accused on Monday of trying to divert the cases related to the murders of four journalists by concealing facts.
   The families of Harun-or-Rashid Khan, Humayun Kabir Balu, Dipankar Chakravarti and Gautam Das termed told a news conference at the National Press Club that they were disheartened at the pace of the cases.
   They accused the government of patronising the suspected killers and demanded reinvestigation and immediate trial of the cases.
   Leaders of the Khulna and Jessore journalist unions raised allegations of police negligence and ruling-party intervention in Manik Saha, Shamshur Rahman, Saiful Alam Mukul and Nahor Ali murders cases.
   A faction of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists organised the news conference where its leaders also warned the government of a greater movement if the proposed amendment in the Press Council Act was brought about with the intention of controlling the media.
   ‘The police submitted a very weak charge sheet after taking a huge amount of money from the accused,’ alleged Asif Kabir, son of the slain editor of the daily Janmabhumi Humayun Kabir Balu. ‘The charge sheet named an unknown person as a witness to the murder.’
   The police have not been able to arrest the culprits in over a year and a half since the murder, he said, as he demanded reinvestigation of the case.
   ‘The police administration has failed to arrest the criminals, who are now trying to intimidate me into withdrawing the case,’ said Minu Begum, wife of the slain journalist Khokon. ‘The government should take steps to ensure the justice.’
   Aniruddha Chakravarti, son of the slain BFUJ vice-president Dipankar, said the government and the administration had not only failed to ensure the safety of the journalists but also been trying to protect the killers by diverting the cases. ‘As the government has failed to ensure justice, the journalists are now left with the option of protecting themselves by resisting the criminals.’
   ‘My son was killed because he filed reports on the construction of a road in the locality. The criminals are still at large,’ said Balaram Das, father of Gautam Das.
   The general Secretary of the Khulna Union of Journalists, Shaheb Ali, said the police had filed ‘very weak’ charge sheets in the Manik Saha and Nahor Ali murder cases without conducting proper investigation.
   ‘In most of the cases the police named unknown accused and witness through underhand dealing with the criminals,’ he said. ‘Reinvestigation of the cases is essential to ensure justice.’
   The Jessore Union of Journalists general secretary, Moinul Haque, alleged that the government had provided jobs for the accused in the Shamshur Rahman murder case in different government organisations without bail and implicated some journalists in the Mukul and Shamsur Rahman murder cases because they protested against the killings.
   He also said the family of the Ranar editor Mukul had received repeated threats from the criminals and the police had failed to ensure their security.
   Shafiul Haque Mintu, Pirojpur correspondent of the Bangla daily Janakantha, who was wounded critically in a criminal attack, claimed that he had been attacked at the instruction of Jamaat lawmaker Delwar Hossain Sayedee and BNP lawmaker Shahidul Haque Jamal. ‘The lawmakers also made sure that the attackers were not arrested.’
   The BFUJ secretary general, Munjurul Ahsan Bulbul, said the declaration of the convention this year was that ‘we want trial of all the journalist murder cases’ and the demands would continue until justice was ensured.
   He criticised the government move to amend the Press Council Act and accused journalist representatives on the press council board of putting up any resistance to the move.
   ‘We condemned those who didn’t protest against the amendment move despite being journalists,’ he said. ‘The journalist community will mark the day when the amendment takes place as a black day.’
   He also said the amendment would be resisted through continuous movement.
   Senior leaders of the BFUJ and its regional wings were present.

