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Thousands of men and young boys in a rally to mark International Women’s Day in Dhaka on Tuesday promised to stop acid violence against women.
   ‘We will not throw acid any more. It is our promise. We apologise on behalf of all men of Bangladesh to women acid victims,’ echoed thousands of men and boys of different socio-cultural and economic background at the men’s rally at the Central Shaheed Minar.
   The Acid Survivors Foundation in cooperation with non-governmental organisations such as the Girl Child Advocacy Forum and Save the Children Sweden organised the rally.
   The Acid Survivors Foundation executive director, Munira Rahman, who inaugurated the rally, said in most of cases, men threw acid and only men were guilty of all such acid violence. ‘This is why awareness of acid violence should be created among men.’
   She said men with an awareness of acid violence could the attitude of their fellows in putting an end to such crimes. ‘Cooperation from civil society and men of different professions is required from this social movement and we received the cooperation.’
   ‘We organised the men’s rally first in 2002 on International Women’s Day. We have received a tremendous response from men of every walk of life,’ she said.
   She said the trend of acid violence went upwards between 1999 and 2002; the trend started declining from 2003, which was a positive impact of creating awareness among men of such inhuman attacks on women.
   Statistics available with the Acid Survivors Foundation showed in 2000, the number of acid victims were 139; the number increased to 487 in 2002. But in 2003, the number declined to 412; it came down to 268 in 2005.
   Men and boys of all walks of life started gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar at 4:00pm. They carried banners and placards reading slogans such as ‘Stop acid attack. Save humanity’, ‘Save women from acid violence and we can make a perfect society’, ‘Acid thrower should not be released on bail,’ and ‘No more acid violence is men’s promise.’
   Eminent artiste Ramendu Majumdar said the government needed to take proper steps to stop abuse of acid and to extend financial help to acid victims from government funds.
   Barrister Rokan Uddin Mahmud said there are laws which have no proper use and the Acid Violence Act 2002 is one among them.
   Abdullah Abu Sayeed, founder Bishwa Shahitya Kendra, Adil Hossain Nobel, acotor, Anisul Huq, writer, Badiul Alam Majumder, country director of The Hunger Project, SMA Faiz, Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University, Khaled Mahmud Sujan, national team cricket player, Mamunur Rashid, actor, Matiur Rahman, editor of Daily Prothom Alo, Riazuddin Ahmed, president of the National Press Club and Wajedul Islam Khan general secretary of Trade Union Centre also spoke.
   Fakir Alamgir, Shubhra Dev and musical band Black performed on the occasion.
   The same programme will be repeated simultaneously today, on International Women’s Day, in 27 districts.

Statues commemorating five martyrs of the Language Movement will be installed on the Bangla Academy premises.
   The proposed sculpture, planned to be installed by the Burdwan House, will feature the busts of five martyrs — Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar and Shafiur.
   The busts, made of bronze, will be placed on a seven-foot high base to tower 11 feet high from the base. The base will have murals.
   Though the statues will be constructed on the Bangla Academy premises, the academy authorities will not bear the construction costs for its fund constraints.
   A private firm, Zardin International, made the proposal for the sculpture on the academy premises few months ago and the academy accepted the proposal.
   They tried to start construction in February, but failed to proceed because of fund crunch.
   They later managed sponsorship. Mobile operator GrameenPhone agreed to provide Tk 20 lakh for the project.
   The Bangla Academy director general, Abul Kalam Manzur Morshed, on Tuesday said every one knew the names of the martyrs, but very few knew them by face. The statues will introduce the heroes who laid down their lives from the mother tongue, he said.
   Manzur Morshed said the designs for the statues were yet to be finalised. ‘The firm that proposed the project will approach some sculptors for the designs. The work will begin immediately after the design is finalised.’
   The Bangla Academy prefers Mrinal Huq for the job.
   GrameenPhone spokesperson Syed Yamin Bakht said the mobile operator was proud to sponsor such an initiative.
   ‘The company always patronises the culture and heritage of the nation and will continue extending such supports in future,’ he said.

