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The government has raised land prices in all the city corporations and municipalities in the district headquarters by up to four times with effect from September 1 for the next three years.
   ‘We have revised upward the land prices in the city corporations and district headquarters, keeping the prices of land at the upazila level unchanged as the real prices of city lands have increased by manifolds,’ law minister Shafique Ahmed told a press briefing Monday at his office.
   The prices of lands in the Dhaka City Corporation and the Chittagong City Corporation have increased by four times and the land prices in other city corporations — Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal — have increased by three times while the rates in the district headquarters have been increased by 2.5 times.
   ‘It is known to all that real prices of lands across the country have increased many times…We are still far behind the real prices. The registration fees including local government tax, prices of stamps and income tax at source have been cut down,’ said the minister, adding that overall land registration costs would go up due to increase in official prices of lands as people hide the real prices to save registration costs.
   Land prices in Bogra, Narayanganj and Gazipur districts and Tongi, Savar and Keraniganj municipalities have been hiked three times.
   The land registration costs have been decreased to eight per cent from 14.5 per cent, stamp price from five per cent to three per cent, registration fee from 2.5 per cent to two per cent, local government tax from two per cent to one per cent while the income tax at source have been slashed to two per cent from the existing five per cent in the district headquarters and city corporations. The registration charges have been slashed in a similar manner at the upazila level where income tax at source is not applicable.
   The law ministry issued a gazelle notification to the effect on Monday.
   Asked whether Rajdhani Unnyan Katripakkha and other town development authorities would raise prices of their plots in keeping with the latest rates, Shafique Ahmed said the authorities could fix prices of their lands any time. ‘This would not affect the plot prices…The authorities fix the plot rates on their own.’

A total of 1414 laptops, earlier used by the Election Commission, will be distributed among selected schools for use in the classrooms.
   The education ministry last week received 200 laptops from the Election Commission and the remaining about 1200 laptops will be handed over within a week.
   The director general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Professor Noman-Ur-Rashid on Monday told New Age that education minister Nurul Islam Nahid is schedule to hand over 35 laptops to heads of some schools today (Tuesday) at a formal function.
    Earlier in February, the Election Commission decided to give away the used laptops to the education ministry for
   distribution among selected schools and colleges.
   The education ministry had earlier requested the EC for distributing about 2,000 laptops among selected schools and colleges, but the EC last week agreed to spare only 1,414 laptops, said an official.
   All these laptops were used in the voters’ identity card project launched in late 2007.
   ‘We hope at least 75,000 students and 6,000 teachers will benefit from the laptops,’ another official said.
   The district and Upazila education officers will be asked to monitor whether or not the laptops are used for academic purpose, the official said.
   Earlier, between 2001 and 2006, some 6,000 desktop PCs were distributed among educational institutions across the country, but most of the PCs were not properly used and some were reportedly misused.

Britain will help Bangladesh secure the interests of the least developed countries at the critical Copenhagen climate negotiations in December this year, two visiting British ministers said on Monday.
   Douglas Alexander, UK minister for international development, and Ed Miliband, in-charge of energy and climate change, arrived in Bangladesh a day before prime minister Sheikh Hasina flies to Geneva to attend pre-Copenhagen climate change talks in Geneva.
   ‘We will meet the prime minister and members of the cabinet to discuss how the UK can support Bangladesh in playing a key role as it represents the interests of the least developed countries at the crucial Copenhagen summit in December,’ Alaxander told reporters after landing at the airport.
   Bangladesh is the chair of the 50-member LCD Group, which would be most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change, mostly a result of emissions by developed countries.
   Developed countries, including Britain, want to forge an alliance with the LDCs to press emerging economic giants China and India to make commitments for reducing their green house gases too.
   The UN member countries will finish crucial talks in Copenhagen to frame an international legal instrument to reduce carbon emissions replacing the current Kyoto protocol.
   ‘Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Its efforts in adaptation and risk reduction offer lessons and inspiration to the rest of the world.
   ‘The challenges are huge,’ Miliband told reporters.
   ‘The UK is committed to helping Bangladesh meet these challenges’.
   The two ministers had dinner with foreign minister Dipu Moni at the state guest house Padma.
   Earlier, they met Hasina and discussed climate change and development cooperation between Bangladesh and the UK.
   Douglas Alexander and Ed Miliband opened the UK government’s International Climate Champions Initiative in Bangladesh at the British high commission club.
   As per the initiative of the British Council, the UK government will send 15 Bangladeshi youths, aging between 18 to 35 years, to participate in the Copenhagen summit.
   The objective of the project is to create awareness about climate change and its adaptation among the young generation.
   The interested candidates will have to submit proposals on climate change and a panel, headed by Dr Atiq Rahman of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, will choose 15 candidates.

