DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh wants a consignment of ancient artifacts on loan to France for an upcoming exhibition to be returned after two 1,500 year-old statues of the Hindu God Vishnu were stolen while awaiting shipment from Dhaka airport.

“The Guimet Museum (in Paris) would be informed, regretfully, that it would not be possible to go ahead with holding the exhibition of the items as planned,” a statement from the office of the head of the interim government said on Tuesday.

One consignment of items had already been successfully sent to France when the theft occurred on Saturday as a second shipment was being loaded on a Paris-bound flight.

A government spokesman said the French exhibition would have to be cancelled and the artifacts already in Paris returned to Bangladesh.

The authorities have ordered the remaining items at Dhaka airport to be returned to their collections.

The initial decision to ship the rare items abroad had prompted opposition from art lovers and conservators who expressed concerns the artifacts might go missing in transit.

Police have arrested 15 individuals in connection with the thefts.

(Reporting by Nizam Ahmed, Editing by Matthew Jones)

By B. Roy
Dhaka, Dec.22 (ANI): Some vested interests in Bangladesh have alleged that the Indian Government is exporting rice to Bangladesh that is rotten in quality, and if this “word of mouth rumour” gains credence, it could affect bilateral ties between the two countries.
According to informed sources, a section in Bangladesh, known for their traditional India baiting, is responsible for spreading this rumour, and have suggested that the Government of India would do well to ensure the export of quality rice.
There is a view that anti-India sentiment is building up in Bangladesh, and there are senior people like former judge and member of the Bangladesh Election Commission, Abdul Rab, who have publicly stated that the issue of the trial of war criminals in Bangladesh, has been fomented by India to divide the country.
Intellectuals and representatives of NGOs’ in Bangladesh, besides university dons and key civil society members are appalled over the caretaker government’s inability to “differentiate between the head, the body and the tail of the problems” facing Bangladeshi society.
An eminent economist and sociologist told this agency in an informal chat over the phone, that the army-backed caretaker government “seems to have lost its way and is flaying its hands in the dark, hoping to hit a solution”.
The economist, who preferred not to be named at this stage, told the BBC’s Bengali service recently that the immediate approach of the caretaker government should be to at least procure the cheapest cereals - rice and wheat - and provide it to the people.
There is a view that the machinery is just not functioning, and is constricted by overwhelming responsibilities. There are people in the government who are literally sitting with their arms folded. For instance, some of the government institutions, including those responsible or connected with procurement and the issuing of licenses are acting in an almost frozen manner.
Over the years, these departments have developed an institutionalised system of corruption where, everyone from the top downwards get their fixed cuts from deals.
With the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) very recently looking into these work systems, these agencies have had to put up their defences.
The Council of Advisors’ Purchase Committee have recently approved the procurement of rice and wheat from local suppliers totalling around 2.6 million tonnes. This was done on December 17.
The crackdown on corruption has slowed down the business of small and middle-level food importers. More than 400,000 people have been detained since January 11 this year, the day a state of emergency was declared in Bangladesh. Most of them were detained on “suspicion” and belong to different strata of society.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TI, however, reports that the level of corruption in the country has not gone down. Questions are being asked as to how the caretaker government plans to deal with this assessment, and why no ordinance has been issued to check these hoarders of foodstuff. (ANI)

GE Energy has netted its biggest order ever for Jenbacher gas engines for power plants in Bangladesh.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Atlanta-based GE Energy said it will supply 28 Jenbacher J620 GS natural gas-fueled engines to Doreen Power Generation & Systems Ltd. and Doreen Power House & Technologies Ltd. Combined, the engines will generate about 81 MW in electricity at four new power plants in developing areas of the South Asian country. The engines are set for delivery in July 2008 and will begin operating in the fourth quarter of 2008.

GE (NYSE: GE) now has more than 100 installed Jenbacher units in Bangladesh.

The trial of the four teachers and 15 students of Dhaka University began yesterday in the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Court in Dhaka.

ACMM Golam Robbani has recorded deposition of complainant Sergeant Shawkat Ahmed of Shahbagh thana in the trial, which was the first session of the Court after the charge framing in the case.

The case was filed with the Shahbagh thana against four teachers and 15 students for making provocative statements and encouraging illegal demonstration, which began on August 20, under sections 3 (4) and 6 (10) of the Emergency Power Rules (EPR).

The four detained teachers-Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA) President Prof Sadrul Amin, General Secretary Prof Anwar Hossain, Dean of the Faculty of Social Science Prof Harun Or Rashid and Chairman of Applied Physics and Electronic Department Prof Neem Chandra Bhowmik and detained student Maniruzzaman Sardar were produced before the Court yesterday.

Other 14 accused students were shown as fugitive in the case. Complainant Sergeant Shawkat Ahmed in his deposition to the Court refrained from naming the four teachers or anybody else as accused, court sources said.

ACMM Golam Robbani fixed December 24 for further hearing of the case.

The case against the detained teachers and students of Dhaka University was filed following students and teachers unrest centring an untoward incident between Army jawans and a group of students at the university playground on August 19. The students launched an agitation immediately.

Situation went out of control on the following day, when thousands of students backed by the DUTA started demonstration, resulting clashes between the agitating students and police. The Government on August 20 withdrew Army camp from the university and the Army closed the responsible sepoy. But the agitation sharply spread in all the public universities and cities of the country.

The Government had to clampdown curfew in the capital and the divisional towns, and closed down all universities and colleges in these cities. Police lodged case against the teachers and students on August 22 with Shahbagh thana.

The Joint Forces arrested three DU teachers-DUTA General Secretary Prof Anwar Hossain, Dean of the Faculty of Social Science Prof Harun Or Rashid and Chairman of Applied Physics and Electronic Department Prof Neem Chandra Bhowmik at one stage, while DUTA President Prof Sadrul Amin surrendered to the Court latter.

Family members of the detained teachers and DUTA through Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr SMA Fayez started parleys with the Government to secure their release.

The Vice-Chancellor had a number of meetings with President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed and pleaded for their release.

The Government started taking lenient view and granting presidential clemency to four convicted teachers of Rajshahi University sent a signal that the administration may release the detained Dhaka University teachers also.

Meanwhile, Our Court Correspondent reports: the charge sheet against former Chief Conservator of Forest Osman Gani was submitted to the Court yesterday.

Osman Gani was accused of amassing huge movable and immovable property through illegal means, while his wife was made co-accused of the case as she allegedly cooperated with her husband in the mischief.

Assistant Director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) SM Aktar Hamid Bhuiyan yesterday submitted the charge sheet, making 52 persons witnesses in the case.

On May 30, Joint Forces arrested Osman Gani with huge money and gold ornaments from his Uttara residence in the city. Later ACC Deputy Director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury filed the case against the accused with Uttara thana in Dhaka city.

New Nation
Bangladesh, Tuesday, December 18, 2007

People in the city of Magura did not allow the burial of Rajakar Rezaul Karim Rizu after his death. He was a very notorious Rajakar in that area during the war of independence in 1971. He brutally killed a number of Freedom Fighters and innocent people. His brutal killing of a lady teacher Helena is still remembered by the local people.

After the independence Rizu Rajakar fled to Chittagong and sheltered by Jamat-e-Islami people. Later he was appointed as a teacher in Chittagong University. He was always hated by other people around for his role in 1971. Recently after his death people did not allow this Rajakar and butcher to be buried in Magura.

A freedom fighter yesterday accused Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and seven of their party men of killing two freedom fighters during the liberation war.

Mozaffar Ahmad Khan, Dhaka district unit Muktijoddha commander, filed the murder case, stating that the Jamaat men killed his nephew Osman Gani and fellow freedom fighter Golam Mostafa alias Tukub Ali on November 25 in 1971.

Meantime, another Dhaka court will give order today on whether to approve of registering a sedition case against Mojaheed, Abdul Quader Mollah and Shah Mohammad Hannan, former chairman of Islami Bank, as a regular one.

On December 5, freedom fighter Fazlur Rahman filed the sedition case with Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court for the three men’s anti-liberation activities.

Recording the statement of Mozaffar Ahmad Khan, Judicial Magistrate Ashiqul Khabir directed officer-in-charge at Keraniganj Police Station to register the double murder as a first information report.

The court also asked the OC to take action against the accused after investigation into the matter.

Mozaffar showed eight people, including himself and the victims’ parents, as witnesses in the case.

Other accused are two assistant secretary generals of the Jamaat, Mohammad Abdul Quader Mollah and Mohammad Quamruzzaman, Keraniganj upazila unit Amir Haji Nazim Uddin, Islami Chhatra Sangha leader KG Karim Babla, and Abul Kashem, Foyzur Rahman Foyaz and Yasin. The last three were al-Badr, Razakar and al-Shams activists during the war.

The case was filed under sections 447/448/436/302/109/114 of the Bangladesh Penal Code.

Complainant Mozaffar said sixty to seventy other unknown activists of the three militias took part in killing, torching and looting valuables in Keraniganj on the day.

He mentioned that the accused formed collaborating forces like Razakar, al-Badr and al-Shams during the liberation war with a view to exterminating the Bangali nation.

Nizami was made al-Badr commander of Pakistan while Mojaheed acted as commander of its East Pakistan wing, said the complainant adding that Quader and Quamruzzaman and their other accomplices also formed the higher rung of al-Badr.

The three militias took to indiscriminate killing of freedom fighters and intellectuals on orders from Nizami, Mojaheed, Quader and Quamruzzaman, he said.

On directives from the four, the other accused killed countless people in Keraniganj and torched their houses. They also raped women in the area.

The plaintiff said on November 24 in 1971, when the nation was on the threshold of victory, his nephew Osman Gani and Golam Mostafa went to their houses to meet their parents and relatives.

The next day al-Shams and al-Badr militias, dressed in grey, surrounded their houses and hacked them to death with sharp weapons at about 8:30am, Mozaffar said adding that he went to the spot with his force on information only to find that the four Jamaat leaders had sent in Pakistani force there who, along with their local collaborators, torched hundreds of houses and killed countless people in the area.

The two victims are state-acknowledged freedom fighters for which their families now get government allowances.

The victims’ families never got justice even though they went door to door for justice, he said adding that the accused were behind bars till 1975 but walked out of prison after the annulment of Collaborators Act in December 31, 1975.

The complainant said as the subsequent governments ran their regimes with the assistance of al-Badr, al-Shams and Razakar, the families did not get justice from them.

Advocates Abu Mohammad Abdur Razzak and Ashraful Islam appeared for the complainant.

Meantime, Fazlur Rahman’s sedition case statement mentioned that Mojaheed, who was social welfare minister during the four-party coalition government of the BNP, denied his party’s anti-liberation role on October 25 this year and also claimed that anti-liberation forces never existed in the country.

On the next day, Hannan termed the liberation war a ‘civil war’ in a private satellite television talk show and made derogatory remarks about it.

Quader Mollah at a discussion on October 31 said freedom fighters joined the liberation war to have beautiful Indian women and for grabbing Hindu property.

Three criminal cases were filed against Quader with a Madaripur court for his derogative remarks.

by Dr. Abdul Momen*

March 23, 1971 : Journey to Sylhet

I just came to pick up my sister who was a medical doctor at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). While entering the building, I met Tajuddin Ahmed, Molla Jalaluddin, Obaidur Rahman and few other Awami League (AL) leaders. They came to see some wounded AL supporters at the DMCH. I knew Tajuddin and Molla Jalaluddin. I met them in Rawalpindi and Lahore in 1969 during Ayub’s Round Table Conference (RTC). I asked them about the progress of their dialogue with President General Yahya Khan. He did not show much enthusiasm, and instead asked me about my well being. I went to my sister’s (Apa) room. She was not there. I met a class friend of mine, Shohidul Huq, who was a Medical Representative at the time. Now he is a big businessman. He is a good soul, always very friendly, helpful and forthright. When Apa came to her room, Shohid advised her to send her kids to Sylhet to avoid any likely trouble if ‘dialogue’ fails. Shohid had always been very close to Obaidur Rahman and he assured that he would let us know the latest developments. Apa was worried as she had two small kids, Sayyyied, an infant and Lubna, a toddler. Now Lubna is a mother and a financial consultant. Their father, a young promising surgeon, Humayun Kabir (31) died in a car accident in Khulna in June 1970 when Sayyied was an infant. Now Sayyied is the General Manager of the ETV television channel. Expatriates like me are thankful to Sayyied and his boss, A. S. Mahmud, Chairman of the ETV as their private TV channel did a wonder… it facilitated us to watch Bangladeshi news, dramas, cinemas, and life of Bangladesh even from abroad, for example, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The ETV news is objective and therefore very popular. Due to ETV, the cable sales has gone up significantly especially amongst its 900,000 Bangladeshi expatriates and many in Riyadh would ask you to join dinner parties after the 8 O’clock news of ETV [ Dhaka ’s 11 PM is Riyadh ’s 8 PM ].

We left for Sylhet on 23rd March 1971 . My immediate boss, a Pakistani did not allow me leave of absence. However, I just vanished and reported to work on December 19, 1971 from Gauhati ( India ).. This does not mean that I was always in India during this long 8 months and 26 days. In fact, I mostly lived within then East Pakistan during the war of liberation and went through the horrors and tension of the occupation army.