The Square Consumer Products Limited in its brand name Radhuni accorded a reception to three women for their success in their life. The slogan of the programme was ‘In our struggle, in your success.’
   The reception programme was held at the Bashundhara City exhibition hall on Tuesday, marking International Women’s Day.
   The three women honoured are Rahima of Durgapur in Netrakona, Kulsum Begum of Charkhali in Narail and Arzina Khatun of Taraganj in Rangpur.
   They did not only overcome poverty with their struggle, but also helped many poor men and women to overcome extreme poverty.
   Kulsum Begum, along with her daughter, after being ditched by her husband, began saving money by working as a housemaid.
   She later built a farmhouse with the help of cooperatives loan and became self-reliant. She also became the source of inspiration for many of the poor around her after she had received the National Cooperatives Award in 1995.
   Poor Rahima Begum is now a proud owner of 215 rickshaws. Her husband died, leaving behind four children. She later helped 1,250 pullers to own rickshaws by giving them rickshaws in instalments. She is now known as the queen of rickshaws and is living a happy life with her family.
   Arzina Khatun became a successful mushroom farmer by saving a handful of rice every day. In the beginning, after being divorced, she was not received back by her parents. Now she is dreaming of eradicating poverty from her locality, with the introduction of large-scale farming of mushroom.
   Square managing director Anjan Choudhury said the main objective of the programme was to honour ordinary women who became successful in their lives.
   He said people should acknowledge women’s role in their endless effort to support the family, society and the state.
   The daily Prothom Alo editor, Motiur Rahman, and Barrister Tania Amir handed over crests and cheques for Tk 30,000 each to the three.

The bookshop owners at Banglabazar in Dhaka kept their shops closed on Tuesday demanding reduction in the prices of local paper and withdrawal of import duty on paper of all kinds.
   The leaders of the Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers’ Association also announced fresh agitation programmes to push for their demands.
   The association will submit memorandums to all the deputy commissioners on March 20 and will submit memorandum to the Ministry of Industries on March 27. A memorandum will also be submitted to the prime minister on April 4.
   The association president, Abu Taher, addressing a rally at Banglabazar, said unusual increase in the prices of paper was affecting students, publishers and printers.
   He demanded that the government should withdraw import duties on newsprint and whiteprint and take measures to provide the publishers with locally produced paper at fair price.
   The association brought out a procession before holding the rally.

Two students were critically injured and seven rooms were vandalised at Jahangirnagar University during a clash between two factions of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Monday night.
   The injured were Pratik of anthropology and Taiub, follower of the university JCD general secretary Nazmul Hasan.
   The clash took place when Pratik beat Sohel of a history and follower of the university unit president, Parvez Mallik.
   After the incident, students from Maulana Bhasani Hall, led by university unit Chhatra Dal organising secretary Zabed, attacked Al Beruni Hall and vandalised several rooms and beat Pratik and Taiub.

The election to the 15-member executive committee of the Rajshahi University Teachers’ Association will be held on Thursday.
   The While Panel backed by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami and the Yellow Panel backed by the Awami League and left-leaning parties are in the race.
   Polling will be held at Juberi Bhaban of the university between 8:00am and 2:00 pm without any break. About 1,100 teachers are likely to cast their vote.
   Former vice-president of the association, Abul Bashar Miah, will act as election commissioner.
   Professor Khairul Alam Khan of applied physics and electronic is vying for the post of president and Professor Abul Kashem of history for the post of secretary from the Yellow Panel.
   Professor Zillur Rahman of applied mathematic is vying for the post of president from the White Panel and Professor Mahbub Hassan of zoology for the post of secretary.
   The candidates remained busy with door-to-door campaigns on Tuesday.

Workers of the sister concerns of the fire-ravaged KTS Textile and Garment Industry in Chittagong blocked Sheikh Mujib Road in Chittagong, suspending traffic for more than two hours on Tuesday.
   More than 2,000 workers of three factories, which were sealed off after the fire incident in which 58 were killed, went out on demonstrations, demanding that the factories should be reopened and outstanding salaries should be paid to the workers.
   Local sources said the workers gathered at the Badamtali crossing at Agrabad on Sheikh Mujib Road at around 11:00am and withdrew the blockade at around 1:30pm after assurance from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association of taking necessary measures in this regard.
   The Rapid Action Battalion sealed off the factories — Vintage Fashion on Sagarika Road, Cardinal Fashion at Chhotapul and Arena Fashion at Chaktai — in the city on February 24 as they were unplanned and posed risks to the lives of the workers for lack of safety measures.

