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

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

The Dhaka City Corporation has failed to construct any new graveyard even in four years of its initiative to construct four burial grounds.
   The corporation, which failed to get fund to develop four new graveyards in 2003, revised the project reducing the number by two and submitted it to the Planning Commission in 2005, sources in the corporation said, adding that the project has remained there since then.
   The Planning Commission in a September 19 project evaluation committee meeting asked the corporation to submit a revised proposal to it through the LGRD and cooperatives ministry, Mohammad Shihab Ullah, project director of the graveyards project, said.
   ‘We will submit the revised graveyard development project proposal to the Planning Commission through the LGRD and cooperatives ministry within 15 days,’ he told New Age on Thursday. The suggestions of the Planning Commission include considering khas land instead of acquiring land to construct the two graveyards and submitting estimates for setting up utility lines including water and electricity in the graveyards, he said.
   The corporation took an initiative to develop four graveyards — beside the flood protection embankment at Lalbagh, behind the Mirpur Zoo, at Aftabnagar of Badda and at Sayedabad of Demra — all on 37.07 acres of land and submitted the project to the Planning Commission in 2003.
   As the corporation failed to get fund for the four graveyards, it decided to develop two graveyards as per the suggestion of the Planning Commission in October 2005, said a corporation official.
   The corporation on February 24, 2006 submitted the revised project with two graveyards at Goran Chatbari of Mirpur on 25 acres of land and at Aftabnagar of Badda on 25 acres land involving an estimated cost of about Tk 82.53 crore — Tk 49 crore for the graveyard at Goran Chatbari and Tk 33.62 crore for Aftabnagar graveyard, he said.
   The corporation revised the project cost at Tk 133 crore due to the increase in land price and submitted it to the Planning Commission through the ministry concerned on June 16, 2006, the official said.
   As per the project proposal, about 70,000 burials can be done on the graveyards and entire graves will be kept for general use, he said adding that after every two years a grave will be reused.
   The corporation at present has five graveyards at Azimpur, Jurain, Uttara, Mirpur and Banani where increasing demand of space for graves compels the corporation to reuse the graves more frequently than ever, said another official of the corporation.
   Although it is needed to take a minimum of two years time to reuse a grave, shortage of land in the graveyards forced the authorities to reuse a grave within six months to one year, he said.
   The official said 120 to 140 general burials take place in the graveyards every day.
   On average, 40 to 45 people are buried at Azimpur graveyard a day, 35 to 40 at Jurain graveyard and some 10 people in Uttara graveyard.
   As the city population keeps increasing rapidly, it become essential to develop more graveyards, said the official.

The Chittagong City Corporation is facing severe fund constraints to repair the roads and alleyways damaged by the rain-triggered water logging in the port city.
   The corporation got an allocation of only Tk 20 crore from the government against its demand for Tk 100 crore for the repair work, sources in the corporation said.
   The fund provided by the government is too inadequate to complete the repair work of the damaged roads in the city, the sources added.
   The acting Chittagong mayor, M Manjur Alam said the corporation could repair less than one fifth of the damaged roads with the government allocation.
   Of the allocation, Tk 10 crore has been earmarked for repairing the city’s major thoroughfares and the rest amount would be disbursed among 41 wards to repair roads and lanes, he added.
   The acting mayor also said the corporation would seek more allocation from the government as it does not have enough fund to complete the repair work.
   ‘We are going to start repair work within a week,’ he added.
   Over 600-kilometer stretch of roads and alleyways in the city out of 840-kilometer have been severely damaged by water logging, corporation sources said.
   Carpeting on most of the city roads have been badly damaged by the water logging triggered after heavy downpour on June 11 and October 16.
   Major city roads including Sheikh Mujib Road, Siraj-ud-doula Road, and Station road, CDA Avenue, Port Connecting Road, OR Nizam Road, Airport Road and DT Road lie in a very bad shape as the developed lots of large holes.
   Traffic movement on the damaged roads have become very slow and risky causing immense sufferings to the passengers. Frequent accidents are also taking place on the roads.