On 26th morning when there was no ‘Radio Dhaka’, we knew that the situation went wrong. However, reports of massacre in Dhaka reached to us on 27th morning…. More details came on 28th. On 28th March we first listened the voice of Major Ziaur Rahman from the clandestine radio who in the name of ‘Sheikh Mujib’ announced that the Bangladeshis are at war with Pakistani occupation forces [Ami Major Zia bolchi…Jatir Mohan Netha Sheikh Mujibur Rahman er na-mee ami sadhinotha gushona…].

On 2nd April, we heard sounds of fire exchange at night. The following day, we learned that when the Pakistan army asked the Bengali jawans to surrender their arms and ammunitions, they refused at the Telikhal BDR camp and therefore, there was an exchange of fire. The martial law government imposed curfew and therefore, it was difficult to gather information.

April 4, 1971 : A Historic Day for Sylhet
On this day, the independence movement started in Sylhet town from my house. On that morning I went to see my friend, Shabbir Ahmed, formerly VP of Sylhet M. C. College Chatra Sangshad and Chatra League. He was a very close friend of mine. East Pakistan Governor Monayem Khan barred Shabbir from studying in any of the colleges of the province as he threw his sandal at the podium of President Ayub Khan at a meeting at the Sylhet Circuit House. I requested many people including Dr. AKM. Rabbani, then DC of Sylhet, Minister Abdus Salam, Police Chief Kazi Anwarul Huq, then Chatra League leaders Fazlul Huq Moni and Abdur Razzaque, et al to release him from jail but in vain. We employed Advocate Chowdhury ATM Masud [later Justice and Chief Election Commissioner] to get his bail. Finally, Zamir Ali, a NSF leader of S. M. Hall managed to get him released. When Bangladesh was created, he became a JSD leader. Later he went to England to do CA and settled in Cambridge (UK). While we were talking, suddenly I was informed that firing started in my locality, Dhupadigirper. I rushed to my home but could not proceed further. There were none on the road, the rickshaw puller was afraid to move. I got down and walked fast. When I reached my house, the main gate was locked. I somehow managed to enter. On entrance, I saw 10/12 Bangladeshi BDR jawans in our compound. They have taken positions. They assured us and asked me to get a barricade erected near the Agricultural Office, 20 yards from my house. We did erect the barricade. My parents were afraid and my father reminded me that the military government had declared that if any barricade were erected in front of the house, they would demolish the house. We heard that a young Punjabi, a body builder, who works at the nearby United Engineers (Aslam Co.) had been shot dead earlier.

Soon a military van came and stopped near our gate. It was about 3 PM in the afternoon. This is the military’s announcement van. Our house is located between two roads, one leading to Tamabil known as Sylhet-Shilong Road and another to Jatarpur-Chalibander area and therefore, it was easy to see even the Banderbazar, 1or 2 kilometer from home–very strategically located. When the road was built, my grandfather, Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahim then a SDO donated the land for the road and my father’s maternal uncle, Abdul Hamid, a member of Assam Legislative Assembly was a big leader, a powerful Minister and a Speaker of the assembly.

As soon as Sikander, the announcer, started announcement of curfew, the valiant BDR fighters opened fire. But the van escaped. After it left, we knew that the Pakistani army would arrive soon. Therefore, we started putting up all sorts of barricades in our wooden doors and glass windows. We put up piles of bookshelves, tables, chairs, and mattresses. The bookshelves were very heavy…bookshelves of bounded law books/documents belonged to my father who was a lawyer. Very interestingly, God gave us enormous strength to move those heavy bookshelves at the time. I wonder how we did that. They saved us from bullets. We found so many bullets inside the pages of those books and voluminous documents later.

Within 20 minutes, two armored vehicles came. A few soldiers got down nearly 40 yards from our home and started walking forward by the roadside. Soon they started shooting and it continued for hours. Mortar shells demolished the walls of our home. The handle of the easy chair on which my father was seated suddenly hit and went away. But miraculously, he was unhurt. We lay down on the floor. The sun was setting and the house appears to have caught fire. By 8 PM the shooting stopped. The BDR and the Pak army left. We could see couples of roadside shanty stores burning. There was not a single human being around. All was very quiet. We were extremely tired and exhausted. I don’t know when I slept on the floor. At midnight , I wake up as rainwater was falling on me. Then we could realize that the rooftop of the house had been blown away at the mortar attacks. Before dawn a couple of people showed up and they were surprised as we were still alive under the debris. Soon we decided to escape. We went to our neighbor’s house, Abdul Mannan Chowdhury, a businessman. He is originally from Karimgonj , India . Two of his brothers were politicians; one was a member of the Indian Lok Sabha and another in the Assam Assembly. Mr. Chowdhury was a staunch supporter of Ayub Muslim League and his best friend, Ajmal Ali Chowdhury was Ayub’s Minister for Commerce and Industry. Mannan family also was surprised to see us alive. None could ever think that we could survive such an onslaught and barrage of bullets. I have also never seen Sikander, the announcer since that day.

By 8:30 AM , the whole area was crowded with thousands of people. There were two dead bodies. It was difficult to identify them as foxes have eaten them up. However, they had khaki uniforms. When we went back to collect money and ornaments from our house, we found people were looting our stuff. It was very sad. Before dawn when we left we did not take any money even. By 9 AM , we saw a Pakistani jet came and strafed the area. People vanished.. Many dived into the waters of Dhupadighi, a lovely pond [now most of it is filled up to erect shanty stores]. Soon we saw, two more jets come and dropped bombs. We thought our Kitchen, separated from the main house, the 1st Muslim League Office of Sylhet, was on fire [when my father joined All India Muslim League and started organizing it in Sylhet, he had to leave his parental home, named ‘Shaheb Bari’ in Raynager as his father was an SDO, a British Civil Servant. Initially, our kitchen was only built and it soon became the Muslim League Office as he was its Secretary]. As jets started coming and coming again, we all ran out and finally could not proceed further as shooting started all around us. We settled at a ‘lakrier dum’ or store for fuel-woods near Howapara, nearly 1.5 miles away from our house. There was no bathroom and no food. Infant Sayyied and Lubna were crying.

However, by afternoon we could reach Zindabazar at our maternal uncle’s house, Dr. Syed Shah Anwar Chowdhury. We had a good meal after 24 hours and we could listen to the Indian and the BBC radio as well. We observed that the world was still functioning and normal although last night, we thought ‘everybody died’!! Since our uncle was a strong supporter of AL , we decided to move out of his house and later, we settled at the house of Mohammed Ishaque, another uncle (Fufa) at Howapara, Sylhet. He was a retired government official, a Muslim Leaguer and he had a neat and lovely bungalow.

The whole of Sylhet by the time was liberated. When I was going back to my house to release our chicken, pigeons, cows, dogs, I met a few prisoners that were just released from the Sylhet jail. There was great relief as well as uncertainty. When I reached my home, I reflected on my father’s saying. He said before leaving home, ‘ Pakistan was created in this house and its destruction started from here. Ayub Kha, Yahya Kha, Tikka Kha, Choto Kha, Boro Kha — none fought for Pakistan . They have no love for the country. They destroyed our dream…’. In fact, our home was the first Muslim League Office of Sylhet. My father who was very active in the Indian independence movement especially Pakistan was fully devastated. He quit his college when Gandhi called for ‘non-cooperation movement’. However, his father who was Deputy Commissioner in Gauhati at the time forced him to finish his BA, MA and LLB. During Sylhet referendum through which Sylhet was included into Pakistan , my father was its Secretary and our home was virtually the Sylhet Referendum Committee Office. His maternal uncle, Maulvi Abdul Hamid was a Minister in the Assam and a senior Muslim League leader. The President of Sylhet Referendum Committee was Maulvi Abdul Matin Chowdhury (Khola Miah) and he used to stay in our house as his house was away from Sylhet town by 10/15 miles [on those days it was very difficult to travel]. Many political leaders of undivided India, for example, Maulana Akram Khan, Sadre Isphani, HS Suhrawardhy, AK Fazlul Huq, Abul Hashem, Maulana Bashani, Abdur Rab Nisthar, Maulana Sahul Osmany and young political workers like Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Fazlul Qader Chowdhury, Molla Jalaluddin, Hamidul Huq Chowdhury, Mahmud Ali, Abdus Samad Azad, Dewan Farid Ghazi, ATM Masud (later judge & Chief Election Commissioner), Sarequm Abdullah, Dewan Abdul Baset, Syed AB Mahmud Hussain (later Chief Justice), Moqbul Hussain, Tassadduq Ahmed Chowdhury (UK) et al spent days in this house … meetings after meetings were held beginning 1940 in organizing Muslim polity, referendum and Pakistan. It is an irony that, the Pakistan occupation army destroyed this house, a virtual symbol of Pakistan and Referendum. Alternatively, the struggle for sovereign Bangladesh started first in the Sylhet town again from the same house that achieved independence of Sylhet from the British Raj, 24 years ago. Freedom fighter, Al-Amin Chowdhury, Bir Bikram, once thus stated, ‘this house is our national pride as Mukti Juddo was launched from here’. He was very much saddened to see that it was transformed to a poly clinic at the time.

Soon we moved out of town and went to Fulbari, 10 miles from the town. We took shelter at the houses of two brothers, Mugoi Miah and Luboi Miah Chowdhury, close friends of my father and also relations of ours. Many families like us, for example, the Regional Manager of Pakistan State Bank (Sylhet) and his family took shelter in the same house. Nearly hundred people took shelter. Our hosts were great and they did their best to keep us comfortable and well fed. In fact, we enjoyed our stay and their hospitality. We used to spend our time either by playing carom-board or other indoor games or listening to the radio, Bangladesh Betar, BBC and Akash Bani. During the war, M.R. Akthar Makul’s “Choram Patro” was our most favorite radio program and it used to uplift our hopes and spirit. We met Dewan Farid Ghazi, the elected member (MNA) and Chief of Sylhet AL party when he visited us. He came to see my father. The Akash Bani, the Indian radio in its national news reported that my father, Abu Ahmed Abdul Hafiz, a very senior Muslim League leader, President of Sylhet District Bar Association and formerly Secretary General of the Sylhet Referendum Committee was killed by the Pakistan army when they attacked his house. Actually, our house was destroyed but my father escaped unhurt; but Abdul Hafiz, a colleague and a namesake of my father, was killed by the Pakistan army. Dewan Farid Ghazi reported that Dr. Shamsuddin Ahmed, Principal Sylhet Medical College and Civil Surgeon of Sylhet were shot dead by Pakistan army. We were very saddened at the news. Dr. Ahmed was a very fine man. His wife, Hosne Ara Chowdhury, Principal of Sylhet Women College, was very close to us. His two sons and daughters are now living in the U. S. His son Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed of Philadelphia and Mr. Tareq Ahmed of Connecticut are actively involved with the Bangladeshi community welfare.

At Fulbari, my sister helped deliver a baby to the wife of Dr. M. Samad Chowdhury, a Professor of Sylhet Medical College. He also took shelter like us. That baby must be a grown up person now!

April 20, 1971 : The Day of Humiliation
Around 9 O’clock in the morning, the Pakistan army launched a campaign against the Mukti juddah that were organized in Fulbari. It is known as the famous ‘Baitikorer Juddo’. It lasted for hours. When the war was over, the Pakistani army arrested us and took us away. However, they released the old ones including a local doctor who was nearly 80. They kept us and started asking me questions, one after another. They brought us to a school near Ronikhail. They ordered me to get undressed and checked my penis to ascertain whether I am a Muslim [as if, if you do not have circumscion then you are not a Muslim] and made sarcastic remarks. One young person being afraid fled away and he was shot. As I wanted to help, they beat me mercilessly. We were kept on the roadside [Fulbari-Badeshor-Karimgonj road] in a kneel-down position for the whole night. It was cold and at times drizzling. But we had to endure the tortures, as we were Bengalees by birth! It reminded me Poet Nazrul’s poem titled “Fariyad”…’a noyeh thobo bidan… sontan thobo koriche az thumar osamman, Bhogovan, Bhogovan’ [it must not be Your rule that we would only suffer…Your sons are dishonoring You, my Lord].

The following morning, a young officer, Major Rob ordered us to march with them. They kept us in the front line and asked us to show them Mukti, Awami League and Hindu houses. Since I never lived there, I argued. It did not help. Instead, they got mad and cut my wrist with a bayonet. Those marks of tortures are my pride of liberation movement and they vividly remind me of my duty to my motherland.

We led five columns of army, three on the main road, two off the road. If there were any habited locality, they would fire the big gun to get response. If there was no response, we proceed. We did this for the whole day in wretched condition, no shoes, no sandals, no food, and no water. As I objected, they beat me again and in the process, I believe, I lost consciousness. When I was on my senses, I found myself in front of Lt Col. Sarfaraz Malik, the commanding officer. He asked me a variety of questions. He commented that ‘You are an Awami Leaguer, a Mukti’. He said, he had my photograph among the demonstrators in Sylhet. I challenged him and explained to him that I was living in Rawalpindi during 1969 and 1970 and I just came to Sylhet only on March 24th. He asked many questions on my stay in Rawalpindi and by miracle, he found that I was close to his cousin who was a teacher at the Rawalpindi Women College . I knew the names of his nieces and nephews. Finally, he released me and said, he would visit my parents.