The inflow of foreign direct investment into the country in the first six months of the current calendar year has increased by 328 per cent compared to the corresponding period the previous year, according to the Bangladesh Bank’s statistics.
   Bangladesh attracted foreign investment of $453.7 million till June 30 this year, compared to $138.3 million investment in the first six months of 2004, a year which saw an overall amount of foreign direct investment worth $460.4 million.
   The data compiled in the latest survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bank showed that the inflow of foreign investment covered equity capital of $247.3 million, reinvestment earnings of $140.8 million and intra-company loans of $65.6 million.
   The government’s investment promotion agency, the Board of Investment, intends to increase the inflow of foreign direct investment to about $800 million in 2005, which will end in about two weeks.
   The target of investment inflow into the country for the next year is estimated at $1 billion and the board is more optimistic about achieving the target, considering the interest shown by major companies such as Tata, Dhabi Group and some other big companies from around the world to invest in Bangladesh.
   The country received foreign direct investment amounting to $79 million in 2001, $52 million in 2002, $268 million in 2003 and $460 million in 2004, showing a higher growth in foreign investment in recent years.
   Meanwhile, despite the confrontational politics and Islamist militancy, Bangladesh has been given the rank titled ‘Next Eleven’ by Goldman Sachs in view of the ‘next generation of nations with promising economic growth potential’.
   Bangladesh has found itself in line with Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, Nigeria, Vietnam, Philippines and, more importantly, South Korea and Mexico after the US-based investment banking and securities firm described Brazil, Russia, India and China as the economic powerhouses of this century, calling them BRIC.
   ‘Economic potential being realised in Pakistan and Bangladesh will have important consequences since it will interest both countries in investing in peace and stability, rather than confrontation,’ Goldman Sachs observed.
   When asked for his comment on the latest foreign investment inflow, the executive chairman of the board and also energy advisor, Mahmudur Rahman, said the interest of foreign companies in investing in Bangladesh has proved that it has become an attractive investment destination.
   ‘This is the result of consistent macro-economic stability, facilitative action taken by the Board of Investment and aggressive promotion by the government,’ he said, expressing ‘high hopes’ that inflow of foreign direct investment in the coming years would be much higher than in recent years.

The Ahmadiyya community, a religious sect, demanded security of their lives and properties on Monday, three days ahead the Islamic zealots set deadline to announce them non-Muslims.
   The bigots under the banner of International Khatme Nabuwat Movement had set the December 23, 2005 deadline a year ago asking the BNP-led alliance government to face a dire consequence if failed to declare the Ahmadiyyas, also known as Kadiani, non-Muslims.
   They also threatened to lay siege to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Bangladesh’s central mosque in Dhaka on December 23.
   ‘The government’s submissive policy to the zealots has put our lives at stake and now we have none but Allah to seek help,’ the acting national emir of the Muslim Jamaat, Mir Mobashsher Ali, told a news briefing at the Jamaat’s central office in the city’s Bakhshibazar area.
   Accusing the government of maintaining a double-standard, he said the government had assured them of safety while allowed the zealots to announce or go for fresh programmes against them.
   Two components of the 4-party alliance government believe that the Ahmadiyyas are non-Muslims, and they are behind the continued attacks on Ahmadiyyas of the past two and a half years, the chief missionary of the Ahmadiyya community, Abdul Awwal Khan Chowdhury, said.
   The community leaders said they had informed all, including the prime minister and the home minister, of their apprehension ‘perceived from experience’, but no step was taken yet.
   They said they were stunned as the government had allowed the religious bigots to conduct ‘ultra-fundamentalist programme’ like cordoning mosque when a drive against the extremists, terrorists and bomb attackers was going on. ‘The programme would lead to a communal anarchy in the country’.
   ‘We have no reservation on anyone’s right of holding rally or brining out procession, but it should not be allowed that his/her practice of democracy would violate the rights of others,’ Mobashsher said.
   ‘Bitter experiences recall that the programmes of cordoning Ahmadiyya mosque were excuses for attacking the mosques, residence and members of the community.’
   As no action has been taken yet in connection with the attack on mosques, residences and members of the community, it inspired the attackers to declare fresh programme to cordon the Ahmadiyya central mosque, he added.
   ‘We urge the administration to ensure safety and security of the lives and properties of the community members ahead of the zealots’ programme,’ he said and demanded inquiry into all attacks on Ahmadiyya community and its mosques.

