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Five organisations of green activists, urban experts, architects, planners and lawyers on Tuesday rejected the draft detailed area plan of the Dhaka city, saying it is full of anomalies.
   Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Institute of Architect Bangladesh and Centre for Urban Studies made the observation at a press conference at the Bangladesh Institute of Planners in Dhaka.
   ‘The plan was prepared haphazardly and Rajadhani Unnayan Kartipakkha, which is preparing the plan, had not set any principle before going for preparing the plan,’ said Iqbal Habib, joint secretary of BAPA.
   ‘Most importantly, the proposed draft has changed the land use of the capital to a large extent, opening scope for the developers to erect establishments even on locations previously earmarked as wetlands and retention ponds in the structure plan,’ he said, highlighting major flaws in the city development plan.
   Habib, also an architect, said, ‘The DAP has kept only one category of land for agriculture with rural homestead whereas the structure plan, prepared in 1997, proposed that three areas within the catchment area of Dhaka will be conserved and promoted as areas of high intensity food production.’
   ‘Most alarmingly, DAP has taken no measures to conserve city’s existing open spaces, keeping only 0.13 per cent open space for the proposed city while the plan did not work on the transportation network at all,’ the urban expert said, adding, ‘Even in many places, the road was drawn on the wetlands and ponds.’
   ‘Moreover, the whole proposal is uniquely ‘non specific’ in terms of definition, identification and proposition. The DAP did not specify who will implement its proposals,’ he said.
   Economic and social class integration proposition is absent in the plan while issues like conservation of environmentally sensitive areas, historically significant areas, river front development and wetland have been ignored, he added.
   Syeda Rizwana Hasan, director (programmes) of BELA, said, ‘Rajuk has formulated DAP with an aim to legalise its previous illegal activities and to save the interest of a vested quarter.’
   ‘How can a housing company — Sheltech — conduct the survey for the plan, as there might be a conflict of interests?’ Rizwana questioned.
   BAPA president Muzaffer Ahmad said, ‘DAP was not prepared keeping the welfare of the common people in mind. If this DAP is implemented, it would bring no good to the people; it would rather hamper the lifestyle of the common city dwellers.’
   Before going for devising the plan, the authorities must consider whether the standard of life would be ensured through the plan; otherwise, the purpose of the plan would not be attained, he said.
   The five organisations demanded that the authorities concerned should take immediate initiative to form a technical committee with urban planning professionals like ‘nagar unnayan committee’ to correct the plan.
   Among others, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners Sarwar Jahan and its joint secretary Aktar Mahmud, honorary secretary of Centre for Urban Studies Nurul Islam and member of Institute of Architect Bangladesh Mohammad Firoz Uddin were present on the occasion.

Academicians and experts working in the field of HIV and AIDS on Tuesday emphasised more awareness among the youths and ensure their participation in checking prevalence of the syndrome.
   Young people are the most vulnerable in the issue of AIDS as nearly 50 per cent of the total HIV cases tested positive in Bangladesh were youths, they said.
   They were speaking at a function organised to distribute certificate among the Dhaka University students who participated in a workshop organised by JIC-OIKKO, a project by HIV/AIDS and STD Alliance Bangladesh.
   The Dhaka University vice-chancellor, SMA Faiz, was chief guest at the programme attended, among others, by business faculty dean Abbas Ali Khan, Northern University vice-chancellor M Samsul Haq and UNFPA’s national programme officer Noor Mohammad.
   Some 350 students of DU’s business faculty joined the workshop aimed at imparting modern health education among youths through the project with the slogan ‘Join in Circuit-United Preventing AIDS’.
   Project team leader ATM Faruq explained the five phases of the workshop which is chalk out to increase awareness of target population and stake holders on HIV and AIDS risk spread and prevention.
   HASAB’s executive director Nazneen Akhter said the projects that also covered four other districts aim at providing a clear concept of HIV to the youths and how to remain safe.

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion arrested two suspected drug peddlers at Agargaon and Mohammadpur in the city Monday night.
   They also seized contraband Yaba tablets, heroin and illegal firearm from their possession, RAB sources said.
   A team of RAB-2 challenged four young men in front of Agargaon cooperatives office at around 12:45am as they were suspiciously roaming in the locality.
   The gang members hurriedly tried to flee the scene and the lawmen started chasing them. At one stage, the gangsters opened fire on the law enforcers, forcing them to retaliate triggering a shootout between criminals and lawmen.
   Soon after the gunfight, a suspected drug peddler Delwar Hossain Nayan, 35, collapsed on the ground sustaining bullet injuries. His accomplices managed to flee the spot.
   Based on confessional statement of Nayan, the team recovered a revolver and 92 small packets of heroin from his possession.
   RAB said Nayan was a listed drug peddler and had been involved in drug peddling for a long time.
   In another drive, a team in the guise of drug addicts conducted a raid on Zakir Hossain Road in Mohammadpur at around 7:45pm and managed to arrest suspected drug peddler Rafiqul Islam, 30, along with 100 contraband Yaba tablets in his possession.
   Later, he was handed over to the police. A case was filed against him under the Narcotics Control Act.

Officials and employees of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology staged demonstration on Tuesday demanding scrapping of the decision of the authorities concerned about their promotion and selection grade.
   Campus sources that some 270 officials and employees started agitation in front of the administrative building since the morning. They also brought out a procession on the campus.
   After parading different streets, the employees tried to enter the vice-chancellor’s office, but the police
   barred them from entering the office.
   The agitating employees alleged that the authorities concerned at a meeting recently decided to cancel the upgrade and selection grade of the officials and employees.
   The agitating employees had placed four-point demands, including change in the selection grade and setting up the welfare trust fund for them. They threatened to continue with work abstention programme if the authorities do not meet their demands within a week.
   When contacted, vice-chancellor Professor Abdul Bari said they would try to meet the demands of the employees as early as possible. ‘We will meet with the employees to address the problems.’
   Additional police were deployed on the campus to avert any untoward incident.

Armed robbers looted cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth over Tk 10 lakh from the flat of a bank official at Mirpur in the city on Tuesday.
   The police said a group of 7-8 bandits entered the flat of Abdul Awal, senior principal officer of the Rupali Bank head office at Motijheel, on the 3rd floor of the 6-storey building at Madhya Monipur when the inmates responded to doorbell at about 7:15am. Immediately, the robbers overpowered the inmates, tied their hands and legs and confined them in a room at gunpoint. Some of the robbers also carried Chinese axes.
   The robbers later looted Tk 15,000 in cash, gold ornaments weighing 40 tolas, one laptop, three digital cameras, four handsets and other valuables and decamped with the booty without any resistance. None was arrested till Tuesday evening in connection with the incident.

Sales and promotion of tobacco products on the Jagannath University campus will be prohibited, said the university vice-chancellor, Professor Abu Hossain Siddique, at an awareness campaign on Tuesday.
   The World Health Organisation and Jogsutro organised programme on the university campus in Old Town of Dhaka that featured an anti-tobacco play, staged by students of theatre department of Dhaka University, and a concert themed ‘tobacco-free youth’. Vocalists Kafil Ahmed and Nupur Sultana performed in the concert.
   More than 15,000 students of the university and adjacent educational institutions also took part in a signature campaign, vowing to free the campuses from sale and promotion of tobacco.
   A 50 feet wall magazine containing anti-tobacco write-ups was also published.

A youth journalist forum was launched with journalists of the Dhaka division in the Dhaka city on Tuesday.
   The Plan Bangladesh and the Mass-Line Media Centre jointly initiated the forum inaugurated by MMC executive director Kamrul Hasan Manju where Shuvrata Malakar, communication specialist of Plan Bangladesh, was present.
   Main Uddin, metro editor of The Independent, Rafiqul Islam Montu, senior reporter of the daily Shamakal and Mahmuda Doli from the daily Amar Desh were member on the committee of advisers while Abdullah Hasan is the convener of the committee.