The Bangla department students of Rajshahi University on Monday staged a sit-in demonstration for two hours at the department, demanding postponement of the third-year final examinations for a week on the grounds of illness of two of their fellows.
   A large number of students joined the programme and said they would go on a token hunger strike and form a human chain on the campus to push for their demand as the authorities refused to defer the exams.
   Sources in the department said the two students, Russel Ahmed and Iftikher Hossain Sajib, were critically injured and were being treated in Rajshahi and Dhaka.
   They would not be able to take the examinations, beginning on March 14.
   The department chair, Jalil said the department academic committee rejected the proposal for the postponement of examination on the grounds of session jam.
   The students of the department promised contri- bution for the treatment of the fellows.
   They collected donation from teachers, students and officials on the campus.

Rain or thunder shower accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at one or two places over the Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna and Sylhet divisions till 6:00pm today, said the Met Office in a forecast on Tuesday.
   Weather may remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky elsewhere during the period.
   Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged. The highest temperature on Tuesday, 34.6 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Rajshahi and the lowest, 16.5 degrees Celsius, in Dinajpur.
   The sun sets in the capital city at 6:05pm today and will rise at 6:14am on Thursday.

Gana Forum president and eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain on Tuesday called upon the prime minister to take legal steps against those ministers who have played the role of patrons and protectors of Bangla Bhai and Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh.
   Dr Kamal, also the convenor of Jatiya Oikya Mancha, at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club said that national security will continue to be in grave danger unless the prime minister takes action against the ministers and initiates immediate investigation into the charges which have been reportedly confirmed by Shaikh Abdur Rahman.
   He proposed formation of an independent national commission headed by three former chief justices — formed on the basis of consultations between the government, the opposition political parties and other persons who enjoy public confidence — to find out the reasons for the rise of the ultra-Islamist forces in the country and their sources of finance and patrons.
   The commission should include reputable, independent experts who can evaluate all the evidences that have been collected over the last 24 months, said Dr Kamal.
   The commission should also seek the assistance of the United Nations (within the existing framework of international cooperation) to combat terrorism according to provisions of the Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) and related resolutions, he added.
   Without mentioning the name of any minister, Kamal said that one of the BNP members of parliament, Abu Hena, has named certain ministers as patrons and protectors of Bangla Bhai and JMB. The press conference was attended by Gana Forum general secretary Saif Uddin Ahmad Manik, presidium member Pankaj Bhattacharia, Zahirul Islam, Abdur Rouf and Oikya Mancha leader Ajoy Roy.

The Supreme Court Bar Association on Tuesday demanded that the ruling alliance men who are believed responsible for the rise of militants in the
   country should be brought to justice.
   The association president, Mahbubey Alam, made the plea at a press briefing at the bar association office on Tuesday to express reaction of the bar to the government action after capturing the most wanted outlawed JMB kingpins — Shaikh Abdur Rahman and Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai.
   ‘Godfathers of the militants are hiding in the alliance government and those, who said there had been no existence of Bangla Bhai and that Bangla Bhai was the creation of the media, should be brought to book before trial of the militants for the sake of a fair deal,’ he said.
   ‘Otherwise, the government’s ongoing drive against militancy will be a futile exercise.’
   The association president, who was very critical of the government dealing with militancy, said, ‘The government was patronising the militants for long and now it is praising itself for capturing the militants.’

A suspected regional leader of underground Purba Banglar Communist Party (Janajuddha) was killed in ‘crossfire’ with the Rapid Action Battalion members at Chapalimuralibagan area under Kaliganj upazila in Khulna early Tuesday, raising the death counts in such incidents to 501 since June 2004.
   The deceased, identified as Mohammad Abbas Ali alias killer Abbas, 32, of village Foyla under Kaliganj upazila in Khulna, was accused in a dozen criminal cases including a murder, RAB claimed.
   The battalion said a RAB-6 team arrested Abbas from Kaliganj on Monday.
   Based on his information, the battalion team taking Abbas launched several drives to seize hidden arms and nab his associates. As the team reached Chapalimuralibagan area at about 4:00am, the accomplices of Abbas started firing on the battalion members who retaliated.
   At one stage, Abbas tried to flee, but was hit by bullets falling in the line of fire, the RAB claimed.
   He was taken to a nearby hospital where the doctors on duty declared him dead.

