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The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has requested the Padma Oil Company Ltd to set up a jet refuelling facility at the Osmani International Airport in Sylhet for refuelling planes using the airport.
   Inside sources said that the CAAB, in a letter sent on October 25 to the managing director of Padma Oil, requested him to set up a refuelling station at the third largest international airport in the country as the number of local and foreign airlines using the airport has been gradually increasing.
   According to CAAB sources, the airport has to accommodate around 18 local and international flights of different airlines a week, and the officials believe that the number will increase further in the coming years.
   ‘Many airlines are now operating flights from the Osmani airport to local and foreign destinations and so a refuelling facility at the airport is essential to cater to their demand,’ said the CAAB’s letter.
   The letter urged the state-owned Padma Oil to take an initiative in this regard as early as possible as the number of airlines, particularly those
   operating international flights, will increase as the government has adopted an open sky policy for three months up to December for the three international airports in the country to expedite the carrying of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia and countries in the Middle East.
   ‘Because of the government’s open sky policy, many foreign airlines have expressed interest in flying from Osmani, and the government has also allotted more frequencies to the airlines,’ said an official of the CAAB.
   Moreover, the airport will be ready to handle wide-bodied planes by June this year as expansion and strengthening of the runway at Osmani is nearing completion.
   Osmani airport is located five kilometres north-east of Sylhet city, and is the country’s third international airport.
   Biman Bangladesh Airlines and two local private airlines, GMG Airlines and United Airways, currently operate domestic flights from the airport. A new company, the Royal Bengal Airline, is also expected to launch domestic flights to the airport by the end of 2007. Several foreign airlines are also expected to operate flights soon to various international routes from the airport.
   The majority of the passengers using the airport are expatriate Bangladeshis of Sylheti origin and their descendants living in the United Kingdom.

The Election Commission will invite the BNP by November 7 to the commission’s dialogue on electoral reforms after reviewing the party constitution and the letters sent to the commission by the two factions of the party.
   ‘We have the letters sent by both the groups. After a review of the letters and the party constitution, we will invite to the dialogue whichever faction is eligible to be invited by November 7,’ the chief election commissioner, Shamsul Huda, told reporters after a delegation of a BNP faction, which named its acting chairperson and the secretary general Monday night, submitted a letter to the commission claiming to be the party mainstream.
   Saifur Rahman was named the acting party chairperson and M Hafizuddin Ahmed the acting secretary general at the BNP ‘standing committee’ meeting Monday night.
   The BNP secretary general, Khandaker Delwar Hossain, rejected the appointment of any acting chairperson or acting secretary general.
   Mahbubur Rahman, who led the delegation, said they had urged the commission to invite them to the dialogue on electoral reforms scheduled for November 22. Others on the delegation were Mofazzal Karim, ZA Khan and Nazir Hossain.
   ‘There have been some changes in the leadership of our organisation as the standing committee announced the names of acting chairperson and acting secretary general. We visited the commission to inform it of the changes so that the invitation to dialogue could be sent to the new leadership,’ Mahbub said.
   Asked why they expect to be invited to the dialogue when the commission said it would invite the party after reviewing the party constitution and the new committee was not constituted in keeping with the constitution, Mahbud said, ‘We have full confidence in the Election Commission. In accordance with laws and the party constitution and after reviewing the overall situation, the commission will obviously invite us.’
   ‘The people who are talking against the formation of the new committee are talking either ignoring the reality or not going through our resolution on the changed party leadership,’ he said.
   The BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, expelled secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and joint-secretary general Ashraf Hossain the day before she was detained on September 3 for their ‘involvement in activities against the party.’
   The same day she appointed Khandaker Delwar Hossain secretary general. The BNP on September 5 sent a letter to the commission informing it of the latest changes in the party.
   It also said the commission should contact the new secretary general for any official purpose.
   The group led by Mannan Bhuiyan in a letter to the chief election commission on September 9 also described Khaleda Zia’s action (expulsion of Bhuiyan and Ashraf) as a violation of the government restrictions on political activities. By the same token, they questioned Delwar’s appointment as the secretary general and requested the commission to make all correspondences with Bhuiyan.

