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The Anti-Corruption Commis-sion will investigate the sale of Bachelor of Education certificates by the America-Bangladesh (AmBan) University, the University Grants Commission chairman, M Asaduzzaman, told New Age on Wednesday.
   The Dhaka-based university authorities reportedly realised Tk 1.32 crore from 1,100 students, mostly teachers of non-government schools saying that it would provide them with BEd certificates from its Rajshahi campus.
   The certificate seekers vandalised the campus offices and classrooms of the university at Sapura in Rajshahi, protesting against the ‘cheating’ by the university. The demonstrators also confined the university registrar, Mostafa Jamal, for hours on October 15.
   ‘We have filed a written complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission against the America-Bangladesh University in the past week,’ Asaduzzaman said.
   ‘The Anti-Corruption Commission will soon hold a meeting with the minister for education, M Osman Farruk, on the issue,’ he said.
   ‘Quoting an October 14, a New Age report headlined “BEd certificate on sale at America-Bangladesh University,” education secretary M Abdul Aziz on October 20 requested the commission to look into the matter,’ he said.
   ‘In October 2004, a high-powered government committee found that America-Bangladesh University was below the required standards and recommended for its immediate closure.’
   ‘Neither the Rajshahi campus of the university nor the BEd course was approved by the commission,’ Asaduzzaman said, terming it a ‘serious crime.’ ‘A serious anomaly was detected in its main campus at Banani in Dhaka.’
   The students alleged in October 2003, the America-Bangladesh campus was set up in a rented house at Salbagan in Rajshahi.
   The university authorities issued certificates to more than 600 students for a one-year BEd course.
   The students alleged that the certificates, issued by the America-Bangladesh University, were not recognised by government and semi-government institutions or non-governmental organisations.
   The Rajshahi deputy commissioner, Syed Ahsanul Huq, on September 18 requested the University Grants Commission to take necessary step against the university for running an illegal campus and selling certificates to teachers.

The number of the city’s street children, who have not enough money even to afford a good meal once a day, has risen to 2 lakh in recent years, says a survey of the Plan Bangladesh, an international non-governmental organisation.
   These children are vulnerable to violence, abuse, public humiliation, harassment, and often find themselves incarcerated with adult criminals, the survey says.
   It also says most of the street children are involved in selling water, carrying luggage, chipping bricks, selling sex, and also in odd jobs at factories and car shops.
   The research finding was revealed at a programme organised by Unnayan Samunnay and the Plan Bangladesh in the CIRDAP auditorium on Tuesday.
   Atiur Rahman, chairman of Unnayan Samanway, Nazrul Islam, chairman of the Centre for Urban Studies, Edward Thomas Espey, country director of Plan Bangladesh, and Monira Ahsan, deputy country director of Save the Children, Australia were present.
   The girl street children have no protection from sexual abuse and exploitation at night in the absence of security.
   The majority of the children have no access to formal education and 50 per cent are out of the formal educational system while only 747 primary schools are in the Dhaka city. These children are worst affected by environmental pollution and natural disasters like flood, heavy rain, and water-logging.
   The study says the government services for urban poor for health and nutrition are centralised, and also inefficient and weak due to lack of necessary staff and accountability.
   It says there are 300,000 to one million domestic workers in the Dhaka city and almost all the girl domestic helps have no protection from physical torture and are paid low.
   The findings says the government, and local and international organisations are involved in promoting the poor children in metropolis Dhaka which vary in terms of programmes, approaches, and coverage.
   Plan Bangladesh did the research to find out the current state of the poor children living in the Dhaka city apart from 60 cities across the world. The organisation is currently working in eight major slums in the city where the population is 115,010 and 22,633 of them are children.
   They found that 13 per cent are engaged in child labour, 66 per cent malnourished, 45 per cent are still not immunised, and about 40 per cent mothers and some proportions of adolescents are not aware of HIV/AIDS.
   Organisers said the government should replicate and improve the slum development model plan on Child Centred Community Development approach by putting the children at the centre of all programmes and involving them in all stages of development.

