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The government has defended the ban on hilsa export, saying the decision has taken to keep supply of the delicious fish stable in the local market and prices affordable for low and middle income people.
   ‘The ban has been enforced to make hilsa more available at lower price to help the
   people meet nutrition and
   protein demands,’ said agriculture, fisheries and livestock adviser Chowdhury Sajjadul Karim.
   Demand for hilsa has been on the rise with Ramzan, the month of fasting, getting closer, while its supply was shrunk due to a surge in exports, traders and consumers said.
   Prices continued to go up even in the peak season of hilsa catch. Official reports suggested that in many cases, local prices were much higher than the prices quoted for export markets, including India where Bangladesh’s national fish is in great demand.
   The government last week decided to slap a six-month restriction on hilsa exports and the decision was made effective by an official order issued Monday.
   ‘The government has no intention other than to keep the supply of hilsa adequate in local market as it is widely consumed by the common people,’ the adviser told an inter-ministerial meeting Monday, amid speculations that India might retaliate with similar measures against rice export to Bangladesh.
   Hilsa became dear for the common people as the export consignments were surpassing local supplies, pushing up its prices to levels beyond the reach of the masses, he pointed out.
   The government has taken up some measures like setting up of more wholesale and retail markets in the city, and developing more fish landing stations, to ease its supply to city markets.
   The Ministry of Commerce on Monday issued an official order regarding the ban on export hilsa under the Imports and Exports Control Act of 1950.
   The order stipulates that the ban has been enforced for six months.
   This will not apply to export letters of credit opened before the ban was announced. Repatriation of export proceeds and pending purchase orders have also been kept outside its purview.
   The inter-ministerial meeting reviewed the price situation of hilsa and noted that the prices marked ‘significant declines’ since the export ban was announced.
   Price came down to Tk 300-350 per kilogram from Tk 500-550 of July 3, it said.
   Bangladesh exported 4,495 tonnes of hilsa to India in the 2005-06 fiscal for Tk 71.50 crore. About 3,414 tonnes, worth Tk 64.67 crore, were shipped in the just-ended fiscal before the ban was slapped on July 4.
   Fisheries and livestock secretary Syed Ataur Rahman, additional secretary of the ministry of commerce Golam
   Mostakim, officials from the Bangladesh Bank and director general of Department of Fisheries Nasir Uddin Ahmed were present at the meeting Monday.

Politicians, rights activists and economists on Monday demanded that the government should take immediate steps to save the country’s ‘sick’ jute sector.
   At a news briefing held at the Khulna Press Club, they also demanded allocation of Tk 1,000 crore immediately for the jute sector to run all the mills in the country smoothly.
   The Citizens’ Committee on Jute Industry organised the news briefing following the visit to the eight state-owned jute mills in Khulna-Jessore region by its members.
   The committee members said that they would initiate an investigation of the causes behind such a situation in jute sector and publish the report within next six months.
   Economist MM Akash said that an agreement on jute industry development project signed by the Bangladesh government and the World Bank in 1994 was nothing but ‘an initiative to destroy the jute sector’.
   He blamed the government policies for a huge loss in the jute industry, saying that now the government will have to decide about how they will save the jute industry.
   Akash demanded immediate payment of due wages and salaries to the jute mill workers and employees on emergency basis and said that a number of labourers died from malnutrition, starvation and lack of proper treatment at Khalishpur industrial belt in the last two months.
   The economist said the mill authorities should buy an adequate quantity of jute to run the mills properly and the BJMC should release the funds in time especially in July.
   Md Abdullah, a permanent labourer of Platinum Jute Mills, said they feel anxiety about their termination at any time after axing about 500 jobs in the last one month.
   He blamed the authorities concerned and some CBA leaders for the loss in the jute mills. ‘The Anti-Corruption Commission should investigate of their corruption.’
   Economist Anu Muhammad, committee secretary Shah Alam, Engineer Sheikh Md Shahidullah and Shahidullah Chowdhury also spoke at the briefing.