Thailand is keenly interested to cooperate with Bangladesh in constructing elevated expressway in the capital to ease traffic congestion.
   Thai companies are also interested to work with Petrobangla in offshore gas exploration in Bangladesh, outgoing Thai ambassador in Dhaka Suphat Chitranukroh said this when he made a farewell call on the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, at the Chief Adviser’s Office on Thursday.
   The envoy further told the chief adviser that the Thai communications ministry would assist in constructing the elevated expressway using the vast experiences of construction of their elevated highways.
   Fakhruddin said he would follow it up as Bangladesh wanted to expedite construction of the elevated expressway.
   The Thai ambassador also apprised the chief adviser that many Thai companies were interested to relocate their industries in Bangladesh availing the opportunity of cheap labour force and hospitable investment atmosphere.
   Welcoming the idea, the chief adviser said it would be a win-win situation for both the countries.
   He lauded the successes of Thailand in horticulture, agriculture and shrimp industries.
   Expressing satisfaction over the existing excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, Fakhruddin said there were scopes to expand cooperation in different areas, according to the CA’s press secretary Syed Fahim Munaim who was present at the meeting.
   He said Bangladesh has revised and liberalised issuing of visa for foreign investors.
   The forthcoming BIMSTEC Ministerial Meetings in Dhaka early next year also featured in the discussion during the meeting.
   The chief adviser said Bangladesh attached importance to its relationship with BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC Trade Ministerial and Poverty Alleviation Ministerial meetings would be held in Dhaka.
   The chief adviser thanked the Thai government for its strong support to Bangladesh in becoming member of ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum).
   The ambassador appreciated the caretaker government’s performance under the leadership of the chief adviser towards holding election following the roadmap and said the government is on track. The Chief Adviser said his government is committed to hold a free, fair and credible election as per the roadmap.
   Secretary to CA’s Office Kazi M Aminul Islam was also present.

A workshop on sharing information on disaster waning system for communicating risk information to rural communities was held at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology on Thursday.
   Inaugurating the workshop, BUET vice-chancellor, AMM Shafiullah, stressed the need for sharing knowledge on disaster warning to develop practical solution to rural communities.
   The Bangladesh Network office for Urban Safety and the LIRNE Asia, Sri Lanka jointly organised the workshop.
   Shafiullah said the workshop would make very positive recommendations on disaster warning by analysing and determining methodologies for measuring performance of the community-based early warning systems.
   Professor Mehedi Ahmed Ansary, project director of Bangladesh Network office for Urban Safety, BUET, chaired the workshop.
   KH Masud Siddiqui, director general of the Bureau of Disaster Management, Professor Rohan Samarajiva, executive director of LIRNE Asia, Nuwan Waid Yanatha Hazinfo, project manager of LIRNE Asia, Professor AA Khan, vice president of Bangladesh Earthquake Society, Mohammad Nasir Ullah, director, CPP, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, Ashutosh Sutra Dhar of BUET and Samarendra Karmaker, director of Bangladesh Meteorological Department, addressed the workshop, among others.

Academics paid tributes to Abdul Karim Sahityabisharad at a discussion organised by the Bangla Academy to observe the 136th anniversary of his birth on Thursday.
   Teachers of different universities took part in the discussion on ‘Abdul Karim Sahityabisharad: searching of heritage and the form of practicing folk culture’ held at Bangla Academy seminar room.
   Bangla department professor of the Islamic University Abul Ahsan Chowdhury read out the keynote paper at the discussion chaired by Professor Moniruzzaman of Bangla department at Chittagong University.
   Professor Muntassir Mamoon of history department and Professor Said-ur-Rahman of Bangla department at Dhaka University also addressed the discussion.
   The director general of Bangla Academy director general professor Syed Mohammad Shahed delivered the welcome speech on the occasion.
   Abul Ahsan in his keynote paper said, ‘Abdul Karim was greatly attracted with his own country, his society and folk-life. He believed that cultural practice is meaningless without focusing on country’s own folk heritage.’
   Moniruzzaman stressed the need for conducting research works on a scholar like Abdul Karim and suggested setting up a central institution in this regard.
   He also stressed publication of separate literary journals focusing on the works of Sahityabisharad.
   Syed Mohammad Shahed said, ‘Abdul Karim’s research works not only concentrated on literature, they also featured the history.’ Without his research, Bangla literature would remain incomplete, he commented.
   Said-ur-Rahman said, ‘Sahityabisharad has seen Bengalee’s life as an inseparable culture developed by Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists.’
   Muntassir Mamoon said, ‘Abdul Karim was involved in a practice of searching his own culture connecting folk-life. He showed that how language has attracted people in a same life style.’
   Abdul Karim Sahitybisharad was born at Potia in Chittagong on October 10, 1871 and died on September 30, 1953.
   He is widely remembered for his rare contribution to collection of folk manuscripts and literary research works in the early 20the century.

Health officials in Rajshahi on Thursday underscored the need for a concerted effort to make the 16th National Immunisation Day a complete success to make Bangladesh a polio-free nation.
   Addressing a news conference ahead of the first round of the 16th NID on Saturday, they stressed the need for creating mass-awareness about the NID and said the participation of the people was indispensable to make the effort a total success. The second round of the NID will be held on December 8.
   The deputy civil surgeon of Rajshahi, Zahurul Islam, chief health officer of the Rajshahi City Corporation, Rizvi Sultan, divisional coordinator of the World Health Organisation, Mahfuzul Islam, and the divisional health education officer, Abdus Salam, addressed the news briefing.
   Referring to various risk factors, particularly transmission of polio from the neighbouring country, the speakers said the disease might spread in the country.
   Expressing their apprehension about further prevalence of the disease, the health officials noted that the activities of disease detection, active case search and routine vaccination should be intensified.
   Moreover, mass awareness about the terrible consequences of the disease must be created extensively.
   Speakers urged the media personnel to extend their wholehearted cooperation to make the two-phase NID a complete success.