Two groups of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists on the Rajshahi University campus are allegedly busy collecting tolls from teachers and construction workers before Eid-ul-Fitr.
   A group of Chhatra Dal activists Tuesday night allegedly demanded tolls from a Rajshahi University teacher.
   Professor Chand Mustafa, provost of Bangabandhu Hall, alleged that Chhatra Dal leaders, led by the university unit joint-convener, Masudur Rahman Rana, and Shafin Ahmed, Tuesday night went to his house and demanded Tk 10,000 from him. They also threatened the provost with killing if he did not pay the toll.
   After the incident, the Rajshhai University Teachers’ Association on Wednesday held an emergency meeting in
   the proctor’s office and expressed their concern over the incident.
   The association urged the university authorities to ensure security for the teachers. The proctor, Shamsul Alam, also advised Mustafa to file a complaint with the police in this regard.
   Mustafa said he had informed the university registrar of the matter, who said he would look into the matter.
   The university unit Chhatra Dal joint convener, Masudur Rahman Rana, said a group of Chhatra Dal activists had gone to the provost’s house to discuss some residential problems.
   Another group of Chhatra Dal, led by the university unit convening committee member, Adil Sahriar Gorki, on Wednesday went to the office of the university chief engineer, Abdur Rahim, and allegedly demanded Tk 50,000 from him, campus sources said.
   Another member on the unit convening committee, Golam Kabir, and Sher-e-Bagla Hall unit president Golam Mustafa Tuhin were present.
   They also threatened the chief engineer with killing if he failed to pay the money.
   The chief engineer denied the allegation, saying that the student leaders had visited him to discuss some issues.
   Sources said a Chhatra Dal group, led by Gorki, on Monday demanded Tk 10,000 from a building contractor of the Habibur Rahman Hall, Ashok Chowdury.
   The group also threatened that if the amount was not paid, they would stop the construction work.
   The sources also said the Chhatra Dal leaders also went to houses of some other officials of the university at night for toll collection.

The Detective Branch of the Chittagong Metropolitan Police arrested 14 Myanmar citizens, who were allegedly trying to go abroad on Bangladeshi passports, from Ashadganj in Chittagong early Wednesday.
   The police said two detective teams raided Nur Hotel and Mollah Building at Ashadganj in the kotwali police area at about 12:30pm and arrested the Myanmar citizens.
   The arrested are Mohammed Zabed, 20, Mostufa Kamal, 25, Nurul Islam, 26, Mohammed Saleh, 26, Mohammed Zoha, 23, Fazlul Haque, 25, Mohammed Hamid, 25, Nur Hossain, 24, Anamul Haque, 22, Mohammed Hossain, 20, Samsul Alam, 28, Ziaur Rahman, 30, Ayat Ullah, 23, and Nazim Ullah, 25.
   The police said the arrested, during primary interrogation, had admitted trying to Saudi Arabia on Bangladeshi passports through Al Rahat Travel Agency at Agrabad to look for jobs.
   The police could not seize any Bangladeshi passports from their possession.

The Khulna special trial tribunal on October 23 posted the next proceedings of the explosion case, in which the Khulna-based New Age correspondent Manik Chandra Saha was killed, for January 16.
   The police are yet to submit the report on further investigation of the murder case. The court ordered further investigation on April 11.
   The deposition in the case began on January 11 and 24, out of 54, witnesses were cross-examined till April 17.
   All the accused named on the charge sheet of the explosion case are also accused on the charge sheet in the explosion case.
   Four of the accused — Ali Akbar Shikdar alias Shaon, Sumon alias Nuruzzaman, Akram Hossain alias Akram Hawladar alias Bomber Akram alias Fata and Bulbul Hossain alias Bulu — are in jail. Two were earlier killed in encounter and the six are in hiding.
   Former president of the Khulna Press Club, Manik, also a stringer of the BBC Bangla Service, was bombed to death near his house at Chhota Mirzapur in Khulna on January 15, 2004.

The 132nd anniversary of birth of Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq was observed across the country on Wednesday.
   Different organisations took up elaborate programmes to mark the occasion.
   Dakkhin Bangla Juba Sangha and Mehendiganj Unnayan Sangram Parishad organised a discussion on the occasion at the grave of the leader.
   The meeting was addressed also by AL presidium member Abdur Razzak, former vice-president of Bar Council Khandokar Mahbub Hossain and M Sajaoar Hossain with the Barisal division Awami Forum president, Siraj Uddin Ahmed, in the chair.

