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The 20-year Strategic Transport Plan for the Dhaka city and its peripheral areas is likely to be placed at the cabinet meeting next week for approval.
   ‘We hope that the cabinet will approve the STP at its next meeting scheduled for Monday,’ the additional executive director of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, SM Salehuddin, told New Age on Wednesday.
   The communications ministry has made the STP to place at the cabinet meeting for approval, he added.
   The long term transport plan involving an estimated Tk 40,600 crore for the Dhaka city and its peripheral areas Narayanganj, Keraniganj, Savar and Gazipur is envisaged to ensure safe and sustainable multimodal transport system integrating road, rail and waterways, he said.
   After approval, a detailed survey will be conducted on different transport ways, including roads, elevated expressways and underground rail to implement the STP, he said adding that the government would look for donors or fund it from its own sources to conduct the survey.
   Salehuddin also said the study would be carried out in accordance with the STP to undertake scores of projects to develop the existing and new transport infrastructures of the Dhaka city. The official said the implementation of STP will start after 2008.
   According to the board officials, the main objectives of STP are to develop transport infrastructures, build up smooth road network between east and west of Dhaka, make inter-cities communication easier, interlink different bus, train and water vessels and make elevated expressway alongside constructing new roads and widening existing roads.
   It also included road-based development that include road widening and construction of new roads.
   Besides, the circular waterway has also been suggested in the STP, the officials said.
   Under the STP, an urban transport policy and institutional strengthening and capacity building of the departments concerned have been added.
   The STP also emphasised on proper traffic management to ensure pedestrians’ safety and security and make the roads and transports safe for women and suitable for disabled persons, sources in the board said.
   The Louis Berger Group INC, USA prepared the STP study for Dhaka. The nine-month study involving about Tk 10 crore, funded by the World Bank, was completed at the end of 2005, although it was supposed to be prepared by 2004.
   The Louis Berger Group submitted the STP study on 16 January to DTCB, the officials said. The government and the donor agencies will fund to implement the STP for the Dhaka city, the sources said.

Drivers of taxicabs and CNG-run auto-rickshaws in the Dhaka city were fined for the first time on Wednesday for their reluctance to make trips in short distances and claiming fare more than the meter-reading.
   Twenty-two mobile courts that conducted drives in the city also fined unfit vehicles alongside eateries and an ice-cream factory for not having licence and producing adulterate foods.
   Five persons were also arrested from a hotel for anti-social activities and 15 sex workers fined during the drives.
   They realised Tk 6.24 lakh and filed 97 cases against the vehicles and eateries.
   A court led by magistrate Sardar Keramat Ali realised Tk 5,600 from the drivers of about 30 CNG auto-rickshaws, black and yellow taxicabs for their reluctance to go short distances and charging high rate without using the metre.
   ‘We have taken action against the drivers of CNG and the taxicabs following complaints by the passengers that the drivers were reluctant to go as per the need of the passengers,’ Keramat said.
   Some passengers with their patients at Chankharpool failed to hire any CNG auto-rickshaw or cab due to whims of the drivers, a problem the commuters face very often on the city roads, he added.
   He added that the drivers had pledged to go everywhere as per the passengers need and follow the metres. The mobile court also realised Tk 3,000 from Mohammad Selim, manager of Mitali Restaurant at Nazimuddin Road for selling rotten meat and unhygienic atmosphere in the kitchen.
   The court also realised Tk 2,000 from the manager of Shadesh Sweetmeat at the same area for selling stale sweets.
   All the rotten meat and sweets were dumped into a drain in the area in presence of the local people.
   The mobile court led by magistrate Narayan Chandra Debnath conducted drive at Hotel Sea Palace at Kakrail and arrested five persons for their anti-social activities. The court also sentenced each of them to 10 days of imprisonment and fined each of the 15 sex workers at the hotel Tk 500.
   The court realised Tk 50,000 from the manager of Bipasha Restaurant at Kakrail, Hassan, for cooking meat using burnt oil, unhygienic atmosphere in the kitchen and for not having trade licence.
   The court also realised Tk 5,000 from the manager of Bhuiyan restaurant in the area, Masum, for using burnt oil.
   Conducting drive at Rampura, the court realised Tk 5,500 from six vehicles of Ababil, Abrar, Bandhu, Grameen and Salsabil bus services for over loading, lack of fitness certificates, lack of space between seats and having no insurance of the passengers.
   The court also realised Tk 1,800 from Shahid, owner of Muslim Sweetmeat at DIT Road, for using urea with the puffed rice.
   Magistrate Rokan-ud-Daulah conducted drive in the factory of Kwality ice- cream, a product of Sanowara Drink and Beverage Industries Limited at 80-B Malibagh, Chowdhuripara and realised Tk 50,000 from the manager, Mosle Uddin.
   ‘The ice-cream of Loly brand is not ice-cream at all as it does not have any milk. Besides, the company has no BSTI approval for making Loly,’ Rokan said.

