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The minister for LGRD and cooperatives, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, on Sunday suggested that the city corporations should increase their internal income to provide the citizens with satisfactory services.
   The minister addressed a programme, Bangladesh solid waste management conference 2006, where he said it became difficult to offer satisfactory services for lack of public awareness and resource limitations of the city corporations and municipalities.
   The Dhaka City Corporation and the Japan International Cooperation Agency organised the conference in the Radisson Water Garden in Dhaka.
   Five mayors — Sadeque Hossain Khoka of Dhaka, Mizanur Rahman Minu of Rajshahi, Tayebur Rahman of Khulna and Majibar Rahman Sarwar of Barisal, all from the ruling BNP, and Badruddin Ahmed Kamran of Sylhet, from the Awami League, spoke.
   ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury of Chittagong, also from the Awami League, could not attend the conference. He had his representative in the programme.
   The Japan ambassador, Matsushiro Horiguchi, and the Dhaka City Corporation chief executive officer, Md Saifuddin Ahmed, also spoke.
   ‘The city corporations should increase taxes to provide satisfactory services for the residents of the six metropolitan cities,’ Bhuiyan said.
   He sought technical and financial assistance from the development partners of Bangladesh to improve solid waste management in cities.
   Bhuiyan said Dhaka has a master plan on solid waste management, which is a guide to the improvement in solid waste situation. Other cities could gather knowledge and skills from the experiences of Dhaka, he said.
   Good governance in solid waste management should be established through accountability and transparency in system management and a supportive policy was needed for a proper solid waste management by working together with the stakeholders, he said.
   As for increased allocation for city corporations as pointed by the Sylhet mayor, Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, Bhuiyan said the government did not discriminate in resource distribution for city corporations.
   On behalf of the six mayors, Sadeque Hossain Khoka announced an eight-point Dhaka declaration and said the main focus of solid waste management in cities should be based on good governance, community partnership and appropriate technology which could be achieved by the declaration.
   The declaration provisions for recognising solid waste management as an essential and priority urban service, renaming the conservancy department as solid waste management department with appropriate reforms and restructuring, establishing accountability and transparency through appropriate monitoring and benchmarking.
   The capacity-building of the corporation staff through training, introduction of appropriate technology in solid waste management, developing a supportive policy and enforcing mechanism for solid waste management services and establishing a network among the cities for exchange of knowledge, technology and experience are the other points.

The residents of some city areas in Chittagong attacked on Sunday the local office of the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority for its failure to supply the required amount of water.
   Three officials of the WASA office, sub-assistant engineer Harunur Rashid, and clerks Abdus Sattar and Maksudur Rahman, of Mode 1 at Choumohani were beaten in the attach.
   The residents of the city areas such as Baperypara, Pannapara, Mistripara, Hazipara, Mansurabad, Mollahpara and Askarabad at Agrabad laid siege to the Mode 1 office as they were not getting even one-third of the required amount of water.
   Local sources said several hundred people started vandalising the office at around 11:30am. A huge contingent of police later visited the place and brought the situation under control.
   Chittagong residents, especially living at Halishahar, Nasirabad, Agrabad, Bakalia, Panchlaish, Patenga, Madarbari, Patharghata, Chawkbazar, Mehedibag, Chandgaon, Bahaddarhat and Marudpur have been facing problems for about six months as the water supply agency fails in its job.
   Amzad Hossain, a banker living at Hazipara, Agrabad, said they were getting water only three days a week and it was also for three to four hours.
   Hosneara Begum, a housewife at Pannapara, said their household works were seriously hampered and even she could not bath her one-year-old baby for days.
   Sources in the water supply agency said the problem worsened in the Agrabad area as two pumps in the locality could not function as ground water level went down. They said they had failed to extract water even after the installation of two pumps in the locality.
   The sources said they could produce hardly 17 crore litres of water on an average against a daily demand for more than 40 crore litres.
   ‘But recently, our average production came down to 12 crore litres because of power outages and low pressure of gas supply,’ said an official.

