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The first drive of a combined force to recover illegal arms from Dhaka University dormitories turned futile as no arms cache was discovered due to alleged leakage of information, sources said.
   BDR, police and Armed Police Battalion initiated the joint drive for recovering illegal arms from the 12 male dormitories in early hours of Sunday.
   The step followed the Friday’s meeting of the caretaker government with senior executives of the law enforcing agencies that decided to intensify recovery of illegal arms to ensure a free and fair election scheduled for January 2007.
   The security forces carried out extensive search in the halls for about two hours early Sunday, but came out almost empty handed. ‘The operation plan was leaked out in advance in the evening. Moreover, it was not a well coordinated crackdown,’ a disappointed senior police official involved in the raid told New Age.
   ‘We will, however, continue the raid in different hideouts of the criminals across the country,’ he added.
   Sources in the campus, which is known as one of the largest and safest places for arms and criminals, said that information was leaked out by some dishonest police officials beforehand and all the illegal substances were moved out before the raid.
   Some 2,000 law enforcers from police, BDR, along with 500 members of armed police battalion, began the search in 12 dormitories from about 1:15am, but wrapped up their first-day operation with arrest of 11 outsiders.
   The arrested were identified as Shukumar Chakma, 19, Samar Biwas, 20, Pallab, 21, Samir Kumar Dey, 22, Palash, 19, Utrail Marma, 21, Puchanmam Marma, 20, Mosharraf Hossain, 21, Azim Sharif, 20, Najib Ullah, 19 and Jalal, 20.
   M A Zaman, the duty officer of Shahbagh police station told New Age, ‘We are yet to take any decision about the arrested. The higher authorities will examine the information provided by them.’
   This was the fist major operation by the caretaker government as part of its efforts to recover illegal firearms and nab the criminals ahead of the general elections.
   Huge contingent of law enforcers cordoned off the entire campus at about 12:45am and blocked all traffic movement towards the campus before withdrawing at about 3:30am. Four dormitories of female students remained outside the operation.
   Mahmudur Rahman, a student of the economic department told New Age, ‘I had learnt about the police raid Saturday evening from some of my friends, who are involved in politics of the student wing of the immediate past ruling alliance.’
   ‘Soon after that, we came to know that the police would be conducting the raids in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hall, Muktijodha Ziaur Rahman Hall, Jashimuddin Hall, Mohsin Hall, Surya Sen Hall, and Sergeant Zahurul Huq hall,’ he added.

The BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Sunday urged teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions to work together for the candidates of the BNP-led alliance in the upcoming general elections.
   ‘Please work in towns, villages and mahallas before the polls to sustain development and safeguard independence and sovereignty,’ she said while exchanging views with teachers and employees of non-government schools, colleges and madrasas.
   A large number of teachers and employees from across the country attended the meeting, organised by the Shikkhak-Karmachari Oikya Jote, a combine of 13 teachers and employees organisations, at BIAM auditorium at Eskaton in the city.
   Khaleda said a deep-rooted conspiracy was being hatched to destroy the country’s economy, development, democracy and constitution.
   Some people were creating anarchy in the country raising unconstitutional demands, which can be met by none, let alone the interim caretaker government, she added.
   ‘The responsibility of the caretaker government is to do routine work and assist the Election Commission in holding a fair and peaceful election within 90 days,’ the former prime minister said.
   She said the Awami League-led combine did not want election, democracy, development and peace in the country.
   Leaders of the component parties of the combine, except the Awami League, do not want election as none of them has the chance to get elected in the polls, Khaleda said and added, they, however, can now take part in the polls since late president introduced multi-party democracy in the country.
   Describing the last government as a successful one in all respect, she said the BNP-led alliance has left the proof of success in all sectors, including education, health, population control, agriculture, communication, poverty reduction and economy.
   On the other hand, the AL came to power twice but did nothing for the people, rather tried to destroy the country through terrorism, copying in public examinations and creating troubles in educational institutions.
   The BNP chief listed her government’s steps for welfare of the teachers and employees and development of education, particularly primary and female education, and said girls education would be made free up to the bachelor degree level from the present intermediate level, if the BNP-led alliance forms the next government. Other demands of the teachers and employees would also be considered, she added.
   Addressing the function, leaders of the teachers’ and employees’ bodies expressed gratitude to Khaleda for her government’s steps for their welfare, including 100 per cent salary from government exchequer, festival bonus and retirement benefit.
   Chaired by Oikya Jote Chairman, Principal M Selim Bhuiyan, the meeting was addressed, among others, by BNP standing committee member and former health minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, former education minister Dr Osman Farruk, former agruculture minister MK Anwar and former deputy minister for information Abdus Salam Pintu.
   Teachers’ representatives – Principal Mafizuddin Mahmud, Maulana MA Latif, Principal Syed Mahbubur Rahman Mukul, Shafiqul Alam, Shahadul Haq, Faizur Rahman, Principal Nurul Bahar, Kanchan Ali, Jasimuddin Ahmed, Golam Mostafa and Fatema Akhtar – also spoke on the occasion.

