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The Japan International Cooperation Agency will conduct a feasibility study for setting up a 450MW power plant at Bheramara, Power Division sources said.
   The Japanese government agency last week informed the division that it would send an 11-member mission to Bangladesh to discuss about the study from October 28 to November 8, they said.
   The Bheramara 450MW power plant is one of the major projects for which the Power Division has been searching for funds for years.
   Although the Power Development Board initiated the move to set up the plant in 1995, the plant is yet to be installed due to bureaucratic tangles and lack of fund.
   Power Division officials are now expecting to get the fund from Japan after the JICA had expressed interest to conduct the feasibility study.
   ‘After the feasibility study, the JICA will decide about funding the project. We are hopeful about getting the fund from Japan,’ power secretary M Fouzul Kabir Khan told New Age on Monday.
   Earlier in August, the division planned to set up the 450MW Bheramara plant under a public-private joint venture.
   The Industrial and Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited and the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh apprised the division that local entrepreneurs and financial institutions and non-resident Bangladeshis had the capability and eagerness to invest about $300 million in a large power plant.
   Sources in the division said after the JICA, which had been in contact with the division to conduct a feasibility study for Bheramara plant, came to know about the joint-venture plan, it formally sent a letter last week to the division informing about sending the mission.
   The PDB or any of its subsidiaries will now set up the power plant at Bheramara, they said.
   When his attention was drawn to the joint-venture plan, Fouzul said they still had a plan for setting up a large power plant under a joint venture. ‘If we get the Japanese fund for Bheramara, we will set up a power plant under joint venture at another site,’ he said.
   The Japan Bank of International Cooperation is, meanwhile, providing the government $144 million for setting up the 360MW new Haripur power plant.

Bangladesh agreed in principle to provide Rohanpur as entry-and-exist point for transit to Nepal and conduct bilateral trade traffic by rail between the two countries through fulfilment of necessary formalities.
   The agreement came in response to a request from Nepal at trade talks that concluded in Kathmandu on Monday with a package deal on ways and means of enhancing bilateral trade.
   Both sides agreed to take up the matters related to full-fledged operation of Kakarbhitta-Panitanki-Phulbari-Banglabandh corridor with the government of India in view of the existing difficulties faced in operation of transit to and from Bangladesh on this route through Indian territories.
   ‘In this connection, both sides agreed to explore ways and means of an uninterrupted access of Nepalese cargo vehicles to and from the Banglabandh land port,’ says a message from the Nepalese capital.
   The two sides reviewed the agreement on the operating modalities of movement of cargo/vehicles, and it was agreed to finalise it in the near future. ‘Nepalese bilateral trade as well as the third-country trade of Nepal is hampered in the absence of this agreement.’
   Discussion also took place on agreement on Regulation of Passenger Traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal.
   At the secretary-level meeting the two sides agreed on various other trade issues, including exchange of information and further exploring investment opportunities for greater economic linkages between the two countries.
   The commerce secretary-level bilateral consultation, which commenced on Saturday, concluded Monday at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu. The secretary of commerce ministry, Feroz Ahmed, led the Bangladesh delegation while the officiating secretary of the ministry of industry, commerce and supplies of Nepal, Purushottam Ojha, the Nepalese side.
   The meeting reviewed the existing bilateral volume of trade between the two countries and underscored the need for finding ways and means of expanding the bilateral trade to an expected level.
   Both sides agreed to work together to exchange information on regular basis regarding the trade that is taking place between the two countries in both direction.
   Regarding the Nepalese request for preferential tariff reduction/duty-free access for some agricultural and primary products like lentils, tea, large cardamom, pulses, vegetables, fruits and so to Bangladesh market, the Bangladesh delegation informed that there was significant progress on these issues.
   As there is no import duty now on rice and lentils/pulses, the delegation urged Nepal to avail of the opportunity of exporting the products.
   A wish list for preferential tariff reduction will also be forwarded to Nepal from Bangladesh ‘within the shortest possible time’.
   Both the delegations agreed to form working groups to discuss the issues of preferential tariff reduction and prepare its modalities.
   The Nepalese side took note of the problems regarding registration of Bangladeshi products and long-term renewable business visa for the business persons relating to exporting of pharmaceuticals products from Bangladesh to Nepal and would bring the issues to the notice of the authority concerned.
   Bangladesh side took note of the Nepalese request to allow acrylic yarn and marbles to enter Bangladesh through land route.
   They appraised the Nepalese side that Nepal could export marble to Bangladesh through Banglabandh, but this product is subject to pre-shipment inspection only.
   Both sides emphasised the need for improved infrastructural facilities in the vicinity of airports and land ports on their respective sides to facilitate movement of perishable goods, particularly agricultural products, by air cargo and land ports.
   The meeting agreed to encourage investors on both sides to further explore investment opportunities for greater economic linkages between the two countries.
   It was agreed that the Trade and Export Promotion Centre of Nepal and the Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh would be instructed to work together in this regard.
   Both sides agreed to make joint effort to promote tourism in both the countries. The Bangladesh ambassador to Nepal, Imtiaz Ahmed, was present during these meetings.

