Main Page «
Front Page «
Business «
International «
Sports «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh in a noble initiative on Tuesday announced that they would provide free housing facility to each family of one cyclone-hit village.
   ‘We’ll take help from the army to build the houses and from the administration to select the village,’ REHAB president Mukarram Hossain Khan announced the noble programme, the first by any trade body of the country, at a city hotel.
   He said REHAB will also raise a fund of Tk 1 crore from the participants of the fair and other REHAB members to provide relief for the victims of the natural disaster.
   Khan was addressing the inaugural function of a 5-day REHAB Fair 2007, the annual event to promote housing industry, began at Hotel Sheraton on Tuesday.
   The fair will continue till Saturday from 9:00am to 10:00pm, offering better comparatively prices during the fair than other times as organisers claimed.
   ‘The victims have no food, no water, no shelter… help them whatever you can,’ housing and public works adviser Mainul Hosein made the call over phone aired through microphone at the function.
   He was scheduled to attend the function as chief guest, but could not turn up due to his visit to the Sidr-affected areas.
   However, the REHAB president announced their help before the chief guest made the call for the help for the cyclone victims.
   Turning to the sector’s interest, Mukarram urged the government to help the sector develop so they could provide low-cost housing facilities in the country.
   ‘The housing sector grew nowhere in the world without easy and long-term loan
   facilities,’ he said, seeking government intervention to arrange low-cost loan facilities as well as and reduce raw material cost and registration fees.
   Addressing the function, housing secretary ASM Rashedul Hye said the issue of registration fee was discussed in the council of advisers’ meeting recently and an announcement in this regard would come soon.
   RAJUK chairman KAM Harun offered developers to buy government land at Purbachhal at reduced prices and develop low-cost housing facilities for the low-income group of people.

A three-day national seminar on copyright awareness of intellectual property began in Dhaka on Tuesday with a call for promoting skills and professionalism in the publication sector.
   About 100 authors, publishers, artists, singers, government officials, representatives from judiciary from Bangladesh, Japan, Australia and India are participating in the seminar on ‘Copyright awareness and production and utilisation of Bangla version of Asian Copyright Handbook.’
   The copyright office at cultural affairs ministry, Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO, Japan, the Academic and Creative Publishers’ Association of Bangladesh and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan jointly organised the seminar at Sheraton Hotel.
   The cultural affairs secretary, Abdul Howk Chowdhury, read out the keynote paper at the opening session moderated by the Bangladesh Writers Club president, Mohammad Nurul Huda.
   The Japanese ambassador, Inoue Masayuki, the Academic and Creative Publishers Association president, Mofidul Hoque, the director of International Affairs Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan, Kameoka Yu, and the president of Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO, Shiraishi Masaru, among others, spoke at the inaugural session.
   Chowdhury in his keynote speech said, ‘We have now an updated version of Copyright Act 2000 (amended in 2005).’ Last year, the government approved and enacted the Copyright Rules 2006, he added.
   The Japanese envoy said, ‘Rampant piracy of cultural property is not only a national problem, it has gone beyond national borders and is harming the international community.’
   In his speech, Nurul Huda stressed the need for undertaking action plans for creating awareness of copyright and proper utilisation of facilities available to protect intellectual property.
   Mofidul Hoque said, ‘The global changes in recent years have made it imperative to respect copyright. Between the years 2000-2005, Bangladesh updated Copyright Act and efforts are on to further amend the act for incorporating cyber laws in it.
   ‘Copyright not only protect authors, musicians and artists’ economic rewards and their dignity, but also it encourages their creative activities,’ Kameoka Yu said. Shiraishi Masaru said, ‘Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO was working to raise awareness of copyright from the very beginning.’
   The three-day seminar will feature some 12 working sessions on various subjects regarding copyright issues.

Paediatricians have termed pneumonia child killer disease that affects infants due to poor environmental conditions, overcrowding, indoor air pollution, malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency.
   The acute lower respiratory tract infections especially pneumonia is global burden and it accounts a great tool on child health, said Professor Abid Hossain Mollah at the third national congress of Bangladesh Paediatric Pulmonology Forum held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre on Tuesday.
   ‘Pneumonia causes 47 per cent of child deaths in Bangladesh,’ said forum vice-president Abid Hossain Mollah, also head of paediatric department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
   The life of most children infected with different diseases could be saved through mass awareness that would help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, paediatricians said at the congress.
   Some 500 paediatricians from all over the country took part in the congress while resource persons from different countries discussed issues relating to the diseases that known as child killer diseases in Bangladesh.
   The issues include pneumonia, childhood asthma, tuberculosis, sleep disorders, chest imaging and child diabetes.
   The congress was also addressed, among others, by founder director of Institute
   of Child and Mother Health, MQ-K Talukder, National Professor MR Khan, BPPF president Professor Ruhul Amin, secretary general ARM Lutful Kabir and treasurer Selina Khanum.