He dropped me at Fulbari and said, he would come back tomorrow. When the villagers saw army vehicles, they all were afraid. They ran for their lives. However, I returned alive and my mother started weeping. On the following day, photos of Jinnah, Liaquath, Ayub and General Yahya were hung up and Pakistani flags were hoisted atop each villa out of fear. All green colored lungis were torn apart to make flags. I cannot forget the debate between Luboi Miah (Luban Ahmed Chowdhury) and his son, Saniath Jamshed Ahmed Chowdhury. Saniath, a fresh graduate from the Dhaka University would like to keep his personal photos of 1969, some with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib; many of which were the hallmarks of Bangladesh history and 1969 mass movement. His father being afraid of the army wanted to destroy them all — Saniath was willing to upkeep history at the cost of his own life while his father wanted to save life at the cost of history. Now Saniath lives in London and I wonder, did he ever look back and reflect?

Soon at the insistence of Col. Malik, we had to move to our Dhupadigirpar house that was destroyed by them. Col. Malik and Brig. Rana arranged special flight for us to fly to Dhaka . The Pakistani occupation army realized an opening for a good public relations campaign and to nullify the Indian news (Akash Bani) media claim. They pressed my father to make a ‘radio broadcast’ that he refused. They flew my brother, Sujan A. Muiz along with others to check and state that my father was alive. General Tikka Khan sent ‘Peace Committee Member’ Mahmud Ali and General Rao Forman Ali to see our house and the passers-by were forcibly recruited to rebuild the house overnight. The house was rebuilt and army officers used to come by to loot all precious collections, for example, gold coins of Emperor Akbar, the coins of Tuglak, coins of many countries that my mother collected over the years, rare books and old copies of Quran, gold and silver collections, a part of which were rescued and later was donated to the Dhaka Museum. For the next nine months, no one could live in that house for fear of the occupation army.

My father was sent to Dhaka Medical College hospital for treatment as a mortar splinter caused infection on his right leg. We could not take care of it when we were on the run. His next-door patient was Poet Jasimuddin, the Polli Kabi. He dictated many poems to my younger sister, Shipa Hafiza that possibly have never been published yet!

One of my elder brothers, Shelly A. Mubdi, was working as the Sales Manager for the ICI Pharmaceuticals and he left Dhaka through Canadian embassy on 27th March and joined the Bangladesh liberation movement in London . Another one, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, who was working at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC left Pakistan government service on protest and became a lobbyist in Washington DC for the Bangladesh liberation movement. He was the senior most CSP officer who switched allegiance to Mujibnager government. I came back to Dhaka and was working with Professor Ghiasuddin Ahmed of the Dhaka University , a close family friend. We used to collect medicines and relief materials for the Mukti Bahini. My sister, Dr. Shahla Khatun used to get medicine samples and a number of my brother’s friends (Mubdi of ICI) were very cooperative and they used to supply us boxes of medicines. For example, Mr. M. R. Osmany of the Wyeth Laboratories, a cousin of Gen. M.A.G. Osmany was a good contributor. My sister’s Morris Minor car with customary ‘doctor’s emblem and ‘Red Cross’ sign was very helpful to transport medicines for the freedom fighters without any body’s suspicion. One day, Ghias Bhai and I got caught at the Mirpur Road near Dhanmondi Road No. 2. They inquired about the boxes of medicines. However, the doctor’s emblem and Red Cross signs saved us from disaster. I felt awful when I learned of the cruel death of Ghias Bhai, a man of great dignity and a towering personality. Al Badar/ Al-Shams Bahini murdered him on December 14, 1971 , along with many other intellectuals two days prior to independence. May Allah bless him. Surely the martyrs did not give their lives for nothing– they are indeed a blessed lot.

In Assam , we had to maintain low profile as the Assamees and the Indian Muslims did not like us there. In Karimgonj, neither the brothers of our neighbor, Abdul Mannan Chowdhury, were happy with us although they were MPs from the Congress-I (Indira Congress) party. They rebuked us for breaking Pakistan . However, we got help from Bengali speaking Indians especially relatives of Hindu friends of Bangladesh . Finding difficulty in Karimgonj, I came back to Dhaka to collect medicines and money for the refugees and the Mukti-Bahini. In passing, I must mention one thing. During the occupation period, one of my elder sisters, Fauzia Khatun died in Dhaka as no one was able to shift her to the medical emergency owing to the ‘curfew’. We could neither bury her at our family graveyard in Sylhet. A couple of weeks earlier, she flew from Rawalpindi to my parents rented new home in Dhaka near Pak Motors on Mymensingh Road and their downstairs’ tenant was Dr. S. D. Chowdhury, former Vice Chancellor and next door neighbor was advocate Ahmedur Rahman, son-in-law of former Chief Minister, Nurul Amin. At times, I stayed with my sister at the Subhanbagh Colony and under occupation, all our neighbors [both in Pak Motors and Subhanbagh colony], Mr. M. A. Samad (Agri.. Dept), Professor A. Hasheem (Dhaka College), Dr. Idris Lasker, Dr. Badiul Alam (Medical Professors) and their families, to name a few, became a close-knit family. No wonder people in distress become close friends! It is interesting that during 1971, one of my younger sisters, Nazia Khatun got married to Dr. A. H. Shibly, a teacher at the Rajshahi University . Many of our own relatives did not attend her wedding out of fear as her brothers were working for the Bangladesh cause. In addition, one of my maternal uncles, Syed Shah Jamal Chowdhury, a resident of SM Hall and a Final Year student at the Dhaka University never returned home since 25th March 1971 .

An Unique War Experience: Even Soldiers Hardly Get It
On November 19, 1971 my parents went back to Sylhet for the first time since April 4th and all of us joined them to observe the Eid-ul-Fitre. I was supposed to return to Dhaka on November 27th. However, all the flights were cancelled and on December 4, 1971 , we had to move our family away as occupation army set up a camp behind our house. When I was about to leave, the Pakistan army did not allow me to leave. I insisted on my leaving and therefore, they said, they would kill me. They added, they were at war with India . Till April 20, I was never been afraid of Pakistan army. But after that day and after I returned from India , the sight of Pakistani army used to create fear, shivering, and real tension.

However, I remained at home alone. At the evening, the Pakistani army started shooting at random at the Indian paratroopers and Mukti Bahini, they said. I looked around but could not see anything. By 8 O’ Clock, it was clear to me….I listened to the speech of the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who declared war. I was delighted and had been waiting for that hour. As the sounds of shooting intensified, I took shelter at a small trench in our backyard. The shooting continued throughout the night. You could hear different kinds of sounds…ketor ketor, tash tash, woo-woo, gurum gurum, gumm. It reminded me of Lord Tennyson’s poem, ‘cannons to right of them, cannons to left of them, cannons in front of them, volleyed and thundered”. Like Srikanto’s ‘Somudro Jatra”, I thought, if I die, let me enjoy the war and its ferocity and therefore, I started looking up. I could see flashes of lights and flashes of fire projectiles all around me. They were never-ending. What a great wonder that men’s creations developed weapons of self-destruction!! What a great mystery that it is human beings that created more problems, tensions and disasters for themselves!!

It might be near impossible for many professional soldiers to be ‘in-between the opposing forces’ but I had a rare chance. I was in-between the Pakistan army and the joint forces of India and Bangladesh . At late night, I could hear the Pakistan army retreating. Their big armored cars, jeeps and trucks had gone leaving behind tons of ammunitions and varieties of guns. So many weapons! The following morning, when I heard a Bengali voice, I got up from my trench.. I met an Indian Captain. He was originally from Faridpur. They were trying to jump start a car. They took it and he told me not to move around the ammunitions. Within half an hour, he came back along with an Indian Colonel and asked me to accompany them to the Army HQ. I did. I met General DQ, the Indian Army General. He told me not to allow anyone to touch the ammunitions. Soon Indian trucks came and loaded the leftovers; varieties of guns, rifles, recoilless guns, and tons of ammunitions, might be worth of millions of dollars. Our entire backyard where we used to play football was full of ammunitions and arms. They dug so many trenches all across the football field and destroyed our pineapple gardens, hundreds of them.

I went out by bike to see my family that took shelter at Masimpur, 8 miles from our home. On the way, I saw dead bodies near the Hasan Market, the State Bank premises and the Kane’s bridge. One dead body was hanging on the grill… he must have tried his best to flee away but failed. I did neither have time nor the courage to bury the dead ones. Still today those scenes haunt me in my pensive or in-pensive mood.

Conclusion: Should We Forget Muktijudder Chetona?
Bangladeshi governments and political leaders may have the luxury to ignore those dead ones and squabble over leadership, but how can I forget them? How can I forget Bilkis whose father was an additional SP of Comilla and was shot dead? How can I forget my relatives, my neighbors and my friends that were killed for no fault of their own? Our Hindu neighbor’s college going daughter was raped. How can I forget her pure face and affectionate behavior? On the Victory Day each year, while we rejoice, I feel pain as we could not honor the dead, nor the victims, nor the freedom fighters yet with due solemnity. I feel bad when I find the national leaders questioning the ‘Muktijudder Chetona”. What a travesty of justice, what a shameful act!! How can we make friendship with those that still refuse to accept their guilt and deny the existence of injustice and atrocities of 1971? How can we not ask them to solicit mercy and forgiveness for their crime against mankind? A crime is a crime. It cannot be ignored with the lapse of time. Lord Cromwell was tried from his dead and the Nazis of World War II are still being sought after. The Nazis and the KKK are barred from getting elected in democratic societies. We must not condone a criminal or his crime, nor should we give shelter to criminals. We can only forgive them provided they ask for forgiveness and mercy—there is no alternatives known to me. Those who believe in Islam know that even the Almighty Allah will not forgive those who have committed crimes against His creatures unless they forgive them first. Therefore, unless they solicit mercy and forgiveness and confess their guilt publicly, they must not be forgiven. If a group or a person forgive them for group or personal interest, then they share the same loathe and disdain of our dead. They cannot be our heroes nor can they be the torchbearers for our future generations.

Muktijudder Chetona is very simple and pure. It stands for justice and fair play in human relations. It abhors racism, intolerance, dehumanization discrimination and communalism that the occupation force represented. It seeks equity in society and equal opportunities for all. It upholds democratic values; after all the 1971 war was fought to ensure democracy and economic emancipation. Can we therefore forget Muktijudder Chetona?

We know that ‘past is past, future is uncertain, and present is a gift of God’. Since the ‘present’ is a gift of God, therefore, should we not use this gift to the best of our ability to enhance Muktijudder Chetona, more fellow feeling, more tolerance, better economic opportunities and justice for all?

* Dr. Abdul Momen, professor of Economics and Management in Boston currently working in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , 1999.

The Pakistani occupation army had surrendered to the Bangladesh-India Joint Command in Dhaka on this day (December 16) in 1971, ending the nine-month long bloody Liberation War and giving birth to independent Bangladesh.

In the afternoon on December 16 in 1971, Chief of Pakistan Eastern Command Lt General AAK Niazi surrendered to the Commander of Joint Command Lt General Jagjit Singh Arora at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka city.

About 30 lakh people sacrificed their lives during the nine-month long war for the national freedom.

The nation will celebrate the anniversary of its glorious victory over Pakistani occupation forces in a befitting manner today. The Victory Day will be celebrated across the country and at Bangladesh missions abroad, while expatriate Bangladeshis would observe the day in their respective places of residence.

With the day dawning, the grateful nation will pay homage to the 30-lakh martyrs who sacrificed their lives to have a homeland in 1971.

Tributes will be paid to the Liberation War heroes by placing wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar in the morning.

President Dr Iajuddin Ahmed will lead the nation by laying floral wreath at the memorial.

The day will be heralded by 31-gun salute at dawn. The day is a public holiday. National flag will be hoisted atop all government, semi-government and other important establishments.

The Government, major political parties, including the Awami League (AL) and BNP, and different socio-cultural organisations have chalked out programmes to mark the occasion.

President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser of the Caretaker Government Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed issued separate messages on this occasion, felicitating the nation and calling for united effort to attain the prime goal of the liberation war through building a happy, rich and self-reliant country.

In his message Dr Iajuddin Ahmed said, “The main goal of our liberation war was to build up a happy, prosperous and self-reliant country. Targeting the goal we have achieved a democratic system. Now it is time to make this democratic system more effective and stronger.”

He called for all to perform their responsibility unitedly to ensure transparency and accountability in building a healthy and good society. “This should be the promise of Victory Day,” he said.

Chief Advisor Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said, “As a nation we are passing through a transitional period. We are at a tough war against poverty-hunger, repression-deprivation, corruption and misrule.”

He added: “We are facing tough challenges of holding a free, fair and credible election, establishing democracy on a strong footing, improving people’s lifestyle and their fate.”

The head of Caretaker Government, which was installed in office amid a grave political crisis, observed that the double-pronged floods this past fall and the devastation by the catastrophic cyclone Sidr made these challenges yet “tougher".

“I believe that a nation which has the glory of victory in the great liberation war would never concede defeat. We have to face all of these challenges with determination, being imbued with the spirit of independence,” he said.

He called upon all to work unitedly to build up a happy and prosperous nation.

The department of Mass Communication under the Ministry of Information has chalked out an elaborate programme in celebration of the Victory Day throughout the country tomorrow.

Under the programmes folk singers of the department will perform patriotic songs at different spots on the bank of river Buriganga on the department’s launches and at different points of the capital on mobile trucks.

Sixty-four district information offices and four hil upazila offices of the department will arrange the screening of documentary films on the theme of the day across the country.

Besides, the department will provide public-address system at the grand parade and rally to be held at Bangabandhu National Stadium and other government programmes to be organised to mark the day.

Members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces will join the nation in observing the great Victory Day in a befitting manner.

