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The Dhaka City Corporation looks set to attain its revenue target from the outdoor advertisement sector in the current fiscal year, officials concerned said.
   In 2007-2008 fiscal, the DCC set a revenue target of Tk 8 crore from the outdoor advertisement sector and earned Tk 5 crore in the last 10 months till April 30.
   ‘Hopefully we will be able to collect the rests of revenue from the advertisement sector during the next two months (May and June) as different corporate houses and ad firms still owe Tk 3 crore to the corporation,’ an official said.
   The advertisement cell was shifted from estate department to the beautification cell under the conservancy department of the city corporation in May last year.
   Earlier the corporation failed to achieve the revenue target from this sector for what some officials of the corporation blamed mismanagement and corruption of the officials and employees concerned.
   As the DCC failed to attain the target from the outdoor advertisement sector for years, it reduced the revenue target gradually in the last four fiscal years.
   In the fiscal year 2006-07, the DCC earned around Tk 50 lakh from the advertisement sector as against annual target of Tk 6 crore while Tk 50.61 lakh as against the target of Tk 12 crore in FY 2005-06, Tk 60 lakh as against the target of Tk 9.62 crore in FY 2003-04 and only Tk 10 lakh as against the target of Tk 20 crore in FY 2004-05.
   The outdoor advertisement sector has an annual turnover of over Tk 100 crore, according to an estimate of the advertising firms.
   The corporation’s advertisement cell in a three-month survey found only 1,642 hoardings both on public and private land and rooftops in the city. The zone offices will crosscheck the figures as it believes that the number may be increased a little.
   The Advertisement and Beautification Cell under the DCC started conducting the survey on December 19, 2007 and completed it on March 20 this year.

The employees of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology threatened to go for tougher movement from Sunday if the university authorities don’t meet their demand by the time.
   The transport workers, however, resumed bus services on the campus Thursday morning, a day after they went on a strike in protest at the attack on a fellow worker.
   The decision was taken in an emergency meeting of the employees’ union and the transport workers’ association at the association office on the campus Wednesday night.
   ‘We have resumed the bus services responding to the vice-chancellor’s request as he assured us of taking action within Sunday morning against the students who beat a bus helper,’ a transport workers’ leader at the university said.
   An 11-member steering committee, led by Hosen Ahmed, was also formed in the meeting to discuss the issue with the university authorities, he said.
   Hosen Ahmed told New Age that all other employees of the university would stand beside the transport workers for a tougher movement from Sunday afternoon, if the authorities failed to reach a solution by this time.
   When contacted, the university’s vice-chancellor Professor Aminul Islam said he would take initiative soon to resolve the matter.
   The university’s transport workers Wednesday afternoon went on a strike and stopped bus services on the campus to protest at the attack on bus helper Nur-e Alam by some students.

The authorities are yet to replace some rundown rides at Shaheed Zia Shishu Park even though their durability has expired about 16 years back, putting the lives of riders at risk.
   A Dhaka City Corporation official has said the city’s largest children’s park at Shahbagh has been losing attraction day by day as nine out of 12 rides are in shabby state and running at risk.
   Nine rides new trabant, merry-go-round, wonder wheel, battery car, Benkino train, roller skating, trampoline, chair tower and flower cup with 10 years of longevity were installed in 1979 while Astro Fighter and Jet Star in 1992 and F-6 fighter in 1997.
   Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation constructed the park on 15 acres of land in 1979 and the DCC took over the charge in 1983.
   Though the DCC officials claimed the rides were regularly checked and repaired, they could not rule out the possibility of any risk. An engineer of the DCC told New Age that the park needed immediate repair to avoid accidents.
   According to the official, several projects had been planned to renovate and revitalise the children’s park in the past two decades but could not see any further progress due to bureaucratic tangles.
   The projects included comprehensive renovation work of the park, addition of new rides and features, expansion of the park, and constructing two underpasses linking the park with the National Museum and Dhaka Club.
   The DCC proposed a Tk 92 crore project in 2004 to give a facelift to the park as well as to increase revenues by attracting more visitors, sources said.
   The proposal outlined a comprehensive renovation of the park that would include refurbishment of worn-out rides and adding 16 new ones like –– barn stormer, roller coaster, mono rail, water splash, giant wheel, viking mars, bumper cars, laser shows and 3-D movies.
   The proposal also included expanding the park up to the Police Control Room at Shahbagh, increasing the park’s area from 15 acres to 19 acres.
   This project scheduled to be completed in two years was still awaiting approval of the ministry of local government and rural development.
   Some 5,000-6,000 people visit the park every day as it is the only big entertainment place for children of the middle and lower middle classes, sources said, adding that the corporation’s annual income from the park is about Tk 2 crore.
   The corporation in August 2005 renamed the Central Shishu Park after late president Ziaur Rahman which is still popularly known as ‘Dhaka Shishu Park’.

