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Allocation of stalls for Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2009 is yet to be completed with only two days away for the month-long annual event beginning on February 1.
   The fair committee has so far finalised allotment of 356 stalls out of the total 450 planned for this year’s Ekushey Book Fair.
   The allocation should have been completed by January 27, as per section 14.1 of the fair regulations for 2009, but the committee is yet decide on about 100 stalls.
   Some publishers alleged that a certain quarters related to the ruling Awami League have influenced obtaining allocation of stalls.
   The criteria for participation by publishers in the Ekushey Book Fair this year have been changed.
   A publisher, who published at least 100 books during his/her publishing career or 20 books in the last one year, is allowed to participate in this year’s book fair.
   In the 2008 fair, a publisher was given allocation of stall on the basis of his/her publication of only 15 books in the previous year.
   ‘Some reputed publishers have faced problem in getting allocation of stalls this year due to the changed criteria,’ said executive publisher of Pathsutra, Rajib Noor.
   The Bangla Academy director general, Syed Mohammad Shahed, also the president of the fair committee, said, ‘The committee has given allocation of stalls to a good many reputed publishers who failed to fulfil the requirement.’
   Some publishers alleged that the fair committee had given stall allotment to many publishing houses in violation of rules, saying it had favoured them on political ground.
   The publishers who were given illegal allocation include Hasi, Mira, Akash, and Anindya publications, they said.
   They particularly cited the name of Anindya Publications as regards of irregularities in allocating stalls saying it had obtained two units for a stall although it was not entitled to have as per the requirement and also got better position to house its stall.
   The fair committee president, however, denied that allegation of political influence in allocation of stalls this year saying, ‘We were ordered to strictly follow the fair regulations from the Prime Minister’s Office.’
   ‘Anindya Publications was given allotment in proper way as it fulfilled all the requirements. But in case of stall position, we have favoured it because of prime minister’s security. We heard that the prime minister might visit that stall at the inaugural ceremony of the fair,’ he added.
   Our New Age correspondent happened to meet a leader of Dhaka University BCL hall unit, who was entering the office of the Bangla Academy director general for lobbying to get five stalls.
   When asked the BCL leader said, ‘I am most likely to get allotment of stalls’.
   ‘We have adequate security measures for the visitors. Two entrances to the fair venue will be built in front of Atomic Energy Commission and Institute of Food and Nutrition. There will be six archways with three each at two entrances where visitors have to face scanners,’ the academy DG said.
   This year the fair venue has been extended to the footpath on the road near the Bangla Academy spanning from the nutrition institute to energy commission due to the construction of new Bangla Academy building.

Nearly 80 per cent construction works of the 3rd Karnaphuli Bridge in Chittagong have already been finished while the rests of the works are likely to be completed before the stipulated timeframe.
   Sources in the Roads and Highways Department said construction of the four major pillars of the 950-metre long and 24-metre wide bridge had already been completed. Construction of the main structure of the bridge along with approach road was going on in a full swing, they added.
   The project director, Engineer Mohiuddin, told New Age that almost 80 per cent of the construction works of the bridge had already been completed. ‘We will be able to finish the project by July if we can continue with the construction works at current pace.’
   The project to construct the 3rd bridge over the River Karnaphuli was undertaken in 2001 involving Tk 556 crore and the then prime minister, Khaleda Zia, laid the foundation stone of the bridge on April 19 in 2004.
   Major Bridge Company of China began construction of the bridge with 35 engineers and 400 workers on August 8 in 2006 for implementing the project within 36 months.
   RHD sources said the Kuwait Fund provided Tk 372 crore as soft loan for the implementation of the project while the Bangladesh government was supposed to give the rest of the amount.
   The sources also said construction of the bridge was likely to be completed at cost of Tk 289 crore as the Kuwait Fund had approved the rest of Tk 83 crore for the construction of the approach road.
   There are two other bridges Kalurghat and Shah Amanat over the River Karnaphuli.
   Construction of a 3rd bridge became imperative as the existing bridges remain in dilapidated condition, posing risks on lives and property.

The Rajshahi City Corporation is yet to realise nearly Tk 16.35 crore outstanding taxes and other charges from different public and private sector entities as well as individuals despite frequent attempts for years.
   RCC officials said the dues from different government offices and organisations have been cumulated to above Tk 10.34 crore.
   The major defaulters are public organisations, including Rajshahi Textile Mills, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi Development Authority, Zila Parishad, SP office, Bangladesh Railway and Rajshahi Stadium.
   Besides, holding taxes worth Tk 3.51 crore and water supply charge of Tk 2.50 crore remained unpaid with general taxpayers.
   As a result, the development and service activities of the local government body are being hampered seriously, RCC officials said.
   RCC secretary Emdadul Haque told the news agency that RCC as a service providing organisation depends largely on its won income for executing development works and providing services to city dwellers following insufficient allocation from the government.