Special munajat will be offered at all mosques of Army, Navy and Air Force all over the country seeking divine blessings for the peace and progress of the country and development of the armed forces.

The national flag will be hoisted stop services’ headquarters and Armed Forces installations.

Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force bands will perform at Crescent Lake (Sangsad Bhaban Area), Farmgate Park Area and Mirpur Stadium respectively from 2pm to 4pm. They will play different patriotic and popular tunes.

Special prayers will be offered at mosques, temples, churches and other places of worship, seeking divine blessings for peace and progress of the country. Improved diets will be served at hospitals, jails, orphanages and vagrant centres.

The state-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and private television and radio channels will air special programmes while the national dailies will bring out special supplements highlighting the significance of the day.

Bangla Academy, Shilpakala Academy and Bangladesh Shishu Academy will organise separate cultural functions, film shows and painting competitions.

Bangladesh missions abroad will organise discussions and cultural functions on the occasion.

Security has been beefed up here at the National Mausoleum at Savar on this occasion.

About 3,000 security forces were deployed in and around the National Mausoleum yesterday.

Besides, Inspector General of Police Noor Mohammad yesterday said the law enforcing agencies, including police and RAB would keep a strict vigil on violation of law and order during different programmes marking the Victory Day.

“Police, RAB and other law enforcers will keep close watch during the Victory Day programmes across the country,” he told journalists after attending a meeting at Razarbagh in the capital.

Amid a growing demand for punishment for war criminals the nation observed Martyred Intellectuals Day yesterday paying rich tribute to the illustrious citizens who had been brutally killed on the eve of victory in the Liberation War of 1971.

Thousands of people gathered at the Memorial for Martyred Intellectuals at Mirpur in the capital to pay their tributes to the intellectuals and professionals killed during the war of independence. Many wore black ribbons, while many people and a number of organisations also carried banners with slogans inscribed on them demanding immediate trial of the war criminals.

With defeat looming large, the Pakistani occupation forces aided by their local collaborators – Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams – abducted frontline intellectuals and professionals of the freedom fighting nation on December 14, 1971 and killed them, often after brutal torture, in an effort to cripple the emerging nation intellectually.

The killers dragged renowned academics, teachers, writers, doctors, engineers, journalists and other eminent personalities out of their homes blind-folded, taking them to the killing fields of Rayerbazar, Mirpur and other places in the capital, where they were brutally killed before being left there dumped to rot.

Many families of the martyred intellectuals still live in distress, like thousands of the freedom fighters’ families who are struggling for a meagre living in the country.

Many individuals and almost all political parties including Awami League (AL), the Communist Party of Bangladesh, the Workers’ Party of Bangladesh, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) demanded trials of and punishment for war criminals.

President Iajuddin Ahmed, and Chief Adviser to the Caretaker Government Fakhruddin Ahmed, laid wreaths at the Memorial for Martyred Intellectuals in Mirpur yesterday morning. As a mark of respect to the martyred they stood in solemn silence for sometime there while bugles played the last post.

The speaker of the parliament, the deputy speaker, advisers to the caretaker government, secretaries to the ministries, freedom fighters, and high civil and military officials accompanied the president and the chief adviser.

Thousands of people including leaders of different political parties and members of social and cultural groups, as well as the family members of the martyred intellectuals also visited the memorials in Mirpur and Rayerbazar, and placed wreaths there with due respect.

They also hoisted black flags and kept the national flag at half-mast to commemorate the martyred.

Major political parties including BNP, AL, Jatiya Party, the Communist Party of Bangladesh, the Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BD, JSD, and organisations like Bangla Academy, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote and other socio-cultural entities organised various programmes marking the day.

AL demanded immediate setting up of a special tribunal for trial of the war criminals. The demand came from a discussion at its central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital yesterday.

“If the present government does not try the war criminals, then we will try the war criminals after reinstating the Collaborators Act if voted to power,” said Acting AL President Zillur Rahman. The present government has been apathetic towards the demand for trials of the war criminals, he said asking if there is ‘any barrier in trying the war criminals’.

Sector Commanders Forum organised a human chain at Rayerbazar demanding immediate trial of the war criminals, where a rather large number of people joined.

Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Prof SMA Faiz and Pro-VC Prof AFM Yusuf Haider along with other teachers and students of the university placed wreaths at the memorial in Mirpur.

Muhammad Selim, deputy leader of CPM’s parliamentary party in Indian Congress also a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who has been in Bangladesh for the last few days, also placed wreaths at both memorials in Mirpur and Rayerbazar paying tributes to the martyred intellectuals.

Talking to reporters after placing a floral wreath at the Memorial for Martyred Intellectuals in Mirpur, AL Presidium Member Abdur Razzak said successive governments run or backed by the military facilitated the rehabilitation of war criminals in Bangladesh. He also demanded immediate trial of the war criminals.

BDB president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury said the state must take the initiative for trying the war criminals. No government until now took any initiative to try the war criminals, he said adding, previous governments rather made the war criminals ministers and gave them a chance to adorn their cars with the national flag.

Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, the Dhaka Union of Journalists, Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangshad, Shaheed Shahidullah Kaiser Srity Sangshad, Amra Muktijoddhar Santan, Bangladesh Chhatra League, Left Democratic Front, Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Mukti Andollon, Bangladesh Jubo Moitri, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote, Bangabandhu Sainik League, Samajtantrik Mohila Forum, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Bangladesh Mohila AL, Sromojibi Mukti Andolon, and NAP-Communist Party-Chhatra Union Guerrilla Bahini O Muktijoddha Punarmiloni Prostuti Committee also placed wreaths at both memorials.

Newspapers brought out special supplements highlighting the significance of the day while Bangladesh Radio, Bangladesh Television and different private television channels broadcasted special programmes.

The Daily Star
Bangladesh, Saturday, December 15, 2007

Staff Reporter

The nation will pay glowing tributes to the memories of those illustrious sons and daughters of the soil who made the supreme sacrifice at the fag end of the Liberation War in 1971.

Sensing an imminent defeat, the Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators-Al-Badr, Razakar and Al-Shams-abducted frontline Bangali intellectuals and professionals on December 14 in 1971 and killed them under a design to cripple the newborn nation intellectually.

The killers dragged renowned academics, teachers, litterateurs, doctors, engineers, journalists and other eminent personalities blindfolded out of their houses and killed them before dumping the bodies in Rayerbazar, Mirpur and other killing fields.

The martyred intellectuals include Prof Munir Chowdhury, Dr Alim Chowdhury, Prof Muniruzzaman, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Sirajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, Prof GC Dev, JC Guha Thakurta, Prof Santosh Bhattacharya, Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, journalists Khandaker Abu Taleb, Nizamuddin Ahmed, SA Mannan (Ladu Bhai), ANM Golam Mustafa, Syed Nazmul Haq and Selina Parvin.

Political parties, cultural and civil-society organisations will commemorate the tragedy that took place only two days before the surrender of the Pakistani Army on December 16 (1971) after the bloody war that took a heavy toll of lives of some three million Bangalis.

To mark the day, different political parties and socio-cultural organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes, including seminars, discussions and wreath laying at Mirpur and Rayerbazar monuments in Dhaka.

The President and the Chief Advisor will place wreaths at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Mausoleum at 6:00am today. Leaders of other organisations will place wreath at the Mausoleum

President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed issued separate messages yesterday on the eve of the Martyred Intellectuals Day.

In his message, President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed expressed his deep respect to the memory of the martyred intellectuals and prayed for their eternal peace.

Prof Iajuddin termed the intellectuals as the conscience of the nation and precious resource of the country and said, “The occupation forces had caused an irretrievable loss to the nation by slaying country’s illustrious educationists, physicians, journalists during the Liberation War.”

The President expressed his optimism that the great sacrifice of the intellectuals would inspire the people to build a patriotic and meritorious nation.

Major political parties, including the BNP, AL, Bikapla Dhara, CPB, Workers Party, JSD, different factions of Jatiya Party, and Gano Forum, Dhaka University, Jatiya Press Club and BFUJ, Bangla Academy, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote and other socio-cultural organisations have chalked out various programmes to observe the day.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which is blamed for the slaying of the intellectuals, has also organised a discussion meeting.

Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Prof SMA Faiz along with the teachers and students will place wreaths at the Mausoleum at Mirpur.

Newspapers will bring out special supplements highlighting the significance of the day while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and different private television channels air special programmes on this occasion.

The New Nation

The killers of intellectuals during the Liberation War can be prosecuted on the basis of evidence preserved by the government. It only needs to take a move to resume the long halted process of trial of the intellectuals’ murder cases.

Sufficient number of documents and records on the cases have been preserved since 1972 at the home ministry, Criminal Investigation Department, Ramna police station, district and sessions judges’ courts, chief metropolitan magistrates’ courts and deputy commissioners’ offices.

Over the years, eminent jurists said all this evidence has now become ancient documents according to the evidence act, and is more effective than any other evidence in trying a case. And the government won’t have to gather fresh evidence for trying the killers of intellectuals.

The Evidence Act, 1872, says documentary materials, which are more than 30 years old, are to be treated as ancient documents.

To resume the trial process, the jurists said, the government could enact a new law, or revive the Bangladesh Collaborators (Special Tribunals) Order, 1972, which was revoked on December 31, 1975, burying the process of trial of the killers.

“The government can revive the cases any time, if it wants. In the absence of parliament, the president can promulgate an ordinance to this effect,” Vice-Chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council Khandker Mahbub Hossain told The Daily Star yesterday.

He was chief prosecutor of the cases under the collaborators order.

Echoing his views, Ghulam Rabbani, former judge of Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, said people who collaborated with the occupation Pakistan army should be punished. He pointed out that according to globally acclaimed jurist Lord Denning the main justification for punishment of a criminal is not that it is deterrent, but it is the emphatic denunciation of a crime by a community.

“Therefore, the collaborators order should be put into force again, and it will not affect the fundamental rights as stated in Article 35 of the Constitution?Secondly, Article 35 will not stand in the way of such revival of the order,” Rabbani said.

After the independence, the then government of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman promulgated the collaborators order and set up 73 special tribunals, including 11 in Dhaka to try Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams forces, defined as collaborators in the order.

The families of many martyred intellectuals filed a large number of cases under the order, and the government initiated a move to try the criminals.

Trials started in June 1972 at a special tribunal with the first case being that for killing Abul Kalam Azad, a professor at the Institute of Advanced Science and Technology Teaching. The charge sheet in the case was submitted on June 13.

Information gathered from the families of martyred intellectuals, lawyers of the cases and newspaper reports of those days say six cases were disposed of and five persons convicted.

But the August 1975 changeover stopped the trial process since the collaborators order was revoked on December 31 that year and almost all the convicted collaborators were released in the early days of the regime of General Ziaur Rahman.

“I presume that necessary documentary materials for convicting the collaborators including the killers of intellectuals are lying with the home ministry. Since the materials are more than 30 years old, according to the evidence act those are to be treated as ancient documents. No other evidence is required as those at the disposal of the ministry would be sufficient as exhibits in the case records, and conviction and sentence on the basis of that are very much possible,” Rabbani said referring to Section 90 of the Evidence Act, 1872.

Section 90 of the act says where any document, purporting or proved to be 30 years old, is produced from any custody which the court in the particular case considers proper, the court may presume that the signature and every other part of such document, which purports to be in the hand writing of any particular person, is in that person’s hand writing, and in the case of document executed or attested, that it was duly executed and attested by the persons by whom it purports to be executed and attested.

“Furthermore, there are sufficient admissions, as admissible under the evidence act, in the statements, news or photographs published at that time in the newspapers,” he said.

Besides, the home ministry regularly kept contact with the occupation army since the Pakistan government sent messages to it ,and the ministry also forwarded information about the activities of collaborators to the Pakistan government during the Liberation War. And it has evidence of those.

The government of Bangabandhu had formed a committee comprising the late Supreme Court lawyer Sirajul Haque and the late attorney general Aminul Huq to enquire into the genocide. The committee compiled evidence and submitted a report on about 1,500 cases to the home ministry in July 1972.

The report listed the war criminals in two categories – 195 members of Pakistani army and bureaucracy, who had been taken into custody in New Delhi and were subsequently handed over to Pakistan in 1974 following the Simla Agreement, and about 12,000 of their local collaborators, including members of Razakar, Al-Badr, Al-Shams and the peace committees.

HOW MANY INTELECTUALS WE LOST
When it became clear that the Pakistani forces headed for a defeat, they and their collaborators targeted the intelligentsia, dragging academics, journalists and professionals out of their homes, mostly on December 14, 1971, and killing them one after another.

In a statement on December 20, 1971, a spokesman of the Mujibnagar government said the Pakistani army and their henchmen had killed 360 intellectuals before they surrendered on December 16.

?Bangladesh?, a documentary publication of the government in 1972, said the Pakistani occupation forces and their collaborators had killed 637 primary and 270 secondary schoolteachers, and 59 college teachers during the war of independence.

Bangla Academy in its encyclopaedia of martyred intellectuals named ‘Shaheed Buddhijibi Koshgrantha’, put the number at 232. The encyclopaedia, reprinted in 1994, however said the list was neither complete nor comprehensive.

The encyclopaedia defined martyrs as people who had been either killed by the Pakistani army or their collaborators or had gone missing between March 25, 1971 and January 31, 1972. It also defined intellectuals as writers, scientists, artists, singers, teachers at any level, researchers, journalists, lawyers, physicians, engineers, architects, sculptors, government and non-government staff, persons involved with film and theatre, and social and cultural workers.