The High Court has ordered enhanced amount of state honorarium for War of Independence veterans, calling the sum as ‘dole’ as it handed down a judgment upturning a 2002 government decision to discard 166 freedom fighters from the list of recipients.
   ‘All concerned should keep in mind that offering the honorarium, they are not giving any dole, rather they are honouring a national hero . . . it is better to call the current amount of honorarium of Tk 300 a month or Tk 10 a day as alms,’ said the landmark judgement,
   the certified copy of which was made available on Thursday.
   ‘This just proves the national bankruptcy, does not reflect the national pride . . . the court expresses its indignation regarding such treatment,’ read the judgement issued by a High Court bench comprising Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice Syed Mohammad Ziaul Karim.
   The verdict also ordered restoration of state honorarium for 166 war veterans declaring a July 2002 decision of the then government to stop their allowances.
   ‘The respondents are also directed to pay all arrear outstanding to the respective petitioners within two months from the date of receipt of the judgment copy,’ it read.
   The court observed that the authorities did not cite any reason as they stopped the payment of the allowance and did not serve any show cause notice demanding any explanation.
   Senior advocate Mahmudul Islam, advocate Syed Haidar Ali, advocate AKM Zahirul Haque and advocate Abdul Latif Mia stood for petitioners Mohammad Shahidullah and 165 others.
   The High Court bench pronounced the judgement on June 7 and the certified copy was issued on Thursday.
   The verdict also directed the education ministry for ‘compulsory incorporation’ of the ‘correct history’ of the 1971 War of Independence from Class I to Class X in all schools and madrassah both in Bangla and English medium.
   ‘The negligence we have shown to the freedom fighters shows our ignorance of and indifference to the sacrifice of the valiant freedom fighters. But as a nation we need to inform our new generation about the history of the War of Independence, which is our pride,’ the judgement read.

Today is the 122nd birth anniversary of Dr Muhammad Shahidullah, a famous Bengali educationist, writer and linguist.
   Bangla Academy will mark the day by a discussion in its seminar room at 4pm today. On this occasion Professor Mansur Musa and Professor Abdul Mannan Syed will present two papers. Professor Ahmad Kabir will take part in the discussion while Professor Anisuzzaman will chair the discussion.
   Bangla Academy will also refurbish the Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Reading Room by installing his possessions like his books and furniture.
   Dr Shahidullah was, according to Wikipedia, the first Indian Muslim to receive the doctorate degree. He received his doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1928 for his research on the distiches of the Charyapada, the earliest extant specimens of the Bangla language. He also received a diploma for his fundamental research in phonetics from the University of Paris the same year.
   He received the Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Sanskrit in 1910 from City College, Kolkata, and Masters of Arts in 1912 in Comparative Philology from the University of Calcutta. He also obtained his law degree two years later in 1914.
   Muhammad Shahidullah, popularly known as Dr Shahidullah, was born in Peyara village, 24 Pargana, West Bengal on July 10, 1885 and died in Dhaka on July 3, 1969.
   He also books wrote for children. He also translated and edited a number of books. Noteworthy among his books are Sindabad Saodagarer Galpa, Bhasha O Sahitya, Bangla Byakaran, Shikwah O Jawab-i-Shikwah, Rubaiyat-i-Omar Khaiyam, Essays on Islam, Amader Samasya, Bangla Sahityer Itihash, Bangla Bhasar Itibritta, Amar Kabya, Sekaler Rupkatha, etc.
   His Buddhist Mystic Songs (1960) is a translation and an edited version of the Charyapada.
   He was the first to note that Charyapada is completely written in Bangla and to highlight the religious philosophy of the work.
   Dr Shahidullah is also credited with formulating the rules for the reformed Bangla Calendar.
   He was buried in ‘Shahidullah Hall’ in the University of Dhaka.

Denmark thanked Bangladesh government for an ‘excellent cooperation’ for rescuing the kidnapped DANIDA official in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
   The Danish minister for development and cooperation, Ulla Tornaes, conveyed the gratitude through a telephone call from Copenhagen to the foreign adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, on Monday afternoon.
   Iftekhar expressed deep appreciation of Denmark’s ‘sustained support’ to Bangladesh’s development efforts.
   He said Bangladesh ‘looked to expanding its political, economic and cultural relations with Denmark more widely and deeply’.

The law and information adviser, Mainul Hosein, on Monday said the country was not running in line with the normal rule of law because of the prevailing state of emergency under which it was not always possible to go by the constitution.
   He made the observations while talking to reporters about the achievements made by the caretaker government during the last six months since the changeover through a crisis situation.
   ‘We are not always running the country towards the right track, but we are tying to do so,’ the adviser said, pointing to an unusual circumstance that brought this regime to the helms of power.
   Frankly admitting the inability to keep the economy dynamic, Mainul said business and investment were discouraged in an atmosphere marked by apprehensions.
   He said the main achievement of the caretaker government was to rescue the country from possible anarchy and save the nation from an impending civil war.
   ‘The situation would have deteriorated if this government backed by the army had not taken over,’ he said while talking with reporters at his ministry office, narrating the achievements of the government during to the last six months.
   Mainul accused the political parties of creating an anarchic situation and alleged that the unholy activities of the political parties had resulted in that situation and the formation of the present caretaker government.
   Responding to a query about the withdrawal of ban on indoor politics, the law adviser said the government was thinking about withdrawal of the restrictions conditionally.
   ‘But some people requested us not to lift ban on indoor politics,’ he said, indicating the standpoint of the emerging new brand of reformist politicians.
   Terming the present caretaker government unusual one, Mainul said the main goal of this government was to establish a corruption-free democratic country.
   Responding to a question about Hasina’s remarks, the adviser declined to say anything in rebuttal but observed that this proved that ‘now there is freedom of speech’.

