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The two feuding factions of the Khulna unit of the ruling BNP have accused each other of harbouring terrorists and extortionists. Both factions also criticised the Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) for imposing a ban on holding rallies or processions in and around the outer stadium from Friday noon to Saturday evening.
   The KMP imposed restrictions on holding rallies or processions there after the rival BNP factions had called convention at the same venue at the same time raising fear of violence.
   Khulna city mayor Sheikh Tayebur Rahman and Ali Asgar Lobby MP are leading one faction and the other is led by whip Md Ashraf Hossain and M Nurul Islam MP.
   The old factional feud came in the open again after Lobby had been made the party’s city unit convenor on October 27, 2005 with the dissolving of
   the previous committee of which Nurul Islam was the president.
   The Tayeb-Lobby led faction, in a written statement at a press conference at Khulna press club on Sunday alleged that the police action on Friday imposing a ban on rallies and processions in and around the outer stadium was nothing but an attempt to save the terrorists, extortionists and drug traders.
   The BNP city convening committee member-secretary, Saharuzzaman Mortuza, read out the statement, while committee members Quazi Rashed and Nuruzzaman Khokon, Shahidul Islam, advocate Taslim Khatun Chhanda and Tariqul Islam Taru were present.
   Denying the charge that the Mayor-Lobby led faction was patronising criminals, the statement named 13 leaders of their rival faction including former city BNP secretary Nazrul Islam Monju, branding them as terrors and extortionists.
   Mortuza told newsmen that it was a mistake on the part of the party high command to include whip Ashraf Hossain MP, former city BNP president M Nurul Islam and secretary Monju in the city BNP convening committee.
   The Ashraf-Nurul led faction on Saturday held a rally of several thousands leaders and activists at Sonali Bank square in the city where they said the KMP had imposed restrictions on rallies only to help the Tayeb-Lobby faction to foil the convention of the party’s city unit.
   ‘The Mayor-Lobby group has also taken steps to bring some top terrors of the city and a suspected robber of Sundarban under their shelter’, they alleged.

The Jatiya Party chairman and former president, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, on Sunday expressed his dissatisfaction over the failure of the BNP-led four-party alliance government in tackling fuel and fertiliser crises.
   ‘The country is now facing severe crises of diesel, power and fertiliser,’ he said while exchanging views with the editors of a section of the national dailies at a city hotel.
   The farmers were facing enormous problems for cultivating their crops due to acute scarcity of diesel while movement of trains was reduced for lack of fuel which was an exceptional event, Ershad said.
   The government failed to add a single megawatt of electricity in the national grid, he said and expressed concern over the sufferings of the Biman passengers caused by the limitations of airbuses.
   The main opposition Awami League and its allies also failed to wage movement against the government, he said adding that the popularity of the alliance government was decreasing day by day and the people were looking for an alternative political force.
   The daily Amar Desh editor Amanullah Kabir, Manavzamin chief editor Motiur Rahman Chowdhury, Khabar editor Mizanur Rahman Mizan, Khabar Patra editor Gias Kamal Chowdhury, and senior journalists of the national dailies, electronic media and news agencies took part in the programme.
   The party senior presidium member Kazi Zafar Ahmed, secretary general ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, presidium member Kazi Firoj Rashid and Ahsan Habib Linkon were, among others, present.

Mian Muhammad Mahiuddin, one of the suspected masterminds of Rajshahi teacher Sayeed Taher Ahmed killing was sent to jail Sunday after the end of 13-day police remand.
   Mahiuddin was produced before the court of metropolitan magistrate, Fazlul Karim Chowdhury.
   The defendant lawyer told the court, ‘Mahiuddin was not involved with the killing and it was not clear from the police report whether his client was involved or not.
   He said his client was innocent and had become a victim of politics. The police also could not get any extra information from Mahiuddin during this 13-day remand that started from February 9.
   The police said, on first phase of the remand, Mahiuddin confessed his guilt and based on his statement, police recovered two ATM cards of Taher from near a bamboo cluster on the bank of river Padma.
   Mahiuddin too drawing attention of the magistrate told that he was innocent and prayed for bail.
   Opposing the defendant lawyer, the court inspector Mahbubul Quddus Siddiqui said, Mahiuddin has already been identified as the mastermind of professor Taher Ahmed killing and earlier, he gave statement under section 164 before the magistrate, confessing his involvement, the inspector added.
   The next date of hearing of the case was fixed for February 22.
   The Rajshahi Metropolitan Police commissioner Nayeem Ahmed told the reporters that two more weeks would be needed to complete the investigation.
   The police are yet to take any initiative to arrest Shibir leader Salehi, the wanted accused of the case.
   Demanding punishment of the killers, Rajshahi city unit Juba Maitri held a rally at Shaheb Bazar Zero point, chaired by the city unit
   president Mahfujul Hasnine Hikol.