A Privatisation Commission plan to showcase the process of divestment of the state-owned Rupali Bank in some major Asian and European cities looks uncertain because of fund constraints, said officials of the commission.
   The commission believes the road shows will encourage renowned banks and financial institutions to buy the bank’s shares. It has also marked London, Dubai, Jeddah, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai and Karachi as the prospective venues.
   Neither the venues nor the dates have been confirmed so far as the finance ministry holds up allocation of fund in this regard, said the officials.
   The ministry is not convinced about the usefulness of such road shows, said a ministry high official. ‘I don’t see any necessity for holding any road show to attract parties to buy the bank as some good institutions have already shown interest to become its strategic investors.’
   The divestment plan is, meanwhile, back on track, as the High Court has recently vacated a stay order on the process. The court issued a stay order on the public notice issued by the commission to offload almost 68 per cent share of the bank after some officials and employees of the bank had filed a writ petition.
   The commission has extended the deadline for applications from aspirant strategic till January 31, 2006.
   Nearly 20 banks and financial institutions have submitted applications online expressing interests to buy the Rupali shares.
   The bank’s foreign consultant GBRW, which has been hired under a lender-driven Enterprise Growth and Bank Modernisation Project, has been assisting the commission in making the bank ready for privatisation and in preparing the guidelines for selecting the strategic partners.
   The government owns 93.26 per cent shares of the Rupali Bank, the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh 2.55 per cent, big shareholders 1.79 per cent share and small shareholders 2.4 per cent.
   The government decided in March to disinvest about 68 per cent share of the bank.

In the wake of the recent bomb attacks across the country, the Christian community on Monday urged the government to take adequate security measures on the occasion of Christmas Day to be celebrated on December 25.
   Leaders of the community made the call at a meeting held at the home ministry with the state minister for home, Lutfozzaman Babar, in the chair.
   Babar assured the leaders of taking all necessary measures so that the Christian community could celebrate the occasion in a safe and peaceful manner.
   ‘Steps will be taken to ensure foolproof security at the churches across the country,’ he told the leaders, and called upon them not to curtail their programmes in fear of Islamist militant activities.
   After the meeting, Babar told journalists that there was no minority in the country. ‘We all are the citizens of the country, and enjoy freedom in celebrating our own religions.’
   Due to the bomb attacks, reportedly carried out by Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, the meeting decided to take stricter security measures than the previous years for the smooth celebration of the Christmas Day and New Year.
   Additional police forces will be deployed at all the churches on December 22 while the full deployment will come on December 24. A sweeping drive will also be carried out a day ahead of the festival.
   In the previous years, there was no security arrangement during midnight prayers. The home ministry this year will take security measures during the prayers as demanded by the Christian leaders, the meeting sources said.
   A large number of law enforcers, including women police, will be deployed at different key points in the capital. They will remain on strict vigilance especially at Gulshan, Baridhara, Dhanmondi, Dhaka University, and other strategic points.
   ‘Assuming sensitivity, movement of both commuters and vehicles will be restricted in the diplomatic zone and on the Dhaka University campus,’ said a home ministry official present at the meeting.
   He said a number of check posts will also be set up in the capital to maintain law and order, and to avert any untoward incident during the Christmas and New Year’s celebration.
   Christian leader Albert D’ Costa told the meeting that everyone in Bangladesh lived in harmony, despite existence of communalism in all the religions.