Left-leaning political leaders have urged the caretaker government to hold a free, fair and credible general election by 2008 following their commitment to restore democratic trend in the country.
   They also requested the Election Commission not to register the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh for contesting the election, as it has been ‘identified as a war criminal’ political party.
   ‘There is no necessity to amend the constitution to bar the war criminals… The Jamaat-e-Islami should not be registered to contest the election,’ the Workers’ Party president, Rashed Khan Menon, said at a discussion marking the 35th founding anniversary of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal at the Diploma Engineers Institute Wednesday evening.
   Criticising the resent statement of the Jamaat secretary general, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, he said the enemies who were active during the war of independence again wanted to strike today.
   About the price-hike, Menon said the people of the country have been passing their days amid insecurity as prices of all essentials continue to rise. ‘The country, where the price of sugar and wheat is equal, is not safe.’
   Former Awami League lawmaker Abdur Razzak, reading out a letter from acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman, said people of the country were experiencing a panic situation as the ‘national election still remains uncertain.’
   The Bikalpadhara Bangladesh secretary general, Abdul Mannan, said the caretaker government should complete their mandate by arranging the much-desired election before October 2008 according to their roadmap.
   Comparing the JSD with Bikalpadhara he said both the parties were born through mass struggle.
   ‘We support the sacrifice of the JSD people.’
   The general secretary of the Communist Party Bangladesh, Mujahidul Islam Selim, 14-party leader Dilip Barua, former BCL president Sharif Nurul Ambia, NAP leader Ismail Hossain and JSD leaders Mainuddin Khan Badal, Rabiul Alam, Hindunandan Datta, Habibur Rahman Saikat and Iqbal Hossain Khan also spoke at the function.
   JSD leader Mainuddin Khan Badal said it was necessary to make it clear on what basis the national unity would be formed. ‘A national unity was once formed on the basis of liberation war.’
   About the upcoming national election, he said the caretaker government was bound to give the election for the sake of legalising their deeds.

Almost all the officials and employees of the Dhaka City Corporation submitted their wealth statements to its establishment department through their departmental heads on Wednesday, the last day for the submission of the statements.
   DCC sources said few officials who were abroad on official tours failed to submit their wealth statements. The officials included executive engineer Ashiqur Rahman, executive engineer (bazaar circle) Syed Mozaffar Hossain and superintendent engineer Faruq Aziz.
   Very few officials, including taxation officer of zone-10 Mahfuzur Rahman, who had been off sick didn’t submit their statements, the sources said, adding that the wealth statements are likely to be submitted to the taskforce for verification today.
   An official of the corporation said 12,212 officials and employees work with the DCC. Of them, 345 are Class I officers, 183 Class II officers, 2,324 Class III employees and 2,088 are Class IV employees. In addition, 7,272 employees work on master roll.
   Although master roll employees were out of the order, many of them submitted wealth statements through their departmental heads, the sources said.
   The corporation secretary, M Golam Mostafa, on October 24 issued an order to submit wealth statements by October 31 except departmental heads and zonal executives after the taskforce of the joint forces started keeping watch on Nagar Bhaban activities.
   All the departmental heads and zonal executives except those who are working on deputation were also asked on October 28 to submit their wealth statements by October 31, another official said.
   Seventeen officials — secretary of the corporation, chief engineer, chief revenue officer, chief estate officer, chief conservancy officer, a magistrate, private secretary to the mayor and 10 zonal officers — have been working on deputation.
   The authorities concerned had sent to the taskforce the list of works of different departments which were done in the last five years.
   Most officials and employees of the corporation had been in panic since the taskforce started its works at Nagar Bhaban.
   According to sources, a number of officials and employees allegedly amassed wealth through corruption during the tenures of late mayor Mohammad Hanif and incumbent mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
   Many ward commissioners who had been involved in alleged corruption were not asked to submit their wealth statements, they said.
   The members of the taskforce started their job at Nagar Bhaban on October 22 to ensure better service for city dwellers and to check corruption and anomalies.
   The taskforce put up a complaint box with a telephone number (9563508) and asked the people to make complaints. They also introduced a system of registering the names of visitors and employees.

The Barisal Kotwali police on Wednesday pressed charges against Barisal City Corporation mayor Majibor Rahman Sarwar and 50 others for lynching Tera Shahjahan.
   The 51 accused in the case include seven members of the banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh and a BCC ward commissioner.
   Fifteen of them, including Majibor, three JMB operatives and the BCC ward commissioner, are now in jail custody.
   After receiving the charge sheet, Barisal Sadar upazila magistrate Munim Hassan ordered to issue warrants for arrest of the remaining 36 accused who are one the run.
   The investigation officer, sub-inspector Mir Kasem, said in the charge-sheet Majibor was accused of masterminding
   the lynching of Shahjahan and his involvement with the JMB.
   Of the three JMB operatives now in jail, Asadul Islam Arif, a regional commander of the banned Islamist outfit, was earlier sentenced to death in the Jalakathi judge killing case.
   The army-led joint forces arrested the BCC mayor, also a former BNP lawmaker, in Dhaka on May 29.

The methods and findings of the tests conducted on Ceftriaxone injections by the pharmacology department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University are accurate, leaders of the Peoples’ Health Movement Bangladesh and the Health for All told a press briefing at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Wednesday.
   They said the department as a part of its research of the students followed international standards and measured the active ingredients of Ceftriaxone injections manufactured by top 17 pharmaceutical companies. The tests found the injections produced by three companies did not have the right amounts of active ingredients. The university then sent the test results to the Drug Administration in mid-August. But the DA is still to take any action in this regard.
   At the briefing, columnist and pharmacist Farhad Mazhar said a national university could raise questions about the quality of drugs in any country.
   ‘But, opposing the BSMMU test results, a group of owners of drug manufacturing companies have been making confusing statements. They even have questioned the quality of the university’s teachers, which can only be done by the university syndicate,’ he observed.
   The PHMB and HFA leaders said the drug companies were trying to ruin the image of the BSMMU by publishing advertisements in newspapers, where they even are naming the teachers involved in the research.