The Dhaka University vice-chancellor, SMA Faiz, visited the central library of the university on Thursday and inquired about the facilities there.
   Faiz also asked the library authorities to take immediate steps to solve the problems there.
   Thick dust gathered on most of the nearly six lakh books and journals due to poor maintenance, the students complained.
   The library authorities informed the vice-chancellor of the latest status of the automation project. The project, taken 10 years back to modernise the book exchange system at the library, has not been launched yet.
   The library authorities also informed the vice-chancellor of some limitations at the library that were hindering smooth and quality service.
   The VC said a project with the support from Korean International Cooperation to modernise the library would be implemented soon.

Weather is likely to remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky over the country in the next 24 hours till 6:00pm today.
   The day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, Met Office said in a forecast.
   The country’s highest temperature on Thursday, 33.7 degrees Celsius, was recorded at Sitakundu and the lowest, 18.5 degrees Celsius, also at Sitakundu.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 5:24pm and rises tomorrow at 6:02am.

The communications adviser, MA Matin, on Thursday said the interim cabinet would soon discuss formation of a national security council.
   ‘The issue of the formation of a national security council will soon be presented at the meeting of the advisory council for discussion,’ he said to journalists at the communications ministry.
   The army chief, General Moeen U Ahmed, in a function on New York recently stressed a national security council.
   ‘If there was such a council it would have been possible to maintain a balance in the administration in tackling the pre-January 11 situation,’ he told expatriate Bangladeshis.
   The law adviser, Mainul Hosein, on March 8 told journalists there was no need to amend the law or frame a new one for instituting a national security council.
   The government can form such council under the law already in force.
   Government sources said expert opinions were being taken to form the council with the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, head it.
   The council would include the chiefs of the three forces, chiefs of law-enforcing agencies, representatives of the intelligence agencies and noted personalities.
   The council would work to ensure national security, and check corruption and other crimes.

Malaysian King Yang di-pertuan Agong XIII, Al-wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah stressed that Bangladesh should avail of the training facilities offered by Malaysia under Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme.
   The king made the remark when the Bangladesh high commissioner to Malaysia, M Khairuzzaman, presented his credentials to the king at the Istana Negara (King’s Official Palace) in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
   The king expressed satisfaction over the overall bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia, saying that the existing ties could be further widened on trade and economic cooperation.
   He stressed that the two governments should explore avenues for improving the trade and investment ties between two countries. The king also appreciated the contribution made by Bangladeshi workforce in Malaysia’s economic development.
   The high commissioner expressed hope for enhancing Bangladesh-Malaysia cooperation at different international platforms and appreciated Malaysian pro-active role, particularly in OIC and ASEAN.
   The high commissioner briefed the king about the facilities and incentives offered to foreign investors in Bangladesh and stated that Malaysian investors could find Bangladesh as an attractive destination for relocating labour intensive small and medium industries, investment in the infrastructure projects and agro-processing industries.
   The high commissioner conveyed greetings of the president and the chief adviser of Bangladesh to the Malaysian king. The king warmly reciprocated the same sentiment.
   The high commissioner was accompanied by his wife Rieta Rahman and two officers of the high commission — defence adviser Commodore DM Rahman (CD), and counsellor & HOC Kabirul Ezdani Khan.
   The king assured his government’s full cooperation and support in the discharge of duties by the new high commissioner.

‘Exercise SUMO TIGER-2007’, a weeklong combined air exercise between the Bangladesh Air Force and US Marine Forces started at the BAF Base in Kurmitola in Dhaka on Wednesday.
   The aim of the exercise is to develop interoperability between BAF and USMC as well as the BAF capability, said an ISPR press release on Thursday.
   Besides, BAF personnel and 100 US Marine Force personnel are taking part in the exercise being held in Dhaka. Six F-18 one C-130 aircraft from US and F-7 BG and F-7 MB aircraft from the BAF are being employed in the exercise.
   The exercise is designed to develop interoperability between BAF and US Marine Corps, improve cross training and update the air combat procedure of BAF, force mix missions and procedure of BAF and the crash facility rescue procedure of BAF.
   The events of the exercise include practice diversion, air interception, force package mission and dissimilar air combat training, the press release said adding, the two friendly countries have been conducting similar training exercises since 1995.