The condition of Bangladesh will be like Nigeria—which has become poorer despite having a huge reserve of oil—as the Awami League government has decided to award three blocks to international oil companies allowing them to export gas up to 80 per cent.
   This was observed by some energy experts, academics and politicians at a seminar on Multinational Investment, Unfair Agreement and Energy Security of Bangladesh held in the city on Monday.
   ‘This Awami League-led government has taken a wrong decision by agreeing to award three blocks to two foreign oil companies allowing them to export gas. The condition of Bangladesh is likely to be that of Nigeria,’ said professor Nurul Islam of BUET.
   Nigeria, one of the major oil producing countries, has seen its per capita income dropped by 75 per cent from around $850 in late 1980’s because of massive corruption by the international oil companies and governments.
   Prof Islam said that the energy security of Bangladesh has become endangered as the production sharing contract for awarding three offshore blocks to ConocoPhillips and Tullow includes a provision to export up to 80 per cent of the gas that will be discovered.
   ‘Under the PSC Petrobangla can only retain 20 per cent gas if it can install necessary infrastructure for gas transmission. Petrobangla will be forced to allow 100 per cent gas export as it will not be able to install necessary infrastructure in the deep sea,’ he told the seminar, organised by National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports.
   He dismissed Petrobangla’s claim that the IOCs would only be able to export if Petrobangla is unable to purchase gas. ‘This government has already allowed Cairn Energy to sell gas to a third party as per Petrobangla recommendations. Similar thing will happen in the case of Conoco and Tullow,’ he said.
   Prof Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the national committee, said that the IOCs would make huge profit by exporting gas while the country’s gas crisis would turn severe.
   ‘The country’s offshore areas will be handed over to the IOCs for their benefit. All gas will be exported to foreign countries,’ he said.
   Prof Pias Karim of BRAC University said that IOCs had ruined many countries following decolonisation after 1950’s with the support of political parties that represent the capitalists. ‘There is no difference between the Awami League and BNP or for that matter Jammat in supporting the IOCs,’ he observed.
   Former state minister for power and energy, Anwarul Kabir Talukder, said that the present government would have to bear the responsibility of plundering of the country’s gas resources.
   Speakers at the seminar urged all to wage movement against the government’s decision to award the blocks to the IOCs.
   Among others, committee convenor, Sheikh Md Shahidullah, Communist of Party of Bangladesh general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, former Power Cell director general BD Rahmatullah, Prof Shamsul Alam, engineer Enamul Haque and Jahangirnagar University economics teacher Sharmin Urmee took part in the seminar.

Two miscreants in RAB custody were badly wounded when their cohorts fired on RAB team at Kundapara in Shibpur upazila early Monday.
   Jhony, 25, and Shakil, 26, with bullet wounds were taken to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital from where shifted to Dhaka as their condition deteriorated.
   RAB said Jhony and Shakil were held with firearms earlier on Sunday from Arikhola rail station. On interrogation they said they were members of ‘Dulal Bahini’ of Shibpur.
   They were driven to the hideout of Dulal Bahini early Monday. Sensing trouble operatives of the bahini fired on RAB team. RAB returned the fire that continued about 10 minutes when Jhony and Shakil were wounded by the bullets of their cohorts, said Mujibur Rahman, acting in-charge of Shibpur thana.
   Another report from Jessore said, a joint team of police and RAB raided a secret meeting of extremists at Ber Govindapur in Chougachha upazila and held Shamim Kabir, an identified extortionist and arms trader. Some firearms were also recovered from the place although his accomplices managed to flee.
   Following his information, the joint team was going to round up his accomplices. But soon the team came under gun attack near the fish hatchery office at about 10:30am. Shamim was badly wounded by the bullets of his accomplices, the police said.
   With the help of locals Shamim was taken to the hospital, added the police.