The government on Wednesday issued an ordinance giving effect to the earlier decision to exempt savings certificate income up to Tk 1.50 lakh from tax.
   National Board of Revenue sent the new ‘income tax (amendment) ordinance 2007’ to all commercial banks, postal department and National Savings Directorate on the same day for immediate effect.
   President Iajuddin Ahmed signed the ordinance on October 29, three weeks after the council of advisers approved it.
   ‘We have sent the ordinance to all banks, postal department and savings directorate asking them not to deduct any tax at source from annual incomes up to Tk 1.5 lakh from savings instruments,’ Ali Ahmed, member, income tax policy, NBR told New Age.
   The authorities concerned have also been instructed to refund tax money they deducted so far from the income of savings instrument until issuance of the ordinance.
   The NBR in an order on Sunday had asked the banks and savings instrument authorities to follow the finance bill and continue to collect 10 per cent tax at source if interest income from saving certificates exceeds Tk 25,000.
   In the Finance Bill 2007, the government had imposed 10 per cent tax at source on interest income exceeding Tk 25,000 from saving instruments.
   The budgetary measure created much dissatisfaction among small savers and later, the government amended the order increasing the ceiling of tax exemption up to Tk 1.5 lakh.

Former state minister for LGRD and cooperatives of the Awami League government Syed Abul Hossain was on Wednesday sued for owning illegal wealth of more than Tk 3 crore.
   The Anti-Corruption Commission’s assistant director Mozahar Ali filed the case with the Ramna police against Abul Hossain and his wife, Khwaja Nargis Hossain.
   The complainant said the couple had amassed wealth of Tk 3,13,52,000 beyond their known source of income.
   The couple are now in hiding.

The government has decided to distribute and receive passport application forms through seven post offices in Dhaka from November 6 on a trial basis, said a release of the Bangladesh Post Office on Thursday.
   The seven post offices are Dhaka GPO, New Market, Mirpur 2, Dhaka Kotwali Principal Post Office, Demra, Dhaka Cantonment and Uttara. The decision was made on the home ministry’s approval of the performance improvement project initiated at a training workshop implemented by the government and the Department for International Development.
   If the move becomes successful, the government will plant to issue passports from post offices, the release said. An agreement in this regard has been signed between the Department of Immigration and Passports and the Bangladesh Postal Department.
   A training workshop for the officials of the post offices concerned was held in the conference room of Dak Bhaban in Dhaka on October 26.

British development aid agency DFID on Wednesday assured the government of providing $600 million for the proposed ‘Road Fund’ for development and maintenance of road network.
   The British high commissioner to Bangladesh, Anwar Chowdhury, gave the assurance when he called on the communications adviser, MA Matin, at his secretariat office.
   The Department for International Development will also extend help to the Bailey bridge sector, the high commissioner said.
   During the meeting, the adviser and the British envoy discussed issues of mutual interest and Bangladesh’s communication sector, especially the progress of implementation of the DFID-financed projects in the Roads and Highways Department.
   The communications secretary, Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman, senior officials of the ministry and DFID chief in the high commission were present on the occasion.

A regional leader of the Sarbahara Party was killed on Tuesday night in an alleged crossfire between the party members and the police at Baraipara village under Atghoria upazila of Pabna.
   With the death of Belal Hossain, 35, of Hydarpur village of the upazila, the death toll in such incidents since June 2004 has reached 874.
   According to the police, tipped off, a team of the Atghoria police arrested Belal at his uncle’s house at Hydarpur village at around 8:30pm on Tuesday. Based on his confessional statement, a police team led by Atghoria police station office-in-charge Abu Bakar Siddique went back to the village along with Belal to recover a cache of firearms.
   As the police team reached the village, the party operatives opened fire on it, forcing police to counter fire, the police claimed, adding Belal was caught in crossfire and killed on the spot at around 10:30pm. His associates, however, managed to escape.

Two suspended officials of the Khulna City Corporation are reportedly going to be sacked for their alleged involvement in corruption, KCC sources said.
   KCC mayor Sheikh Tayebur Rahman suspended KCC chief engineer Liakat Ali Sharif and Municipal Service Project assistant SM Hafizur Rahman in September for their alleged involvement in misappropriating more than Tk 44.56 lakh of the MSP through fake bills and vouchers.
   A probe committee found the two suspended officials were indeed involved in the corruption, the sources said, adding that the KCC mayor on Wednesday afternoon issued notices to the suspended officials, asking them to show cause as to why they should not be sacked for misappropriation of the money.
   Hafizur Rahman, in his turn, on Monday night lodged a general diary with the Khulna Kotwali police accusing the KCC mayor, public relations officer Sardar Abu Taher, mayor’s private assistant Isharat Ali, and a contractor, Shawkat Hossain alias Thandu, for their alleged corruption from 2000 to 2007.