Immediately after the discovery of a mass grave of martyred intellectuals at Rayer Bazar in the capital, Buddhijibi Nidhan Tathyanusandhan Committee was formed on December 18, 1971, under the initiative of a group of leading civil society members for enquiry into the killings.

The late filmmaker and litterateur Zahir Raihan was made convener of the 17-member committee. The committee started recording depositions on December 20, 1971 and worked on the lists and other documents recovered during raids on the killers’ camps at Dhanmondi, Motijheel and elsewhere in Dhaka.

The lists, some short and others long, contained the names of 20,000 of the best brains of the nation, according to the members of the committee.

The Daily Star
Bangladesh, Friday, December 14, 2007

Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said people heave a sigh of relief following the courageous role of the armed forces in building a corruption- and terrorism-free Bangladesh.

He made the remark while addressing combined President Parade of army, navy and air force cadets at Bangladesh Military Academy Parade Ground at Bhatiari.

The CA hoped that the newly commissioned officers of the army, navy and air force would play their role in protecting the sovereignty and security of the state as well as provide services to the nation.

He urged them to uphold the image of Bangladesh as a liberal, democratic, promising and peaceful country in the present world.

Cadets of 57th BMA Long Course and 28th BMA Special Course from the army, cadets of midshipmen 2006A batch from the navy and cadets of 56th flight cadet course from the air force took part in the parade.

A total of 229 cadets, including 21 female, have been commissioned in the armed forces. Of them, 178 cadets, including 10 females from the army, 21 midshipmen, including four females, from the navy and 30 flight cadets, including seven females, from the air force joined the forces as commissioned officers.

The CA distributed awards to three all-round cadets from the three services.

Battalion senior under officer M Touhidur Rahman was awarded the coveted Sword-of-Honour as the best all-round cadet in the 57th BMA Long Course.

Midshipman Yasir Hasnat got the Sword-of-Honour award for his best performance in all subjects of the Naval Academy.

Flight cadet under officer Mohammad Tanbir Adib was given the Sword-of-Honour award for his best performance in all subjects of the Air Force Academy.

Earlier, a guard of honour was given to the CA by a contingent of cadets of the three services at the parade ground. He reviewed the parade in an open jeep.

The head of the caretaker government asked the newly commissioned officers to move ahead with determination keeping in mind that all members of the armed forces are sons of this soil and inseparable part of this country.

Recalling the two terrible floods and devastating cyclone Sidr in recent times, the CA said the armed forces played a leading role in rescue, relief and rehabilitation programmes and earned people’s love and confidence.

Moreover, he said, the role of the armed forces in maintaining democracy, protecting people’s rights and assisting the civil administration is praiseworthy.

He observed that the people are heaving a sigh of relief in the wake of the armed force’s courageous role in building a corruption and terrorism-free country. Besides, peace is prevailing in the Chittagong Hill Tracts due to their farsighted role.

Bangladesh has made its own prestigious position by winning Nobel Prize in world peace and different international and regional forums, he noted.

He said the members of the armed forces are acclaimed all over the world for their role in the international arena, in protecting peace and security, salvaging democracy and post-war reconstruction and other welfare activities.

The CA noted that the first-ever combined President Parade is an important milestone in the march forward of the history of the armed forces.

He said the importance of the armed forces of an independent and sovereign nation is immense. After the independence, the military academy was set up to build an ideal, efficient and professional armed force.

The CA observed that Bangladesh’s military academy remained as a unique symbol of making international amity and national prestige.

?Bangladesh Armed Forces are the sentinel of our independence and sovereignty and symbol of national unity,” he said, adding that the forces were born in a war of independence.

Earlier, Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, Naval Chief Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam and Air Force Chief Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman received the chief adviser on his arrival at the BMA Parade Ground.

Communications Adviser, top civil and military officials, diplomats and, parents and guardians of the newly commissioned officers, among others, were present at the function.

The Daily Star
Bangladesh, Friday, December 14, 2007

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The International CrimeAct of 1973 of Bangladesh is still active and Article 47, Section 3 of the Act allows trial of war criminals. Therefore, the military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed that has started many essential reforms can try the war criminals and punish them provided it has the mindset and commitment.

It is highly misleading that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman government pardoned all the war criminals and he did nothing during his ‘war ravaged reconstruction period’. The facts show otherwise.

In fact, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman government started prosecuting the perpetrators of ‘crime against humanity’ or ‘war criminals’ immediately after independence and he also passed the Collaborators Act (1972) and the International Crime Act of 1973 that barred re-entry of any collaborators to Bangladesh.

Sheikh Mujib promulgated the Special Tribunal Order on January 24, 1972 (PO No 8 of 1972) after 14 days of his return from Pakistani jail to try those Pakistani collaborators, Razakars, Al-Badrs and other stooges of the Pakistani army. Under this order he arrested 37,000 collaborators amidst of strong opposition by left-leaning journalists like Enayetullah Khan [see his write-up titled ‘75 million Collaborators’, the Holiday, 1972]. Out of them, 26,000 had no grievious criminal charges filed against them; therefore they were pardoned and released in a general amnesty.

However, nearly 800 cases were completed and given jail sentences. Another 11,000 were in jail including Nizami and Abbas Ali Khan of the Jamat-e-Islam Party (JI), and their prosecution was at various stages of completion. In addition, those that were involved in ‘crime against humanity’ and against Bangladesh, were denied Bangladesh nationality and passports.

On November 4, 1972 all religion-based politics were abolished as per sections 12 and 38 of the Bangladesh Constitution of 1972.

Unfortunately, when General Ziaur Rahman, a freedom fighter emerged as a ’strong man’ in 1975, he abrogated the Collaborators Act and released all the prisoners including those that were sentenced, and those under prosecution. For political and personal reasons he allowed religion-based parties to operate and started reinstating and rehabilitating them. No wonder, those who were guilty of ‘crime against humanity’ and collaboration with enemy (Pakistan) state started returning from abroad especially
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and they were given Bangladesh citizenship and passport. The worst example if this was Golam Azam of the JI Party.

On those days I was working for the Bangladesh government and many individuals and their relatives that had no Bangladesh passport approached us for consideration. However, once General Zia took over, all of them were issued Bangladesh passport or ‘travel documents’ to return to Bangladesh.

It is sad that few vested quarters including Abdul Mannan Bhuiya, the ousted BNP Secretary General are misleading the public and the nation by stating that Sheikh Mujib pardoned them or shifting the responsibility by asking why they were not prosecuted before.

The fact is, Sheikh Mujib started the prosecution and he pardoned only those that did not have criminal cases against them. He did not pardon those (Razakers, Al-badr or Al-Shams) that had ‘criminal cases’ and those that committed ‘crime against humanity or war criminals’ such as rape, murder, and the like. Thousands of these criminals were in prison during his time awaiting trail, and many were absconding abroad including Golam Azam, the leader of the JI party where they were involved in anti-state activities
abroad. He did not get time to complete the prosecution because he was murdered with most of his family.

After the massacre of Sheikh Mujib and his family plus his close associates; Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, Acting President Syed Nazrul Islam, Secretary General AHM Qamruzzaman and Home Minister Monsur Ali, the founders of independent and sovereign Bangladesh in 1975, one after another civil-military-technocratic or cantonment-based governments ruled the country. In 1996, when pro-people and pro-liberation government of Sheikh Hasina came to power after 21 years with marginal votes; it neither could reinstate the Collaborators Act nor could revive the original constitution of 1972. Secondly, it followed ‘judicial process and rule of law’ and therefore, it did not set up any ‘kangaroo court or special tribunal’ to prosecute the criminals. One can debate that as a weakness of the Hasina government or not.

Therefore, it failed to punish the war criminals and the culprits. But that does not justify that the criminals of ‘crime against humanity’ or war criminals should not face justice. It would be unfair if they are allowed to go free or untouched. Fortunately, now is an opportune moment to revive the clause that ‘no religion-based political party can register or contest in Bangladesh election’ and those found guilty of ‘crime against humanity’ to be fully prosecuted. Unless the criminals and murderers are fully prosecuted, you can neither establish ‘rule of law’ nor can stop political killing in Bangladesh.

Secondly, Islami activist S. A. Hannan, a retired bureaucrat following the JI party line of argument tried to mislead the public by stating that there was ‘no genocide’ in East Pakistan in 1971.

Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic, religious or national group. While precise definition varies among genocide scholars, the legal definition of it is found in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG). Article 2 of the CPPCG defines genocide as:

Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and]
forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

In 1971 the Pakistan occupation army plus their collaborators like the Jamat-e-Islam, the Islami Chatra Sangho (currently renamed Islami Chatra Shibir) and their militant killing squads–the Al-Badr and the Al-Shams tried their utmost to apprehend and kill those that demand an ‘independent Bangladesh’. Since majority of Bengali speaking East Pakistanis (Sheikh Mujib got 167 out of 169 seats in East Pakistan) or ethnic group favored an independent Bangladesh, they waged a war with intent to destroy that ethnic
group. The Pak army systematically opened fire on unarmed masses of Bengali ethnic group on the midnight of March 25th, 1971 indiscriminately resulting which, as per various reports 19,000 to 25,000 Bengali ethnic people died on that dark night alone and over a period of 10 months, 3 million reportedly killed, 30 million were dislodged from their homes and 10 million had to take refuge in neighboring India due to cleansing operation, fear and repression. In global rankings, the 1971 Bangladesh genocide is second only
to that of Nazi genocide of Jews.

In order to cripple the whole ‘Bangali nationalism and nationhood’ the Pak army in collaboration with the Jamat-e-Islam and few other such parties and their affiliates systematically and calculatedly murder the Bengali intellectuals, writers, doctors, journalists, educators and their political leadership. In addition, in order to cleanse the society of Hindu population, the Pak army and its collaborators calculatedly killed and/or uprooted them. No wonder, over 10 million East Pakistanis (out of 75 million) mostly Hindu minority took shelter in the neighboring India. When army captured me on April 20, 1971, they tested me whether I could recite ‘kolema’ (the 1st pillar of Muslim faith) and then they checked whether I had my circumcision, a symbol of being Muslim in the subcontinent.

Anyone not able to recite the Kolema, or males without circumcisn were killed because they could not show proof of their religious identity. Such is a testimony of cleansing of a religious group, a clear evidence of genocide.

But Zia’s gutting of the relevant laws missed one. The International Crime Act of 1973 of Bangladesh is still active and Article 47, Section 3 of the Act allows trial of war criminals. Therefore, the military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed that has started many essential reforms can try the war criminals and punish them provided it has the mindset and commitment.

E-mela.com
Dr. Abdul Momen
Bangladesh, Friday, December 14, 2007

[The author, Dr. Abdul Momen, is a former senior civil servant for various governments of Bangladesh and currently a professor of Economics in Boston. He can be reached abdul_momen@hotmail.com]

President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed along with other VIPs pay respect to Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman at the National Parade Square yesterday before the burial of the war hero’s remains at the Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard in Mirpur. Photo: STAR Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman was finally laid to eternal rest in his homeland yesterday with the highest state honours, 36 years after he embraced martyrdom during a battle with Pakistan occupation forces.

Before the burial, the nation paid homage to the Liberation War hero as the coffin with his remains reached the National Parade Square in the capital in the morning.

His coffin was brought back to his beloved motherland from Tripura in India on Monday.

Later, Hamidur was reburied beside Birshreshtha Matiur Rahman at the reserved graveyard for eminent freedom fighters at Mirpur Martyred Intellectual’s Graveyard.

The 17-year-old freedom fighter attacked and destroyed two Pakistani military posts in a frontier area of Sylhet before falling in a hail of bullets on October 28, 1971.

His fellow freedom fighters buried him at Hatimarachara village of Tripura.

On behalf of the nation, President Iajuddin Ahmed, also the supreme commander of the armed forces, formally received Hamidur’s coffin and placed floral wreath over it after the motorcade carrying it from Comilla reached the National Parade Square amid 21 gun salutes at around 10:40am.

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed placed floral wreaths on the coffin draped in the national flag as part of the state ceremony.

A munajat was offered seeking divine blessings for the departed soul. A brief life sketch of the war hero was read out before the prayers, recalling his life and valiant fight during the Liberation War in 1971.

Earlier, six army personnel carried the coffin on their shoulders from the vehicle and put it on a podium set at the National Parade Square. Military bugle played the last post as the president, the chief adviser and other dignitaries and people of various professions stood in solemn silence.

The speaker, advisers to the caretaker government, chiefs of the three services, family members of Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman and other Birshreshthas, political leaders, freedom fighters, senior civil and military officials, diplomats, distinguished personalities

and members of the armed forces were among others present to pay homage to the valiant freedom fighter.

On behalf of the family members of seven Birshreshthas, mother of Birshreshtha Abdur Rouf placed wreath on Hamidur’s coffin.

The speaker, the deputy speaker and political leaders, among others, also placed wreaths.

Hamidur’s three brothers and two sisters burst into tears during the ceremony.

“We are glad as my brother’s body has been brought back home. It would have been better if the body was brought back when our mother was alive,” Hamidur’s youngest sister Rizia Khatun told The Daily Star. Hamidur’s mother passed away in 2005.

Rizia said that though her brother made the supreme sacrifice for the country’s independence, no significant development has been made in his village home where the villagers face sufferings due to lack of roads and other facilities.

She requested the government to announce the college named after Hamidur a government college and take steps so that Hamidur’s relatives can obtain government jobs and financial help.