Speakers at a divisional workshop on Thursday stressed the need for making concerted efforts to protect the young generation from HIV/AIDS and ensure safe motherhood.
   They also highlighted the need for creating awareness among the target group about prevention of the deadly disease, saying that the authorities concerned and individuals should work together in this regard.
   Padakkhep Consortium in association with Save the Children, USA organised the workshop titled ‘Prevention of HIV/AIDS and Young Generation’ at a city hotel.
   Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, divisional commissioner, addressed the workshop chief guest while Nimai Chandra Paul, director of family planning department, Kazi Emdadul Haque, advocacy manager of Save the Children, Moniruzzaman Siddiq, team leader of Padakkhep Consortium, as special guests.
   The speakers urged all to follow religious instructions in a bid to save the country from the perils of AIDS and launch a social movement to create mass awareness about the deadly disease.
   Despite low prevalence of HIV, the disease might be pandemic due to various risk factors and lack of proper communication strategy, they said, adding that hundreds of Indian truck drivers enter the country through land ports every day and some of them are HIV-positive, posing threat to people in Bangladeshi.
   The discussants also urged the authorities concerned to make arrangement for HIV test at the land ports and allow only HIV-negative persons as the deadly disease has taken an epidemic turn in India.
   They called on people from all walks of life to help create awareness about HIV and its perils. At least 2 per cent of the country’s people aged between 15 and 49 years might be infected with AIDS by 2012 if necessary steps are not taken to combat the deadly disease, they warned.
   As per a report presented in the workshop, 1,495 people have been so far infected with HIV in the country and 288 of them in 2008. A total of 168 people died of AIDS till 2008, the report said.

A three-day computer fair for children began in Old Town of Dhaka on Thursday.
   The chief news editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Swapan Kumar Saha, inaugurated the fair organised by I-Mesh Multimedia. BSS system annalist Kamarul Hoque, InfoBase Limited managing director Abul Hassan, I-Mesh Multimedia chairman KM Taiyabur Rahman, fair coordinator and Multimedia director M Mir Shahed Ali, among others, were present at the inaugural function.
   The fair will remain open from 10:00am to 7:00pm every day and will end with a raffle draw on the concluding day, said a press release.

The Rapid Action Battalion in separate drives seized 500 bottles of contraband Phensidyl syrup and 1,012 bottles of smuggled foreign liquor in the past 24 hours ending at 4:00pm on Thursday.
   Acting on a tip-off, RAB said, they conducted a raid on DT Road Wednesday night and picked up one person from in front of Regan Hotel in possession of 500 bottles of Phensidyl.
   The arrested was identified as Mohammad Abdul Kader, 40, a resident of Mansurabad area under the Double-Mooring police.
   Besides, the RAB men raided on the Gahira area under Anwara upazila at about 4:30am to arrest a gang of drug peddlers but the gang members managed to flee the scene sensing their presence.
   They later seized 1,012 bottles of foreign liquor from adjacent places, RAB sources said.

The viva voce for admission seekers in the quotas of children of freedom fighters, disabled, indigenous and ward into first year honours courses of Jagannath University will be held at the dean office of Arts Faculty at 10 am on February 1, a press release said.
   Viva for the selected students, who intend to change their departments under `Kha’ unit, will be held at the Arts Faculty office on Feb 4 and 5 according to their merit position in the test results, the release added.
   The admission seeking students have been asked to bring main copy of admission transcript, photocopy of pay order, one copy of passport-size photograph and other necessary documents during the viva.

The third Annual Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture will be held at the RC Majumdar auditorium of Dhaka University today.
   Department of Peace and Conflict Studies will organise the lecture, a press release said on Thursday.
   Vice-chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, pro vice-chancellor Professor Harun-or-Rashid and the Deputy High Commissioner of India in Dhaka will be present on the occasion, the release added.

Nobel laureate Professor Yuan T Lee of Taiwan paid a courtesy call on Dhaka University vice-chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique at his office on Thursday.
   During the meeting, they discussed matters of mutual interests especially the possibilities of establishing linkage and joint collaborative academic and research programmes in science and technology between DU and universities in Taiwan.
   They also discussed exchange of teachers, students and researchers between DU and the higher academic institutions in Taiwan.
   Professor Arefin Siddique thanked the visiting professor for his keen interest in the academic programmes of DU. He also presented a convocation tie and a DU crest to the visiting educationist as a token of gift.
   DU pro VC Professor Harun-or-Rashid, treasurer Professor Mizanur Rahman, dean of science faculty Tajmeri SA Islam, Professor M Muhibur Rahman and professor Nilufar Nahar were present on the occasion, a press release said.
   Later, Professor Lee, who is now in Dhaka to attend the Bangladesh Chemical Congress 2008, delivered a lecture on ‘University Students in Globalised World’ at TSC auditorium.
   Dean of science faculty Tajmeri SA Islam, president of Bangladesh Chemical Society Professor Muhibur Rahman attended the function.

The certificate award ceremony of a three-month basic nuclear orientation course for young scientists was held at city’s Agargaon on Thursday.
   State minister for science and ICT Yafes Osman attended the function as chief guest and distributed certificates among the participants at the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.
   A total of 42 scientists, doctors and engineers from different disciplines of BAEC participated in the course.

Weather is likely to remain dry with partly cloudy sky over the country during next 24 hours till 6:00pm today.
   Light to moderate fog may occur over the country during late night till morning, Met Office said. Night temperature may fall by 1-2 degrees Celsius over the country.
   Country’s highest temperature on Thursday, 30.5 degrees Celsius, was recorded at Cox’s Bazar and lowest 10.0 degrees at Srimongal.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 5:44pm and rises tomorrow at 6:40am.