Speakers at a daylong workshop on Thursday emphasised the need for making the sanitation programme compulsory through out the country for getting relief from various waterborne diseases.
   At least 80 per cent diseases spread in the country due to lack of proper knowledge about sanitation, they said and urged the authorities concerned to set up sanitary latrines in the rural areas.
   Presided over by the deputy commissioner, Monjur-e-Elahi, the workshop titled ‘Not only latrines, but also sanitation should be compulsory’ was held at the Local Government and Engineering Department auditorium.
   The divisional commissioner Md Haroon Chowdhury was present as chief guest. Among others, divisional health director Dr Abdul Baset, DIGP Aminul Islam, UNICEF chief of this division Taufic Ahmed, PHED superintending engineer Md Yunus Ali and NGO Forum Advocacy Department’s chief Joseph Halder were special guests.
   All the deputy commissioners of Barisal, Jhalakathi, Bhola, Pirojpur, Patuakhali and Barguna took part in the workshop.
   Drinking pure water, using sanitary latrines and cleanliness could ensure fresh and healthy life, the speakers said.

Tension has been running high on Rajshahi University campus on Thursday as rival groups of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of Awami league, engaged in several chases on the campus and beat up a BCL activist following the stabbing of an activist by the rival.
   Earlier, on Tuesday night, Maruful Islam Shuhin, loyal to the BCL university unit general secretary Ayeen Uddin, was stabbed at Binodpur, adjacent to the campus, by activists loyal to the unit president Ibrahim Hossain Moon.
   The group on Thursday staged showdowns participated by many outsiders on the campus.
   At around 12.30pm, they chased Anik, loyal to Ibrahim on the 4th arts building premises and beat him up with bamboo sticks.
   The police and the proctor later rescued Anik. He was taken to the university medical centre to receive first aid.
   Ayeen group also beat up three activists of their rival group with bamboo sticks on the central library premises on Wednesday. Shuhin, with injuries in his right leg and hand, was undergoing treatment at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
   Ayeen group at a press conference declared Ibrahim ‘unwanted’ on the campus.
   Shuhin, with injuries in his right leg and hand, was undergoing treatment at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Shaheed Kamaruzzaman Central Park and Zoo in Rajshahi, one of the few entertainment places for the city dwellers, is loosing its attraction due to improper care for the zoo animals.
   According to official records, about 900 people used to visit the place daily two years back, but the number of visitors came down drastically in recent days. On average 500 people visit it every day.
   With only 49 employees to look after the zoo, and the fund constraint being a regular feature, the management of the zoo is in dire need of immediate support to run it smoothly, an official of the zoo said.
   The authorities do not allocate enough budgetary allocation for its maintenance and development, he said.
   A high official of the Rajshahi City Corporation said insufficient manpower and financial hardship have been the main problems for the zoo.
   The zoo has 28 species of animals, including tiger, bear, monkey, deer and other beasts and birds, and most of the animals are now sick due to lack of proper care.
   ‘The visitors want to see animals healthier and of greater variety, but we cannot provide with such animals due to limitation of our resources’, Abul Kalam, a supervisor of the zoo told New Age.
   The park and zoo was established in 1974 on 40 acres of land. Since then, no initiative was taken for its further development. The city corporation only appointed some manpower, but they did little nurturing for its growth, an official at the zoo said.
   Corruption of its officials and employees and their inexperience in managing a zoo have also contributing to the decline in its popularity, a RCC official said.
   According to the locals, the officials and employees mostly carve up the beef among themselves which is allocated for the animals, resulting the carnivores of the zoo to remain unfed for many days.
   The police recently seized meat bought for the animals while being distributed among the employees in the zoo.

