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The education ministry plans to publish a list of private universities that were set up and have been running with approval of the ministry and the University Grants Commission.
   ‘We have been facing various types of complications, including legal ones since publication of a “black list” of 56 institutions recently. Now we have planned to publish a “white list” of universities which have approval of the government,’ a joint secretary of the education ministry told New Age last week.
   ‘To avoid any confusion, we will publish the “white list” in newspapers and it will help students and their guardian select universities to enrol in,’ he added.
   ‘At least eight cases have been filed against the UGC and the ministry during the last one year,’ another official said.
   The UGC, a statutory regulatory body under the ministry, in early 2004 prepared a “black list” of 41 institutions, most of which claimed to be offshore campus of or affiliated centres to foreign universities.
   ‘The UGC also recommended that such institutions should be closed down immediately. But the ministry had been foot-dragging on taking the recommended action,’ a UGC official said.
   ‘Since then the number of such institutions had increased and as per a directive of the ministry we published a “black list” of 56 institutions in May,’ he said, adding, ‘Since May, we have identified 21 more such institutions that fall under the category of the black-listed ones.’
   ‘Owners of some black-listed institutions have filed cases against the government and some others against the UGC after publication of the list,’ he said.
   At present, 51 private universities are running with approval of the government.

Speakers at a BBC-sponsored dialogue in Dhaka Saturday called for lifting emergency rules and freeing politics immediately.
   ‘The state of emergency must be withdrawn today, if possible, and the politics should be freed as early as possible,’ former law minister and Awami League leader Abdul Matin Khasru said.
   He said the people must be involved with the present government’s move to create a democratic environment in the country. ‘And for this reason, ban on politics must go,’ he said.
   There is no such circumstance in the country at present that calls for prolonging the state of emergency, observed Abed Khan, editor of Bangla daily Samakal. He stressed that the state of emergency should be lifted immediately for the sake of democracy and for holding the next election meaningfully.
   He also said the present apolitical situation is not good for the country as it paves the way for unconstitutional and fundamental forces to come in the scene.
   BBC World Service Trust organised the programme as part of its dialogue series concerning Bangladesh’s social and political affairs. Kamal Ahmed of BBC Bangla Service moderated the programme at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital.
   A former military strategist said the government should probe into the demonstrations against the publication of a cartoon in Prothom Alo’s supplement to find out whether there was any vested interest.
   Islamist groups defied emergency rules while demonstrating against publication the cartoon in the Bangla daily’s weekly satire magazine Alpin even after the daily offered apology, and the government should take stern action against the lawbreakers, said Ghulam Quader, a retired major general and former director general of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies.
   ‘Now it is the duty of the government to find out whether any vested interest quarter tried to spread tension,’ he said.
   The street protests, staged even after the daily apologised for the publication and the government’s action, would back the campaign of the West to brand Bangladesh as ‘second Afghanistan,’ he felt. If further incident takes place centring the issue, it may lead to tension, he warned.
   Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general Abdur Razzak said Prothom Alo surely committed a mistake, but the matter should be put to an end since the newspaper authority offered apology. ‘Everything has a limit and the protest after the apology crossed that limit. It’s a clear violation of law as well as the emergency rules,’ said Razzak, also a Supreme Court lawyer.
   Abdul Matin Khasru said excesses were not desirable since the Prothom Alo authorities offered apologies. ‘Bringing out procession centring the issue was not right, the government should take measurers,’ he said.
   Abed Khan said, ‘I hope the government will take stern action against the lawbreakers immediately.’
   Replying to a query he said, ‘Definitely some quarter reaped benefit out of the issue. Conspiracy centring the cartoon issue must be stopped and resisted.’
   The designated speakers responded to questions from the floor about the demands placed to the Election Commission to prevent Jamaat-e-Islami from contesting the next election,
   Quader said the EC would decide on the matter. Jamaat has about 55 lakh workers and if the party is banned from polls, then they might go underground which would bring no positive consequence for the country.
   Khasru said democratically everyone has the right to do politics. But Jamaat should offer apology for its crimes and heinous activities during the war of liberation, said the Awami League leader, pledging steps against war criminals if voted to power.
   Razzak said a full-scale investigation should be carried out into the war crimes without any political motive. ‘Anyone found involved with the crimes should be brought to justice,’ said the Jamaat leader.