After the ceremony at the National Parade Square, Hamidur’s coffin started the last ride for the graveyard in a motorcade.

His remains were reburied with the highest state honours and proper military honours with another gun salute when the coffin was being lowered to the grave.

On Sunday, the remains of the war hero, exhumed from his first grave in Tripura, were handed over to a Bangladesh delegation. After an overnight halt in Comilla Cantonment, Hamidur’s coffin finally reached Dhaka yesterday morning.

A motorcade carrying the coffin started its journey from Comilla Cantonment at 6:05am.

Thousands of people lined the streets as the motorcade carrying the Birshreshtha’s coffin, draped in the national flag, passed by.

The liberation war affairs secretary and armed forces division officials received the coffin in Dhaka.

As the 33 Infantry Division soldiers carried the coffin into the city, thousands of people crowded the highway to pay their respects to the war hero.

Hamidur is the youngest of the seven war heroes posthumously conferred Bangladesh’s highest gallantry award for their role in the country’s Liberation War. He was born at Khorda Khalishpur in Moheshpur upazila of Jessore on February 2, 1953.

Communist Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Chhatra Union placed wreaths to the grave of Hamidur, says a press release.

The Daily Star
Bangladesh, Wednesday, December 12, 2007

The South Korean ambassador in Dhaka, Suk-Bum Park, on Sunday observed that recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in his country depends on how authorities of Dhaka do the preparatory work.

‘As we do not have any pre-determined quota for recruiting Bangladeshi nationals under the Employment Permit System, the number of workers we will take depends on how the BOESL deals with this,’ he said after the signing ceremony at the lone public recruiting agency’s office.

In March South Korea officially announced that it would recruit 10,000 overseas workers from four countries — Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Kyrgyzstan — in the 2007-2008 period under the Employment Permit System.

A deal styled ‘Service Commitment Agreement’ was signed between the two countries for recruitment of Bangladeshi workers under Korea’s EPS for foreigners.

Mahbubur Rahman, managing director of the Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd, and Kim Yong Dal, president of the Human Resources Development under the Korean labour ministry, signed the agreement on behalf of their governments.

When he was asked when the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers would begin, the top Korean envoy said that it was too early to answer that question, but he hinted that the first batch of Bangladeshi workers would join their jobs in Korea by February.

Abdul Matin Chowdhury, expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment secretary who was also present at the signing ceremony, said that the names of aspirant Bangladeshi workers who had passed the Korean language test would be sent to the HRD in Korea. Then the list of Bangladeshi nationals will be submitted to the Korean employers.

‘The final selection depends on the Korean employers,’ said the secretary.

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh’s army-backed interim authority has asked all government employees to submit statements of their wealth by the end of this year as part of an anti-corruption campaign.

An official notification this week related to the policy said all state employees must to provide wealth statements at the time of appointment and every five years thereafter, to see if their known income matches their assets.

They will also have to clearly describe increases and decreases of all types of property in specified formats in the statements, the notification said.

“The government has taken the decision aiming to enhance its ongoing anti-corruption drive as well as ensure accountability and efficiency in the government service,” an official said.

According to a code of conduct for civil servants framed in 1979, government employees were already supposed to submit statements detailing their property and assets every five years. But the guidelines have been widely ignored.

The interim authority headed by former central bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed launched its anti-corruption drive after taking charge in January, and imposed an indefinite state of emergency that banned political activity and protests.

So far, more than 170 key political figures, including former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia, and dozens of their ministers and family members, have been detained for alleged corruption and abuse of power.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Jerry Norton)

Bangladesh will get Japanese loan assistance of US$ 324 million, approximately Tk 21 billion, for implementing three projects.

To this effect, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Masayuki Inoue and Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), M Aminul Islam Bhuiyan will sign an Exchange of Notes at the ERD tomorrow (Tuesday), said a Japan Embassy release.

Under the agreement, the Government of Japan will provide the loan assistance to the Government of Bangladesh through Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for the implementation of the projects.

The projects are : New Haripur Power Plant (360 MW) Development Project (Part I), Dhaka-Chittagong Railway Development Project and Small Scale Water Resources Development Project. The conditions of the loan are the most generous. The interest rate is 0.01% per annum and the repayment period is 40 years inclusive of 10-year grace period for the three loans.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday filed three cases against five people including former foreign minister M Morshed Khan and his family members for income beyond known sources and concealing wealth information.

ACC Assistant Director Talebor Rahman filed two cases–one against M Morshed Khan, his wife Nasrin Khan, and the other against Morshed Khan’s son Foysal Morshed Khan and Foysal’s wife Shyama Shezan Khan with Gulshan Police Station.

In the case against Morshed Khan, the complainant said the former foreign minister has concealed from the commission information about property worth Tk 91.34 lakh.

The first information report (FIR) mentions that the defendant has accumulated property worth Tk 1.70 crore illegally.

His wife Nasrin Khan stands accused of aiding and abetting him in the illegal income.

In his declaration of assets, Morshed Khan showed his wealth to be worth Tk 2.34 crore.

In the case against Foysal Morshed Khan, the complainant said Foysal has kept back information about property worth Tk 6.94 crore.

According to the FIR, he has accumulated a Tk 7.10 crore wealth beyond his known sources of income.

Foysal’s wife was accused in the case for aiding her husband in amassing illegal wealth, said police sources.

In another case filed with Gulshan Police Station, ACC Assistant Director Sheikh Faiyaz Alam accused businessman Giridhari Lal Modi of holding back information about property worth Tk 75.6 lakh.

Bangladesh, Tuesday, December 11, 2007

In the face of a rising public demand, the government finally freed the four convicted teachers of Rajshahi University from Rajshahi Central Jail yesterday afternoon.

The government claimed that the release came following a petition of mercy to the president from the convicted teachers. But the freed teachers rejected the government claim saying they had not petitioned the president for mercy.

Moloy Kumar Bhoumik of the management department, and Dulal Chandra Biswas, Sayed Selim Reza Newton and Abdullah Al Mamun of the mass communications department came out of the jail around 3.45pm.

Maj Hafizur Rahman Mollah, deputy inspector general (DIG) of prisons in Rajshahi division, told The Daily Star that the teachers were released following a clemency for them from the president.

“We [the jail authorities] received the president’s faxed order through the home ministry at 3.08pm and the teachers were released at 3.40pm after necessary confirmation and formalities.”

“Powered by Article no 49 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, the sentence of imprisonment and monitory fines of the four teachers were pardoned. If there is no other accusation against them, their immediate release is ordered,” the DIG prisons quoted the presidential order as saying.

Last Tuesday a Rajshahi court sentenced the teachers to two years rigorous imprisonment, and fined them Tk 1,000 each, in default of which each of them was to spend one more month of rigorous imprisonment, for violating the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) by bringing out a silent procession on the campus on August 21.

President’s Secretary M Serajul Islam told journalists that President Iajuddin Ahmed at 12:35pm approved the clemency petitions filed by the wives of the teachers.

In an instant reaction to the presidential mercy, Law Adviser Mainul Hosein told reporters that following the arrests and sentencing of the four teachers, by law they may not keep their teaching jobs.

The president however might make a special exception allowing them to retain their posts, the law adviser added.

Asked whether the freed teachers were innocent all along, Mainul said, “The court will decide that, not the president.”

“The appeals of the RU teachers for pardon were forwarded to the president’s office after taking care of the legal process involved,” Mainul said.

“The government doesn’t at all intend to detain university teachers. Since there were cases filed against them, the government had to clear them legally after their appeal to the government for absolving them of the charges,” the law adviser said.

As news of the presidential clemency reached Rajshahi in the morning, family members of the detained teachers, their relatives, and journalists started gathering at the jail gate from 10:00am.

But the jail authorities told the families that they had yet to receive any information regarding the mercy.

As the number of people at the jail gate was increasing, the authorities deployed extra forces including detective branch personnel in and around the jail compound.

By 12:00pm, hundreds of students and teachers from Rajshahi University were at the jail gate and around 2:00pm more students from the management and mass communications departments joined the crowd.

Hundreds of other students of the departments gathered in front of their departments boycotting their classes and examinations, and celebrated the freedom of their teachers, dancing to the beats of patriotic songs.

Kolpona Roy, the eldest sister of Moloy Kumar Bhoumik, was also waiting in the crowd at the jail gate since morning, who was frequently breaking down in emotional outbursts, while Mamun’s wife Udicha Islam was running back and forth from the jail gate to the waiting crowd as rumours were springing every few minutes that the jailed teachers were about to walk out that gate.

“What a fate my brother had!” exclaimed Moloy’s sister with tears rolling down her cheeks, “He returned home from the liberation war in 1971 and today he is being freed from a jail.”

“Moloy went to the war at the age of 14. As he was absent and we were not getting any news of him, we thought he might have been killed.”

“But on December 10 of 1971 he surprised us all by returning home, and soon he was hurrying to go back to the front again, but before he could do that we won the war.”

On December 10, 2007, Moloy again suddenly appeared through the jail gate with his three just freed colleagues around 3.45pm, with yet another pleasant homecoming.

The four freed teachers hugged their wives and other family members as they were welcomed by the waiting crowd.

Their colleagues and students received them at the jail gate with flowers, some of whom broke down in tears embracing the freed teachers.

Policemen on guard there were visibly baffled by the huge rush of well-wishers of the freed teachers as they walked out of the jail compound.

Police as well as the RU authority offered the freed teachers rides home on their vehicles. But the teachers declined, opting to go to the university campus with their students and colleagues on rickshaws.

The detective branch escorted the released teachers until they all got home.

The freed teachers went to the grave of Dr Mohammad Samsuzzoha, the first martyred academic in the country, and observed a minute of silence honouring his memories, after placing wreaths at the grave.

They also visited Sabash Bangladesh, a liberation war memorial, and showed respect to the martyrs of the liberation war by observing a minute of silence there.

Moloy Kumar Bhoumik and Dulal Chandra Biswas addressed the crowd there. They expressed their gratitude to all their colleagues, students, lawyers, and others who had demanded their release.

“We are happy that the government showed its goodwill and rational approach towards us…but some of our colleagues of Rajshahi and Dhaka universities are still suffering in jails, we hope, the government will show the same compassion towards them also", Bhoumik said coming out of the jail.

“Our release is of no value until our colleagues are also freed", he said.

Later at the grave of Shamsuzzoha, Bhoumik told journalists, “We heard the media is saying that we had sought presidential clemency.”

“I want to make it clear that we never sought any mercy from anyone. If anybody claims so, he should show the proof. If the claim comes from the government then it is an insult to the teaching community.”

“If the government claims that we sought mercy, they must prove it. We are ready to go to jail again if necessary. It is a matter of the teaching community’s prestige.”

Talking on the matter of presidential clemency, Sayed Selim Reza Newton also expressed his astonishment. Rejecting the government’s claim he said, “There was no question of mercy petitions. Neither we nor our wives submitted any petition to the government for mercy.”

“We are disappointed at the government’s claim. We suffered in jail long enough because we didn’t want to seek mercy. We could have been freed much earlier if we had sought mercy.”

Dulal Chandra Biswas thanked the president for his ‘voluntary initiative’. “We thank him for his voluntary move of ordering the mercy. It was possible only for the efforts of all the people including our colleagues and students.”

Abdullah Al Mamun also thanked the government and expressed his gratitude to all who demanded their release.

Meanwhile, UNB reported, RU Vice-chancellor Dr M Altaf Hossain said, “I am very much happy, as my four colleagues were set free from jail,” adding that they were released as per the law and not under any pressure or threat.

Proctor Dr Enamul Haque also expressed his happiness over the release of the four teachers and said peaceful atmosphere will now return to the campus.

He expressed his gratitude to the president for signing the mercy, exonerating four of their university teachers, convicted of breaking the emergency rules amid campus violence.

The Daily Star
Bangladesh, Tuesday, December 11, 2007

The remains of Bir Shreshtha Sepoy Hamidur Rahman, one of the seven independence war heroes given the highest gallantry award, are scheduled to be brought back home from Tripura in India today.

Hamidur, who was killed in a battleground in a village, Ambassa, in Dhalai of Tripura, near the Moulvibazar border of Bangladesh on October 28, 1971, had been buried there for more than 36 years.

Senior Indian leaders and officials in a ceremony, attended by thousands of people, handed over the coffin containing the remains to a Bangladesh delegation at Hatimarachara in Tripura, media reports said. The Indian troops gave the independence war hero a guard of honour.

After his martyrdom, about a hundred soldiers of the First Bengal regiment were either killed or injured trying to capture the Pakistani army base, said Sajjad Ali Zahir, a member of the Bangladesh delegation. He, along with Hamidur’s brother Fazlur Rahman, recently located the grave of the hero.

‘Hamidur’s body was brought to Hatimarachara, 40 kilometres inside India, by one Rehaman Mian and given a proper Muslim burial,’ he is quoted to have said.

Hamidur’s grave had fallen prey to development and was under a pond, an Indian satellite channel reported quoting Abdul Ali, a local resident of Ambasa.

‘My father knew Hamidur Rahman well when he crossed over for the war. From childhood I have been watching this grave here, I asked my father about it. He said that it is Hamidur Rahman’s grave. During my school days, I used to clean the grave,’ he said.

The seven-member Bangladesh delegation, led by a joint secretary of the liberation war affairs ministry, Humayun Kabir Khan, on Friday went to Agartala to receive the remains of Hamidur.