The Japanese ambassador, Matsushiro Horiguchi, handed over the formal approval of a proposed project, ‘improved health for the poor: health, nutrition, population research’ by the Japan government to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh on Wednesday.
   The centre’s executive director, David Sack, received the approval of the collaborative research project in a programme in the centre’s conference room.
   The project involves the centre’s scientists and researchers from the national institutions.
   The recommendations of the project will be implemented and are expected to help improve the health, nutrition, and population sector in Bangladesh.
   In 2003, on the occasion of the completion of 30 years (1972-2002) of diplomatic relations, Japan wrote off the entire debt of Bangladesh to Japan and suggested using the fund for development purposes.
   This research project worth Tk 46 crore will be funded by Japan from the debt relief grant assistance counterpart fund.
   Within the context of the poverty reduction strategic paper and the millennium development goals, the project will emphasise reducing severe malnutrition, high mortality, and fertility, promoting healthy life styles, and reducing risk factors to human health from environmental, economic, social and behavioural causes with focus on improving health of the poor.
   The priority objectives, by which the success of the project would be measured, will be to reduce maternity mortality rate, total fertility rate, malnutrition, infant mortality rate (under-5 mortality rate) and the burden of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
   A steering committee of 22 members will approve the annual work plan of the project each year.
   The centre will be responsible for the implementation of this project. The research results of the project will feed into the operations plan of the HNPSP.

A condolence meeting was held on Wednesday at the Institute of Business Studies on the occasion of the demise of Darul Ihsan University associate professor AM Chowdhury.
   The vice-chancellor, Syed Anwar Husain, was present as chief guest. The institute's academic director Professor AAM Baquer, was in the chair.
   Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury and MA Rashici Khan also spoke.

Panch Bam Dal, a combine of five left political parties, on Wednesday condemned the role of the Sinha Textile Mills authorities.
   The leaders of the combine from a meeting at its office in the capital said two leaders of the combine, Elias
   Ahmed Nipu and Kabir Hossain, were implicated in the case filed after the clash.
   The left leaders demanded immediate release of the arrested workers.
   Chaired by the combine coordinator, Abdus Salam, the meeting was attended by its leaders Tipu Biswas, Moshrefa Mishu and Zonayed Saki.

The 11th anniversary of death of social worker Begum Rafiqunnessa Khatun Chowdhury will be observed today, said a release.
   She was wife of the late Ghyasuddin Ahmed Chowdhury of Golapganj, Sylhet who was a civil servant during the British and Pakistan periods and was a national sports organiser. A prayer session will be held on the occasion.

Fashion house Nipun began an exhibition in its showrooms. The exhibition will run till Eid.
   Fashion house director SM Salauddin Panna said, ‘The exhibition will feature dresses which combine the traditional with the foreign designs.’
   Nipun presents dresses both for men and women. There are saris, three-piece suits for female, salwar-kameez, fatua, tops and pants, kurta, and short kameez for women and puanjabi-payjama, shirt, fatua, sherwani and kabli for men. Clothes for babies and children are also on display.

Gulshan exchange telephones suspension
The operation of about 850 telephone lines under Gulshan Exchange will remain suspended on Friday and Saturday. A Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board release on Wednesday said the measures had been taken to replace the faulty cables. Around 200 telephone lines of Baridhara, DOHS, Kalachandpur, Joarsahara, Kuril, Basundhara Gate and Jamuna Gate under the Gulshan Exchange have gone out of order because of the faults in the cable.
— BDNews

British Council closure
The British Council offices, libraries and teaching centres in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet will remain closed between November 1 and November 7 on the occasion of Shab-e-Qadar, Eld-ul Fitr and Solidarity Day. Examinations scheduled during this period will be held as usual.
— New Age

Bangladeshi wins prize in Japan
Hafsa Akhter won the first prize in the 21st Nagoya City Handy Marathon, a wheelchair run competition for persons with disabilities in Japan. Hafsa Akhter, member of Bangladesh Pratibandhi Kalyan Samiti, took part in the marathon in Nagoya on October 23. Another person who also took part in the event from Bangladesh was Ismail Hossain Siraji, director of Mymensingh-based Disabled People’s Organisation.
— New Age

Azimpur Dayra
Sharif pir’s death anniversary
The Azimpur Dayra Sharif observed the 126th anniversary of death of Shah Sufi Syed Waliullah on Tuesday. The programme was followed by isal-e-sawab and urs mobarak. The programmes of the day featured recitation from the Qur’an, prayer sessions and a discussion on Syed Waliullah. The incumbent pir of the shrine, Shah Sufi Syed Ahmad Ullah (Zubair), concluded the programme.
— New Age