Left-leaning Jatiya Mukti Council on Thursday demanded that the on-going joint exercises by Bangladesh air force and the US air force should be stopped immediately.
   The party president Badruddin Umar and secretary Faizul Hakim in a press statement said that the air forces of the two countries had started joint exercises codenamed ‘Operation Sumo Tiger’ at Kurmitola air base on Wednesday.
   ‘The US forces are killing thousands of people, including women and children in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of its imperialist design to establish global supremacy,’ the party said.

A seminar on ‘addressing reproductive health issues in developing countries: contribution of Population Council’ was held at Independent University on Tuesday.
   The Centre for Health, Population and Development organized the seminar on the Baridhara campus of the university.
   The country director of Population Council, Bangladesh, Dr Ubaidur Rob, was the key speaker at the seminar chaired by IUB vice-chancellor Professor BazIul Mobin Chowdhury.
   Professor Omar Rahman, IUB pro-vice chancellor and CHPD executive director moderated the programme. Dr Tanvir A Khan, registrar of the IUB gave vote of thanks.
   A large number of academics, policy makers and students attended the seminar.

A delegation of the Development Organisation of Rural Poor, a non-governmental organisation, on Thursday expressed their gratitude to the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, for taking personal initiative to introduce maternity allowance for poor mothers having one child.
   The DORP delegation expressed their gratefulness when they called on the chief adviser at his office in the afternoon. The health adviser, ASM Matiur Rahman, was present.
   The government has allocated Tk 17 crore in the national budget for 2007-2008 fiscal year for this purpose that provided Tk 300 each for about 45,000 poor mothers as maternity allowance. The government has formed a steering committee to implement it.
   Fakhruddin said efforts would be continued to raise the amount of this allowance to help the mothers in marginal level.
   The DORP leaders said it would help achieve goals of the MDG, reduce poverty, ensure security of mothers and children, improve reproductive health, empower women and create a safety net against poverty by 2030.
   The delegation included former advisers to the caretaker government ASM Shahjahan and M Hafizuddin Ahmed, deputy managing
   director of PKSF Parveen Mahmud, M Abdul Halim and DORP secretary general AHM Noman.

The 13th anniversary of death of Begum Rafiqunnessa Khatun Chowdhury, mother of foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, will be observed on Saturday.
   To mark the day, prayer sessions will be held in Dhaka and Sylhet.
   Born in 1915 at Golapganj in Sylhet, Rafiqunnessa was the wife of late Ghyasuddin Ahmed
   Chowdhury, a civil servant in the erstwhile British Indian and Pakistan governments.

The 16th anniversary of death of freedom fighter Shafi Ahmad, former member councilor of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, will be observed today.
   To mark the day, a prayer session will be held at his Banani residence in Dhaka.
   Relatives, friends and well-wishers have been requested to attend the programme and pray for salvation of the departed soul.

The Rapid Action Battalion in separate drives on Thursday arrested seven suspected of being involved in mugging at Mohammadpur in possession of a revolver, a bullet and nine sharp weapons.
   The law men fired gunshots in during the drives in which one of the crime suspects was injured.
   In a drive, a battalion team challenged a group of some young men who were roaming about Dhaka Udyan at Mohammadpur at about 2:45am. The group started firing and the law men fired back.
   One of them, Abu Sayeed alias Pichchi Sayeed, who reportedly headed the Sayeed group, was injured. His associates managed to get away. The battalion seized a revolver and a bullet from him.
   In another drive, another battalion team arrested six suspected of being involved in mugging — Harun, Mehedi Hasan, Jalias alias Bhagne Jasim, Rustom Hossain Biplob, Badshah and Ujjwal Kumar Howlader at Bijli Mahalla and the cross-dam area at Mohammadpur at about 11:00am.
   The battalion seized six machetes and three daggers from them.

Child sight community project launched
in Barisal
The child sight community project of the Child Sight Foundation was launched in Barisal Thursday morning. A procession was brought out in the city to mark the launching of the project, funded by Child Savers International. Drishti Mela (sight fair), painting and general knowledge competitions and an award ceremony were also held at the Amritalal Dey auditorium of Barisal Club on the occasion. Abu Issa Mohammad Mainuddin, general secretary of CSF, presided over the inaugural session, attended by Awlad Hossain Dilu, mayor in-charge of Barisal City Corporation, Abdul Baset, divisional health director, and Santosh Ranjan Talukdar, additional divisional commissioner of Barisal.

Fire burns five
houses in Ctg
Valuables worth about Tk 5 lakh were damaged as a fire burnt five houses at Baizid Bostami in the Chittagong city early Thursday. Witnesses said the fire originated in a semi-concrete house at around 2:50am and soon engulfed four other adjacent houses. On information, fire fighters came to the spot and doused the flame after about two hour-long efforts. There was, however, no report of casualty in the incident. The loss is estimated at about Tk 5 lakh, fire service sources said adding that they had saved property worth around Tk 8 lakh from the fire.
— New Age