The president, Iajuddin Ahmed, also Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is expected to receive the remains of Hamidur on behalf of the nation and place flowers on the coffin in the National Parade Square on Tuesday.

The delegation will bring Hamidur’s remains to Bangladesh through Bibirbazar in Comilla at about 3:00pm, the liberation war affairs secretary, AK Mahbubul Alam, told the newsmen in the Press Information Department conference room on Sunday.

The remains of the hero will be received with a guard of honour at Bibirbazar and remain in the Comilla cantonment.

A motorcade with the remains will start from the Comilla cantonment at around 6:00am to reach the National Parade Square by 10:00am. A 21-gun salute will herald the arrival of the remains in the Parade Square.

A guard of honour will be presented by the three services and the President’s Guard Regiment. A namaz-e-janaza for him will hero will be held at around 10:30am. The remains will then be taken in a ceremonial motorcade to the Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard at Mirpur and kept for viewing by freedom fighters. The remains will be laid to rest in the graveyard with the highest state honours.

Hamidur was born in 1945 at Dumuria in Chapra of 24 Parganas in West Bengal. After the partition of India, his family migrated to East Bengal and settled at Khalishpur in Khulna.

He joined the East Bengal Regiment on February 2, 1971 and was posted to the EBR Centre in the Chittagong cantonment. He left the cantonment for his village home as the war began and joined the liberation force at Dhalai.

The death toll in Saturday night’s Rangs Bhaban cave-in on the city’s Bijoy Sarani rose to four yesterday while the fire service stopped rescue operation on safety grounds.

As of last night, at least a dozen people were feared trapped inside.

Fire Service and Civil Defence has so far rescued 12. Of them, one died at the city’s orthopaedic hospital yesterday and the rest were undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

Meanwhile, the government has formed a three-member committee headed by Rajuk’s Chief Engineer Shah Alam to probe the incident. The two other members are Rajuk’s deputy chief engineer and a teacher of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday afternoon, Debashis Bardhan, deputy director (instructor) of the fire service, said, “We’ve seen three bodies trapped in debris inside. But we could not recover those for fear of further collapse. Besides, labourers have told us that at least 11 to 12 of their co-workers are still missing.”

He said the authorities have asked them not to continue with the rescue operation since it is risky to do the job with the equipment they have.

Earlier in the day, a team of BUET’s civil engineering department carried out an inspection of the structure and said its condition is too dangerous for the rescuers to work there.

The probe committee members, experts from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), foreign affairs adviser and army officials too visited the site between 10:30am and 12:30pm.

Late at night Saturday, a portion of the 22-storey Rangs Bhaban collapsed. The building was under demolition after the Supreme Court in August ordered for the construction beyond the sixth floor to be knocked down.

Mahbubur Rahman, one of the labourers hired for the demolition work, told The Daily Star, “As a part of the roof came crashing down on us, the whole place became dark and dusty. Those of us who were awake could manage a way out of the rubble but those who were sleeping couldn’t come down.”

Fire service, police and Rapid Action Battalion men kept the collapse site cordoned off.

Firefighters said they have seen three bodies tangled up in wreckage on the fourth, fifth and seventh floors. But they were yet to locate others missing inside.

Debashis Bardhan said, “We plan to resume the rescue efforts after making sure the building is safe enough for that. We need to have a supporting structure of steel bars built around the building so that there is no more collapse.”

But neither Rajuk or the fire service has the equipment necessary to do it and they would have to hire it from the private companies, he added.

Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence Brigadier General Rafiqur Rahman told reporters that they were looking for some safer means to rescue the victims and clear the debris.

The Rangs Bhaban authorities at a press briefing yesterday blamed the collapse on negligence of the Rajuk authorities.

They alleged that Rajuk had appointed a ship-breaking firm for partial demolition of the multi-storey building.

Rajuk Executive Engineer Anwar Hossain, however, has denied the allegations.

Bangladesh, Monday, December 10, 2007

The remains of liberation war hero Sepoy Hamidur Rahman will be repatriated to his longed for dreamland Bangladesh, after 36 years of the country’s independence, from Indian state of Tripura through Bibir Bazar land port in Comilla at 3pm on Monday. A seven-member Bangladesh delegation left Dhaka for Tripura on Friday to bring back the remains of Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sipahi Hamidur Rahman, who was buried at Ambasa in the Indian state. Soon after entering Bangladesh, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 33 Infantry Division will receive the remains of the valiant war hero through a guard of honour at Bibir Bazar.

On a last ride, a vehicle of the military police will start towards capital Dhaka with the remains of Bir Shreshta Hamidur Rahman from Comilla Cantonment at 6am on Tuesday.

The remains will be taken to the Army Aviation Hangar at Dhaka Cantonment in a ceremonial motorcade from Jatrabari and kept there briefly. A 21-gun salute will herald the arrival of the remains at the National Parade Square at about 10am.

President Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed, also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, will receive the remains of Bir Shreshtha Hamidur Rahman on behalf of the nation and place wreath on the coffin. A guard of honour will be presented by the three services, including PGR.

A namaj-e-janaza for the martyred liberation war hero will be held at around 10:30am.

Finally, the remains of Bir Shreshtha Hamidur Rahman will be taken in a ceremonial motorcade to the Mirpur Graveyard kept reserved for distinguished freedom fighters. Later, his remains will be laid to eternal rest at the graveyard with the highest state honour. Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will, among others, attend the state funeral.

Valiant liberation war hero Hamidur Rahman was buried at Ambasa in the Indian state of Tripura after he embraced martyrdom in a battle against the Pakistani occupation forces in a frontier area of Sylhet on October 28 in 1971.

Bangladesh, Sunday, December 9, 2007

Sabina Yasmin Noted singer Sabina Yasmin, who was suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, is recovering well. “She is doing very well. We pray for a normal healthy life for her.”

Doctors of Singhealth, who were in the city in connection with MEDEXPO-2007 international medical exposition held at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel from December 6 to 8, were talking to newsmen at an informal function arranged by Galaxy Healthcare Services.

Immunotherapy started in Bangladesh while chemotheraphy was given in Singapore, they said adding, Singapore hospital had an advantage in CT Petscan, which hospitals here do not have.

“She took the treatment very well. She was good, gracious patient. It was a pleasure to look after her,” they said.

“Sabina brought greater awareness about Bangladeshi culture including music,” they added.
The Singapore doctors assured that they would try to extend every possible care to improve the health services sector.

Sabina Yasmin fell indisposed while performing at a concert in US, was treated by doctors in Bangladesh, before being flown to Singapore in July.

Thanking her wellwishers as the doctors of Singapore and Bangladesh, she said while sharing some of her feelings, she was very well taken care of by the doctors and nurses in the city state. Bangladeshis living in Singapore also looked after her.

The Daily Independent

Bangladesh, Sunday, December 9, 2007

The Aparajeyo Bangla where the movement is often frequented. Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA) pledged to continue their movement until the release of the detained teachers and students.

They expressed this at a tripartite meeting with university authorities and DGFI members at the Senate building yesterday.

Sources said a three-member DGFI delegation requested the DUTA leaders to withdraw their scheduled programmes of wearing black badges and silent processions, which will be observed today and tomorrow respectively.

But the leaders of the organisation responded, as they will consider this if the government gives any specific proposal about the freeing of detained teachers and students.

DUTA took some decisions at an emergency meeting on Friday demanding the release of the detained teachers and students. Where they decided to observe further programmes if the detained teachers and students were not released by December 12.

The DGFI members are-Brigadier Gen ATM Amin, chief of Counter Terrorist Bureau, Col Abu Saleh and Col Almas Raisul Gani.

Acting President of DUTA Prof Tazmeri SA Islam, Acting General Secretary Faruque Ahmed, Prof AAMS Arefin Siddiqui, Prof Akhteruzzaman, Prof Syed Salehin Kadri, Prof Aminur Rashid and Prof Syed Manjurul Ahsan were present in the meeting.

Prof Tazmeri SA Islam said they would continue their programmes until the release of the detained teachers and students.

Prof Akhteruzzaman told the New Nation that they hoped the detained teachers and students would return to them soon.

The New Nation

The Bangladesh Bank has asked the commercial banks to sanction fresh credit for handloom industry particularly to flood-affected weavers in Pabna and Sirajganj, by relaxing the existing rules and regulations.

Under the move, the flood-hit weavers will be eligible for fresh credit through rescheduling their previous classified loans. The banks may relax the provisions of down-payment for rescheduling of loans, if necessary.

The central bank issued a circular Thursday in this connection and directed the managing directors of all scheduled banks to follow the instructions on disbursement of loans to weavers for post-flood rehabilitation.

“We have relaxed the existing conditions on rescheduling of classified loans in the handloom sector aiming to help the weavers in the post-flood situation,” a BB senior official told the FE Thursday.

He also said the banks may apply their prudence for rescheduling the classified loan portfolios in the handloom sector in line with the latest directives.

The central bank also asked the banks to set up credit monitoring and compliance cells at different levels to ensure monitoring of the overall handloom loan disbursement without any harassments.

About one million weavers, dyers, hand spinners, embroiderers and allied artisans have been using their creative skills into more than 0.30 million active looms to produce around 620 million meters of fabric annually, according to the Bangladesh Handloom Board statistics.

The handloom sector shares 63 per cent of the total fabric production in the country designed for home consumption, meeting 40 per cent of the local demand for fabrics.

Besides, it provides employment opportunities to a million rural people, 50 per cent of which are female, while another half a million people are indirectly engaged in the industry.

Financial Express

US Navy emergency relief operations in Bangladesh’s cyclone-battered coastal districts were formerly ended yesterday after two weeks of operation.

However, USAID would continue post-cyclone rehabilitation efforts.

USS Kearsarge and USS Tarawa, anchored off the coast of the Bay of Bengal, have conducted the “Operation Sea Angel II” emergency relief operation in two phases since November 23.

Bangladesh Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed formally announced the ending of the US military emergency relief operations in the country’s cyclone affected districts on board the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa in the Bay of Bengal.

US Charge d’ Affaires Geeta Pasi, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury and senior Bangladesh Army and US Marine officials, including Col Doug Stilwell, Commanding Officer of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and Captain David F. Bean, Executive Officer of USS Tarawa were present.

The Army Chief, in a valedictory speech on board the USS Tarawa in the Bay of Bengal yesterday said the military relief operation had come to an end and Tarawa would leave soon.

General Moeen said with the help of US navy the government had succeeded to send food and drinking water to the cyclone-affected people.

The Army Chief said, “Though the government said that 2.6 million VGF (vulnerable group feeding) cards will be issued in the affected areas, we will provide as many VGF cards as required among the cyclone affected people.”

“We’ll also repair the affected schools in the cyclone battered areas.”

US Charge d’ Affaires Geeta Pasi, who was present on board the USS Tarawa, said civilian aid agencies, including the USAID, would carry on relief efforts in the cyclone affected areas.

“We call the US Navy’s relief operation as the “Operation Sea Angel II as the local people have termed it as Ashar Alo (Light of Hope), and we want to give Ashar Alo to the people of Bangladesh,” she said.

The Marines, with their long-range CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from the USS Tarawa, made final sorties yesterday, dropping food, water and medicine. The overall operations involved a fleet of 20 helicopters. USS Tarawa took over from the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge on November 3 in the Bay of Bengal.

During the relief operation by USS Tarawa, American sailors and marines, and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit delivered more than 113,000 kilograms of food and medicines and 54,000 liters (14,000 gallons) of drinking water. The US ships’ medical teams also treated 2,355 men, women and children suffering from bronchitis, skin problems, upper respiratory tract infections, ear infections and diarrhoea, the officials said.

The Tarawa also participated in relief operations in 1991 - dubbed Sea Angel I - when a powerful cyclone killed about 140,000 people in Chittagong region.

Earlier, Army Chief General Mooen U Ahmed visited the Central Relief Coordination Cell at Barisal Airport in the morning.

Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury accompanied the Army Chief.

The New Nation

A sedition case was filed yesterday against two top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangla-desh and a former secretary for their alleged audacious remarks against the country’s independence and liberation war.

Freedom-fighter Mohammad Fazlur Rahman of village South Ramerkanda under Keraniganj Police Station of the Dhaka district filed the case against Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, assistant secretary general Abdul Kader Molla and former secretary Shah Abdul Hannan in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court in Dhaka yesterday for their anti-independence and anti-liberation remarks.

Appearing before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Emran Hossain Chowdhury at about 12:30pm, freedom fighter Fazlur Rahman filed the sedition case.

The editors of the Daily Prothom Alo and the Daily Bhorer Kagoj and the news editor of the Daily Prothom Alo were made witnesses in the case.

Taking the case into cognizance, Metropolitan Magistrate Emran Hossain Chowdhury ordered the officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Police Station to investigate the complain against the accused.

The case accuses the three for making remarks against the emergence of an independent Bangladesh in 1971, and creating and ordering the Razakar, Al Badr and

Al Shams forces to kill pro-liberation civilians including intellectuals.

The plaintiff said the accused persons committed crimes of treason by killing about 30 lakh people, raping about two lakh women and other ill activities.

He said that 36 years after liberation, the accused had not yet recognised Bangladesh’s victory, flag, constitution or Independence Day.

The plaintiff Fazlur Rahman said, “I could not file a case in the past due to the various adverse political situations in the country.”