A month-long trade fair ‘Women’s SME Expo-07’ began at railway polo ground in the city on Tuesday.
   Industries adviser Geeteara Safiya Choudhury inaugurated the fair organised by Small and Medium Enterprises Foundation under the commerce ministry and Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
   Commerce secretary Feroz Ahmed, deputy commissioner Ashraf Shamim, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association first vice-president MA Salam were present as special guests.
   Chaired by CWCCI president Monwara Hakim Ali, the inaugural function was addressed, among others, by its senior vice-president Khaleda Awal and chairperson of the fair organising committee Kohinur Kamal and co-chairperson Babi Hassan.
   The adviser said it would not be possible to implement the overall development plans of the country without the participation of the women, adding that the government was attaching highest priority on the participation of the women in every sector.
   ‘Participation of women entrepreneurs in the business sector is being increased day by day. Events like the SME Exposition will help the women to step forward which will also be instrumental for the development of the country.’
   More than 300 stalls, pavilions and mega pavilions have been set up at the fair.

Construction of a bridge over the Gulshan-Banani Lake in Dhaka city would pose an environmental threat to the lake, speakers told a discussion on Tuesday.
   The bridge would not help reduce traffic congestion in the two posh areas rather it would put adverse impact on the lake environment, they said.
   The speakers made the observation at the discussion on ‘solution to traffic congestion and adverse effects on lake for the construction of a bridge on Gulshan-Banani Lake’.
   Barrister Raihan Khalid read out a keynote paper in the discussion organised by Save the Environment Movement at the National Press Club.
   Former ambassador CM Murshed said the way the bridge to be constructed over the lake would not only harm the lake environment but also increase traffic congestion.
   Professor AQM Mahbub of Dhaka University said instead of doing such unplanned works, the authorities concerned should take up long-term city development plan including decentralisation of the capital to ease traffic jam.
   The Dhaka City Water-logging Resolve Committee convenor, Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, stressed the need for strengthening traffic control system to ease traffic snarl.
   Construction of the bridge over the lake would not help in reducing traffic congestion in Gulshan and Banani areas, he observed.
   Moderated by the SEM convenor Abu Naser Khan, the discussion was addressed by Gulshan Society vice-president Fazlur Rahman, PEACE secretary general Ifma Hossain, Citizens Rights Movement president Tushar Rehman, Gorky Foundation president Dr Jesmin Ara Sultana Sathi, Nagarbashi organisaion president Haji Ansar Ali and WBB Trust programme officer Syed Mahbubul Alam Tuhin.

A weeklong mass campaign began in Dakkhin Surma upazila of the district on Tuesday to sensitise the people on safe motherhood.
   Sylhet District Information Office organised the campaign under a UNFPA-assisted project.
   Director general of Department of Mass Communication Mohammad Abdul Mannan inaugurated the programme held on Noor Jahan Memorial Women’s Degree College premises. Deputy commissioner Harunur Rashid Khan chaired the function.
   Earlier, the students of the college carrying carried banners and festoons brought out a procession on the occasion.
   The other programmes of the week included discussion meeting, seminar, documentary film show, folksong.

The results of undergraduate admission tests of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology were published on Monday night.
   A list of 885 successful candidates along with a waiting list of 610 students has been published.
   BUET sources said interviews and medical tests of the selected students will begin on December 1.
   The full results and the latest updates of the admission programmes will be available on website at www.buet.ac.bd.

The test for admission to BBA course (2007-2008) under the Institute of Business Administration of Dhaka University will be held on Friday at 10am.
   As per the seat plan, the admit cardholders from 4001 to 4580 will have to sit for the test at the Institute of Business Administration while 4581 to 6442 at the faculty of Business Studies, from 6443 to 6958 at the Institute of Education Research and from 6959 to 8200 at the Arts Building (Entrance north gate).
   Detailed seat plans are available on the website at www.iba-du.edu apart from the bulletin boards of the respective examination centres, said a DU press release.
   The candidates have been asked to report to their respective examination hall/room by 9:30am on the day of examination.