The non-government teachers and employees on Sunday demanded immediate resignation of Iajuddin Ahmed as chief adviser to the caretaker government and appointment of a new chief adviser.
   The Awami League-backed National Front of Teachers and Employees, which is a combine of 11 organisations of teachers, at a press conference also accused President Iajuddin Ahmed of not reforming the Election Commission.
   ‘Step down from the post of chief advisor to the caretaker government immediately and save the nation from looming disaster,’ demanded Quazi Faruque Ahmed, chief coordinator of the front, at a press conference in the National Press Club.
   ‘If the election schedule is declared with questio- nable motives, the teachers
   and employees will not accept it,’ Faruque said.
   ‘Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina will address us as chief guest at a teachers’ convention to be held on December 2 in Dhaka.’
   Teachers and employees, who lost their jobs and suffered due to oppression in the tenure of the immediate-past BNP-led alliance government, will attend the convention.
   Moreover, a fresh agitation programme will be declared from the convention if their demands are not met by December 2.
   Their main demands are to remove the director-general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, vice-chancellors of National University and Bangladesh Open University, all of whom were recruited by the former BNP government.
   There are more than five lakh teachers and employees working in more than 30,000 non-government high schools, colleges and madrassahs across Bangladesh.

The United People’s Democratic Front on Sunday said the existing constitution and governance system would not help resolve crises facing the people.
   ‘The constitution fails to give any solution to the political crisis. Many of the articles and sections of the discriminatory constitution are anti-people, and laws based on it often appear to be repressive and unjust,’ said the party chief, Prasit Bikash Khisha, at the first-ever congress since the party was launched in 1998.
   ‘This constitution neither ensures the rights of general people nor does it accept the existence of ethnic minorities,’ he said, adding formulation of a constitution that safeguards the interests and rights of all people of the country irrespective of class, profession, ethnicity, religion, colour and community has become a prime need.
   The Chittagong Hill Tracts-based political outfit, which rejected the 1996 peace treaty, began its national congress Sunday at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.
   President of Jatiya Mukti Council, Badruddin Umar, scientist Jamal Nazrul Islam, language movement veteran Abdul Matin, Jatiya Gana Front coordinator Tipu Bishwas, anti-imperialist democratic unity president Shamsul Huq Sayem and Ganasanghati Andolan coordinator Jonayed Saki also spoke at the inaugural session. Journalist Faiz Ahmed and economist Anu Muhammad sent solidarity messages.
   The inaugural session was followed by a procession that paraded different roads in Dhaka in the afternoon.
   The congress is expected to elect a full-fledged executive committee, review the organisational activities and policy issues, and discuss the hill people’s interests in the upcoming general elections and their ideological stance on autonomy of the CHT.
   Over 200 councillors will attend the closed-door session on Monday. About 1,200 representatives and observers from different ethnic minorities of the hills and plain land are also participating in the congress.
   The congress will approve the constitution of the party, formulate its policy and programmes, and finalise its demands. Issues of participation in the next general elections and nomination of the candidates will also be discussed, party sources said.

Bangladesh has asked its high commissioner to New Delhi to report on India’s latest stance on the controversial Tipaimukh dam project in Churachandpur of Manipur.
   ‘I have asked our high commissioner to clarify the latest situation,’ the foreign secretary, Hemayetuddin, told the news agency on Sunday.
   According to Indian media reports, including PTI and The Telegraph, the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh will make a two-day visit to Manipur from today.
   And on the first day of his tour, he is likely to lay the foundation stone of the controversial Tipaimukh dam project, the reports said.
   Sources at the foreign and water resources ministry said Bangladesh was gravely concerned over the Indian move to inaugurate the dam construction.
   During the former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s visit to New Delhi early this year and other high-profile visits from India, the neighbouring country had assured that it would not take any unilateral decision affecting Bangladesh.
   However, during the 36th Joint River Commission meeting held in Dhaka in September last year, India hinted that it would go ahead with its planned Tipaimukh dam for generating hydropower despite opposition from Bangladesh.
   The possible inauguration of the dam construction not only has evoked sharp reaction in Bangladesh, but also strong protests in India.
   The Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Project and several social organisations were protesting for months against the proposed construction of the dam on river Barak at Tipaimukh in Churachandpurt, according to a PTI report.
   The Rs 6,000-crore multi-purpose Barak dam project was first mooted in 1954, but ran into endless hurdles — including delay due to hydrological and seismic investigations, according to the Telegraph.
   The proposed dam has also been facing strong opposition from various environmental organisations in both the neighbouring countries.
   Preparations for laying the foundation stone of Tipaimukh project would be another attempt to suppress the democratic aspirations and movement of the Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and Bangladesh people, who would be the worst sufferers due to this ill-conceived mega project, according to a statement issued by the Citizens Concern for Dams and Development in Manipur.
   Experts have been vocal against the dam and termed the project ‘an inhuman plan’. They said around one crore people of Bangladesh would be affected if the project is implemented.
   ‘Bio-diversity, heritage and livelihood of the Barak-Surma basin in the greater Sylhet region will be affected when the Tipaimukh dam project is implemented,’ Prof Mohammad Jafar Iqbal said.
   The Bangladesh Economic Association president, Dr Md Kholiquzzaman said 50 to 60 per cent water from the Barak (Surma) river will be blocked during the rainy season after completion of the project, and the water level of the Surma river will decline during the dry season.
   Besides, the BEA president said sudden floods might affect the people surrounding Surma basin in Bangladesh when the sluice gates of the dam will be opened. level.