Many factors still remain active to slow down the efforts towards reducing the high maternal mortality and morbidity rate in Bangladesh, said government and non-governmental experts working in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights of women in Bangladesh.
   Unsafe abortion is a major health hazard that needs to be addressed vigorously by all the stakeholders, they told a dialogue on the ‘role of national MR programme for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights in Bangladesh’ at the Spectra Convention Centre at Gulshan in the Dhaka city on Sunday.
   The dialogue was organised jointly by the Reproductive Health Services Training and Education Program, Bangladesh Women’s Health Coalition and Bangladesh Association for Prevention of Septic Abortion — three major national NGOs working in the field of maternal mortality reduction.
   The speakers said maternal mortality rate is 3.2 per cent in 1000 live births in the country at the moment, which is one of the highest in the world.
   As per the goal number 5 of the Millennium Development Goals, the Bangladesh government is committed towards reducing maternal mortality by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015.
   One component of the HNPSP of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh includes reproductive health (maternal and adolescent nutrition), child health care, communicable disease control, limited curative care and behavioural change communication.
   Under the reproductive health section, safe motherhood is prioritised that encompasses antenatal care, safe delivery, emergency obstetric care, post natal care, prevention of unsafe abortion through MR services and maternal nutrition.
   Health experts said though facilities exist for conducting safe abortion in case of unwanted pregnancy or pregnancy related complications, people are still ignorant about this health intervention that can save lives.
   They stressed the importance of creating social awareness about the subject through wider media coverage and social communication programmes so that people have the proper information about the service and can take timely action to save lives.
   Swedish ambassador Britt F Hagstorm attended the dialogue as chief guest and Dr Md Sirajuddowla, joint secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was special guest.

ATM Nazimullah Chowdhury has been appointed as new ambassador to United Arab Emirates.
   Nazimullah joined the erstwhile Civil Service of Pakistan in 1971 and later appointed to the BCS (Foreign Service) in 1974.
   He took training in Civil Service Academy in Lahore and diplomatic training in International Institute of Public Administration in Paris.
   He served the Bangladesh missions in Geneva, Kathmandu, New York and New Delhi. He was also ambassador to Turkey and Russian Federation.
   Nazimullah also represented Bangladesh in various committees of the UN bodies and attended various sessions of UNGA, UNCTAD, ITC, GATT, ILO, WHO, HRC as a member of Bangladesh delegation, said a foreign ministry press release.

The Jatiya Party (Manju) president, Anwar Hossain Manju, on Sunday urged the people to build up resistance against the existing corrupt politics that is depriving the poor by snatching their every fundamental rights.
   ‘Now top to bottom in the country is corrupt and the politics is surrounded by rivalry hatred and intolerance,’ Manju said adding that under the circumstance the people are being deprived.
   Manju made the remarks in a number of exchanging views meeting at different areas under Kaukhali upazila in Pirojpur.
   He also attended the programmes for distributing ADP money at the upazila and distributing books among the poor meritorious students.

Different opposition political parties, their front organisations and farmer’s organisations on Sunday protested across the country against the BNP led 4-Party alliance government’s failure in supplying diesel, electricity and fertiliser.
   The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction led by Hasanul Haq Inu, its front organisation Krishak Jote and Bangladesh Krishak Samiti and Khetmojur Samiti held separate programmes.
   The Krishak Samiti and Khetmojur Samiti lay siege to Palli Bidyutayan Board offices across the country, while JSD and Krishak Jote held road demonstrations in district and upazilas.
   The Communist Party held a rally in Jamalpur.
   In the capital, the organisations lay siege to the Board’s headquarters in Airport road near Zia International Airport.
   The leaders slated the government for failing to supply electricity, diesel and fertiliser.
   The organisations announced their further programme of laying siege to Palli Bidyut Samiti offices in the country on February 28 and sit-in programme on the thoroughfares on March 2.

Five female drug users were awarded certificates on Sunday for leading normal life after receiving three-and-a half month treatment and rehabilitation provided by the Addiction Rehabilitation Residence.
   The organisation’s founding director, Brother Ronald Drahozal, distributed the certificates among the five at the certificate distribution ceremony held at the Young Women’s Christian Association auditorium in Mohammadpur.
   The organisation initiated its activities for the recovery of the drug addict females for the first time from June, 2005. Since its inception, 22 women were going under treatment.
   The newly cured women, most of whom were sex workers, shared their bitter experience of their past life. They saw no light of hope as they were not welcomed either by their family or society. They also sought cooperation of the people from all walks of life for rehabilitation in society.
   The organisation observed that facilities for the females cured of drug addiction were badly needed for their rehabilitation in society. These were safe shelter, self help group, strengthening home-based detoxification, cooperation from other service providers and media, vocational skill training, credit facilities, and job opportunities.
   Mofazzel Hossain, director (preventive education) of Department of Narcotics Control, said the other organisations working on the drug users had sincerity for work, but they had not have the experience so they could follow such an organisation.

The Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, on Sunday vowed to compel the BNP-led alliance government to accept their reforms proposal by waging tough movement with the spirit of the language movement.
   ‘The opposition alliance brought the proposal for reforms to the caretaker government provision and the Election Commission to ensure the people’s voting right,’ she said adding ‘The proposal will be realised through agitation imbued with the spirit of the Language Movement of 1952.’
   Addressing a discussion on ‘International Mother Language Day’, she said the government was playing games with the fates of the countrymen through the ‘false’ voters roll it was preparing by the ‘partisan’ Election Commission in violation of the court order. The AL organised the meeting in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi in the afternoon.
   Hasina, also the leader of the opposition in parliament, urged the people to be united to check the government’s ill motives to go to power again by rigging votes.
   Terming the alliance government an anti-liberation force, she criticised it for stopping the works of setting up the Language Institute and for not taking ‘state-level programmes’ to mark the Ekushey February.
   ‘When the day is being observed all over the world, the government did not take any programme to mark the great sacrifice of the nation,’ she said adding ‘The alliance government wants to minimise the spirit of the language movement.’
   Claiming that the government was failed in all sectors, including in operating Biman, supplying electricity, fuel and fertiliser, and in controlling the price of essential commodities, she urged all to take an oath to save the country from the clutch of the alliance government.
   Party leaders Abdul Jalil, Zillur Rahman, Sajeda Chowdhury, Tofail Ahmed, Matia Chowdhury, Suranjit Sengupta and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, poet Syed Shamsul Huq and former vice-chancellor of the Rajshahi University Professor Saidur Rahman Khan also took part in the discussion.
   AL publication and publicity secretary Asaduzzaman Noor conducted the discussion that was followed by a cultural programme.

The president, Iajuddin Ahmed, on Sunday called upon the young generation to acquire adequate knowledge to build a new world free from conflicts by facing the all challenges.
   ‘I want these fresh minds to spread in every corner of the world with the message of unity, brotherhood and togetherness,’ the president said while addressing the 2nd ‘Beyond Borders International Youth Summit’ as chief guest at a local hotel.
   The Dhaka city mayor, Sadeq Hossain Khoka, attended the programme as special guest jointly organised by the Democracy Watch and the British Council.
   At the beginning of his speech, the president paid deep respects to the unfading memory of the martyrs of the country’s language movement.
   In the history of the world, youths have been considered most successful force in achieving victory in every field. ‘In days of war, in day’s of development and in days of distress – a nation always gets the support and encouragement from youths,’ the president said.
   The youths of Bangladesh have marked their success all over the world, said and also observed that in the fields of education, economy, science and technology, sports and social services, there are many proud names that had added glory to the country.
   He termed the youth ‘main driving force’ of the country, symbol of hopes and aspirations of the nation.
   The president also welcomed the national and international participation in this event and wished them a very prosperous future.

The government on Sunday withdrew police super of Chapainawabganj after about a month into the killing of eight people in police firing in Kansat on January 23.
   Police shot and killed 10 people while they were staging protest against disruption in power supply by the Rural Electrification Board.
   The Chapainawabganj district SP Rezaul Karim has been withdrawn after 28 days of the killing incident that stirred sensation across the country.
   Earlier in the wake of serious protest and violence, the authorities withdrew UNO of Shibganj upazila of the district.
   Meanwhile, the agitated people foiled a rally organised by the Kansat Union BNP. They attacked a local leader and damaged his motorcycle.

A four-member delegation of parliamentarians from EU countries arrives in Dhaka today on a six-day visit.
   The delegation is scheduled to visit Gazipur, Mymensingh and Sylhet to see the activities of health care projects funded jointly by the European Union and the UNFPA.
   The parliamentarians will receive first-hand information of the projects titled Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia and its impact in those areas, UNFPA officials said.
   The delegation will call on the speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar, the finance minister, Saifur Rahman and the state minister for youth and sports, Fazlur Rahman and discuss matters of cooperation in different fields.
   The delegation includes lawmaker Lyn Brown of UK, Magda De Meyer and Roel Deseyn of Belgium and Ana Maria Fecueira Mendes Pires Manso of Portugal.