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The government has taken up a Tk 56.86 crore project to save the River Buriganga from being encroached further and to make keep it free from pollution.
   Walkways will be built along the river and walls will be erected at some points along the bank to stop encroachment, said the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Agency officials at a meeting at the shipping ministry of the taskforce committee on Buriganga on Wednesday.
   The project proposal will be sent to the Planning Commission by this month, said an official.
   The meeting, presided by the minister for shipping, Akbar Hossain, said some of the committee’s decisions taken in 2003 are yet to be implemented as they got stuck in different ministries.
   Akbar instructed the officials to see that no structures are erected along the newly constructed circular waterway from Ashulia to Sadarghat.
   He asked the officials to conduct a survey along the river to acquire land for further development.
   The New Age editor, Enayetullah Khan, who is a member on the committee, said the land along the circular waterway should be strictly used for non-industrial purposes.
   He also stressed maintaining the aesthetic view of the area through proper landscaping.
   Abdullah Abu Sayeed of Biswa Sahitya Kendra, Muzaffer Ahmad of the Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan, and Reaz H Khondoker, chairman of the water transport authorities were present.

The government has transferred the Dhaka City Corporation chief executive, MA Momen, to the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board as executive director after six months in office.
   The assistant private secretary to the mayor Siddiqur Rahman Manna was dismissed from his post on Wednesday.
   The corporation officials said Momen had been transferred to the transport coordination board on March 6.
   Joint establishment secretary Saifuddin Ahmed joined the corporation on deputation as chief executive officer on Tuesday.
   The personal assistant of the mayor Monirul Islam Khan has been made assistant personal secretary on Wednesday.
   Momen assumed office of the transport coordination board executive director Wednesday. Earlier, he worked as acting executive director of the board after the withdrawal of Quamrul Islam Siddiq in October.
   Some corporation officials said Momen after assuming office took some punitive measures and saved crores of takas.
   Momen was honest and worked to check corruption which could be the reason for his transfer, some corporation officials said.
   Many in the city corporation believed that certain positive steps taken by Momen angered some corrupt officials and some vested groups lobbied for his withdrawal.
   Momen was the fourth chief executive officer of the corporation after Sadeque Hossain Khoka had assumed office.
   Of the four chief executive officers, MA Momen and AFM Solaiman were most-talked-about for their bold stand against corruption.
   The same syndicate took stand against Solaiman who assumed office in July 2003. He took punitive measures against corruption; he was withdrawn after four months.
   Manna, who joined the corporation as assistant private secretary to mayor on May 19, 2002, was removed for his alleged involvement in corruption and also for marrying for a second time without the permission of his first wife, some officials said.
   Dhaka Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka could not be reached for comments.

The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority will begin a drive against illegal water connections by the end of March after the agency’s repeated attempts for regularisation had failed.
   There are about 50,000 illegal water connections and about 400 to 500 unauthorised deep tube wells in the capital, according to a rough estimate of the agency.
   The water supply agency in January and December 2004 asked the errant consumers to legalise their connections and deep tube wells and gave a warning that illegal lines would be suspended.
   On both occasions, the move elicited poor response. Only 1,000 applications were filed for the legalisation of connections and deep tube wells.
   ‘The agency will carry out a drive this month against illegal water connections and deep tube wells as we think we have given them enough time to legalise their connections,’ said ANH Akhtar Hossain, the managing director.
   The water supply agency suffers a systems loss of about 45 per cent and illegal connections are one of the major reasons for the loss.
   The agency officials said they would also pull down illegal structures on the drain network hindering retention of rain water.
   An official said they would ask the residents of an area on PA system to remove their valuables before drives.

Water crisis has hit the capital as the supply of water by the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority has been hampered because of frequent power outages.
   The agency now supplies about 142 crore litres of water against a daily demand of about 210 crore litres.
   It supplied 150 crore litres of water in 2004 against a demand of about 200 crore, the agency officials said.
   The officials claimed frequent power outages had forced around 140 deep tube wells, out of 405, to stay inoperative for hours as they do not have generators.
   The Dhaka city has been suffering a power shortage of about 150 to 200MW a day over three weeks.
   The officials said water crisis has hit different areas of the city, including Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Adabar and parts of Old Town.
   They feared that water crisis at Mirpur might become severe, as it was in previous years, as the water table in the area has dipped further.
   The agency managing director, ANH Akhtar Hossain, said water supply would be increased by about 10 crore litres within April as 10 to 12 new deep tube wells will come into operation by then.
   He said about 10 new deep tube wells had been installed, but they were yet to come into operation.
   Akhtar said the agency would install around five deep-aquifer tube wells at Mirpur to address the crisis.
   He hoped water crisis would not be more severe than what it was in the past year.
   The officials said they pay about Tk 75 crore to the power authorities, but power crisis remains a major problem in water supply, especially in summer.