Jatiya Party senior leader Kazi Zafar Ahmed on Monday said JP acting chairman Rawshan Ershad’s activities were against party’s constitution, alleging that she was trying to create a group out of the party.
   Talking to a private television channel at his residence, he claimed that the Jatiya Party was not divided and JP chairman appointed an acting chairman of the party.
   He said Rawshan was acting in contravention of the party constitution and trying to create a group out of the JP.
   Welcoming Ershad’s declaration of resignation from JP chairmanship,
   Kazi Zafar said the Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, and the BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, both had served as prime minister and leader of the opposition and they should stand down to make way for new leaders of their respective parties.
   He disagreed with Awami League leader Matia Chowdhury’s view that democracy cannot be practised without Hasina and Khaleda.

The caretaker government has made decision to bring necessary amendments in the outmoded Jute Ordinance 1962 to make the law time-worthy, as the stakeholders think now is the time for restoring the lost glory of the ‘golden fibre’.
   An official announcement said the decision came when a delegation of the executive committee of the Bangladesh Jute Association, led by its chairman Md Rezaul Karim, called on the industries adviser, Geteeara Safiya Choudhury, at her office on Monday and sought government steps for updating the jute ordinance.
   The industries adviser gave direction to the secretary of textile and jute ministry, Md Abdur Rashid Sarker, to form a committee in this regard.
   She also assured the delegation of her ‘all-out cooperation’ in solving the problems of raw jute business.
   ‘The government is trying sincerely for revival of the lost glory of jute and has, so far, identified various problems of this sector through analysis and research,’ the adviser told the delegation.
   She said suggestions would be sent to higher authorities to resolve the problems.
   The BJA leaders appreciated the sincerity of the present government towards development of jute industry and gave assurance of their cooperation in this regard.
   Geteeara said demand for the environment-friendly and diversified jute goods had been on the rise due rising environmental awareness worldwide, and it was necessary to utilise the opportunity for reviving this industry.
   She also called upon the Bangladesh Jute Association to play a constructive role in this regard.

A Barisal court on Sunday dismissed a case of arson and vandalism and acquitted 32 Awami League leaders and activists of the charges.
   Sheikh Muhammad Ismail Hossain, the then organising secretary of Barisal district auto-rickshaw drivers’ association, lodged the case on August 14, 2003 under the Speedy Trial Act against 37 AL activists and leaders including the city AL convener, Shawkat Hossain Hiron.
   The plaintiff alleged AL activists led by the accused ransacked four three-wheelers, two buses, a truck, and two shops in the city’s Amtala area the same day.
   The investigation officer of the case, Sub-Inspector Nurul Amin, submitted the charge sheet in the case on August 20, 2003 against 32 of the 37 persons accused.
   After examining 17 witnesses and hearing arguments of both sides, the magistrate of the speedy trial court, Munim Hassan, dismissed the case and acquitted all persons of the charges.

A four-member probe committee, headed by Anwar Faruk, director general (seed) of the Department of Agriculture Extension, has started investigation of the Nachole incident.
   The other members of the committee are Abdul Hamid, director (production) of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation, Ershad Hossain Khan, additional director of the DAE, and Asit Kumar Mukutmoni, additional divisional commissioner of Rajshahi.
   Sources in local administration said Asim Kumar Malakar, deputy director of Chapainawabganj DAE, Sultan Abdul Hamid, additional deputy commissioner (general) of Chapainawabganj, Zinnurain Khan, executive engineer of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority, and magistrate Iqbal Hossain were assisting the probe body.
   The committee members received written complaints from 26 persons and heard verbal complaints from officials and employees of Nachole upazila council, the administrator of the Nachole municipality, chairmen and members of four union councils, farmers and fertiliser dealers.
   The Nachole municipal administrator Kamruzzaman, Kasba union council chairman Abdul Kader, Nachole union council chairman Enayetullah held the UNO of Nachole, Monjur Morshed, responsible for the incident.
   A large number of farmers who gathered in front of the office of Nachole Upazila Nirbahi Officer on July 4 to collect slips on fertiliser quota got angry when the UNO slapped sub-assistant agriculture officer, Saidur Rahman, for requesting him to allocate fertiliser for two farmers, instead of three, in a slip.
   The agitated farmers later attacked and ransacked the offices of the UNO, Department of Agriculture Extension and Local Government Engineering Department.
   Manjur Morshed, upazila agriculture officer Abul Kalam Azad, DAE upazila monitoring officer Asaduzzaman, and a farmer Abdul Latif were injured during the violence.