Speakers at a rally in Khulna on Tuesday urged all concerned to help combat violence against women.
   The rally was arranged in front of Khulna Press Club to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
   KCC panel mayor Ruma Khatun, Advocate Alokananda Das, Shamima Sultana Shilu, Rupantar chief executive Swapan Guha and assistant director Jannatul Ferdaus Rekha addressed the rally. Development would not be possible in society keeping the women out of the mainstream, the speakers said, adding that the women were playing an important role in development of the country.
   They also called for creating awareness among the people to eliminate violence against women and ensure the rights of women.

Weather may remain dry with partly cloudy sky over the country till 6:00pm today, said the Met Office in a forecast on Tuesday.
   Night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.
   Country’s highest temperature on Tuesday, 29.7 degrees Celsius, was recorded at Cox’s Bazar and the lowest, 12.4 degrees Celsius, at Srimangal.
   The sun sets in the capital city today at 5:11pm and rises tomorrow at 6:22am.

The Awami League-led electoral alliance on Tuesday decided to distribute nomination papers among the alliance components considering popularity of individuals in their constituencies and their better chance to win.
   Awami League has also forged alliance with Jatiya Party (Manju) targeting the upcoming parliamentary polls, scheduled for December 29.
   Leaders of JP faction and Liberal Democratic Party, at a meeting with AL leaders at party chief Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office, also provided the list of their candidates.
   The JP faction provided list of 12 leaders while LDP submitted names of 30 leaders, seeking nomination from the alliance.
   AL presidium member Amir Hossain Amu said they had decided that nominations would be distributed among the candidate aspirants of the alliance components considering their popularity in their respective constituencies and who had better chance to win the race.
   He said their electoral alliance so far comprised 14-party, LDP, JP (Manju) and Jatiya Party, led by HM Ershad. ‘Any party, which believes democracy and country’s independence, can be the partner of their alliance.’
   Asked about the election manifesto, Amu said alliance leader Sheikh Hasina would announce the electoral manifesto and it would be considered as the manifesto of the alliance.
   LDP leaders Jahanara Begum and Redwan Ahmed and JP (Manju) leader Sheikh Shidul Islam attended the meeting.
   Later the AL leaders had a meeting with Ershad-led Jatiya Party leaders at the same venue and discussed seat sharing.
   Jatiya Party presidium member Kazi Zafar Ahmed told reporters after the meeting that they had decided to contest the elections and form the government, if voted to power, jointly.
   Responding to a query whether JP chairman HM Ershad would be the president if the AL-led alliance was voted to power, he said the matter was not discussed at the meeting.
   ‘But we have a gentleman’s agreement with Awami League president Sheikh Hasina that Ershad will be the president if the alliance is voted to power, and we are advancing on the basis of the agreement,’ he said.
   Meeting sources informed that the Jatiya Party leaders had provided a list of its 74 leaders seeking their nomination from the alliance.
   AL leaders Abdur Razzak, Suranjit Sengupta, Abdul Jalil, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Syed Ashraful Islam and JP leaders Anisul Islam Mahmud, Ruhul Amin Hawlader and Ziauddin Bablu were also present at the meeting.

Pirates kidnapped 90 fishermen for ransom and injured 12 others in the Bay of Bengal near Mongla and Sarankhola and in the River Meghna near Hatia upazila in Noakhali early Tuesday.
   Mostafa Chowdhury, president of Patharghata Fishermen Association in Barguna, said about 30 pirates of Raju Bahini active in Sundarban coming on two trawlers attacked the fishing trawlers.
   The pirates beat the fishermen, kidnapped 70 crew of the trawlers and took away a trawler. Some 12 fishermen were left wounded.
   Mostafa believed that the abducted fishermen were taken to deep in the Sundarban.
   The pirates demanded ransom of Tk 50,000 for release of each of the abducted fishermen, with threat to kill them if the demand is not met in five days, Mostafa said.
   The abducted fishermen are the inhabitants of Bagerhat, Cox’s Bazaar, Pirojpur, Barguna, Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali and other districts.
   The pirates also kidnapped 20 fishermen in the River Meghna near Hatia upazila in Noakhali for ransom.

