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Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Monday launched a one-stop service centre at the DMP commissioner’s office to expedite issuing police clearance to Bangladeshi nationals going or living abroad.
   ‘Previously, the applicants for police clearance certificates had to go to local police stations, then to the deputy commissioner’s office and after that to the foreign ministry. The one stop service has been introduced so that the Bangladeshis going or living abroad can get hassle-free police clearance certificates within seven days,’ the DMP commissioner, Nayeem Ahmed, told a press conference at his office.
   The newly introduced service will reduce time and remove the difficulties in getting police clearance certificates to a great extent, he added.
   About five million Bangladeshi nationals are working or living abroad. They as well as anyone who wants to get a work permit in a foreign country or emigrate there need police clearance certificates.
   Previously, an applicant for the certificate had to collect a ‘challan’ for Tk 250 from the Bangladesh Bank or Sonali Bank first. He or she then had to go with it to the local police station, to the office of the DMP DC, and the foreign ministry to get the certificate. Instead, an applicant now can collect the certificate after submitting the application along with the government fees within seven days of completion of the necessary procedures by the local police stations and the deputy commissioner’s office.
   The DMP introduced the service on an experimental basis on March 25 and have been receiving more than 150 to 200 applications a day, said the commissioner, adding, though it so far had been taking them seven days to issue a certificate, they would eventually be able to do it by three days.

The mercury climbed to 40 degree Celsius on Monday, the highest point ahead of summer, while power and water also played truant across the country, worsening people’s suffering.
   Ishwardi experienced the day’s highest temperature, 400C. The temperature was 39.40C in Rajshahi, 38.20C in Jessore, 37.30C in Mongla, 370C in Faridpur, and 360C in Dhaka.
   The Dhaka met office warned that the sultry weather caused by a mild to moderate heat-low over West Bengal in India would continue for at least one more day as the southwestern monsoon was yet to reach Bangladesh.
   The current hot spell hit most severely some northern districts and the entire Khulna division. Although temperature in the country’s central part remained nearly static for a week, people are getting sick, particularly in the capital city.
   Across the country, the temperature hovered between 360C and 400C most of the day. There were slim chances of immediate any rain, weather officials said, adding the mercury would remain at the same level today.
   A met official said there was nothing unusual in the continuing high temperature. ‘The temperature is normal. But it is the high level of humidity and the less-than-usual rainfall which is making the people suffer the most,’ he explained.
   The Dhaka city dwellers choose the easiest way out — they simply stayed indoors. But it did them little good as the city suffered a shortfall of 400MW of power, causing frequent load-shedding.
   The number of pedestrians on the city streets was far less than normal at midday. Even the rickshaw-pullers refused to be hired. The few of them who agreed to take passengers demanded much higher fare than usual.
   Naseef, a resident of Indira Road, said a rickshaw-puller demanded Tk 35 for taking him to Dhaka University at noon, although the normal fare was Tk 20.
   The power officials said they were planning to manage the heat situation by informing the resident of the city areas in advance about the period of load shedding there.
   Doctors advised people to remain under sheds and drink more water or any other fluids to check dehydration.

Eid-e-Miladunnabi, marking the birth and death anniversary of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) was observed across the country on Sunday as elsewhere in the Muslim world.
   On this day, the 12th of Rabiul Awal of Hijri calendar, the Prophet was born with divine blessings and messages of peace for mankind. He passed away on the same day.
   The government and different religious and socio-cultural organisations held various programmes to celebrate the day. The programmes include discussion and prayer session.
   The president, Iajuddin Ahmed, and the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, gave separate messages on the occasion.
   The president in his message called upon the people to follow the ideals of the Prophet for establishing peace and stability in society.
   In his message, the chief adviser said the great principle of the Prophet and his teachings would bring welfare and peace for the people in the present strife-torn world.
   ‘The Almighty sent our beloved prophet on the earth as ‘Rahmatullil Alamin’ meaning blessings for mankind,’ he said.
   The Prophet struggled throughout his life against all unfairness, repression, fabrication and damages, and preached the messages of Allah, he added.
   The day was a public Holiday.
   Road islands and important places were decorated with national flags and banners inscribed with Kalima Tayeba in the capital.
   Bangladesh Beter, Bangladesh Television and private TV channels aired special programmes, marking the occasion. The newspapers also published special supplements and articles highlighting the significance of the day.
   The Bangladesh Tariqat Federation organised a discussion and prayer session at Maizbhandari Manjil adjacent to Hazrat Shah Ali shrine at Mirpur.
   Anjuman-e-Rahmania Moinia Maizbhandari arranged a prayer session on the premises of Shah Ali Bag Khanka Sharif at Mirpur.

Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan, a non-governmental organisation working for protecting environment, has urged the SAARC leaders to adopt ecological approach for preserving the natural quantum of river flows among the member states.
   ‘The ecological approach will help preserve the flows of the common rivers which can act as a bond of friendship among the countries of the region,’ the organisation said in a memorandum to the heads of state and government of the SAARC countries for consideration at the 14th SAARC Summit set to start in New Delhi today.
   The memorandum said if the current trends of green house gas emission continued, global warming would cause melting of the Himalayan glaciers resulting swelling floods in the Himalayan rivers, which would bring havoc to a billion people of the subcontinent.
   ‘SAARC countries should therefore immediately join ranks to raise a strong common voice against global warming and urging for immediate reductions of green house gas as global warming could inundate large areas of Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan,’ the organisation observed.
   It also said SAARC should promote cooperation among the member countries in preserving the eco-systems, including Sundarban, which is shared by Bangladesh and India, and marshlands shared by India and Pakistan.
   The memorandum underlined the need for promoting interaction and cooperation among governments, pro-environment civic and non- government organisations, academic institutions, think tanks and professional organisations thus a regional consensus on sustainable and climate friendly development strategy could grow.

