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Burglars stole books from ten stalls at the Ekushey Book Fair on the Bangla Academy premises in Dhaka on Tuesday.
   This is third time that books were stolen from some stalls at the fair which began at February 1, when the fair authorities claimed they had taken adequate security measures for the fair.
   Spandan, Muktijoddha Prajanma, Salma Book Depot, Padatik Natya Angan, Jai Bangla Sangskritik Oikya Jote, Bishwa Bangla Kabita Utsab, ISKON and Mela placed complaints to the organisers that books were stolen from their stalls Monday night.
   Salesmen of Spandan said they found some of their books stolen when they opened their stall, which was also ransacked.
   They said they packed their books last night and locked the stall, but they found the bundle of books unpacked and some of their books were missing.
   Murshid Anwar, deputy director of the Bangla Academy, said they were informed of the matter and would definitely take strict measures against burglary.
   He said the fair authorities had already strengthened the security of the fair ground during night.
   The copyright task force again gave notice to the stall owners to avoid all type of activities which were against the fair rules.
   Shahida Khatun, director of the Bangla Academy said many readers and publishers complained that a number of stalls were selling books of other publishers and photo copy of Indian books.’
   ‘Even some of the small publishers do not have a single publication of their own,’ she added.
   ‘We already have notified all the publishers in this regard and will take strong actions against stalls selling others’ publications or Indian books,’ she added.
   A total of 108 new books hit the fair on Tuesday and the publishers expressed satisfaction over the sales of the day.
   Collections of poems led the tally of new arrivals on the day, with 33 titles followed by 12 collections of essays, 15 collections of short stories, 18 novels and two collections on liberation war.
   The academy held a seminar on ‘Language Movement Martyr Shafiur Rahman’ as part of the month-long series seminar on ‘Stories from the history of Language Movement 1947-1953’.
   Shafiqur Rahman Choudhury Ahmed read out the keynote paper at the seminar while language veteran Raoshan Ara Bacchu and Dhaka University professor Jinat Huda Wahid, joined the discussion chaired by Justice Kazi Ebadul Haq.
   The seminar was followed by a theatre performance called ‘Pragoitihasik’ by Nagarik Natyangan.

The Chittagong City Corporation has embarked upon setting up 500 Megawatt power plant and building a 12-kilometre elevated expressway in the port city at a cost of Tk 5000 crore.
   The CCC engineering department sources said the 500MW coal-based power plant will be set up at Sikalbaha area, south side of the River Karnaphuli in the city on Build Operate and Transfer basis at a cost of Tk 3500 crore while a 12-kilometre elevated expressway will be constructed from city’s Dewanhat to Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport at a cost of Tk 1,500 crore.
   CCC source said after approval of the LGRD ministry the proposed project had already been sent to the Planning Commission for vetting. If the proposed power plant is completed, the people of Chittagong would get rid of load shedding side by side the city dwellers will get relieve from the exhausted traffic jam at Agrabad commercial area after the construction of the 12km Dewanhat to Airport expressway, the source added.
   Source said development works of the two projects are expected to begin by July-August this year and be completed in next three years and a half.
   Foreign investors showed their eagerness to invest for operating the projects for 25 years while the CCC would also have a portion of profit from the project, CCC planning department source said. The investors will hand over the projects to the CCC after 25 years of their operation, the source added.
   The source said the government would provide security bond for the investors for their investment in the projects. A senior CCC engineer said the investors from Malaysia, China and Singapore have already expressed their interests to invest and implement the projects.
   CCC has selected the land at the south side of Karnaphuli River for setting up the power plant. Source said the ministry concerned directed the initiators of the project to operate the power plant projects using coal as there is not sufficient gas supply in Chittagong for long.
   CCC executive engineer M Anwar Hossain said people of Chittagong had been reeling under untold suffering of traffic jam in 12-kilometre road from Dewanhat to Airport every day.
   According to the Chittagong Development Authority Master plan, there are four to five thousand vehicles plying the Dewanhat to Airport road per hour. After construction of the expressway, the users will use the road by paying specific tolls to the investors and would be able to reach their destinations in short time.
   The system of gate pass after paying specific tolls would be incorporated in both ways of the elevated expressway.
   Talking to the news agency, the Chittagong Development Authority chairman Abdus Salam said there was a great need for such infrastructure development for upgrading the Chittagong as a world class city.
   After implementing the projects, CDA chairman said, people of Chittagong will enjoy more facilities.
   City mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury told the news agency that the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, verbally directed him to implement the project as soon as possible during his meeting in November last.