Dhaka University has decided to celebrate national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s birthday as World Day of Inter-religion Harmony every year to uphold his secular spirit.
   On this occasion, the university will hold a discussion styled ‘Inter Religious Harmony in the Spirit of Nazrul’ at the Teachers-Students Centre on May 25, the 110th birthday of Nazrul.
   Vice-chancellor SMA Faiz will inaugurate the function as chief guest at 4.00pm on the day while eminent researcher and essayist Mohammad Abdul Hai will present a keynote paper on the occasion initiated by the Department of World Religions.
   The Centre of Inter Religion and Inter Culture director Kazi Nurul Islam will chair the function.
   Among others, National Professor Kabir Chowdhury, Bouddhist Krishti Prochar Sangha president Shimot Shuddhananda Mohathero, Professor of Arabic at DU ANM Abdul Mannan Khan, Auxiliary Bishop of Dhaka, Sanskrit Professor at DU Poresh Chandra Mandal, Nazrul scholar Karunamaya Goswami and DU World Regions Department chairperson Iva Sadia Saa’d will took part in the discussion. Musical performance by country’s eminent singers will follow the discussion.

The police filed cases against a total of 1,575 vehicles at different places in the city in last 54 hours for violating traffic rules.
   They also seized 34 cars for not having valid documents, said a press release issued by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Thursday.

Students Against Repression, a platform of the left learning student organisations, on Thursday announced a series of programmes in protest at the alleged sexual harassment to a female student at the Dhaka University.
   The programmes include holding a view-exchange meeting on the draft rules to prevent sexual harassment on May 26, launching a signature campaign on May 23 and bringing out a procession on the campus on May 24.
   At a press conference, the leaders of the organisation blamed the university authorities for not ensuring proper punishment for the psychology teacher M.Kamal Uddin, who reportedly harassed the girl students. Habib Imran Jony spoke at the press conference held at Madhu’s canteen. Golam Kibria Shaheen, Lubna Tabassum and Mita Paul, among others, attended the press conference.

Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at one or two places over six divisions in the country during the 24-hour period till 6:00pm today.
   Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, Met Office said.
   Country’s highest temperature 37.8 degrees Celsius was recorded at Jessore on Thursday and lowest 21.9 degrees at Sylhet.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 6:38pm and rises at 5:12am tomorrow.

Two young men were beaten to death by unidentified assailants at Mohakhali in Dhaka on Thursday.
   The deceased were Anwar Sadat Russell, 26, son of Asaduzzaman Sona Mia, and Mohammad Makhon Khan, 27, son of Moslem Khan, of Karimganj upazila in Kishoreganj.
   Witnesses said a gang of 10/12 assailants, equipped with weapons, caught the three friends Russell, Makhon and Hayder at the reception desk of Hotel Taj Palace International and dragged them into room number 105 at around 12:30am when they went to the hotel to rent a room.
   The gang severely beat them up with iron rod and wooden stick until they became unconscious and dumped two of them on the footpath in front of the hotel. Hayder was also injured in the attack.
   Local people with the help of the on-duty policemen took them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the doctors declared Makhon dead. Russell died from his injuries at around 1:45am.
   ‘I heard the groan of Russell and Makhon and informed the nearby on-duty police and took them to the hospital,’ Sirajul Islam, a roadside vendor told New Age on the hospital morgue premises.
   ‘Karimganj upazila chairman Abul Kalam Azad and his associates Tanvir, Saddam and 10/12 miscreants severely beat them up with the help of the hotel authority,’ Sirajul alleged.
   Sub-inspector of the Gulshan police, Jashim Uddin, said, ‘We recovered another victim Hayder Ali, 26, son of Sayeb Ali of same area, in the morning inside a dustbin and took him to the Orthopaedic Hospital where he was undergoing treatment.’
   After the incident, the hotel authority fled the scene locking the entrance gate. The police breaking the door lock entered the hotel.
   Asaduzzaman Sona Mia, father of Russell, filed a case with Gulshan police accusing 21 persons in this connection. The police could not arrest anyone till Thursday evening.

