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

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

Intern physicians of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Monday staged a demonstration and abstained from work for half a day, protesting the assault on a fellow physician by an assistant registrar of the hospital on Sunday night.
   The hospital authorities on Monday asked the accused assistant registrar not to come to the hospital after the incident, and all kinds of medical activities were suspended during the demonstration at the hospital till 2:00pm.
   Hospital sources said that Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, assistant registrar of neurosurgery ward, on Sunday night attacked one on-duty intern as he declined to prescribe a sub-standard antibiotic of a certain company from which Dr Mahfuzur has allegedly been getting commissions for a long time.
   The intern, instead of obeying him, prescribed the antibiotic of a renowned company to expedite the patient’s recovery.
   ‘He became furious and began to abuse my colleague verbally, and at one stage slapped him and pushed him out of the ward in front of the patients and other staffers,’
   said one intern doctor, who
   was present on Monday, in a memorandum to the director, Brig Gen Dr Abdus Shaheed Khan.
   In the memorandum the intern doctors demanded immediate withdrawal of Dr Mahfuzur from the hospital, and a
   suitable atmosphere in the hospital so that they can work in safety.
   They also demanded that Dr Mahfuzur should publicly apologize to all intern doctors
   On Monday morning the interns gathered at the hospital and staged a demonstration, protesting against the assault and demanding punishment of the registrar. They threatened to continue their strike to press home their demands.
   Later, the hospital authorities ordered Dr Mahfuzur to take forced leave, said an assistant registrar of the neurosurgery ward, and added that they would request the Directorate General of Health Services to immediately withdraw him from the hospital.
   The authorities took the decision in a meeting headed by director of the hospital, in response to the demonstration and strike by the interns.
   The interns, however, put off the strike until next week, following an assurance that their demands would be met by the hospital authorities.
   Professor Sader Hossain, head of neurosurgery, and co-coordinator Dr Abdul Hanif Tablu, assistant professor of
   the paediatric surgery department, were present at the meeting that was held in the director’s room.
   Professor Sader later told the intern physicians about the decision to give Dr Mahfuz forced leave until the DGHS withdraws him from the hospital.
   The hospital authorities will talk with all the assistant registrars to ensure a proper learning environment for the intern doctors, Dr Tablu told this correspondent.
   When contacted, Dr Mahfuzur said that the company donated an air-conditioner to the ward due to which he had asked the intern to prescribe the drugs of the company.
   The hospital’s director was not available for comment. The intern doctors resumed their duty after they called off the strike at 2:00pm.

Students and teachers of the Department of Mass Communications and Journalism at Dhaka University took to the streets on Monday, denouncing the assault on an aged freedom-fighter by the anti-liberation elements and demanding exemplary punishment of the persons responsible.
   They brought out a silent procession on the campus and held a rally before Aparajeya Bangla and set ablaze effigies of Jamast-e-Islami stalwarts — Ghulam Azam, Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid and Abdul Quader Mollah — after a mock execution.
   Veterans Of the War of Liberation — Kamrul Hasan Bhuiyan and Shafiqullah, both sub-sector commanders in sectors 2 and 11, Jainal Abedin Bir Pratik, and Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman’s wife Mili Rahman — attended the rally to express their solidarity with the students’ initiative.
   Kamrul Hasan regretted that they had fought for the nation’s freedom but after its liberation not a single war criminal was brought to justice. ‘No government in Bangladesh took any move for it [trial] and now the responsibility goes to the newer generations, and they seem to be discharging their duties,’ he said in an emotion-choked voice. ‘If the youths fail to try them, it will disappoint us tremendously.’
   Shafiqullah, another sub-sector commander who fought in sector 11, said the so-called Jatiya Muktijoddha Parishad was floated to thwart the movement of trying the war criminals, and its members began their work by assaulting an aged war veteran, an atrocious act which has demeaned all the freedom-fighters and the entire nation and its Constitution too.
   Jainal Abedin Bir Pratik said the members of Jamaat-e-Islami were responsible for killing hundreds of intellectuals including teachers, litterateurs and artists to annihilate the country’s intelligentsia, and they are still continuing their activities by attacking freedom-fighters to avenge their defeat in 1971.
   Mili Rahman, wife of Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman, urged everyone to wage a vigorous movement for punishing the war criminals. Ekushey Television’s reporter, Sajed Romel, who witnessed the attack on war veteran Mohammad Ali while interviewing him, shared his experience with the audience.
   The Dhaka University Teacher’s Association’s general secretary Anwar Hossain, dean of social sciences Harun-or-Rashid, mass communications department’s teachers AAMS Arefin Siddique, Sheikh Abdus Salam, Robayet Ferdous and Nadir Junayed, sociology teacher Sadeka Halim, Zinat Huda, social welfare teacher Muhammad Samad were also present at the rally.

Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad, a combine of labour unions, on Monday called on the interim government to re-fix the minimum wage of the workers at Tk 4,500/- per month because of the continuous price-hikes of essentials.
   The government has already fixed the daily wages of the workers under the ‘Taka against work’ project, and considering that the minimum wage of the workers must be raised to Tk 4,500/-, said the labour leaders.
   The labour leaders, at a press conference in SKOP’s central office, said that it was impossible for a worker to feed and maintain his family with the present wage.
   At present the workers of nationalised mills and factories are getting minimum wages of Tk 2,450/- and the garment workers Tk 1,662.50/-, which are not sufficient to meet even the most basic needs, said the labour leaders.
   They demanded complete withdrawal of the ban on political activities which the government imposed after proclamation of the state of emergency.
   The government has relaxed, but not lifted, the ban on political activities, said labour leader Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar.
   The press conference was attended by the SKOP’s coordinator Wazedul Islam Khan, Abdul Kader Hawladar, Shafiuddin Ahmed and Badal Khan, along with others.

Garment workers on Monday urged the BGMEA to increase the number of healthcare centres and reproductive health and family welfare projects to ensure their good health.
   They said the female workers accounted for 90 per cent of the total workforce in the garment industry where 24 lakh people were employed. And these female workers, who are aged mainly between 19 and 24, need more healthcare services from the association. The garment workers placed the demand at a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association in collaboration with the UNFPA at the Samarai Convention Centre at Panthapath in Dhaka to mark the World Population Day. Nearly 400 male and female garment workers from different factories in Dhaka and Narayangonj took part at the discussion.
   Shahidul Islam, second vice-president of the BGMEA, attended the discussion as chief guest while Nurul Amin, assistant country representative of UNFPA, Bangladesh, and MA Rahim, director in-charge of healthcare and family planning, BGMEA, were special guests. The association introduced its healthcare services for garments workers in 1994 and it now runs a total of 10 healthcare centres in different areas of the country.
   Shahidul Islam said in 1998 the UNFPA had joined hands with the BGMEA under the family welfare and reproductive health project for the healthcare services of the workers. Presently, the UNFPA operates the project in four healthcare centres at Malibagh and Mirpur in Dhaka, at Muradpur in Chittagong and in Narayangonj to provide reproductive health services and medicines free of cost to the garments workers.
   The association’s vice-president said they expected that the UNFPA would expand its project to all the healthcare centres to ensure reproductive and family planning services for the garment workers.

Two persons were killed in an incident of landslide in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar Sunday morning with rainfall and onrush of hill water playing havoc in the district for the second time.
   Earlier, thirteen people were killed in rain-triggered landslides at Teknaf, one in the Cox’s Bazar town, one at Moheskhali and one at Ukhiya.
   The additional deputy commissioner, Arifur Rahman, confirmed the incident. Quoting witnesses, he said the landslide had occurred at Mangalapara village near the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive Road at 10.30 am when a heavy chunk of mud fell on the house of Golam Hossain. Local people recovered the bodies of Golam Hossian’s mother Sahar Banu, 60, and daughter Jannat Ara Begum, 10, from under the wreckage.
   At least three lakh people have been marooned as the second spell of flood hit Ramu and Cox’s Bazar sadar upazilas in the last two weeks.
   The Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf and Ramu-Maricha-Teknaf road communications remained suspended as floodwater was flowing three to four feet above the roads.
   Local Met office recorded 179 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours till 3:00 am on Monday. Incessant downpour crippled normal life in the district.
   The upazila nirbahi officer of Ramu, Mohiuddin Al Farook, said several hundred shops and business centers including Fakira Bazar, a business hub, and Gorjaniha Bazar were submerged. `The inundation caused an estimated loss of Tk 1.00 crore to the businessmen,’ he informed.
   `Some 20,000 houses went under four to five feet water at Rajarkhool, south Mithachhari, Fatekharkhool, Chakmarkhool, Konihapalong, Joharianala, Garjoniha, Kchapiha and Khawarkhoop under Ramu and PM Khali and Zilonjha under Cox’s bazaar sadar upazila, he added.
   At least 65 educational institutes have been closed because of flooding. People are suffering for shortage of drinking water as most tube-wells have gone under water.

Sixteen noted personalities were awarded the Poet Abu Zafar Obaidullah Award 2008 for their outstanding contributions in respective fields.
   Kabir Chowdhury, the national professor, distributed crests and certificates among the winners at a simple ceremony Monday evening at the Sufia Kamal auditorium of the National Museum.
   The Poet Abu Zafar Obaidullah Foundation conferred the award upon noted economist Muzaffer Ahmad, bureaucrat M Kamal Uddin Ahmed, writer Rahat Khan, journalist Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, academic Abul Hasan Muhammad Sadeq, poet Nasir Ahmed, Rahim Shah, Mainuddin Bishwas, Engineer Shafiqur Rahman, KM Hossain, GM Afsar Uddin, Mohammad Jahangir Mollah, vocalist Rakhi Bhowmik, Sheikh Tofair Hossain Liton and Selim Master.
   After receiving the award, Muzaffer Ahmad said he was proud of receiving the award named after the noted poet who was known as Sentu Bhai to his contemporaries.
   ‘Such a visionary is rare in our society. He tried to contribute his best for the country in every sector he worked in. I had seen him from his student life till his death and he was always serious about his duties,’ he said.
   Another recipient Kamal Uddin said Abu Zafar had taught his colleagues how to be sincere at work.
   Abu Zafar’s junior colleague, Faruq Hossain, said as a senior he was always an idol to the juniors. But his identity as a poet surpassed his identity as an administrator.
   The country representative of the Food and Agricultural Organisation in Dhaka, Ad Spijkers, recalled the moments he had shared with Abu Zafar when he served in the organisation. ‘I’m amazed by his poems. They are simple and enthralling,’ he said.
   Chaired by the Poet Abu Zafar Obaidullah Foundation chairman Arif Nazrul, the function was also addressed by Atish Dipankar Research Council chairman Golam Kader, poet Mostafa Habib and Zakir Ibn Solaiman.