The Bangladesh Film Archive Alumni Association organised a human-chain on Monday at Agargaon to protest
   at Dhaka City Corpora-tion’s alleged attempt to grab the land allocated
   for the Bangladesh Film Archive for its new building.
   Earlier on December 27, 2009, the association brought out a procession in the city on the same demand.
   Eminent filmmakers Tanvir Mokammel, Tareq Masud, Manjare Hassin Murad and Morshedul Islam, also the convener of the Bangladesh Film Archive Alumni Association, among others, were present at the human-chain.

Participants in a dialogue between businessmen, officials and journalists in Barisal on Tuesday stressed objective business and economic reporting for the flourish of business activities.
   The daylong programme, held at River View Cafe of the city, was arranged under the initiatives for improving the business and investment climate in Barisal.
   The Asia Foundation, under ‘Economic Governance Programme’ in collaboration with the Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund, organised the programme.
   Thirty participants, including government officials, businessmen and representatives from trade bodies, civil society and journalists of national print and electronic media, attended the meeting presided over BCCI vice-president Saidur Rahman Rintu.
   Md Akterrrujjaman Khan presented the keynote paper on ‘Sub-national economic governance performance and media: an aiding role in ensuring investment-friendly climate’.
   The business community leaders and entrepreneurs called for objective and positive business and economic reporting highlighting trade potentials in the region.
   The participants also stressed uninterrupted power supply, easy access to loan, licensing, insurance and overall infrastructural development in the region.

The Department of Environment in a drive against illegal industrial structures on Tuesday realised Tk 1.1 lakh in fines at Aganagar of Keraniganj in Dhaka.
   A DoE team, led by acting director (implementation) Sukumar Biswas, stationed a court at the Aganagar crossing from 11:30am to 2:30pm and filed three cases against some unauthorised industrial establishments in the area.
   The executive magistrate, Abul Bashar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman, and officials of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police took part in the drive.
   He said that they had realised Tk 50,000 in fines from each of Bilashi Textile Limited and Sarah Dying and Washing Limited for running businesses without obtaining certificates from the DoE and the BSTI.
   He also said that he had requested the DoE to file regular cases against three washing factories — Global Dying and Washing, Mintu Dying and Washing and Friends Washing Limited — for running their businesses without taking fitness certificates from the DoE and the BSTI.
   Sukumar Biswas said the authorities had also decided to conduct similar drives at different spots in the city in the days to come.
   He also informed that the team had also realised Tk 10,000 in fines from Sohagh Bakery Factory Limited for producing cakes and breads without taking certificates from the BSTI and using banned polythene.

The construction of the Khulna Shilpakala Academy building in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla is likely to begin soon in fulfilment of a long cherished demand of the people of the metropolis.
   Sources concerned said the preliminary work on the Tk 22-crore complex, comprising a 500-seat digital auditorium, has already been completed. The construction of the academy complex will be completed with in the current year.
   According to the project profile, the first four-storey of the six storied complex will be built at first. A beautiful lawn along with the auditorium would also be built. The Architecture Directorate has already approved the design of the complex.
   The art gallery and canteen of the academy will be located on the first floor of the complex. Beside dais, sales and show room, administrative and training building, hall room and various rooms will also to be built.
   Director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Kamal Lohani, during his recent visit to the city, expressed firm conviction that the Khulna unit of the academy will be built within the current year.

Light rain is likely to occur at one or two places over Rajshahi, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions and the regions of Jessore and Kushtia and weather may remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country till 6:00pm today.
   Light fog may occur over the river basins of the country during late night till morning, the Met Office said in a forecast.
   Night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 5:51pm and rises tomorrow at 6:34am.
   The country's highest temperature, 30.1 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Tuesday at Khepupara and the lowest, 10.0 degrees, at Srimangal.