The Jatiya Party chairman, HM Ershad,on Monday expelled his nephew Asif from the party after he reportedly assaulted the JP upazila unit president, Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa at Ershad’s house on the day.
   Ershad expelled his nephew Asif from the party and also declared his brother GM Kader, JP’s presidium member, persona non grata in Rangpur, local people said.
   GM Kader, also a lawmaker, however, denied that he was declared persona non grata but he admitted that Asif has been expelled from the party.
   Locals said Ershad arrived in Rangpur on a four-day visit on Monday, and when he reached his house ‘Pallinibash’, his party leaders and activists came to meet him.
   In presence of the JP chief, Asif called Mostafa out of the house and beat up him, they said. Later, the local lawmaker, Mashiur Rahman Ranga, accompanied by party leaders rushed to the spot and rescued Mostafa.
   Immediately after the incident, Ershad held a meeting with Asif and Mostafa. JP secretary general and local party leaders and activists were also present.
   Sources said Ershad expelled Asif under pressure of the party leaders and activists and GM Kader was declared persona non grata as a patron of Asif.
   When contacted, GM Kader said, ‘Asif has been expelled but I don’t see any reason to declare me persona non grata over the issue of Asif.’

The Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company in the last 48 hours snapped illegal and tempered gas connections of 15 factories in Narayanganj, including gas connection of a steel mills owned by a vice-president of the Bangladesh Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
   Titas officials said a special team on Sunday found the gas meter of Fatullah Steel and Re-rolling Mill, owned by Mohammad Ali, the first vice-president of BFCCI, tempered and the team snapped the line.
   Titas had snapped the gas connection to the factory last month over non-payment of gas bills, officials said.
   The company’s gas line was restored on December 7 after it paid around Tk 8 lakh in outstanding gas bills, they said.
   Mohammad, however, claimed that his gas meter was ‘okay’ and there was no ‘tempering’ in the meter.

Against the backdrop of widespread allegations of involvement of madrassah students in the bomb-blasts and other militant activities, the education ministry has decided to hold talks with chiefs of madrassahs across the country on December 26.
   The education minister and the state-minister will hold a meeting with chiefs of madrassahs to build public opinion against militant activities in the name of Islam at the Bangladesh Institute of Administrative Mana-gement auditorium in the capital.
   ‘In the name of Islam, some evil people have been charging bombs on innocent people across the country,’ said a letter sent to the chiefs of madrassah by the ministry.
   Following a Sunday education ministry directive, the Bangladesh Madrassah Education Board started issuing letters from Monday, said the board chairman, Monirul Islam.
   ‘We will invite heads of 330 madrassahas with regional importance, the chairman said, adding ‘What the ministers will suggest at the meeting, these chiefs will convey the message to the heads of other madrassahs in the respective localities.’ ‘It is not possible to gather all the 9,000 chiefs in such a short period of time,’ he added.
   About one lakh and forty thousand teachers and employees of about 9,500 madrassahs get their 90 per cent salaries from the government exchequer, and the ministers will hold talks with heads of these madrassahs only.
   Besides, there are about 25,000 quomi madrassahs across the country which has no government recognition and they do not receive any donation from the government fund.
   The ministry sources said the education minister, M Osman Farruk, and the state minister, ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan, and madrassah board chairman will attend the meeting.

The Power Division completed only 22.37 per cent of the annual development programmes in five months till November.
   The division officials in an ADP review meeting on Monday disclosed that different power agencies spent around Tk 718 crore or 22.37 per cent of the ADP till November although the target was over 27 per cent.
   Different power bodies, including Power Development Board, Rural Electrification Board, Power Grid Company of Bangladesh and Dhaka Electric Supply Authority, are implementing 62 development projects under the ADP worth Tk 3912 crore.
   The state minister for power, Iqbal Hasan Mahmood, expressed his annoyance over the slow implementation of the ADP and asked the agencies to expedite their works.
   The meeting was told that the projects under ADP that made progress were the Barapukuria power plant and Siddhirganj power plant projects and renovation projects of Ghorashal and Ashuganj Power plants.
   Among others, power secretary Nazrul Islam, PDB chairman ANH Akhtar Hossain, Power Cell director general BD Rahmatullah and Dhaka Electric Supply Company Saleh Ahmed were present at the meeting.