Weather is likely to remain mainly dry over the country till 6:00pm today.
   Night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country during the period, Met Office said.
   Country’s highest temperature 31.6 degrees Celsius was recorded on Tuesday at Sitakunda and lowest 16.0 degrees at Saidpur.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 5:11pm and rises tomorrow at 6:18am.

The government-backed faction of BNP on Tuesday hinted at a major policy shift in the party to make its student wing an independent organisation.
   ‘The trend of student politics will be changed in future and the Chhatra Dal will no longer act as a party wing rather it will act as an independent organisation,’ the acting secretary general of the faction, M Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, told a section of the leaders of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal.
   Hafiz also expressed his doubt whether the party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, had filed the writ petition at all seeking court’s intervention in the scheduled dialogue between the Election Commission and the party.
   ‘There is reason for doubt whether Khaleda Zia has moved the court at all. The way the case was filed raises doubts and there are also questions over the process of taking her signature,’ he said.
   Hafiz said a ‘small dissident group’ in the BNP had filed the case after the Election Commission had invited them [the Saifur Rahman-led faction] as the party mainstream to the dialogue on electoral reforms on November 22 and that they had taken preparations accordingly.
   Asked if he considered Khaleda Zia as being involved with the ‘small dissident group’ since she had filed the writ, he expressed his doubts over her involvement in the filing of the case.
   Hafiz said that the High Court ruling putting a four-week freeze on the Election Commission’s invitation to him for talks did not frustrate him. ‘We are not surprised… We hope that after scrutinising the party constitution, the court will pass its judgement in our favour and recognise us as the party’s mainstream.’
   Hafiz was talking to a group of leaders from Dhaka city north unit of Chhatra Dal who met him at his Banani house in the morning.

A visiting top US aid official said that Washington, apart from the initial aid of $2.1 million for Sidr’s victims, would provide long-term assistance to Bangladesh to help it to cope with the aftermath of the cyclone.
   ‘Our desire is to build a strong and long-term partnership with Bangladesh,’ said Henrietta Fore, the director of US foreign assistance and United States Agencies for International Development’s administrator, after handing over first batch of Washington’s relief to the government at the Zia International Airport.
   Food and disaster management secretary Ayub Mian received the relief on behalf of the government. The relief materials include 5,000 blankets, 2,520 hygienic kits, 2,500 jerry cans, 300 plastic sheets and energy biscuits worth $1,61,000.
   Fore arrived in the capital on Tuesday morning on a daylong tour to observe the devastation caused by cyclone Sidr and the administration’s relief operations. She visited the cyclone-hit districts and met officials including chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed.
   Referring to her visits to the cyclone-stricken areas, she said that she had seen that houses and farms were badly damaged, paddy fields ravaged, and people had left their farms and walked into towns to look for food.
   ‘There is great need and it will be a long-term need,’ Fore added.
   She told newsmen that her government would form some plans on education and health, provide assistance for rural electrification and improving telecommunications and also help in the construction of embankments.
   The USAID’s administrator said that two assessment teams from the US are now working with the Bangladesh government and by the end of this week they should have a good idea of the extent and intensity of the damages caused by SIDR.
   ‘We are working with the government, the army and NGOs to find out the best and fastest way to rebuild houses and shattered lives,’ she said.
   The US charge d’ affaires, Geeta Pasi, and USAID mission’s director, Denise Rollins, were present at the airport to welcome Fore.

More political and socio-cultural organisations and private companies have joined the relief efforts in the cyclone-ravaged coastal districts.
   Bangladesh Chhatra Union in the last couple of days distributed relief supplies 1,000 distressed families in Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Barisal and Pirojpur districts. Several teams of the student organisation are engaged in relief operations in the areas.
   Hamdard Laboratories Bangladesh started relief distribution and healthcare activities in the cyclone hit areas on Tuesday.
   It is distributing drinking water, food, saline, medicine, clothes and cash from some 20 centres set up to help the affected people.
   Jatiya Mukti Council distributed puffed rice, molasses, drinking water and saline among 350 affected people of Sarankhola on Tuesday.
   Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce Limited and Dhaka University authorities have decided to join relief operations.
   The university authorities have opened a relief cell at the Teacher-Student Center on Monday. A team comprising teachers and officers will start for the affected areas today.
   DU vice-chancellor Professor SMA Faiz urged all to come forward and donate to the relief cell for the cyclone victims.
   A team of Sammilita Sangskritik Jote headed for Patuakhali and Barguna districts on Tuesday to distribute relief supplies.
   The army continued rescue and relief operations as well as healthcare activities in the affected districts. The army so far distributed 81.10 tonnes of food items, including rice, potato, pulses, salt and oil among the victims, said an ISPR release.
   Communist Party of Bangladesh called upon the people to rush to the affected areas with relief materials to help the victims.