The UN Millennium Development Goals fail to reflect people’s aspirations and, so, civic groups should initiate alternative models of development, said develop practitioners and activists on Saturday.
   The observations were made at a discussion reviewing Bangla-desh’s progress towards achieving the eight MDGs set by the United Nations in its Millennium Declaration at halfway towards the 2015 deadline.
   The discussion focused on individual issues but, at the same time, questioned the basic premise of the UN development goals including the first of eliminating poverty and hunger. The other goals include ensuring universal primary education, access to sanitation and clean water, and reducing child mortality.
   Hamida Hossain, a women’s rights activist, said the UN development goals did not approach the issue from a rights-based framework. The state has become more sensitive to and caring about women’s issues since it is a pre-requisite for development and poverty reduction, she observed.
   Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of Voice, a non-governmental organisation, pointed out that attainment of the development goals entailed wholesale liberalisation. ‘We must question what the development goals actually mean for us and how beneficial they will indeed turn out to be.’
   Ahmed suggested that the discussion regarding development should be taken forward and built upon using the development goals as a departure point. ‘The goals are good in the sense that they provide a means for further engagement.’
   He said, ‘Poverty is not the main problem, but control of our resources and the decision-making process are the key to reduction of poverty.’
   Rashed al Mahmud Titumir, chairperson of Unnayan Onneshan, a research organisation, said the development goals did not adequately reflect people’s aspiration. Referring to the poverty benchmark of ‘a dollar a day’ (at Purchasing Power Parity, which is equivalent to about Tk 14), he said it was a ludicrous proposition that an individual could secure sufficient food for a day with the amount set as the income poverty line. He said it was apparent that the people did not own the development policies or poverty reduction strategies.
   Rashed said there should be a dialogue to develop an alternative development framework. ‘I would urge the organisers to take up such an initiative and I believe it would be a valuable contribution from them.’
   The discussion was organised by Supro — Campaign for Good Governance — a network of about 600 non-governmental organisations. Supro chairperson Abdul Awal moderated the session.

Former lawmakers say the local government ministry is the biggest impediment to strengthening local government bodies.
   At a meeting at the Local Government Engineering Department Saturday, they said local government bodies could never be strengthened if a local government ministry existed and if the power to remove elected representatives was kept in the hands of the government.
   To strengthen local government organisations, they suggested, the ministry must be abolished and the laws be amended. Besides, a commission has to be formed under the supervision of lawmakers to oversee the financial side of the local government bodies, they said.
   A committee on strengthening the local government bodies organised the meeting, chaired by its chairman, former secretary AMM Shawkat Ali, where written and verbal proposals were taken from former lawmakers.
   Former finance minister and the AL leader, Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, said the country needed a three-tier local government system: the Zila Parishad, Upazila Parishad and Union Parishad.
   At every tier, people’s representatives have to be elected through direct election. Otherwise, the organisations could not be
   made effective, he said.
   ‘No matter whatever change to the local government system, if the ministry is there, no benefit will be available. The local government ministry has to be abolished. For this, a parliament-centred commission has to be formed. Instead of centralised police, the force may be formed at the district or the divisional level,’ Muhit said.
   The former minister recommends giving the Upazila Parishad the power to make budget for itself and the Union Parishad.
   ‘The union parishads should be given more power so that they can solve small problems or disputes.’
   The JSD president, Hasanul Haq Inu, said, ‘a three-tier local government system would remove the possibility of administrative complexities. However, before that, the power to remove elected representatives of the local government bodies through executive order would have to be cancelled.
   ‘The spirit of the constitution was curbed by giving government the power to remove elected representatives. It created scope for intervention of the executive branch into local government organisations. If the ministry was not abolished, the local government division could not be made independent, strong and dynamic,’ he adds.
   The Workers Party president, Rashed Khan Menon, said in the framework of a three-tier local government system, direct election would be held for the union parishads alone.
   ‘The representatives of a union parishad would elect the representatives for the upazila and zila parishads. As a result, the MPs would not consider representatives of the two latter tiers their rivals.’
   Jatiya Party leader GM Quader has recommended allocation of a part of the central development budget to the local government bodies. He has proposed leaving to the local government bodies sources of different incomes at the local level for making and implementing their own work plans.
   Awami League leader Pramod Mankin said as the lawmakers were elected after different pledges to people, it would not be possible to stop them from involvement in the local government activities.
   ‘The government could, as in the neighbouring country, give annual lump-sum allocations to lawmakers. As a result, they would not have to intervene in the work of local government bodies.’
   Former BNP MP Golam Mohammad Siraj demanded cancellation of reserved seats for women.
   ‘While we are talking about women’s empowerment, we are blocking it by keeping reserved seats for women. If the system is scrapped opportunity would be created for participation of more women in direct election,’ he said.

