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The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha move to restore the real image of residential areas has been suspended for what the city planner claimed shifting of commercial organisations from the areas will create a lot of problems.
   The city planner in early May started issuing notices to the owners of houses using for commercial purposes, asking them to shift commercial organisations from their establishments, a senior official of Rajuk said.
   ‘The move, however, has been stalled last week as shifting of the commercial organisations would create a huge problem,’ he said Sunday without specifying the problems.
   Rajuk took the decision following repeated demands by the dwellers of residential areas like Dhanmondi and Gulshan for stopping commercial uses of the houses there, removing commercial structures and restore the true image of residential zones.
   The residents, who hailed the Raja’s earlier move, said they would again go for movement to establish their demand.
   The commercial uses of the residential areas create severe traffic congestion as most of the organisations do not have adequate parking facilities, the residents observed.
   Besides, as the utility infrastructures of power, telephone, gas, water and sewerage in the commercial areas have not been built to serve commercial purposes, the areas very often experience overflow of wastes in the sewerage lines, water logging and voltage fluctuation and power outages, they added.
   In Dhanmondi area, several hundred of residential houses or plots are being used as schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutes, hospitals and clinics, diagnostic laboratories, NGO offices, residential hotels and shopping malls.
   Commercial use of houses in the residential areas is also putting a negative impact on the environment in the areas.
   According to a recent survey, there are 57 clinics and 26 universities in Dhanmondi residential area that cover about 500 acres of land.
   Sultana Alam, convener of Dhanmondi Paribesh Unnayan Jote, said vehicles in front of the private schools, colleges and other educational institutes have been congesting the roads in the area, causing serious problem for the residents.
   Besides, there are more than 200 educational institutions in residential complexes where services like water and power are being consumed commercially depriving the government of huge taxes, she added.
   ‘The owners who are illegally using their residential complexes in commercial purposes in a declared residential zone should be punished,’ she said and urged the government to take necessary action in this regard.
   She, however, stressed the need for decentralisation of educational institutions to provide equal opportunities to the residents of all parts of the city, and said ‘the educational institutions should be constructed in planned way and keeping adequate space for car parking so that no tailback is created in the area.’
   She also appreciated the dismantling of illegal structures and unapproved portion or the use of parking space in other purposes at different parts in the city.
   Rafiqul Hasan, a resident of Gulshan, said there was a restriction in constructing buildings of more than six-storey, including basement and garage, in areas like Dhanmondi, Banani, DOHS, Gulshan and Uttara.
   But the restriction has been lifted and high rises are now being allowed in the areas, he said, adding ‘The residential areas have become commercial overnight’.
   The non-residential use has been uncontrolled, unregulated and in a haphazard manner to detriment the residential environment, said another resident at Dhanmondi.
   Owners of some houses, who have rented or using their buildings for commercial purposes, said they had taken permissions from the authorities concerned in this regard.
   It is not possible to shift the commercial organisations within a month or two as the organisations have been running businesses in these areas for long, they said.

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha on Monday demolished illegal portion of more than 20 structures along the boundary wall of the BDR headquarters at Pilkhana.
   A Rajuk team dismantled the portion of structures at Ayub Ali Kalani and Swarna Patti under the New Market police area and Zigatola under the Dhanmondi police area as most of the structures were either shifted or dismantled by the owners themselves.
   The team also dismantled the boundary wall of a multi-storey apartment building at House 45, Road 2(A) in Dhanmondi, and a wall of Ambala Sweets, which was demolished earlier by Rajuk.
   Nearly 70 per cent of structures, identified in New Market, Dhanmondi, Lalbagh and Hazaribagh areas, has been either shifted or dismantled by the owners themselves, said an official of Rajuk.
   Emdadud Dastagir, magistrate of Rajuk, said they have given the owners of the apartments one more week to dismantle illegal portions following the request made by them.
   Earlier, Rajuk identified 92 brick-built and half-brick establishments along the boundary wall of Bangladesh Rifles under four police stations and served notice to the owners on May 27, giving seven days to shift the structures.
   A resident of the multi-storey apartment in Dhanmondi said that they dismantled few concrete structures themselves except the wall and a room of transformer following the notice issued by Rajuk.
   Rajuk dismantled the structures, resulting in sufferings only to flat owners, he said, alleging that the developer who constructed the apartment violating the rules goes unpunished.
   He said they purchased the flats from Advanced Development Consultant Limited which also constructed another apartment building in New Market area flouting building construction rules.
   MA Mannan, a retired principal of Chittagong Government College, echoed the same.
   He demanded punishment for the developers who construct apartment buildings violating the building construction rules and defying approved designs.