Mufti Hannan and his younger brother were on Tuesday remanded in police custody for three days for interrogation in connection with the grenade attack on the Sylhet mayor at Gulshan Hotel Complex in the city.
   Criminal Investigation Department inspector Zubayer Ahmed produced Mufti Hannan, chief of the banned Islamist outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, and his younger brother, Mufti Mafizur Rahman Ovi alias Muhibullah, in the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Sylhet on Tuesday and sought that they should be remanded in custody for five days.
   The magistrate, Rafiqul Islam, allowed them to be remanded for three days, sources in the court said.
   Sources in the Criminal Investigation Department said the Harkatul operatives had carried out the grenade attack on the mayor, Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, and they had so far extracted the names of eight people involved in the attack.
   The charge sheet in the case will soon be filed with the court against the Harkatul men, the sources said.
   A leader of the Sylhet city Awami League was killed and more than 50 leaders were injured in the attack on August 7, 2004. Kamran escaped unhurt as he had left the spot minutes before the explosion.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday sent former Awami League lawmaker Habibur Rahman Mollah to jail after he had surrendered in court in connection with a case of tax evasion.
   The metropolitan sessions judge, Azizul Haque, passed the order asking the jail authorities to provide the lawmaker with division facilities in jail.
   Revenue board deputy tax commissioner Golam Kabir on November 18 lodged the case against Habibur Rahman with the court.
   The revenue board official said Habibur had evaded taxes of Tk 45.41 lakh on his income of Tk 1.30 crore between tax years 1996-97 and 2006-07 as the managing director of the Food and Allied Industries Limited.
   The judge earlier heard the complaint and issued a warrant for arrest of Habibur, former lawmaker for the Demra constituency.
   Habibur Rahman, along with his counsel Farook Hossain, on Tuesday appeared in the court and appealed for his bail.
   The judge rejected his bail petition saying he was not the proper authority to hear the case.

The Rajshahi Union of Journalists general secretary, Jahangir Alam Akash, was remanded on bail and released from jail Monday evening.
   Akash’s lawyer submitted a bail petition with the Rajshahi district and sessions judge’s court and the judge, AR Masud, granted Akash bail on Monday morning, and posted the next hearing for Sunday.
   The Rapid Action Battalion picked up Akash, also bureau chief of the CSB News and staff reporter of Sangbad, on October 24 as a case was filed against him by one Abdul Jalil of Kandra at Puthia on October 23.

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday approved the proposal for filing a case against former state minister Ziaul Haque Zia, his wife Shamima Haque and son Masfiqul Haque Joy for amassing wealth beyond their known sources of income.
   A commission official said the commission had approved the draft first information report of the case. He said Zia and his family owns illegal wealth of about Tk 20 crore. The family owns Tk 12.81crore in moveable property and Tk 7.36 crore in immoveable property, beyond their known sources of income.

Moniruzzaman Moni, a commissioner of ward No 28, took over as mayor in charge of of Khulna City Corporation on Tuesday.

Nat’l workshop on road safety
A national workshop on ‘Road Safety in Bangladesh: Constraints and the Way Forward’ begins at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in Dhaka today. Accident Research Centre, BUET organises the workshop with the support of the World Bank and Roads and Highways Department, said a release. LGRD and cooperatives adviser Anwarul Iqbal will be present at the workshop as chief guest while communications secretary Mahbubur Rahman and World Bank country director Xian Zhu as special guests. BUET vice-chancellor Professor AMM Safiullah will chair the function.
— BSS

Two killed in road mishap in Sylhet
Two people, including a madrassa teacher, were killed and another was injured as a bus hit their rickshaw on Sylhet-Zakiganj road near Kotalpur Bridge in Sylhet Monday night. The dead were identified as Maulana Musleh Uddin, 41, vice-principal of Jhingabari Fazil Madrassah and Maulana Mahbubur Rahman Zahir, 42, a businessman of Rampur village in Kanaighat upazila. Locals said the accident took place when a Zakiganj-bound bus overtaking another bus struck the rickshaw around 8:30pm. Rickshaw-puller Mazid Ali was admitted to Osmani Medical College Hospital. Traffic on the road was held up for five hours following the accident. The police seized the two buses.
— UNB