A recent survey of Democracywatch, a non-governmental organisation, reveals that 75.5 per cent of the people residing under the unions in different districts expressed their satisfaction over the functioning of union councils.
   The survey conducted on 30,000 people from six unions in four districts found only 5.3 per cent those who were unhappy about the way the UPs were functioning.
   A sample of 5,000 people was taken from each union of Bashan in Gazipur, Fatehpur and Ramnagar in Jessore, Khagakhari-bari in Nilphamari and Singra and Bulakipur in Dinajpur.
   The balance 19.2 per cent were not so positive, but not negative too. Out of the total, 14,091 were women and 15,909 were men.
   The survey showed 47.3 per cent of the people said the chairmen and members (45.8 per cent male and 33.4 per cent female members) have the capability of communicating with people.
   Forty-three per cent people said chairmen were efficient in tackling the local problems.
   Regarding distribution of jobs among the female members, 78 per cent said female members get jobs at a satisfactory level, 14.2 per cent said the females were getting all those jobs specified for them and 7.6 per cent said the female members were not getting any job.
   Forty-three per cent said the condition regarding crime and smuggling had developed, 44.7 said situation did not change while 9.4 per cent said the situation deteriorated.
   Regarding development in agricultural sector, 50.5 responded positively, 37.5 said it remained unchanged, while eight per cent responded negatively.
   Seventy-seven per cent said the birth registration situation in the country developed, while 16 per cent said situation remained unchanged and three per cent said the condition deteriorated.
   Sixty-two per cent were not so positive about the availability of the chairmen and members in resolving local problems, while 19.9 per cent were positive.
   The survey showed 41 per cent people are aware of different standing committees. Out of them, 58.3 per cent were male and 41.7 per cent female.

The prime minister, Khaleda Zia, Sunday urged the artists to uphold humanity and promote welfare, good sense and aesthetics through their skills and intellect to meet the demand of the time.
   ‘We believe in open window policy. We shall have to be familiar and maintain contact and relation with the practice of arts, intellectual progression and evolution of thoughts in the contemporary world,’ she said while formally opening the 12th Asian Biennial Fine Arts Exhibition at the Osmani Auditorium.
   Some 450 pieces of works of 152 artists from 32 countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America have been put on display in the exhibition.
   The prime minister said the world was changing fast and passing through turmoil. Thoughts, taste and sense of art are also changing. It has become imperative to practise, preserve and flourish the great tradition and serene values of Asia.
   ‘Amidst strong competition in globalisation, our own art and culture will have to be enriched, made acceptable and attractive. This is a big challenge of the 21st century,’ she said.
   Expressing her optimism, Khaleda said the brilliant artist community here was capable of facing this challenge through their creative intellect and practice.
   She, however, reminded that one could not become an immortal artist by depending on others and remaining isolated from one’s own soil and culture.
   Quoting great English poet Keats that `truth is beauty, beauty is truth’, she said a work of art should not be distant from truth and reality.
   Asian fine arts has great pros-pects, the prime minister said, adding that fine arts and unique expression in the countries of the region is striving for further excellence.
   She said contemporary art in the country started its journey following the eminent artist of the soil, Shilpacharya Zoynul Abedin. Later, great artists like SM Sultan and Qamrul Hassan further advanced the process.
   Mentioning the courageous role of artists during the liberation war and in all progressive democratic movements, she said such spontaneous patriotism, pro-people mindset and courage brightened their artistic outlook and enriched the domain of arts.
   Recalling the 1st Asian Biennial Fine Arts exhibition inaugurated by the late president Ziaur Rahman in 1981, she said since then the exhibition had deepened the cultural relations alongside the friendship among the states in Asia and beyond.
   Khaleda hoped that the exhibition would enable the artists from home and abroad to enrich their thoughts, imaginations and creativity.
   The state minister for cultural affairs, Selima Rahman, director general of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Ahmed Nazir and director general of the National Museum Mahmudul Huq also spoke at the function.
   The prime minister distributed grand prizes among three best artists — Hiroshi Fuji of Japan, Dhali Al Mamun of Bangladesh and Shidhaghat Al Khoran of Iran. Besides, eight artists were given honorary awards.