Director general of the Anti-Corruption Commission Brigadier General, Mostafa Ahmed Sakeb has been withdrawn from the ACC and attached to the Armed Forces’ Division.
   Brigadier general Md Zahidur Rahman has been posted to the ministry of defence as joint secretary, replacing Shah Md Sultan Uddin Iqbal, whose service has been placed under the army.
   The establishment ministry issued two gazette notifications to the effect on Tuesday.
   The registrar of the department of patents and designs, Mesbah Uddin has been transferred as project director to the secondary education quality and access enhancement project, replacing Md Sirajul Islam who has been sent to the joint stock company as registrar and the registrar of the joint stock company, Sheikh Md Mobarak Hossain has been sent to the ministry of jute as joint secretary.
   Director to the chief adviser’s office, Md Enamul Haque has been made director to the bureau of statistics, deputy secretary of the Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs ministry, Md Jakir Hossain Majumder has been sent to the energy regulatory commission as director and deputy secretary of the finance division, Md Munir Uddin has been transferred to the project for construction of technical training centres in Rajshahi, Khulna Chittagong, Sylhet and Barisal as project director.
   Deputy director of the secondary level stipend programme for girls, Sirajul Islam has been made first secretary to the National Board of Revenue, deputy secretary to the ministry of industries, Shushen Chandra Das has been sent to the ministry of education as deputy secretary and officer on special duty, Md Mahmudul Haque has been posted to the youth ministry as deputy secretary.
   Secretary to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Md Mujibur Rahman has been transferred to the Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs ministry as deputy secretary, and director of the bureau of statistics, Md Nurul Isalm and the first secretary to the National Board Revenue, Md Azizar Rahman Mollah have been attached to the ministry of establishment for posting.

The three-day Odhikar workshop on human rights ended Tuesday at Caritas Development Institute in Dhaka.
   The workshop meant for the defenders of women’s rights was attended by representatives from different rights groups in Tangail, Munshiganj, Satkhira and Sirajganj. The programme was organised in cooperation with CIDA.
   Odhikar’s acting director ASM Nasir Uddin Elan, its programme co-ordinator Taskin Fahmina and advocate Asaduzzaman spoke at the concluding ceremony.
   Speakers at the workshop called for united movement to stop violence against women when International Day for Elimination Violence against Women was observed on November 25 in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the world.

AKM Abdul Alim, a retired professor of Islamic history department of Dhaka University, died of old-age ailments at his New Eskaton residence here Tuesday morning at the age of 80.
   Alim, founding member of Bangladesh History Council, also served as head of the department, provost of the DU’s Surya Sen Hall and chief librarian of Dhaka University Library.
   DU teachers expressed shock at the death of Professor Abdul Alim and prayed for the salvation of the departed soul.
   Qul khwani of Abdul Alim will be held at his residence on Thursday after magrib prayers, said a press release.

BSAF holds roundtable in
city today
Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum will hold a roundtable on ‘Withdrawal of Reservation to Article 21 of UNCRC in Bangladesh’ at the seminar hall of Local Government Engineering Department today. Vice-chancellor of South East University Professor Shamsher Ali will attend the programme as chief guest while Bangladesh Press Council chairman Justice Kazi Ebadul Huq as special guest.
— UNB

Submission of IU admission forms
ends today
The distribution of admission forms for first year honours courses for the academic session 2008-09 at Islamic University in Kushtia ended on Tuesday. The admission seekers must have to submit the admission forms to the respective unit offices by 2:00 today. The collected forms will be treated cancelled in case of failure to submit within the deadline, admission committee sources said. Meanwhile, the admission seekers and their guardians formed a long line on Tuesday at IU Branch of Agrani Bank to collect admission forms.
— New Age

US mission to remain closed tomorrow
The American embassy, including Consular Section and Public Affairs Section with Archer K Blood American Centre Library and Student Advising Centre, will remain closed on Thursday on the occasion of Thanksgiving Day, an American national holiday, said a press release.
— UNB