The election commissioner in-charge, Justice Mahfuzur Rahman, has once again denied reports that firearms had been recovered from his residence during the ‘operation clean heart’ conducted by the army-led joint forces in October, 2002.
   ‘Arms were not seized from my house. Those were found outside the boundary wall of my residence. If weapons had been recovered from my house, I would have been in jail,’ Justice Rahman told the reporters at his office on Sunday.
   The army-led joint forces seized three revolvers with 46 rounds of bullet and a magazine wrapped in a plastic bag hanging from the boundary wall of his house, and arrested his brother-in-law, Zafrul Hasan Penny, during the ‘operation clean heart’ on October 27, 2002.
   About the charge that his brother-in-law, who used to stay in his house, had kept the illegal arms, the election commissioner in-charge said, ‘my brother-in-law was not arrested from my house. Moreover, if any of my relatives are guilty, I am not responsible for that,’ he said.
   Different dailies carried news reports about the recovery of arms in October, 2002, from the residence of Justice Rahman after he took the charge as the acting CEC on November 23.

The Border Security Force of India and the Bangladesh Rifles exchanged gunfire along Madra and Kakdanga borders in Kolaroa upazila of Satkhira early Sunday.
   BDR sources said BSF troops of Hakimpur camp in Uttar 24 Parganas fired one round of bullet towards Madra border at about 1.45am prompting BDR members of Madra camp to retaliate.
   BDR personnel fired several rounds of bullet targeting Indian smugglers, sources said.
   Besides, BSF members of Tarali camp and BDR troops of Kakdanga camp exchanged several rounds of bullet at 2:00am.

The hearing in the gold smuggling case filed against HM Ershad was deferred till January 11 as he could not appear in the court of the metropolitan sessions judge in Dhaka on Sunday.
   The first additional judge, SM Majibur Rahman, posted the date following a time petition filed by defence lawyer Sheikh Sirazul Islam, who told the court, ‘Ershad went to London for a medical check-up as he has been suffering from chest pain.’

The second-year law students at Islamic University complained against the exams committee chairman about giving examinations with the question paper use in the exams two years ago.
   The students said in the hall, they found that the question paper for second-year Course 5 exams for the year 2005 they had been given was similar to the paper used in 2003. The invigilators asked the students to read 2005 in place of 2003.
   Out of the examinations hall, they found that the question paper was exactly similar to the paper used in the exams for 2003.
   The exams committee chair, Halima Begum, later told journalists that it was a mistake.
   The department chair, Atiqur Rahman, said on Sunday they would make a decision on it after the academic committee meeting on Tuesday.

Maulana Syed Fazlul Karim, pir of Charmonai and chairman of Islamic Constitution Movement, was buried at the family graveyard in Charmonai on Sunday morning.
   A large number of disciples from came to Charmonai, about 17 kilometres northeast of the Barisal city, to attend the burial function held at 10:00am.
   AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, MA Mannan, Tofail Ahmed, Abul Hasanat Abdullah, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Shaikhul Hadis Azizul Huq, Mufti Fazlul Huq Amini, and Tablig Jamaat amir Maulana Mozammel Huq, among others, took part in the janaza.
   Maulana Fazlul Karim died at in Charmonai residence on Saturday. He was selected as the second pir of Charmonai in 1973 after the death of his father Maulana Syed Ishaq.
   He was also the chairman of the Islamic Constitution Movement founded by him in 1987. He formed Islami Jatiya Oikya Front before the 2001 national election.
   Meanwhile, Maulana Syed Rezaul Karim, son of late pir Fazlul Karim, has been selected as new pir of Charmonai and chairman of the ICM.
   The 33-member Majlish-e-Shura and the 16-member Majlish-e-Khalifa took the decision at a closed-door meeting held at Charmonai madrassah.