Speakers at a roundtable discussion on Sunday underscored the need for revamp of the Public Service Commission to get rid of its widespread ‘corruption’ in recruitment process.
   They also suggested freeing the PSC from the Prime Minister’s Office as the appointments of the chairman and members to the commission was made as per the decision of the PMO.
   The speakers made the suggestions while addressing the discussion organised by Fair BCS Movement at the Teachers-Students Centre of Dhaka University.
   They also called for reconstitution of Dhaka University and recommended some amendments to decades-old constitution.
   Former adviser to the caretaker government Hafiz Uddin Khan said, ‘As per the constitution, appointment to the PSC is done in line with the unilateral decision of the prime minister on political basis.’
   Hafiz proposed formation of experts committee with a view to supervising the whole exam system at the PSC.
   Former PSC chairman Mohabbat Khan said, ‘It’s proper time to revamp the PSC as corruption and discrimination had plagued it for long.’ The PSC chairman and members should be forced to oust and to be brought to justice in accordance with their corruption charges, he added.
   Syed Anwar Hossain, a teacher of Dhaka University, said before the reconstitution of the PSC, it is necessary to revamp the public universities especially Dhaka University as most teachers are posted at the commission on political basis.
   Iftekharuzzaman Khan, the executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, stressed the importance of forging unity for realisation of demands for reconstruction of the PSC.
   Advocate Azizur Rahman Dulu, the general secretary of Fair BCS Movement, moderated the programme presiding over by its president Abu Tareq. Dhaka University teacher Hafizur Rahman also spoke at the discussion.

Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, also the chairperson of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, left Dhaka Monday for New Delhi to attend the 14th summit of the regional bloc.
   This will be his first foreign trip after assuming the office of the chief adviser to the interim government on January 11.
   Fakhruddin and his entourage were flown by a special fight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. He was accompanied by his wife, Neena Ahmed.
   The chief adviser is leading a 26-member Bangladesh delegation that includes foreign affairs adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, secretary in-charge of chief adviser’s office Kazi M Aminul Islam, press secretary Syed Fahim Munaim, foreign secretary in-charge Touhid Hossain and Bangladesh Bank governor Salehuddin Ahmed.
   Finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, law adviser Mainul Hosein, chiefs of three services of the Armed Forces and senior civil and military officials saw the chief adviser off at the VVIP tarmac of Zia International Airport.
   Fakhruddin Ahmed, as the current chair of the South Asian bloc, is scheduled to inaugurate the two-day SAARC summit at Vigyan Bhawan in the Indian capital today.
   He will have bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit with heads of state and government of the SAARC countries, including its new member Afghanistan.
   Fakhruddin will call on Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on the same day.
   During his four-day stay, he will have bilateral talks with prime ministers of Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan as well as presidents of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and the Maldives.
   The chief adviser is scheduled to return home Thursday night.

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested four suspected members of the Islamist outfit Hijbut Touhid from Kachijulee of the Mymensingh town Sunday night.
   The battalion also recovered some books and leaflets of the organisation.
   The arrested were identified as the district amir of the organisation Anamul Haque Bappa of Nagarpur in Tangail, Manirul Islam of Shatkhira, Jahangir Alam and Abdulla Al Mamun of the Mymensinh town.
   The RAB sources said, on secret information, a RAB team raided the houses of Monir at Kachijulee of the town Sunday night and arrested the four.
   The battalion men also recovered some books and leaflets of the organisation. After interrogation, RAB handed them over to the Kotwali police.

The Anti-Corruption Commission chairman, Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, begins visiting the districts on April 9 to involve people in the ongoing fight against corruption.
   Hasan Mashhud will initiate his campaign with visits to the northern districts of Panchagar, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur and Nilfamari on April 9, ACC sources said.
   His next destinations under the campaign, however, are yet to be finalised, they said. asan Mashhud will use an army helicopter for the visits and the commission will bear its fuel costs.

Unidentified assailants beat a young man to death in the early hours of Monday at Kalitala under Batiyaghata upazila.
   The victim was identified as Ripon Roy, 20, son of Ram Prashad Roy of Gariardanga under the upazila, from the Kalitala canal.
   The police and family members said the assailants had picked up Ripon from the area on his way home from a religious programme at Khalshibunia in the same upazila.
   The local people found the body of Ripon in the canal and informed the police who rescued the body in the morning.

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday formed another committee to sort out and examine the seven bags of petitions filed by hundreds of people seeking justice and punishment of criminals and oppressors.
   The new five-member committee, headed by deputy director Zulfikar Ali, was formed on Monday, in addition to the
   five-member committee, headed by deputy director
   Mir Joynul Abedi Shibly, formed on March 22 for the same
   purpose, said sources in the commission.
   According to the sources about 5,000 petitions were dropped in the complaint box after reconstitution of the commission in January.
   The commission, however, is yet to decide its course of action on about 8,000 petitions filed by hundreds of people seeking justice before the commission’s reconstitution, said the sources.
   According to the sources, the committee, headed by Shibly, has so far sorted out and examined 450 petitions.
   About 75 per cent of those 450 petitions seek judgement on disputes over land, which is not within the jurisdiction of the commission, said the sources.