The students of Tapashi Rabeya Hall of Rajshahi University on Wednesday staged demonstrations after two young men had reportedly entered the hall during the sehri.
   They also submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor, Altaf Hossain, through the hall provost, Hosne Ara Jesmin, with a six-point charter of demands, including security of the students.
   The students claimed that the two young men had entered the hall when they were taking their sehri, and the intruders decamped shortly after they had cried out for the guards seeing them inside the hall.
   In the morning, the students took out demonstration on the hall premises demanding arrest of the intruders.
   They later collected signatures of the students and submitted the memorandum to the vice-chancellor with demands including ensuring security in the hall, formation an investigation committee to probe into the matter, stop repression by the hall authorities on the students in the name of violation of ‘evening rules’.
   They also threatened to go for tougher movement if the authorities failed to arrest the intruders and ensure their security.
   Shima, a student of library and information science, said she had found the two youths inside the hall and called other students and the night guards. ‘The intruders, however, managed to flee.’
   Monira Islam Mony, another student of the hall, said at least a dozen of memorandums had been submitted to the hall and university authorities since 2003 for security of the female students, but no initiative had been taken yet.
   The hall provost acknowledged receipt of the memorandum, but claimed that the security guards of the hall none inside the hall.
   The VC, Altaf Hossain, also told journalists that the students might have seen some ‘ghosts’.
   On October 30, 2004, three unidentified youths had entered in the same hall sparking massive protests by the students and the teachers. At least 100 students, teachers and journalists were injured as police in association with Shibir men had swooped on the protestors and the journalists, who were there for collecting information of the incident.

The Hindu community in Rajshahi is set to observe their biggest religious festival, Durga Puja, which begins today.
   The district administration has taken additional security measures to guard against any untoward incidents at all the mandaps in the city and its adjacent areas.
   An extra number of police, Ansars and members of the Bangladesh Riffles remained deployed at the mandaps round the clock while Rapid Action Battalion members were closely monitoring and patrolling the mandap premises. Besides, members of intelligence branch began working from Tuesday night.
   The Rajshahi Puja Udjapan Committee sources said puja mandaps would be erected at 304 places in the district — 53 in city areas and 251 in 9 upazilas and 13 municipalities.
   Due to weeklong rough weather, the artisans could not dry up and decorate their idols properly. Most of the artisans were seen drying the idols by electric and gas heater. They are now busy with the finishing touch.
   The construction of many artificial mandops is also going on in full swing with colourful lightings and decorations.
   The city garment markets, mostly flooded with Indian cloths, are experiencing crowd as the Hindu devotees are buying new cloths on the occasion of the puja.
   A number of mobile teams of the police have been deployed at different markets, including Shaheb Bazar, RDA market, Ganakpara markets, New Market and Lakkhipur markets.
   Gautam Kumer Das of Boaliapara said the craze of puja had decreased as musicians and instrumentalists could not be involved because of Ramadan of the Muslim community.
   The Hindu-Buddah-Christian Welfare Front Federation city unit general secretary, Shayamol Roy, told New Age most of the mandaps in the city were free of risk.
   They, however, marked some mandaps in the rural areas risky and appealed to the district administration for additional security at those mandaps.

The honours students of fashion designing of Khulna Collegiate Girls’ School and University College, who are in strike from September 12, on Wednesday vowed to continue their agitation till the fulfilment of their 8-point charter of demands.
   The students along with their guardians held a press conference and formed a press conference to push for their demands, including introduction of complete curriculum for four-year honours course.
   The conference was held at the Khulna Press Club at 11:30am followed by the human chain at the Picture Palace Crossing. Syeda Sumona Ahmed, a second term student, read out a speech at the news conference.
   Their other demands include recruitment of adequate teachers, lessening semester fees, immediate publication of results, stop misbehaviour by the female teachers and providing the students with modern apparatus for their laboratory.
   In her speech, Sumona alleged that the students of the department under the Khulna University, introduced in 2004-05 academic year, received no education on their specific subject and the department had no full-curriculum for their (eight terms) four-year honours course.
   The second term students, who were admitted to the department 18 months back, appeared at only one term examination although the duration of a term is six months, she said and added that the results of the examination was yet to be published.
   The department runs with only one teacher, she said.

Students of Exterior-Interiors (P) Limited have raised allegations of irregularities, mismanagement and deception against the institute providing one-year professional diploma course in interior designing.
   The Dhanmondi branch students of the India-based institute EX-IN at a press conference on Wednesday in Dhaka alleged that 11 students, who demanded academic facilities promised by the institute authorities during admission, were expelled from the institute.
   Subir Obayed, a student, in a written statement, said the EX-IN had turned into a mere profit earning institute deceiving students in Bangladesh. ‘The institute does neither have permission of the proper authorities nor have academic facilities, such as permanent teachers, library, access to internet and study materials,’ he mentioned, adding that a student has to pay Tk 88,000 for the one year diploma course. Students of different batches and guardians were present, among others, at the press conference.
   ‘Though EX-IN, in the brochure, uses an address of San Diego, USA as its branch office and promises Credit Transfer for successful students, not a single student from Dhaka branch received any Credit Transfer to the USA since 1995,’ Obayed told the press conference.
   The students who claimed to be deceived by the EX-IN in different ways accused of luring youngsters through impressive counseling and promises.
   Rudaba Mohsin, another student of the institute, said the EX-IN Dhanmondi branch did not have any academic environment though it charged exorbitant amount as fees.
   The students demanded legal action against the EX-IN for alleged irregularities and mismanagement. Presently, there are over 50 students in four batches at the EX-IN Dhanmondi branch being run from Kolkata.

The Khulna Metropolitan Police beefed up security at the temples in the Khulna city as Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindu community, begins today.
   According to KMP sources, there are 20 temples in the Kotwali police area, 9 in Sonadanga, 7 in Khalishpur, 14 in Daulatpur and 9 in Khanjahan Ali police area.
   The police said they would provide security for all the 59 temples, of which 36 were identified as risky. Five policemen would be deployed at each of the risky temples while four policemen at each of the other temples.
   Besides, 13 patrol teams and nine vigilance police teams will be engaged to ensure security around the temples, the sources added.
   Market sources said there were rush in different markets including New Market, Jalil Tower, Khulna Shopping Complex and Borobazar for puja shopping. The shops and shopping malls remained open to the customers till late night, they added.

Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at a few places over the Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over the Rajshahi, Dhaka and Khulna divisions till 6:00pm today, said the Met Office in a forecast on Wednesday.
   Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged. The highest temperature on Wednesday, 35.5 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Sylhet and the lowest, 24.5 degrees Celsius, at Srimangal.
   The sun sets in the capital city today at 5:49pm and rises on Friday at 5:49am.

Ashalata Shaha, wife of the late Indra Bhusan Shaha, and mother of senior staff correspondent of the daily New Age, Bibhas Chanda Shaha, died at her village home at Barza in Jamalpur early Wednesday. She was 73.
   She had been suffering from old-age complication.
   She is survived by three sons and three daughters.
   She was cremated at the Jamalpur cemetery in late afternoon.
   The New Age Reporters’ Union condoled at the death of Ashalata Shaha and prayed for salvation of the departed soul.

Censor certificates of 2 films suspended
The Bangladesh Film Censor Board has suspended the censor certificate of two full length Bangla films — Badsha Gunda and Oporadh Daman — and trailer censor certificate of Thekao Bichhu for containing vulgar and objectionable scenes. The film Gunda Badsha was screened at Banya Cinema of Ashulia in Dhaka and trailer of Thekao Bichhu and Oporadh Daman were screened at Purnima Cinema at Tejgaon in the Dhaka city, a press release said on Wednesday. Directives have been issued for stopping the screening of these films at any cinema of the country.
— BSS

AAA organises iftar, get-together
The American Alumni Association, an association of graduates from American colleges and universities, in Bangladesh organised an iftar party for its members at the Aristocrat Hotel on Tuesday. The US ambassador Patricia A Butenis was chief guest at the event and handed over crests to new life members of the association.
— New Age