Nineteen candidates were expelled on charge of cheating in the certification test for the qualification to apply for teaching positions at non-government secondary schools and madrassahs, officials of the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority said.
   The aspirants for the positions of teacher at secondary schools and madrassah took the exams on Friday and Saturday, the officials said.
   ‘Fourteen thousand candidates out of a total of 61,387 who applied for qualifying test remained absent in the examinations,’ said an official.
   ‘Fourteen such candidates were expelled for cheating in the exams and one was arrested and handed over to the police on Friday as he stood in for a candidate. It is shameful that the people who will be teachers have been expelled for cheating in the exams halls,’ he said.
   The candidates faced 200-mark examinations in a compulsory and an elective subject.
   The examinations were held in all the district headquarters under Sylhet, Barisal and Chittagong divisions, and only in divisional headquarters of Dhaka, Rajshahi and Khulna.
   The aspirants for positions at colleges and madrassahs will take the test on September 28 and 29.
   The parliament passed the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority Act 2005 on February 9 to contain corruption in teachers’ recruitment. It came into effect on March 20.
   The act makes NTRCA certificate mandatory for teaching position in non-government junior and high schools, colleges, madrassahs, and technical and business management institutions.
   Successful candidates will a certificate which will remain valid for five years.

At least 20 people were injured by harpoons in an attack by their rival group at Nekjanpur village under sadar upazila in the district on Saturday.
   The police said the supporters of Alokkali UP chairman Abdur Razzak Sarker’s men launched attack on the house of rival group leader Bachchu Miah at about 5:00am over establishing supremacy in the area.
   Twenty people of Bachchu Miah sustained harpoon injuries during the sudden attack.
   The attackers also ransacked six houses of their rival group and looted valuables worth over Tk 2 lakh. One cow and two goats were killed during the harpoon attack.
   Of the injured, Ibrahim Miah, 30, has been taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
   The other injured persons were admitted to the district sadar hospital.

The declarations of 10 Moulvibazar-based newspapers have been cancelled on allegation of irregular publication.
   The district magistrate of Moulvibazar, M Alkama Siddiquee, on Thursday cancelled the declarations of eight weeklies — Pubali Barta, Moulvibazar Darpan, Saptahik Moulvibazar, Dholai, Moumachhi Kantha, Kulaurar Dak, Mukta Kotha, and Raj Kantha, fortnightly Bahni Shikha, and Monthly Masik Dur Diganta.
   The declarations of the newspapers were cancelled as they had not been publishing regularly and copies of their issues had not been being submitted regularly to his office as required by the law, the district magistrate told New Age on Saturday.