Another suspect arrested in connection with the explosions near Bangabhaban on November 20 was remanded in custody for two days by a court in Dhaka on Sunday.
   The Detective Branch on Saturday arrested minor boy Azim at his residence on ASK Das Road at Surapur and produced him in the court of the chief metropolitan magistrates seeking a remand for seven days.
   The police also prayed for the remand for another accused Nadim, earlier arrested on the same charge, saying the two are professional criminals and exploded bombs near the south gate of Bangabhaban.
   ‘We have to interrogate the criminals to crack the incident and to identify the spot where the explosives were made,’ Detective Branch inspector Ruhul Amin, also investigation officer of the case, said in court.
   Magistrate Mamun-al-Rashed heard the petitions and granted that Azim should be remanded in custody for two days, but rejected the petition seeking remand for Nadim. The defence lawyer pleaded Nadim ill.
   Unnamed miscreants at about 6:00 on Monday exploded two handmade bombs just after the president and chief adviser; Iajuddin Ahmed, had left the premises to join a meeting with his council of advisers in another of his offices at Tejgaon.
   The police have so far been arrested six people in this connection.

Lack of adequate laws makes the government helpless in curbing price hike of essential commodities, while political disturbances instigated the latest round of increase, the finance and commerce adviser Akbar Ali Khan said.
   ‘Checking of market price manipulation requires stern laws including the Consumer Protection Act that those could only be enacted by a political government,’ Akbar was quoted as telling a delegation of Consumer Association of Bangladesh at secretariat Sunday.
   CAB general secretary Kazi Faruk led the seven-member team to place a 10-point set of recommendations to the caretaker government adviser, seeking steps to rein in skyrocketing prices.
   The adviser dismissed the suggestion of utilising the special power act to check market manipulation,
   arguing that there are chances of misuse of such a sensitive law.
   He observed that disruption in supply chain due to recent political unrest contributed to the latest wave of price hike of essentials.
   He, however, hoped that prices would come down in next few days.
   The CAB recommendations included formation of a permanent high-profile and inter-ministerial task force,
   eliminating import duties from major essentials, effectively activating the TCB and strictly enforcing the anti-hoarding laws to keep prices in check.
   The recommendations also included regular monitoring of supplies and prices by the ministries concerned and surveying production and demand accurately.

Eighteen assistant secretaries (non-cadre) have been promoted to senior assistant secretaries (non-cadre), said an official notification on Sunday.
   The promoted officials are M Salimullah (government transport pool), M Bazlur Rahman (finance division), M Abdur Rashid Miah (finance division), M Abdul Khaleq (commerce ministry), Syed Kamaluddin (food and disaster management ministry), M Amir Hossain (food and disaster management ministry), Noor Mohammad Sikder (finance division), SM Habibur Rahman (agriculture ministry), Delwar Hossain (economic
   relations division), M Zayedul Huq (textiles and jute
   ministry), M Abdus Samad (finance division), Kazi Abul Kalam (defence ministry), M Khurshid Alam (textiles and jute ministry), M Abdul Gani Hawlader (President’s Office), M Sharafat Ali (finance division), M Muslim Khan (food and disaster management ministry), M Liakat Hossain (information ministry) and MM Qashem (cabinet division).
   The establishment ministry in its notification said the newly promoted officers would remain at their respective stations until further notice.
   Earlier, on November 19, leaders of a liaison committee of the Secretariat Administrative Officers Association and Bangladesh Secretariat Personal Officers Association met with the establishment secretary to press for their various demands including promotion.
   During the meeting, the establishment secretary assured the liaison committee leaders of fulfilling their demands within 15 days.

The Nepalese foreign secretary, Bhagirath Basnet, called on the president and chief adviser, Iajuddin Ahmed, on Sunday and sought Dhaka’s support to Katmandu’s bid to chair the LDC Coordinating Bureau.
   Basnet arrived in Dhaka on Friday as special envoy of the Nepalese prime minister, Girija Prasad Koirala.
   He handed over a letter addressed to the president by the Nepalese prime minister in which Koirala sought Bangladesh government’s support to Nepal’s bid to chair the LDC Coordinating Bureau in New York for 2007-2011.
   The president thanked the Nepalese prime minister for his leadership in successfully concluding a peace treaty with the Maoists.
   Earlier, Basnet met the foreign secretary Hemayetuddin at foreign ministry.
   Basnet is expected to return to Katmandu today.