The younger son of slain Runner editor RM Saiful Alam Mukul was found dead at their Bezpara residence in the Jessore town on Monday.
   The bullet riddled body of Shahriar Hasan Anjan, 20, a second year honours student of Jessore MM College who secured GPA-5 in SSC and HSC examinations, was recovered from a toilet on the first floor of their two-storey building at around 12:30pm.
   His mother Hafiza Akhter Shirin claimed that her son had been murdered, but the superintendent of police, Iqbal Bahar, said it seemed to be a suicide in primary investigation.
   Anjan’s 12-year-old nephew Swarna and 10-year-old domestic help Nilu were in the house during the incident.
   They said Anjan had gone to the toilet at noon and they heard a sound after some time, seemingly from a distant place.
   As Shirin reached home at about 12:30pm, Swarna and Nilu informed her that Anjan had been in the toilet for a long time. She then pushed the door of the toilet, which was not bolted from inside, and found the body of her son.
   The body was sent to Jessore General Hospital for autopsy.
   Informed, high officials of Jessore district and police administration and journalists went to the house.
   His father Mukul was bombed to death by unknown assailants on August 30, 1998 near his residence.

The joint forces on Monday seized 9,140 kilograms of frozen hilsa from an export firm at Kathaltola under Fakirhat upazila in Bagerhat on charge of hoarding.
   Acting on a tip-off, they raided Rupsa Fish and Alive Company and seized the fish.
   The government has imposed a ban on export and hoarding of the delicious fish due to its short supply to the local markets.
   In Benapole, the BDR jawans seized 5,500 aquarium fishes and 104 pet birds at Natunhat on the Benapole-Jessore road on the day. Acting on a tip-off, the BDR members halted a private car and seized the fishes and birds from it.
   They also held two persons — Nizam Uddin and Shukur Ali — in this connection.
   A case was filed in this connection.

Detective branch police arrested two young men from a house in the city’s Shahjahanpur area early Monday.
   They alos seized a homemade revolver from the possession of the two youths.
   The two youths, Roman and Shipon Chowdhury, were picked up from a room of Bhuiyabari house at Uttar Shahjahanpur.

A Chittagong court on Monday sentenced a leader of the Collective Bargaining Agent to two years’ rigorous imprisonment for taking bribe of Tk 1.20 lakh from a jobseeker.
   The convict — Sultanul Azim, president of the CBA at Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited — was also fined Tk 10,000, in default, to suffer four more months in prison.
   The court of metropolitan magistrate Monwarul Islam handed down the verdict after examining 13 witnesses.
   The joint forces arrested the convict on December 12, 2006 in connection with the case filed by one Arun Shekhar with the Karnaphuli police station.
   The plaintiff alleged that the CBA leader took Tk 1.20 lakh for providing him with a job at the CUFL.
   The police submitted a charge sheet on May 15 and the court framed charges against him on June 13.

Eighteen camel jockeys of Narsingdi, who returned from Middle East last year, have received Tk 1,04,000 each.
   The money was given by the United Arab Emirates and UNICEF in cooperation with Bangladesh Jaitya Mohila Ainjibee Samity for their rehabilitation.
   Deputy commissioner Zillar Rahman handed over the cheques for the amount to the fathers of children or legal guardians at a simple function at his office on Sunday.
   The cheques will be deposited in a joint FDR account with local upazila nirbahi officer and father of legal guardian of the children. When the children will complete 18 years, they will be able to draw the total money from the bank.

Dhaka asserted that Bangladesh’s non-proliferation credentials are impeccable and there’s nothing to fear about its role in this regard.
   ‘Bangladesh is a signatory to the NPT and CTBT. There is nothing to fear from us,’ the foreign adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, said to the media after the Russian ambassador, Gennady P Trotsenko, called on him at his office Monday afternoon.
   Responding to a question on whether international opinion would endorse nuclear power in Bangladesh, the foreign adviser said, ‘There is absolutely no reason why it should not be so.’
   He also added that nuclear energy was a complex issue and decision-making in this regard would involve many states.
   The Russian ambassador said Bangladesh and Russia were close friends and both were keen to develop relations further.
   ‘Significant developments in the relations can be expected in the near future,’ he said and stressed cooperation in trade, energy and cultural sectors.

The joint forces rounded up two people from different places in the town and recovered arms and ammunitions in a predawn raid Monday.
   Joint forces nabbed Jiban Tripura alias Raju, 27 from his residence at Old Police Line area and recovered a pistol with four rounds of bullets from his house, police said.
   In another raid, joint forces picked up Aung Sue Marma, 28 from his house at Assambasti in the town Monday.
   They were produced before a Rangamati court Monday and the court sent them to jail.