Freedom fighter Mostafizur Rahman Khwaja, of village Ismailpur under Mithapukur upazila, died of a heart attack Wednesday evening. He was 58.
   He left behind mother, wife, one son and two daughters.
   Mostafizur Rahman Khwaja was buried with state honours at his family graveyard in his village after namaz-e-janaza.
   Mithapukur Upazila Nirbahi Officer AKM Masuduzzaman, OC of Mithapukur Thana, Mithapukur Upazila Muktijoddha Sangshad Commander Aiyub Ali Sheikh, local UP chairman Golam Azam Milan, freedom fighters, police officials and common people attended the janaza.
   Local political leaders, socio-cultural activists, journalists, teachers and local Muktijoddha Sangshad leaders expressed profound shock at the death of Mostafizur Rahman Khwaja. They prayed for peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the members of the bereaved family.

The workers of Jessore Jute Mills Ltd on Thursday observed a strike to press for their 6-point demands.
   The workers also staged demonstration on the mill premises and held a rally with Asgar Ali in the chair. Shamsher Alam, convener of movement committee, also spoke at the rally.
   The workers declared that they will block the Jessore-Khulna Highway in June, if the demands are not met before the deadline.
   Some 2,200 workers of Jessore Jute Industries Ltd at Nawapara in Jessore on April 10 confined the officials in the administrative building for paying wages.

The government has taken an initiative to review the National ICT Policy-2002.
   The Review Committee, headed by Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, has already started working on the policy, a press release said.
   The first meeting of the committee was held on May 17 at Bangladesh Computer Council.
   Former adviser of the caretaker government Abdul Muyeed attended the meeting as the representative of the Bangladesh Telecentre Network.
   Besides, ICT professionals, industry leaders, academicians and high officials of the government were present.
   The meeting decided to seek opinion and recommendations from all stakeholders.

The Khulna University authorities have recently taken up some steps to develop its academic standard, bring congenial atmosphere and make the administrative activities transparent and accountable.
   The university started its academic activities in the 1991-92 session. At present, some 4,287 students are studying in 16 departments of the university.
   As part of the new measures, the university is going to
   introduce masters and PhD degrees in four new disciplines.
   The university has also launched internet backbone network and established its own server and digital telephone exchange of 500 lines and new administrative building and upgraded the female dormitory to two-storied building.
   Construction works of its central library and 3rd academic building are also progressing fast.
   When contacted, the KU vice-chancellor, Dr M Saifuddin, who was appointed on February 28 this year, said the authorities have also taken some positive measures considering the social status of the innocent officials and employees of the university to bring a congenial atmosphere in the university administration.
   It is mentionable that the education ministry suspended all the new appointments in the university on November 29, 2007 on charge of various irregularities and corruption.

The first group of 35 Bangladeshi workers are set to fly to South Korea on June 2 under a 2007 Dhaka-Seoul agreement on manpower export, a official statement said in Djhaka on Thursday.
   It said 6,600 Bangladeshis were registered through internet for employment in South Korea while 232 of them already got jobs after passing language test.
   The South Korean authorities already granted visas to 67 qualified workers and the first batch of them was set to fly there on June 2.
   The expatriates welfare and overseas employment secretary, M Abdul Matin Chowdhury, on Thursday distributed certificates among the workers after their training at Bangladesh-German Technical Training Centre.
   The function was also joined by the South Korean ambassador in Dhaka, Suk Bum Park.

One found
dead in city
The police recovered the body of an unidentified man from Purana Paltan in the Dhaka city Thursday evening. Witnesses said a gang of miscreants opened fire on him and left the scene immediately. His body was kept at the mortuary of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Miscreants also shot at two other people at Rampura and Narinda on the day, leaving them injured. Kamal Hossain, 25, an employee of a confectionary at Narinda, received bullet injuries in his leg in the morning. A gang of muggers took away a mobile set and some cash from his possession. Muggers also shot at one Momen, 20, at East Rampura in the afternoon. Both were undergoing treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital till Thursday evening.
— New Age

Shop owner
killed in Barisal
A grocery shop owner was stabbed to death by unknown miscreant in C and B pole area in the city early Thursday. The police and family members said Shahidul Islam Milon, 38, went on the rooftop for closing the door and saw somebody there. As he cried out for help, the miscreant stabbed him indiscriminately and managed to flee away at about 12:30am. Milon was immediately taken to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital. But he died on way to Dhaka. His body was sent to the hospital morgue for autopsy. The police visited the spot. A case was filed with the police station in this connection.
— New Age