The foreign adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, on Saturday night said Bangladesh would uphold its firm position in favour of world peace, stability and development at the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
   The UNGA-2007 will be held in New York from September 23 to 29. He said this while briefing the journalists at the VVIP lounge at Zia International Airport before leaving Dhaka for New York to attend the UNGA as a member of the entourage of the chief adviser.
   Replying to questions of newsmen, Iftekhar said the main theme of this year’s UNGA is environmental protection.
   At least 80 heads of governments and states will take part in this session that will be co-chaired by Fakhruddin.
   The foreign adviser said Bangladesh would uphold its role in establishing peace in Sudan besides the firm position for establishing peace in Palestine, he added.
   On the sidelines of the UNGA, Iftekhar said the chief adviser would hold meetings with various heads of states and governments. The chief adviser’s meeting with the Malaysian prime minister will be an important one, he added.
   Iftekhar said he would also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts during the UNGA.

The Gana Forum secretariat on Saturday called on all political forces to come forward to restore democratic political system to the country and free it of corruption and crimes.
   The party said the stand against crime and corruption after the January 11 changeover was positive for politics.
   The party secretariat at a meeting in its central office chaired by general secretary Saif Uddin Ahmed Manik in a resolution said the Gana Forum would be a pioneer in the establishment of fair and healthy politics.
   The meeting was also attended by Abul Kasem, Subrata Chowdhury, Mostafa Mohasin Montu, Mostak Ahmed, and Suraiya Begum.

Agricultural experts on Saturday urged the farmers to produce more mangos for higher economic return in the greater interest of socio-economic development in the rural areas.
   Those, who have farm and homestead lands and other natural resources, should come forward to grow more mango trees through proper utilisation of the resources, they said while addressing a mango sapling distribution ceremony.
   The Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute under its on-farm research division arranged the function at its Farming System Research and Development site at Kodomshohar under Godagari upazila.
   On the occasion, some 500 high-yielding mango saplings of different varieties innovated by BARI were distributed among 25 farmers for creating mango orchard on 30 bighas of land under the ‘agriculture technology transfer programme’.
   The regional horticulture research station, Chapainawabganj and fruit research station, Rajshahi extended their support in the distribution of the saplings.
   Director of BARI horticulture research station, Mozammel Haque addressed the function as the chief guest with senior scientific officer Golam Mourtoza in the chair.
   In his address of welcome, senior scientific officer of OFRD
   (Barind centre) Alimur Rahman highlighted the activities of the centre along with agriculture technology transfer among the growers level for raising mango production.
   Horticulture specialist of Department of Agriculture Extension Ittefaqul Azad, senior scientific officer of FRS Shafiqul Islam and farmers Lutfor Rahman and Mafruza Begum also spoke on the occasion.
   The speakers made a fervent call to care and nurse the planted saplings for their proper survival and maturity, which, in future, would extend fruit, money, fuel and timber along with support for protecting ecological balance that is very essential for the dried Barind region.
   The BARI has been implementing special motivational programmes for the expansion of mango gardening in the farmers’ field along with arranging need-based training for the beneficiary to increase mango production to meet the nutritional demand.
   The speakers said the BARI has innovated 450 high-yielding varieties of crops, including 40 fruits and 650 crop-production modern technologies, and has been putting in its level-best efforts to spread those to the growers’ level.
   They also urged the farmers to be habituated with the modern methods and technologies instead of the traditional ones for more production.

Sheikh Abdur Rashid, chairman of Petrobangla (Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation), has been transferred to the home affairs ministry as additional secretary.
   The establishment ministry issued on Saturday a gazette notification to the effect.

Army personnel distributed seedlings of paddy among farmers free of cost on the Sharsha upazila parisad premises in Jessore on Friday.
   The Sharsha army camp commander, Major Ali Reza Khan, distributed BR 22 and BR 23 seedlings among the farmers of Benapole, Banghachra and Dihi union.
   Army warrant officer Rostam Ali, upazila agriculture officer Ratan Kumar Sarkar, deputy assistant agriculture officer Bikash Chandra Shaha and other officials were present.