The International School Dhaka received accreditation of the Council of International Schools.
   The council ensures establishment and maintenance of high standards at all levels of education at 550 schools and 400 institutions of higher studies around the world.
   The council executive director, Richard Tangye, on Wednesday handed over the accreditation plaque to John Sperandio, chief executive officer of the school.
   The UK deputy high commissioner, Robert Gibson, and the Daily Star editor, Mahfuz Anam, were also present.
   Tangye said the school was second to none among the schools he visited in Asia.
   Mahfuz said as a parent and a Bangladeshi, he was proud of the school’s success.
   Children are the future leaders and for this reason, they need to get better education, he said.
   The school earlier received accreditation of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in December 2004.
   The school is also one of the 1,460 international baccalaureate world schools and is authorised to follow the primary and middle-year programmes of international baccalaureate.
   The school will begin international baccalaureate diploma course for the students taking GCSE or O-Level examinations in August, Sperandio said.
   The award of an international baccalaureate diploma with CIS and NEASC accreditations will ensure the school students’ gaining access to major colleges and universities in Europe and North America, he said.
   About 500 students are studying at the school and about 65 per cent of them are Bangladeshis.
   The expenditure is relatively higher than that in other schools in Dhaka, ranging between $2,500 and $10,000 a year.
   As the school tries to ensure the best quality, the fees remain relatively higher, Sperandio said.
   ‘All the teachers have international qualifications and there are 48 teachers from 12 countries, majority from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand,’ he said.

No witnesses in the murder case of New Age correspondent Manik Chandra Saha gave their deposition in the Khulna speedy trial tribunal on scheduled March 5 and March 9. February 24 was the last time a witness in the case gave his deposition.
   The case has 54 witnesses and the deposition began on January 4.
   The Khulna special tribunal heard the case on March 6.
   Four of the accused are now in jail; three were killed in encounter and the remaining six are in hiding.
   All the 13 accused in the murder case are also accused of exploding the bomb that killed Manik, the police said.
   Manik, a former president of the Khulna Press Club, was bombed to death on January 15, 2004 at Chhota Mirzapur in Khulna.

Green Line Paribahan, a private transport operator, has for the first time introduced luxurious Volvo buses on different inter-district routes.
   The minister for communications, Nazmul Huda, on Wednesday launched the services at a city hotel.
   Initially, Green Line will operate buses on the Sylhet-Dhaka-Benapole and the Sylhet-Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar routes. Four buses will start plying on the Sylhet-Benapole route from today.
   Huda said the Ministry of Communications under the Dhaka Urban Transport Project would introduce ‘dedicated bus lane’ on the VIP roads of the capital.

The World Bank will provide a loan of $7 million, equivalent to Tk 42 crore, as micro-credit and training cost for the rehabilitation of rickshaw pullers as some city roads have been made off-limits to rickshaws.
   Civil society and NGO representatives said some roads could be freed of non-motorised vehicles, but lanes and by-lanes should be kept open to rickshaw pullers.
   Non-governmental organisation Good Earth held a seminar on Wednesday on the ‘livelihood status of the rickshaw pullers of Bangladesh’ in Dhaka.
   The Good Earth president, Dr Mojahar Ali, chaired the programme.
   Former adviser to the caretaker government, economist Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud was present as chief guest.
   The Dhaka Transport Coordination Board officials and some government departments and NGO representatives joined the discussion.
   The board, which coordinates all transport development works of the capital, at the meeting said rickshaw pullers would be given training so that they could earn their livelihood.
   Wahiduddin said rickshaws should be allowed to ply all roads, except some thoroughfares.

The Bangladesh Chhatra League and its five allies on Wednesday gave a three-day ultimatum for the Dhaka University to meet their demands.
   They threatened to go on a strike for an indefinite period if the demands are not met by the deadline.
   The like-minded six student organisations gave the ultimatum, when as part of their weeklong programme, the activists laid siege to the vice-chancellor’s office on Wednesday.

The Magicians’ Society of Bangladesh begins a three-day magic festival at the Shilpakala Academy today.
   Internationally reputed magicians from different countries are expected to perform at the International Magic Festival 2005, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, said the organisers at a news briefing in a city hotel on Wednesday.
   The society general secretary, Ali Raj, said, ‘We did not get assistance of any sort from the government. The government could at least issue visas for 25 Indian magicians, including PC Sorcar.’
   Albert Tam from Hong Kong, Franz Harary and Dave Womach from the United States, Mayoral from Spain, Jane from China, JC Sum from Singapore, Tuxedo from Thailand, and Jewel Aich from Bangladesh will join the festival.
   The festival will feature shows, lectures, demonstrations, workshops, raffle draws and other such events, Ali Raj said.
   Entry tickets are priced at Tk 500 a person which will be available at the venue at the Shilpakala Academy on Thursday and at the Mirpur Indoor Stadium on Friday and Saturday.
   Tickets will also be available with Helvetia, Sonargaon Hotel, and Labamba at Dhanmondi.