The deportation of 82 Bangladeshis from the United Arab Emirates occurred due to lack of communication between Bangladesh mission and the civil aviation authority of Dubai as well as the irresponsibility of some Biman officials posted there.
   The Bangladesh embassy made this observation in its report sent to Dhaka on Sunday, officials of the ministries of foreign affairs and overseas employment told New Age.
   They said that the unfortunate incident of deportation could have been prevented if the expatriates’ ministry had earlier informed the mission of the departure of those Bangladeshis. They admitted that the visas were not duly attested by the Bangladesh consulate in Dubai.
   An official of the expatriates’ ministry said that the 82 deported Bangladeshis would go to the Gulf nation by Thursday.
   Officials said that deportation could have been prevented if the Biman officials and Dubai civil aviation authority had contacted the Bangladesh mission in time and also if the employers there had played a proactive role.
   Eighty-six passengers of a Bangladesh Biman flight, among whom there were four Nepalis, were sent back on Sunday from Dubai Airport, reportedly due to visa problems.
   The Bangladesh envoy in the UAE, ATM Nazimullah Chowdhury, informed Dhaka that the untoward incident of deportation occurred due to ‘some procedural oversights’ by the concerned official of the Dubai civil aviation authority.
   The ambassador said that the duty officer of Biman in Dubai did not contact the Bangladesh mission and ask it to prevent the deportation.
   The mission was informed of the situation after the aircraft left the airport at 5am (Dubai time).
   However, embassy officials have already submitted the photocopies of the visas of the Bangladeshis to the Dubai immigration authorities.
   ‘Usually the recruiting agent attests the visas for workers after the latter get work permits in any foreign country. Afterwards the agent also takes clearance from the ministry,’ said an official while explaining the attestation process.

Woman rights groups have demanded that the government and the civic groups should ensure food, security, healthcare and education for rural women.
   Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendra, BERCIK and Steps Towards Development jointly made the call at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Monday marking the World Rural Women’s Day.
   The day falls on October 15 with the slogan, ‘The right to food: rural women produce and provide.’
   Despite significant contribution to the family and society, women are repressed by their male counterparts everywhere and rural women are more exposed to such domestic violence, said Nasimun Ara Haq, president of the BNSK.
   These organisations called for ensuring social security for rural women and protection them from murder, rape, domestic violence and trafficking. They also demanded women’s right to family property and an end to wage discrimination against rural women engaged mostly in agriculture and construction works.
   The recommendations also include employment generation for rural women and empowerment of women members in union councils.
   Parveen Sultana Jhuma of the Kendra demanded inclusion of the issues of rural women’s rights in the national women development policy.
   Among others, programme officers of BERCIK Ferdousi Akhter and Pavel Partha, and Rekha Saha of Steps Towards spoke at the briefing.
   According to the statistics of the Women’s World Summit Foundation, women produce more than half of the world’s food, with ratio going up to 80 per cent in Africa, 60 per cent in Asia, between 30 and 40 per cent in Latin America and Western countries. It also reported that women own only 2 per cent of the land, and receive only one per cent of all agricultural credit, while only 5 per cent of all agricultural extension resources are directed to women, who represent two thirds of the world’s unlettered population.

The education ministry has asked the educational institutions in the capital that will be used as voter registration centres to remain closed temporarily from mid-November to December, if necessary, to facilitate the voter registration work.
   ‘The schedule for examinations will have to be slightly changed or rearranged in the interest of voter registration work. Besides, if necessary, classes have to be suspended in those educational institutions where voter registration will take place,’ the ministry said in a circular on Monday.
   The ministry issued the instruction to the city’s educational institutions as the Election Commissioner had earlier urged it to take measures so that annual examinations of schools could be completed before the start of voter listing in the respective areas.
   The voter registration in the capital will begin on December 1. Most of the voter registration centres will be set up in schools, with school teachers assigned as enumerators and supervisors.
   In the circular, the education ministry said a voters’ roll with photographs would be prepared and national identity cards issued in the Dhaka City Corporation area from mid-November to December. Various examinations, including annual examinations at secondary schools and junior scholarship examinations, are scheduled to be held at the time at schools and colleges.
   The examinations, including annual exams and junior scholarship exams are important, the circular noted. ‘On the other hand, preparation of the voter list with photographs and issuing national ID cards are also in the public interest. The two things have to be completed on a priority basis.’
   The circular also said the director general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education as well as heads of the educational institutions concerned would take the necessary steps.