THE Government should rehabilitate the workers and employees of the state-owned jute mills in and around Khalishpur area in Khulna city and send emergency relief materials to those who are passing days in utter agonies.
   Non-governmental organisation Samaj Progati Sangstha executive director Alamgir Islam Lavlu said at a press meet at Khulna Press Club Monday.
   The human rights expressed their deep concern at the deaths of two labourers, said non-payment of the wages and salaries for months together, forcing them to starve. Khalid Hossain in a written speech claimed that the human rights activists have observed that two labourers — Sirajul Islam of Peoples Jute Mills and Abul Kalam of Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills — died from starving, malnutrition, tension and for want of treatment.
   The speech claimed that several thousand labourers of four state-owned jute mills in Khalishpur industrial belt have been passing their days in utter agonies.
   The speakers placed a four-point charter of demands to save the mill workers and employees and urged the authorities to meet their demands including rehabilitation of the families of the two dead mill workers and payment of all the dues to the bereaved families.
   The four-point demand also includes opening of all the state-owned jute mills fully, payment of all the dues to the mill workers and to reinstate all the workers who lost their jobs over the years in the mills.
   Non-governmental organisation Rupayan executive director Khalid Hossain, Mahfuzur Rahman Mukul of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association and advocate Jahangir Alam Siddiqui of the Bangladesh Mahila Ainjibi Samity were also present at the press conference.

Dr Mohammad Shoeb, assistant professor of chemistry department at the University of Dhaka, has won the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Young Chemist Award 2007.
   Shoeb has also been invited to attend the 41st IUPAC Congress to be held in Turino, Italy during August 3-12.
   He will present a paper at the conference to be attended by about 1,200 chemists and scientists from all over the world, a DU Press release said today.

A section of stranded Pakistanis on Monday submitted a memorandum to the chief election commissioner demanding inclusion of their names in the voters’ roll.
   A three-member delegation of the stranded Pakistanis, under the banner of Al-Falah Bangladesh, called on the CEC, ATM Shamsul Huda, and submitted a memorandum with the demand.
   ‘There are over three lakh Urdu-speaking people in the country and some of them, who are staying outside the Bihari camps, have become voters, but none of the people living in the camps could register themselves in the voters roll for staying in the camps,’ Ahmed Ilias, executive director of Al-Falah Bangladesh, said.
   He said over 1.6 lakh people were living in 116 camps across the country.
   Citing a high court verdict which says that no one would be deprived of being voters only due to living in camps, the delegation urged the Election Commission to take measures to enrol names of those, who want to be voters.
   The delegation members argued that those who wanted to be voters were Bangladeshis.
   They (those who want to be voters) were born in Bangladesh and believe in the sovereignty of the country, claimed the delegation members.

Three mobile courts during separate drives at different parts of the capital on Monday filed three cases and fined Tk 45,000.
   A mobile court, led by metropolitan magistrate Rokon Ud-Doulah, conducted a drive at Asian Pharma in city’s Lake Circus area at Kalabagan and recovered date-expired medicines.
   The court fined its owner Zahed-bin-Samir Tk 10,000 and filed a case under the ordinance 124 of the Dhaka City Corporation. The court also awarded one month imprisonment in case of any default to pay the fine.
   Another mobile court, led by Delwar Hossain, seized a CNG driven auto-rickshaw from Kamalapur area as the vehicle had no necessary valid documents. The number of the seized vehicle was Dhaka metro tha-14-0203.
   The court filed the case against the owner of the vehicle under the article 140 of motor vehicle (amendment) act of 1988 when the vehicle driver admitted that the owner of the vehicle charged Tk 600 a day instead of Tk 450 fixed by the government.
   The court also asked the chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to cancel the registration of the vehicle.
   Another metropolitan magistrate, AKM Dinarul Islam, during a drive at Arabian Medical Centre at Banani found the technicians working at the pathology department without required qualifications.
   The court also found that the X-ray department of the medical centre was utterly mismanaged. The court filed a case under article 150 (2) and 14 of the DCC act and realised Tk 35,000 in fines.

A four-day training workshop for the officials of prisons and department of narcotics to inform about the drug dependence treatment began at old prisons office in Dhaka on Monday.
   The home affairs ministry, directorate of prisons and department of narcotics control organised the training under the project of ‘police, prisons, narcotics and community service: a tripartite project to reduce crime, drug dependence and to prevent the spread of HIV in Dhaka city’.
   The Family Health International, Bangladesh has provided the technical assistance and South-South Centre, Bangladesh coordinated the programme. Inspector General of Prisons, Zakir Hasan inaugurated the training programme as chief guest. Jalaluddin Ahmed, director of South-South Centre, Bangladesh spoke at the inaugural ceremony as special guest.
   There are 7000 addicts, who take drug through injection in Dhaka city, are most vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS, said the speakers at the inaugural ceremony.

A Sylhet court sentenced two persons to three-year imprisonment for possessing illicit drugs on Sunday.
   The convicts are Zahed and Kurshida Begum of village Bairagir Bazaar under Bishwanath upazila in the district.
   The judge of the district judges’ court, Abu Naser Md Zahangir Alam, handed down the verdict against the two in a case filed under Emergency Power Act 2007.
   The convicts have also been fined Tk 3,000 each and in default, to suffer three months more in jail, court sources said.
   This is the first ever verdict pronounced under emergency power rule in Sylhet division.
   According to prosecution storey, the army-led joint forces arrested Zahed and Khurshida and recovered one kilogram cannabis and five bottles of foreign wine in their possession from their home on Januray 23 this year.
   The police filed a case under emergency power act in connection with recovery of illicit drugs.
   Advocate Mainuddin Ahmed and Golam Ehiya Chowdhury defended for the state while advocate Atiqur Rahman appeared on behalf of the accused.

The Jahangirnagar University on Monday deployed extra police forces on the campus to counter the risk of violence cantering the hike of meal charge at dining halls.
   The decision to hike the charges, which came into effect on the day, drew mixed reactions of the students.
   Campus sources said the university provost committee primarily decided to increase a meal charge to Tk 15 from Tk 8. But after discussions with different student bodies the provost committee revised the decision and fixed the meal charge at Tk 12 and assured them of serving quality food.
   ‘We took the decision to increase meal charge considering the price hike of essential commodities,’ said Professor Mirza Mafizuddin, president of Jahangirnagar University provost committee.
   General students of the university expressed mixed reaction on the issue. They said it would not have been a burden for the students if the authorities gradually had hiked 50 paisa per a year.
   JU vice-chancellor Professor Mustahidur Rahman said they had limitations in giving subsidies to the meals.’

Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at most places over Chittagong, Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions and at many places over Dhaka, Barisal and Khulna divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country during the 24-hour period till 6:00pm today, the Met Office said on Monday.
   Under the influence of active monsoon over Bangladesh heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at places over Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions during the 24 hours commencing from 3:00pm Monday.
   The day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, the Met office added.
   The country’s highest temperature on Monday, 35.4 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Satkhira and the lowest, 22.4 degrees Celsius, in Dhaka.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 6:47pm and rises tomorrow at 5:10am.
   The Met office predicted decreased rainfall activity in the outlook for subsequent two days. In the outlook for another five days, it predicted increased rainfall activity at the end of the period.

Australia will increase its aid programme in Bangladesh by 40 per cent in the 2007-08 fiscal year in recognition of Bangladesh’s ‘pressing development needs’.
   The director general of the Australian government’s aid agency, AusAID, Bruce Davis, said this at an agreement signing ceremony at Raiganj in Sirajganj on Sunday, said a Unicef release.
   ‘While Bangladesh has made remarkable progress, much work remains to be done. Our expanded assistance will focus on critical unmet needs for basic education and maternal and child health,’ he added.
   In 2007-08, Australia’s aid programme to Bangladesh is expected to reach A$47.6 million. This compares with an expected outcome for 2006-07 of A$33.9 million.
   The increase in Australia’s aid for Bangladesh reflects the Australian government’s aim of doubling its global aid flows to around A$4 billion annually by 2010.
   A 2006 White Paper on the Australian aid programme foreshadows expansion in South Asia, with particular reference to Bangladesh. The White Paper is a blueprint for the global expansion.
   Davis was in Raiganj to observe Australian aid programmes and sign a Tk 336 million (A$6 million) agreement with Unicef for boosting primary education in Bangladesh.
   Australia will support the government’s second primary education development programme for three years under this agreement, which builds on support that began in 2004.
   Australia’s support will provide in-service training to 160,000 teachers, allow development of participatory plans for 3500 schools, and help to bring thousands of disabled or otherwise disadvantaged children into the school system, UNICEF representative in Bangladesh, Louis-Georges Arsenault, who signed the agreement on behalf of the UN agency said.
   Besides this, Australia’s funding will expand Meena TV programmes, which help raise countrywide awareness of education and other important issues relating to girls’ development, he added.
   The PEDP-II aims to ensure quality of primary education for all children in Bangladesh through increasing primary school access, participation and completion.
   It was launched in September 2004 by the government of Bangladesh and is a coordinated and integrated sub-sector-wide programme with technical and financial assistance from a consortium of 11 lenders.

One held with stolen car at Shahbagh
The police arrested an alleged private car lifter and recovered a stolen car in his possession from the BIRDEM Hospital area at Shahbagh in the Dhaka city early Monday. The arrested was identified as Mohammad Azizul of Sonapara under Madaripur. The police sources said a detective police team raided the BIRDEM Hospital parking area at around 6:45am and nabbed Aziz along with a stolen private car. Aziz was the leader of an organised gang of muggers who had long been engaged in mugging at different city points at night boarding stolen cars, the police said. Aziz admitted to his criminal acts saying he can easily open any locked doors of private cars by using a master key and used the stolen car during mugging in the city.
— New Age