Jessore Bar Association members on Monday started boycotting a judge’s court tp push for the judge’s withdrawal. The lawyers decided on the boycott of the court at an association meeting on Sunday.
   The district bar association president, Farazi Shahadat Hossain, said 132 lawyers had sent a memorandum to the Supreme Court and the law ministry levelling allegations against the Jessore district and sessions judge (1st) Mohammad Fakhruddin. The memorandum gave the authorities 15 days to withdraw the judge.
   As they had not received any response to their memorandum, they started boycotting the court.

A Chittagong court Monday sentenced a man to life-term imprisonment for keeping illegal heroin.
   Judge A N M Bashir Ullah delivered the judgment convicting Mohammad Saidur Rahman of Badamtali area under Doublemooring thana in the city.

The first phase of upazila polls, planned in October, will be held in a state of relaxed emergency rules facilitating election campaign, an election commissioner said on Monday.
   ‘Upazila elections will be held under a relaxed state of emergency as in the case for elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities scheduled for August 4,’ Muhammed Sohul Hussain said.
   He said this after US ambassador James F Moriarty expressed his doubts about credibility and fairness of elections if they are held under a state of emergency.
   ‘It is difficult to hold credible elections while the state of emergency is in place,’ the US envoy told reporters after a meeting with chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda and his two deputies Monday.
   The Election Commission has planned to hold upazila polls in two phases — in 300 to 350 upazilas in the first phase in October while remaining upazila parishads will have elections after the national polls expected in December.
   The US ambassador averted a director answer to a question whether he believes that the caretaker government has succeeded in creating a level-playing field for all parties for the planned national elections, but said his country would attach high importance to Bangladesh elections and send observers.
   Sohul and another election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain were present during his meeting with the CEC.

The US ambassador, James F Moriarty, again said Monday that holding free, fair and credible elections in Bangladesh would be difficult under the state of emergency.
   About the much-debated upazila polls, envisaged before the next parliament elections, the envoy remarked that the election commissioners are ‘doing a very good job.’
   In reply to a query after over an hour-long meeting with the Election Commission at its Secretariat in the afternoon, he told reporters, ‘It’s difficult to hold credible elections while the state of emergency in place.’
   ‘I told all the commissioners to basically see how things are going with respect to the restoration of the democracy. As I am going back to Washington to talk at the end of this week, that’s why I wanted to see how things are going,’ he said.
   ‘It sounds like this that things are in a very good shape. I think the rules are pretty much done. The official lists have to be printed. They are moving forward as they are expected to do….’
   Asked about the interim government’s success in bringing the political parties in the dialogue as still some major parties are out of the dialogue, he said, ‘I think that this question is for the people of Bangladesh to answer. They will decide whether they (people) think this is a level playing field or not.’
   It looks like this that the Election Commission is acting in a good faith, and the government is trying to talk to the parties, he said. ‘So these are very positive aspects.’
   The US envoy hoped that the political parties would play a role as the parties were needed to represent the wishes of the people of Bangladesh. They need to be willing to bring the steps forward.’
   He observed that everybody in the country wanted to see the holding of successful elections, particularly for the parliament in December.
   Describing the elections as very much important, he said: ‘We want to do what we can to make a credible election; we hope that everything is in a stage and we are observing the elections.’
   Asked whether the United States would conduct any survey to verify the accuracy of the recently completed voter list, the US envoy said, ‘Actually we are doing a little bit, and up to now, we’ve found a very good result. I think it is, probably, the best voters’ list of Bangladesh.’
   The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, led the commission at the meeting, where election commissioners M Sohul Hussain and M Sakhawat Hossain were present.
   Terming the meeting courtesy call, Sohul Hussain told the reporters that the ambassador wanted to know about the preparation of the Election Commission to hold the elections.
   He said upazila elections would be held in the country under some relaxation of the emergency rules the way elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities are being held on August 4 at the first go.

A case was filed Monday against a big lot of 70 persons, including 66 cops, for the murder of a youth during marauding at village Majlishpur under Feni sadar upazila.
   Victim’s father Nurul Haq filed the case with senior judicial magistrate court against four villagers and 66 cops, including police super, additional police super, 11 sub-inspectors and 51 constables.
   According to the complaint, the police and some armed men went to the village on June 23 to evict some villagers from an area.
   The police charged baton on the villagers and opened fire, leaving Foyez Ahmed Russel, 14, injured seriously. He later died on July 6.