Poor awareness of sound pollution and no implementation of related laws have pushed sound pollution in Dhaka to terrible heights, said experts in a news briefing on Sunday.
   Children are especially harmed by sound pollution as it breaks down their concentration, resulting in behavioural drawback, the speakers said.
   They said sound pollution could also cause deafness, leading ultimately to mental imbalance.
   Non-governmental organisation Work for Better Bangladesh and the Asia Pacific University organised the briefing at the National Press Club.
   Noise level has exceeded permissible limits in most city areas, according to an earlier survey, said Amit Ranjan Dey, programme manager of the organisation.
   He said children, patients, traffic police and transport workers were affected dangerously by the sound pollution.
   The environment conservation law divided the city into five noise limit areas — silent area, residential area, mixed area, commercial area and industrial area.
   Amit Ranjan said the government drafted regulations to stop sound pollution, but the regulations were yet to be approved.
   He said a survey of 2004 showed noise exceeded at least by 15 to 40 decibels in city areas.
   Md Jobair Bib Alam, professor at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said motor transports were the largest source of noise, followed by brick grinders, explosion of crackers and the use of PA system.

Rain or thunder shower accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at one or two places over the Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong divisions till 6:00pm today, said the Met Office in a forecast on Sunday.
   Weather may remain nearly dry with partly cloudy sky elsewhere during the period.
   Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged. The highest temperature on Sunday, 33.8 degrees Celsius, was recorded at Chuadanga and the lowest, 14.8 degrees Celsius, in Dinajpur.
   The sun sets in the capital city at 6:04pm today and will rise at 6:16am on Tuesday.

Shahiduzzaman of New Age was elected president and Mizan Malik of Jugantor general secretary to the executive committee of the Reporters against Corruption.
   The 11-member executive committee was elected uncontested on Sunday.
   The other members on the committee are vice-president Santosh Mandal of Channel i, joint secretary Asif Shawkat Kollol of News Today, organising secretary Deep Azad of Samakal, treasurer Tawfiq Fahim of Naya Diganta, international secretary Zahangir Alam of the United News of Bangladesh, office, publicity and publication secretary Wakil Ahmed Hiron of Ajker Kagoj and members Alamgir Swapan of Janakantha, Ferdous Abi of Bangla Vision and Saidur Rahman of Sangbad.

The first death anniversary of Farida Sarkar, wife of Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, former minister for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, will be held today.
   Farida Sarkar, who was a news reader of the Voice of America and teacher at the English department of the North South University, died of cancer in 2005. She was 48.
   The day will be observed through recitation from the Quran, prayer session and distribution of food among orphans.
   Relatives, friends and well wishers of the late Farida Sarkar have requested to pray for eternal peace of her departed soul.

A retired professor of English at Netrakona Government College, Bodiuzzaman, died in his resident at Satpai in the Netrakona town on Sunday after a prolonged illness. He was 80.
   He is survived by three sons and one daughter.
   He was buried at Netrakona graveyard Sunday afternoon.

Sheraton offers sweet sleeper bed rooms
The Sheraton Hotel has introduced the Sheraton brand Sweet Sleeper bed rooms to for borders. In Dhaka, Sheraton has introduced the beds, said the general manager of the hotel, Trevor MacDonald, on Sunday at a news briefing at the hotel.
— New Age

AL distributes iron sheets among fire victims
The Awami League on Sunday distributed 60 bundles of corrugated iron sheets among the victims of Saturday’s fire which took place at the New Society market at Mirpur in Dhaka, in which 35 shops were burnt. The Pallabi unit Awami League president, Elias Mollah, distributed the relief on behalf of the party president, Sheikh Hasina, where party joint secretary Obaidul Kader was present, said a release.
— New Age

JU newsmen form human chain
Journalists at Jahangirnagar University on Sunday formed a human chain in front of the university Amar Ekhushey monument, protesting against the incident of setting fire to the room of a journalist at the university on March 1. About 200 students attended the human chain. A meeting was held where student leaders demanded proper investigation.
— New Age