Women’s organisation Indhan on Tuesday honoured Ayesha Zafar for her contribution to the dissemination of the works and ideals of Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain.
   The organisation gave the award in a ceremony, Jwale Uthi Sahasi Nari, marking International Women’s Day.
   Ayesha Zafar began her work to keep alive the ideals and memories of Roquiah four decades ago.
   Fortnightly Ananya editor, Tasmima Hossain, handed over the crest on behalf of the magazine. Professor Anisuzzaman was present.
   The organisation’s programmes include an exhibition of photographs by 19 women photographers, and the launch of a book, Mapmaking: Partition Stories from Two Bengals, by Debjani Sengupta.
   The book is a compilation of short stories on partition of India and its impact on people.
   Professor Niaz Zaman, Professor Firdaus Azim, and Debjani Sengupta joined a discussion chaired by Anisuzzaman.
   Debjani said people of north India think that there are no story-tellers like Prem Chand or Saadat Hasan Manto in Bengal. ‘I translated the stories written in both the Bangla-speaking regions to prove that the Bangla literature is not lesser than any other literatures.’
   The programmes also featured recitation of poems by Pragna Labani and songs by students of Dhaka University.
   Sayeeda Khanum opened the photography exhibition at the Drik Gallery.
   The photographs on display focused on women personalities, anti-fatwa, anti-war movement in Bangladesh, women’s awareness, nature, maternal anxieties, flood, and portraits.

The chehlum of Awami League leader Shah AMS Kibria, also a former finance minister, will be held in his Dhanmondi residence in the capital after the juma prayers on Friday.
   The Awami League general secretary, M Abdul Jalil, urged all to hold prayer sessions in the mosques for the deceased, said a party release on Wednesday.

A nine-day theatre festival organised by Jahangirnagar Theatre began on the campus on Wednesday to mark the 25th anniversary of the theatre club.
   Noted playwright Selim Al Deen opened the programme in front of the Shaheed Minar.
   The opening session was followed by a procession by the members of Jahangirnagar Theatre.
   The vice-chancellor, Khandaker Mustahidur Rahman, and the Group Theatre Federation president, Manmunur Rashid, were present in the evening session.
   Bangla Theatre staged a new play. Eight more plays will be staged in the following
   sessions.

Freelance photojournalist Bayazid Akter has recently been elected judge of the jury board of the International iPhotoContest.
   Bayazid worked with different dailies as a photojournalist. He was a commissioned photographer of the recently published Banglapaedia.
   Other members on the board are Avarham Bohbot of Israel, Jason Sangster, Larry Luxner and Tim Trdder of America.

Mohammad Abdul Jabbar Miah, a former professor of the department of botany of the University of Rajshahi, died in Rampura residence in Dhaka on Tuesday. He was 75.
   Jabbar is survived by his wife and two daughters.
   He was buried in his village home at Sutipara at Dhamrai.
   He obtained his master’s degree from the University of Dhaka in 1954.
   He received higher education at Purdue University in the United States and obtained PhD degree from the University of McGill in Canada.

NU admission
test Friday
Admission tests for the first-year honours course of the National University will be held on Friday. A total of 1,80,867 students will take the test for 1,12,000 seats at 93 examination centres, an official said on Wednesday. The admission test for first-year honour’s course for Jagannath University will also be held under the National University.
— BDNews

DU sociologists’ reunion
The former students of the Dhaka University sociology department of the 1990 batch will hold a reunion at the Teachers-Students Centre on the campus at 3:00pm on Friday. A release of the organisers invited all the students of the batch to join the programme with their spouses. Former student Shamimul Islam Shimul (0173030909), AK Azad Khokan (0175059444), Maksud Dipu (0175020055), of Mizanur Rahman Socrates (011834844) can be contacted for further details.
— New Age

MIST council meeting
The sixth meeting of the Council of Military Institute of Science and Technology was held at the Mirpur Cantonment in Dhaka on Wednesday. Edu-cation minister M Osman Farruk, also chairman of the council, was in the chair.
— BSS

Armanitola school alumni assoc formed
The Armanitola Government High School Alumni Association executive council has recently been formed. M Yakub Latifullah (1940) has been made president, and Manzoor Ul Karim (1952) executive member. Professor Jalal U Ahmed (1956) has been made secretary general and Md Azizullah (1955) additional secretary general and treasurer.
— New Age

Pani Prabaha to
be aired today
Bangladesh Radio will air the weekly programme Pani Prabaha at 2:20pm today. The NGO’s Arsenic Information and Support Unit of the NGO Forum for Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation sponsors the programme.
— New Age

Tarunyer Mela
ends in Khulna
A three-day youth fair, Tarunyer Mela, ended in Khulna on Wednesday. Local NGO Rupantar began the fair at the gymnasium near the Khulna stadium on Monday. BNP lawmaker Zahir Uddin Swapan, former Awami League lawmaker Quazi Sekendar Ali Dalim, Razia Fayez, the International Republican Institute resident programme director Alex Sutton, Gati Media managing director Abdun Noor Tushar, Rupantar chair Tofazzel Hossain Manju, and Khulna Press Club president Sheikh Abu Hasan, spoke among others.
— New Age

Training on gas use
Totalgaz conducted a LPG safety training programme for housewives at Nawabganj and Dhaka. The company took up the programme to reaching out to customers and educate them on the safe and efficient use of gas. Totalgaz management exe-cutive Munira Sharmin conducted the training.
— New Age