The admission process for the summer semester 2006 at the East West University has started.
   The admission test for the undergraduate programmes will be held on April 21 at 10:00am and that of the graduate programmes on April 7 at 10:00am.
   The university offers undergraduate programmes in economics, information and electronic engineering, pharmacy and business administration.
   The university also offers graduate and professional programmes like MBA, executive MBA, masters in development studies, masters in bank management, MA in English, masters in computer science and engineering and masters in telecommunications engineering.
   Further details are available at the administration office of the university at 43 Mohakhali or 8861163-4, 9887989, 8811381 (ext 234) can be dialed on.
   The administration office remains open on Friday as well as week days.

Bangladesh Juba Moitri, youth front of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, on Tuesday formed a human chain at Muktangan, protesting against power outage and water and gas crisis in the capital.
   The front leaders at a human chain rally said the continuous load shading, scarcity of water and gas had caused enormous sufferings to the city dwellers.
   They called upon the government to take immediate steps to solve the problems.
   Chaired by front central leader Mostafa Alamgir Ratan, the rally was addressed, among others, by Juba Moitri Dhaka city secretary Quamrul Ahsan, general secretary Sadakat Hossain Babul and Muktar Hossain Nahid.
   The human chain was followed by a protest procession.

The classes for Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers offered by the Services for Professional Education and Enterprise Development began on
   February 14.
   A group of 18 participants from various English medium schools have been enrolled for this diploma.
   The diploma will cover four modules: design, practice, assessment and evaluation and the duration of the diploma is approximately one year.

Professor ABM Siddiqur Rahman, chairman of Dawah and Islamic studies department of Islamic University, died of cardiac arrest at around 1:00pm on Tuesday while working in the department. He was 55.
   The department sources said Professor Rahman was working in the department. He suddenly lay down on the floor and was senseless.
   He was taken to IU medical centre and transferred to Kushtia General Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
   Professor Rahman joined the university in February of 1988.
   He also worked as a teacher at Madinah University in Saudi Arabia. He had good academic results in all the public exams.
   He was son of the late Haider Ali Bhuiyan of village Hotkhali of Mothbaria upazila in Pirozpur. He was the son-in-law of the late Mawlana Nesar Uddin, spiritual leader of Sarsina in Barisal.
   He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
   His first janaza held at the IU Play ground at 5:30pm Tuesday. The body was sent to his village where he is supposed to be buried. The university VC, M Rafiqul Islam condoled his death.

The first death anniversary of Professor Abdul Jabbar Mian, former head of the Rajshahi University botany department, will be held today.
   A prayer session has been arranged at his Sutipara village home in Dhamrai on this occasion.
   Relatives, friends and well-wishers have been requested to attend the prayer session and pray for the departed soul.

Tk 9 lakh looted
in Dhaka
Robbers looted cash and valuables worth about Tk 9 lakh from a house at Tejgaon in Dhaka Monday night. The police said eight robbers entered the residence of Halima Khatun on Indira Road beside the Tejgaon College at about 8:00pm and took away Tk 3 lakh in cash, gold ornaments weighing about 40 tolas and other valuables. No one was arrested till Tuesday evening in this connection.

Air force holds
safety seminar
The 29th annual command safety seminar of the Bangladesh Air Force was held at the Falcon Hall in Dhaka on Tuesday. Army force chief air vice-marshal Fakhurul Azam attended the seminar as chief guest. He handed over the inter-base flight safety trophy for 2005 to the BAF Base Matiur Rahman. He also awarded inter-squadron Khademul Bashar flight safety trophy to 25 Squadron of the force. Flight lieutenant Omar Karim of 9 Squadron read out the keynote paper on ‘discipline: the foundation of airmanship.’
— New Age