The government has extended the contractual appointment of major general (retired) Ikramul Haque as Bangladesh ambassador to Saudi Arabia by three months.
   The establishment ministry on Monday issued a gazette notification to the effect.
   Ikramul Haque was appointed as ambassador on a contractual basis in November 2004 for three years.
   The establishment ministry through another gazette notification on the day gave the general officer commanding the 24th division of Bangladesh Army the additional responsibility of the chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board.
   Besides, joint secretary of the posts and telecommunications ministry Shah Mohammad Ali has been sent to the Bangladesh Handloom Board as a member. He has replace Mohammad Khurshid Alam, who has been made director of the department of textiles.
   The ministry on the day also transferred Mohammad Murad Hossain, an officer on special duty of joint secretary rank, to the National Housing Authority as a member.

The district administration has cancelled declaration of nine newspapers for violating the Press and Publications (Declaration and Registration) Act of 1973.
   The newspapers are the daily Maksud, weekly Arial Kha, weekly Madaripur Bani, weekly Madaripur Barta, Weekly Shahmadr, Weekly Nawroz, Weekly Atandra Prohori, Weekly Moinakata and Weekly Protibha.
   At present four newspapers have been publishing from Madaripur. These are the daily Shubono Gram, weekly Bartoman Ishara, weekly Shariatullah and monthly Nobochetona.

Foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury on Monday expressed his deep shock at, and condolence for, the death of seven Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia.
   ‘I am deeply saddened to hear of this tragedy, and offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the bereaved. I pray that the Almighty grant eternal peace to the souls of the deceased and give their families the strength to bear their losses,’ said Iftekhar in his statement.

The detective branch has said they have launched a vigorous drive against criminal gangs who drug the victims before mugging them, and hoped that such incidents will be controlled in three months.
   A special team, headed by a deputy commissioner and comprising of 10 officers, has been working for checking the crime, which saw at least four people killed in last few months.
   ‘The duty of the team is to collect information about the gang members and ringleaders and arrest them,’ Abdul Jalil, joint commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s detective branch said.
   Other DB teams, the metropolitan police and Rapid Action Battalion members are also working for the same, he said at a briefing at DB headquarters at Minto Road on Monday.
   The lawmen have so far arrested 162 members of muggers, who drug the victims or rub pungent balm in eyes to blur their sights. There are roughly 500 gangsters engaged in these crimes in Dhaka city.
   ‘We have intensified our drive and believe these criminals will either be arrested or driven out of the capital city,’ Jalil said firmly.
   The briefing was arranged after the arrest of four members of a mugging gang, including its leader Mosharraf Hossain alias Haji Saab, who also confessed to his involvement in the killing of Rahat Karim Mukul, a private university teacher in the capital on September 25.
   Mukul was mugged on his way home by a three-wheeler at night and was thrown out. He was found dead and his eyes bore signs of balm.
   The arrested criminals, while describing the episode to newsmen, said they rubbed balm as the victim resisted them.
   ‘As Mukul became unconscious, we pushed him down from the vehicle near the Staff Road level crossing and went away keeping his mobile phone set,’ Haji Saab.
   The DB police started investigation into the incident and tracking the mobile phone.
   The four were arrested from Matuail Mridhabari area on October 4.
   Based on their statements, the police then arrested the autorickshaw-supplier, Alal, from the same locality, but the driver could not be nabbed yet.

World Postal Day will be observed in the country as elsewhere across the world today.
   The president, Iajuddin Ahmed, and the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, in their separate messages congratulated officers and employees of the postal department on the occasion.
   In his message the president said, he was happy to see that the day was being observed in Bangladesh along with other countries. He also congratulated the functionaries of the postal department at all levels.
   In a separate message, the chief adviser said the postal department had an important role in the field of communications along exchanging postal materials.
   He said the traditional postal system was now facing
   tough challenges from different modern technologies, including currier services along with e-mail.
   He wished World Postal Day-2007 a success.