The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, on Monday said that the commission might include the caretaker government debate in its planned dialogue if the government so wanted.
   ‘The commission may consider a dialogue on the caretaker government issue if the incumbent government wants us to invite opinions on the system,’ he told reporters after signing a memorandum of understanding with South Korean National Election Commission.
   The CEC, however, said that commission would not take such initiatives over the issue unless it was asked to do so as such moves on the part of the commission might trigger controversies.
   When asked about local government minister Syed Ashraful Islam’s statement urging the EC to arrange a dialogue on the issue, Huda said, ‘We will definitely do something if the government formally asks us to do so. But we are not going to respond on the basis of statements in newspapers.’
   He said that the commission was planning to hold a dialogue with political parties, members of civil society and mass media for suggestions before preparing a draft for further amendment to the Representation of the People Order.
   The CEC hoped that the parliament in its next session would enact new laws for local government bodies, including city corporations, municipalities and union parishads.
   ‘Under the circumstances, elections to these local government bodies might begin in January next year,’ he said.
   According to the EC secretariat, the local government polls are being delayed because the local government ordinances promulgated by the last interim government have not yet been enacted into laws by the parliament.
   On behalf of South Korea national election commission, Lee Jong U gave 40 laptops to the Election Commission.
   Election commissioners Muhammed Sohul Hussain and M Sakhawat Hussain, EC secretary Muhammad Humayun Kabir, UN resident coordinator and UNDP representative Renata Lock Dessalien and South Korean envoy Suk Bam Park were present on the occasion.
   Syed Ashraf, also ruling AL general secretary, said on August 18 that the Election Commission could invite opinions on whether the interim government system should go or stay in force.

Cox’s Bazar correspondent of New Age Nurul Islam, who is also vice-president of Cox’s Bazar Press Club, was critically injured after local goons had attacked him Saturday night.
   Senior journalist Nurul Islam, 48, is now undergoing treatment at Chittagang Metropolitan Hospital since Saturday night.
   The victim said local leaders and activists of ruling Awami League, led by Chokoria municipality councilor Fazlul Karim, along with his sidekicks equipped with lethal weapons, attacked him in a bid to occupy his land at Chokoria.
   Nurul Islam told New Age, ‘The attackers swooped on me when I was supervising construction work at my land at around 9:30pm. They also wounded 11 others workers.’
   On Information, the police rushed to the scene and the assailants fled the area.
   A case was filed with the Cox’s Bazar police station in this connection but the victim alleged that police were yet to arrest the attackers as they are ruling party men.
   As the news spread in the area, local journalists, politicians, businessmen visited the hospital to see the injured journalist.

Former lawmaker of Bangladesh Nationalist Party M Abu Abbas passed away at the BIRDEM Hospital in Dhaka on Monday.
   He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters to mourn his death.
   His first namaz-e-janaza was held at the south Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad after Johr prayers while second namajz-e-janaza at the playground of Abu Abbas Degree College in Netrakona town after Tarawi prayers on Monday.
   He was buried at his family graveyard at village Bali in Netrakona Monday night.
   Abu Abbas was elected MP from the Netrakona-2 constituency as BNP candidate in the 1991 general election and a by-election in 2003.
   He established over 20 educational institutions, including the Abu Abbas Degree College.
   Ashrafuddin Khan, convenor of the Netrakona district unit of BNP, and its other leaders and activists, expressed deep shock at his death and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Today is the first death anniversary of former secretary Quamrul Islam Siddique.
   On the occasion, his family members have arranged a prayer session after the asr prayers at Concord Windsor’s at house 7, road 59, apartment 203, Gulshan-2, in Dhaka.
   Engineer Quamrul, who was also the founder of the Local Government and Engineering Department, died on September 1, 2008 in the US at the age of 63.
   Freedom fighter Quamrul had served as the forum president of the Global Water Partnership Bangladesh. He was renowned for his contribution to the rural and urban infrastructure development in Bangladesh and to the water and energy sector.

Professor Mahmud Hasan won the Bangladesh Medical Association of North America award at the 29th annual convention held at Florida Hotel in Florida.
   The convention was held from July 30 to August 2, said a press release.
   Mahmud passed the MBBS in 1970 and FCPS in 1975. He obtained the first place in both the exams.
   He joined Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University as a joint director in 1982 and promoted as a pro-vice chancellor in 2001.
   At present, he is working as the president of the Bangladesh Gastroentero-logy Society.

The sixth anniversary of death of Nurjahan Murshid, a leading women activist, one of the organisers of the War of Independence and a former minister and lawmaker, will be observed today.
   Different organisations have chalked up programmes to mark the day. Her family and non-governmental organisation Brotee will place wreaths at her grave at Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard at Mirpur.
   Prayer sessions will be held and destitute children will be fed in the evening, said a release.
   During the initial days of the liberation war, when the country needed official recognition, Nurjahan, as a representative of Mujibnagar Government and elected representative of people, addressed a joint session of Indian Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha that resulted in India’s recognition to the struggle for independence of Bangladesh.
   She was a torch-bearer of women’s emancipation and struggled for it till her death in the light of Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain.