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The finance ministry has approved a telecoms ministry proposal to reduce submarine cable related fees by at least 20 per cent in a bid to boost the information technology sector and increase internet penetration in the country.
   Internet service providers have hailed the tariff reduction as a good move for the industry, but have also warned that internet penetration will remain low unless the government adopts measures to build internet infrastructure.
   ‘We are happy about the reduction, but it will not help to increase the numbers of internet users if the government does not address other bottlenecks in the sector,’ said Russell T Ahmed, general secretary of the Internet Service Providers Association, Bangladesh.
   Russell said the government should reduce the customs duty on networking equipment to encourage firms in the internet business to spread internet connectivity across the country. The number of internet users in the country is currently about 10 lakhs.
   The government has imposed a 55 per cent duty on networking equipment, which has emerged as a major obstacle to the growth of the industry, he said.
   The finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam approved the new rate early this month after the telecoms ministry forwarded a recommendation made by the Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board, which operates the submarine cable.
   Bangladesh was connected to the information superhighway via an undersea cable in May 2006 at a cost of $35.1 million, as part of an international consortium of 16 telecom operators.
   The SEA-ME-WE-4 cable has a bandwidth capacity of 1.2 terabytes per second. Though the BTTB originally subscribed to a 10 Gigabyte per second bandwidth, last year the board was granted another 4Gb complimentary bandwidth.
   This bandwidth, however, remains underutilised as the telephone board has only sold 10 per cent of the total capacity to ISPs and other telecoms service providers.
   According to the new rate, which is expected to take effect from February, following approval from the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, the BTTB will charge subscribers Tk 1,000 monthly for unlimited usage of its internet services, down from Tk 1, 400, while the monthly charges of two other corporate packages would be Tk 700 each, down from Tk 1,000 and Tk 750 respectively.
   The charges for installation and testing for international private lease circuit above 2 megabits per second will be Tk 75,000, down from Tk 90,000, for bulk users which includes the ISPs, software firms, and mobile and private land phone operators,.
   Charges for installation of leased internet access above 2mbps will be minimum Tk 20,000, while monthly rental for the same service will be minimum Tk 32,000 and Tk 40,000 from existing Tk 55,000 and Tk 75,000 respectively.
   The annual rental for leased internet access service up to 2mbps will be a minimum Tk 96,000 and maximum Tk 1.44 lakh from the existing 1.65 lakh and 1.92 lakh respectively
   Apart from reducing the bandwidth price of the existing services, the finance ministry also approved the rates for four new submarine cable related services to be introduced by the board next month.
   The telephone board proposal, however, claimed that the new rate would see it lose roughly 45 per cent of its current revenues from the submarine cable segment currently at Tk 32 crore. In the 2006-07 fiscal year, the BTTB earned Tk 72 crore from submarine cable services.
   But the reduction is expected to cause a three-fold growth in user base and an additional BTTB income worth Tk 120 crore in the coming years, said the BTTB proposal.

The Election Commission will give special attention to the garment workers for registering them as voters on their weekly holiday as per the lists to be provided by factory owners.
   ‘We will provide the Election Commission with the holiday lists of area-wise garment factories. The EC has told us they will pay special attention to register the workers on that weekly holiday,’ BGMEA president Anwarul Alam Chowdhury Pervez told reporters after holding meeting with chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda on Monday.
   A four-member delegation of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association called on the CEC and discussed the issues about how to ensure the registration of the workers in the ongoing voters’ roll.
   Election commissioners Muhammad Sohul Hussain and M Sakhawat Hussain were present at the meeting.
   Most of the 20 lakh garment workers of the country cannot register their names as voters as their owners aren’t allowing them leave for the voter registration work.
   Pervez said, ‘We’ve urged the Election Commission to fill in necessary forms and take photographs going to each and every factory so that no worker is left out of the voter list. But the Election Commission has informed us that it won’t be possible.’
   General secretary of Nari Udyog Kendra Masuda Khatun Shefali, who also led a six-member team that accompanied the BGMEA delegation, told the reporters that there were over 22.59 lakh garment workers in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Chittagong.

Prominent writer Professor Badruddin Omar observed on Monday that a new type of interim government, which is supported by the military, has evolved due to failure of the original caretaker government.
   He said that the caretaker government was introduced in 1996 to end the political impasse over holding of elections in a free and fair manner after the collapse of the country’s political and governance system.
   Badruddin Omar was addressing a function organised on the occasion of 76th birth anniversary of the late Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed at the national museum with former Chief Justice Mustafa Kamal in the chair.
   ‘A new government, supported by military, has emerged due to the failure of the caretaker government which was a political demand during the anti-Ershad struggle in 1980s,’ he told the audience, adding that Ishitiaq Ahmed was one of those who had tried to give a legal framework to the caretaker government.
   He said the concept of the caretaker government came up as a temporary solution not only to the governance crisis but also to save the social structure which was about to collapse at that time. ‘But now that caretaker government has also failed to solve the country’s problems.’
   He said the question of this type of government comes up when a society has fallen into a deep crisis.
   Referring to the actions of the present government, he said, ‘The longevity and effectiveness of the caretaker government cannot be determined only by laws. The main issue here is politics and politics will determine what type of work the government should do.’
   Badruddin Omar said Ishtiaq worked hard for the separation of the judiciary from the executive but he would not have been happy to see the judiciary separated by the present government.
   ‘Politics also comes into this. In the present political atmosphere you can’t expect an effective, easily accessible judiciary, and that has already become evident.’
   Justice Mostafa Kamal, who is also the chairman of Syed Ishitiaq Ahmed Smriti Parishad, discussed the life and works of Ishtiaq Ahmed, terming him an honest and dignified person.
   Mostafa Kamal and Ishtiaq’s widow, national Professor Sufia Ahmed, launched a book — ‘Ishtiaq Papers’ — comprising the writings of the late barrister on the concept and implementation of the caretaker government. Former attorney-general Mahmudul Islam and Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.
   Ishtiaq’s family members, educationists, barristers and senior advocates were present.

The Regulatory Reforms Commission chairman, Akbar Ali Khan, has urged people to unite in a movement against profiteering to protect their consumer rights.
   He also called on the government to establish a consumer rights act.
   ‘Consumer rights cannot be realised without building up resistance against the monster of profiteering,’ he said on Monday, speaking at the national conference of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh.
   ‘History shows nobody gives others rights,’ the RRC chief said, speaking as chief guest at the conference held at the BIAM Auditorium in the capital.
   ‘As no government has come forward to protect consumers’ rights, year after year, the consumers will have to come forward to realise their own rights.’
   ‘In the present reality, there is no alternative to a public movement for protecting consumers’ rights. The movement has to be spread throughout the country.’
   ‘However, it must be borne in mind that ‘movement’ does not mean agitation and ransacking. A united disciplined movement has to be built up,’ Akbar Ali stressed.
   ‘The government will have to give all assistance to such a movement,’ he added.
   The RRC chairman advised the government to create a separate market monitoring agency so that essentials prices remain within the buying capacity of all people, as well as a separate agency for protecting consumers’ rights.
   He asked the government to establish a consumer rights act as soon as possible, adding it was ‘very sad for our nation’ that no government had done so till now.
   ‘It is not possible to solve the spiralling price of consumer goods in the market using law enforcing agencies,’ Akbar Ali said.
   ‘All governments have remained indifferent to protecting consumers’ rights,’ the former finance adviser lamented.
   In a capitalist business environment the businessmen’s aim is to satisfy their greed, he said, adding that businessmen in the country tended to realise excessive profit from consumers in the name of a ‘free market’.
   ‘But when the greed exceeds limit the consumer suffering mounts.’ Akbar Ali also mentioned the adulteration of foods by small traders ‘due to lack of education’ among them.
   He warned that any movement for realising consumers’ rights might face obstacles from the vested quarters.
   CAB president Borhan Ahmed, chaired the conference. USAID country director Denise A Rollins and CAB general secretary Qazi Faruque also spoke.

The Pakistan navy chief, Admiral M Afzal Tahir, arrived in Dhaka on Monday on a six-day visit to Bangladesh.
   The Bangladesh navy chief, Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam, and The Pakistan high commissioner in Dhaka, Alamgir Babar, received the Pakistan navy chief and his entourage at Zia International Airport.
   During his stay in Bangladesh, Admiral Tahir will place wreath at Shikha Anirban at Dhaka Cantonment and call on the president, Iajuddin Ahmed, and the chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed.
   Admiral Tahir will also meet the naval chief, army chief, air chief, defence secretary and the principal staff officer of the Bangladesh Armed Forces at their respective offices.
   He will visit the naval bases and establishments of the Bangladesh Navy in Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna.
   The Pakistani navy chief is expected to leave Dhaka on January 26, an ISPR release said.

Environmentalist and BSS news editor Quamrul Islam Chowdhury was on Monday re-elected chairman of the Forum of Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh for the year 2008-2009 while former correspondent of Bangla Vision Mofizur Rahman the general secretary.
   According to the FEJB election commission, News Today city editor Badiul Alam was elected vice-chairman, Prothom Alo special correspondent Arun Karmakar the joint secretary, and Amar Desh joint news editor Hasan Hafiz the treasurer.
   Daily Star’s Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan, New Age’s Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, Ittefaq’s Shaheen Reza Nur, Jugantor’s Saiful Alam, BSS’s Shahriar Shahid, Janakantha’s Ashish-ur-Rahman Shuva, Samakal’s Abdullah Al Faruq, Naya Diganta’s Harun Jamil, free lance Mrinal K Roy and Aditi Rahman were elected the executive committee members.

The nation observed Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram on Sunday across the country to commemorate the Karbala tragedy when Hazrat Imam Hussein, the youngest grand son of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad with his 72 companions embraced martyrdom at Karbala 1300 years ago.
   The day was a public holiday.
   Various organisations held different religious programmes across the country throughout the day.
   In the capital, a huge Tazia procession was brought out from the Husseini Dalan closing the 10-day religious programmes.
   The Islamic Foundation organised a waz mahfil at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the afternoon.
   The print and electronic media covered special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.

The government has formed a seven-member committee to review the recently approved 6th Wage Board Award for the media industry to remove discrepancies in wages and allowances of journalists and press workers.
   The government approved the final recommendations of the 6th Wage Board Award relating to salaries, allowances and other benefits for the journalists, employees and press workers on December 6, 2007.
   An official announcement said on Monday, the committee will review the 6th Wage Board Award and put forward recommendations to the government to remove the discrepancies in the wages and allowances, if any.
   The committee, headed by the acting law secretary, Kazi Habibul Awal, would submit its report to the government within a month.
   The other members of the committee are Jugantor editor Golam Sarwar, Prothom Alo editor Motiur Rahman, Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul of Sangbadik-Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Parishad, Ruhul Amin Gazi of the parishad, senior deputy chief information officer M Joynal Abedin and deputy secretary of information ministry Khurshid Alam (member secretary).

Various political parties and socio-cultural organisation on Sunday observed Shaheed Asad Day marking the 39th anniversary of the death of Amanullah Mohammad Asad, killed in police firing near Dhaka Medial College and Hospital during the 1969 mass uprising.
   The killing of Asad fuelled the mass uprising, leading to the fall of Ayub Khan in the year.
   The leaders of Shaheed Asad Parishad, Workers Party, Communist Party, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesh Juba Moitri, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Bangladesh Chhatra Moitri, and Chhatra League backed by Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) placed flowers at the Asad Memorial at the Dhaka Medical College.
   Workers Party will hold a discussion meeting in its central office today to mark the day.

Academics, poets, theatre and cultural activists said on Monday Selim Al-Deen was a drama icon in Bangla literature after Rabindranath Tagore.
   Selim had created a new world of plays incorporating God’s all creations, His love and voice of all Bangalees, they said.
   They made the observations at a citizens’ condolence meeting on playwright Selim Al-Deen. Sammilita Sangskritik Jote organised the meeting at Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
   Selim Al-Deen, a teacher of drama and dramatics at Jahangirnagar University, died at LabAid Cardiac Hospital in Dhaka on January 14.
   Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury who chaired the function said Selim Al-Deen deliberately wrote his plays in an epic mode and delved deep into the reality of the life of rural people.
   ‘We couldn’t realise his talent. He was the most famous playwright in his times. He had his own styles and themes in his plays.’
   Poet Syed Shamsul Haq said, ‘Selim Al-Deen was a bold, committed and powerful playwright with a highly individual approach both in theme and style in contemporary Bangla drama.’
   Selim’s wife Meherunnesa Selim, an assistant professor at Jahangirnagar University School and College, sought cooperation from all to implement the incomplete initiatives of late Selim. ‘Selim has started writing a new play titled Swarnaprobha, but he couldn’t complete it along with his other many plans,’ she regretted.
   Sammilita Sangskritik Jote president and director of most of Selim’s plays Nasir Uddin Yousuff said, ‘Selim Al-Deen seeks the lifeblood of our theatre in the rich traditions of our ancient dramaturgy but doesn’t turn his face away from what is truly modern. He has sought all humanities as well as the entire Bangladesh in his plays.’
   National Poetry Council president Habibullah Sirajee, playwrights Mamunur Rashid, Mannan Hira, actors M Hamid, Ramendu Majumder, Pijush Bandopadhaya, Asaduzzaman Noor, Jatrashilpi Unnayan Sangstha general secretary Milon Kanti Dey, Professor Muhammad Samad, actresses Shimul Yousuff, Sara Zaker and writer Mofidul Hoque also spoke on the occasion.
   Selim was born in Senerkhil village in Feni on November 18, 1948.

Dense fog hampered ferry and launch services on the Paturia-Daulatdia and Paturia-Kazirhat routes for about eight hours on Saturday and Sunday, causing immense sufferings to several thousand passengers.
   BIWTC sources said ferry service on the routes remained suspended from 1:30am to 7:30am on Saturday and from 7:30am to 9:30am on Sunday.
   Road communication between Dhaka and southern districts also came to a halt for poor visibility.
   A large number of people had to spend hours at the terminals and adjacent areas amid chilly weather as six ferries remained stranded at Daulatdia and Paturia terminals.

At least 15 people were injured when a Lalmonirhat-bound passenger train derailed near Bawra railway station in Lalmonirhat Monday morning.
   Sources in Lalmonirhat railway station said three bogies of the train coming from Burimari railway station went off the track due to dense fog, snapping train communication on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari route.
   The injured passengers were given first aid at local hospital.