In his case, Fazlur Rahman alleged that after attending the electoral reform talks at the Election Commission on October 25 last Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed told the media that Jamaat did not work against the Liberation War in 1971 and

there were presently no war criminals in Bangladesh.

The remarks of Mojaheed left people across the country stunned.

“By his audacious remarks, Mojaheed undermined the country’s liberation war and the freedom fighters,” he said.

On the other hand, at a discussion on the life and work of late Baitul Mokarram Khatib Obaidul Huq at the National Press Club in the city Kader Molla made defamatory remarks against the country’s War of Liberation and freedom fighters claiming that some people had joined the liberation war to fight against the Pakistani army in 1971 to have beautiful women, some others for property and some to protect Indian interests,” while former Islami Bank chairman Shah Abdul Hannan, while speaking on a talk show, Ekushey Shomoy, on private satellite television channel Ekushey Television described the Liberation War of 1971 as a “civil war".

He denied that genocide took place in the country at that time and that war criminals exist here.

Hannan also expressed doubts that three million people died in the war and supported a Pakistani report according to which only 26,000 people or less died during the Liberation War.

Counsel of the plaintiff Advocate Abu Mohammad Abdur Razzaque said: “War crimes and murder cases can be filed any time.”

It may be recalled that several sedition cases have already been filed against Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Kader Molla with different police stations of the country for their audacious remarks against the country’s War of Independence, supreme sacrifices of 30 lakh men, women and children, and rapes committed by the Pakisatni army and their local collaborators, known as ‘Razakars,’ Al Badrs, and Al Shams.

The New Nation

Bangladesh, Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The caretaker government yesterday cancelled the allotments of NAM apartments to 108 former members of the parliament (MP), who are either convicted or accused or under trial for corruption, or who have failed to submit their wealth statements.

The authority of allotting the apartments was also transferred from the parliament to the government until further notice, while the government fixed new rents for the apartments, which will be retroactively effective from March 1 of this year.

Upon payment of the new rents, eligible former MPs will need to re-apply to the housing department for allotments of the apartments, while the Parliament Secretariat will take steps for implementing the new rents.

Housing and Public Works Adviser Mainul Hosein approved the proposal yesterday, and told reporters afterward that the decision was taken in consultation with the speaker of the parliament in light of the changed circumstances.

He added that the former MPs who accept the government fixed rents may remain in their NAM flats, if they are neither accused, charged nor under trial for corruption.

Mainul also said government officials may also rent the apartments if they are prepared to pay the stipulated rents.

The 13 multistoried NAM flats were allotted to 324 MPs of the last parliament, which are fully furnished with air-conditioners, TVs, refrigerators, beds, wardrobes, mattresses, chairs, and tables. The facilities are afforded with the taxpayers’ money.

According to the new rates of rents fixed by the housing department, 1,800 sq ft apartments are now Tk 25,000 a month instead of the previous rent of Tk 800, and 1,260 sq ft apartments are now Tk 20,000 a month instead of Tk 400.

The new rents were fixed by a committee that had been formed in July. The committee, headed by Additional Secretary to the Parliament Secretariat ABM Nuruzzaman submitted a report on the apartments last week to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

Sources said, the committee also decided to take legal action against those MPs, who will refuse to pay the government stipulated rents. An additional order from the Parliament Secretariat will put the changes into effect.

The Daily Star

DHAKA (AFP) — Four Bangladeshi academics were sentenced to two years in jail each Tuesday for fuelling student unrest in August that prompted the country’s emergency government to impose a curfew, police said.

The professors from Rajshahi University in the west of the country were found guilty of breaking emergency laws banning protests and all gatherings, police inspector Mahbub Siddiqui said.

“They joined protests and marches defying the ban during the nationwide student unrest in August,” he said.

The protests left one dead and hundreds injured and shook the military-backed government, which has been in power since a political crisis in January.

The professors were jailed as dozens of students from Dhaka University held hands and covered their mouths with black badges to protest the detention of the teachers as well as some two dozen students, police and witnesses said.

The students stood silently on the university campus and dispersed after about half an hour, local police chief Shahidul Islam said.

The August 20-22 demonstrations began at Dhaka University after students were allegedly roughed up by army personnel.

The government defused the unrest by imposing a week-long curfew in major cities and blamed the country’s sidelined political parties.

Four leading academics from Dhaka University including two deans have also been detained as part of the crackdown after the unrest.

The government, which is led by former central bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed, came to power on January 12 and has promised to clean up Bangladesh’s corrupt politics before holding fresh elections in late 2008.

Medford, Massachusetts, December 03, 2007 (BanglaEvents) - Current Chairman of Massachusetts Democratic Party, John E. Walsh visited Bangladeshi community in West Medford Community Center on December 2, 2007. In that evening, he discussed about different issues including immigration backlog, education, health care and job training with the participants of that event. Rafiqul Islam, one of the organizers of this event expressed his interest to make, about 5000 Bangladeshi origin voters of Massachusetts, more involved with Democratic Party. Bangladeshi food was served as dinner at the end of the event which was arranged by another organizer of this event, Asif Babu and his wife Pervin Babu.

Reported by Mohammad Khan

NEW YORK, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF today announced a donation of $450,000 for relief and recovery efforts for the victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.

The cyclone hit Bangladesh on November 15 affecting about 8.5 million people in 30 districts. More than 3,000 deaths have been confirmed to date. Approximately half of the affected people are children and an estimated 600,000 of them are under five years of age.

The contribution – which will be evenly split between immediate relief and longer-term recovery interventions – will go towards meeting the immediate funding needs of UNICEF, currently estimated at almost $30-million.

George Harrison had a long association with Bangladesh and UNICEF. The landmark benefit concert held on August 1st 1971, which aside from George himself featured Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell and Billy Preston, was the first of it’s kind and is recognized as the inspiration behind more recent humanitarian fundraising ventures like ‘Band Aid’ and ‘Live Aid’.

“I am pleased that the commitment that George and Ravi Shankar made to the crisis in Bangladesh more than three decades ago is once again reaching out to assist the victims of Cyclone Sidr. Children are at their most vulnerable during natural disasters and it is incumbent upon all of us to act fast to save as many lives as possible,” said Olivia Harrison.

“With such a large number of children affected in Bangladesh, UNICEF is playing a key role in ensuring their survival in the coming weeks and months,” said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF. “This contribution keeps alive George Harrison’s longstanding tradition of goodwill towards Bangladesh, but shows that children need our assistance, regardless of the borders they are born between.”

In 2005, Mrs. Harrison launched the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF in her late husband’s name with an initial donation of $1 million. It specifically targets UNICEF programs in Bangladesh but also provides lifesaving assistance to children suffering from civil conflict, natural disasters and poverty elsewhere. The launch of the fund coincided with the release of a DVD and CD of ‘The Concert for Bangladesh’ which generates further income for the fund

With cold weather on the way, children and women in Bangladesh require urgent life-saving assistance such as medical supplies, food, clothing and shelter to be able to survive. Other critical priorities include ensuring access to a safe water supply and sanitation facilities to mitigate the threat of waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery, to which children are particularly susceptible.

UNICEF is working with the government, other UN agencies and partner NGOs to bring relief in the areas of water and sanitation, health, education and child protection. UNICEF has been on the ground in Bangladesh since 1952, with a staff of more than 220. Since the early 1970s, one of the world’s largest UNICEF-supported water supply programs has been operating in the country.

About UNICEF

For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world’s leading international children’s organization, working in over 150 countries to address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection and emergency response saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections and measles, UNICEF, with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the global experience, resources and reach to give children the best hope of survival. For more information about UNICEF, please visit http://www.unicefusa.org/. Or call 800 4UNICEF.

UNICEF

Muktijoddha Dibash, the Freedom Fighters’ Day, was observed yesterday in the city as elsewhere across the country with a call to forge greater unity of freedom fighters’ bodies and the forces loyal to independence movement and to raise their united voice to try the war criminals and collaborators of 1971 by constituting a special tribunal. This was the first day of December which is also observed as the month of Victory.

Leaders representing different bodies of freedom fighters demanded of the incumbent caretaker government (CG) proper state recognition of the freedom fighters and observance of the Muktijoddha Dibash at state level.

They also demanded proper recognition of the freedom fighters and their rehabilitation.
The programmes of the day included placing of wreaths at the graves of freedom fighters at Mirpur and story telling on the major events of the Liberation War in the morning, bringing out of a colourful procession from the city’s Muktangan towards Shikha Chirantan at Suhrawardy Udyan and assembly of freedom fighters at the Jatiya Press Club in the afternoon.

In the morning, leaders of the Muktijoddhader Dabi Bastabayan O Muktijoddha Dibash Utjapan Jatiya Committee, a combine of freedom fighters’ bodies, led by its convener Maj Gen (Retd) KM Shafiullah and joint conveners Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Huq Inu placed wreaths at the graves of freedom fighters at Mirpur.

Chanting various slogans of the turbulent days of the war of liberation including “Joi Bangla” and “Joi Bangabandhu", leaders of the National Committee brought out a colourful march from Muktangan towards Shikha Chirantan (eternal flame) at Suhrawardy Udyan where they placed wreaths in the afternoon paying homage to the martyred freedom fighters and for those who laid down their lives for the cause of the country’s independence.

Speaking at an assembly of freedom fighters at the auditorium of Jatiya Press Club also in the afternoon, the National Committee raised a six-point demand which included trial of the war criminals and collaborators of 1971 in a special tribunal and a ban on fanatic politics in the country as well as official announcement banning those parties, organisations and individuals who were involved in war crimes from taking part in any election and non-inclusion of their names in the voter list.

Addressing the assembly of freedom fighters, Awami League presidium member Abdur Razzak said as the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami had thrown a challenge to the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh by their derogatory remarks that the Liberation War of 1971 was a civil war, the incumbent caretaker government (CG) should try them in a special tribunal and their remarks would be enough for evidences against them.

Another member of AL presidium Tofail Ahmed said the whole country is now united on the demand for trial of the war criminals and collaborators and so the government should try them and accomplish another good task to build a national unity.

Referring to the trial of war criminals in different countries in the world, Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon referred to the actions taken against former UN secretary general Kurt Waldheim and Noble laureate Günter Grass for their crimes against humanity in the World War-II so many years after the War.

He was of the opinion that the recent anti-independence remarks of the Jamaat leaders including its chief Moulana Motiur Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Md Muzahid would be enough evidences to try them and other war criminals and collaborators under the laws of the land and the international ordinance against war crimes.

Joint convener of the National Committee and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president Hasanul Huq Inu, who conducted the meeting, called upon the pro-independence forces to forge a greater unity to try the killers, war criminals and collaborators of 1971 to protect independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.

Presided over by the National Committee convener and former Army chief Maj Gen (Retd) KM Shafiullah, the meeting was also addressed by AL presidium member Syed Sajeda Chowdhury, its advisory council member Col (Retd) Shawkat Ali and law affairs secretary Advocate Sahara Khatun, JSD general secretary Syed Zafar Sajjad and freedom fighters Mamtaz Begum, Principal Abdul Ahad Chowdhury and Abir Ahad, among others.

Executive president of JSD Mainuddin Khan Badal read out the declaration of the meeting while Hasanul Huq Inu also introduced to the audience some members of martyred freedom fighters’ families.

Marking the day, the Workers Party organised a story telling session on the War of Liberation at its headquarters at Topkhana Road in the morning. Some national leaders and freedom fighters took part in the programme.

Departure of the US military personnel engaged in the cyclone relief operations will not indicate an end to US engagement in Bangladesh, but will only mark a shift from immediate relief to a longer-term cooperation to help the country with its recovery and reconstruction efforts.

It was emphasized by both US Charge d’ Affaires to Bangladesh Geeta Pasi and Brigadier General Ronald L Bailey while addressing a press briefing at the American Club in the city yesterday afternoon.

They said the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which will spearhead US efforts in this area, is currently preparing a medium- and long-term programme to assist the affected areas in recovering from the effects of the cyclone. This plan will be based on priorities identified by the Bangladesh government.

Geeta Pasi also announced the name for the US operation to assist Bangladesh cyclone victims as ‘Operation Sea Angel II.’

The name symbolises the continuity of US partnership with Bangladesh following the 1991 cyclone and the intention to work together as Bangladesh recovers and rebuilds from this recent tragedy, she said.

Brigadier General Bailey said a second US amphibious naval ship USS Tarawa would replace the USS Kearsarge soon to join the current cyclone relief operation. The Tarawa will be conducting a transition with the Kearsarge, after which the Kearsarge would depart.

Historically it takes two weeks to meet the emergency relief needs for distressed people, the American marine commander Brig General Bailey said.

“But this time around, we have not yet finalised the date” for completing the emergency relief operation in the cyclone-battered coastal areas, he told reporters.

USS Kearsarge entered Bangladesh territorial waters on November 22 and started full-scale ‘Operation Sea Angel II’ a week before catering immediate need of pure water for the victims. USS Kearsarge carry helicopters and hovercraft and is equipped with hospital facilities.

As of November 29, the Kearsarge has delivered over 12,000 gallons of water by helicopter to different hard-to-reach localities along the coast.

As the operation progressed, the warship engaged in airlifting food from Dhaka to Barisal and distributed those to remote villages from 22 identified sites in the coastal belt following a coordination meeting between Bangladesh and US armies.

Brig Gen Bailey, Commander of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Battalion (ME, said it would take three to four days from today to take over the charge by ‘Tarawa’ from ‘Kearsarge’ and carry forward the operation.

Having the same capability as Kearsarge, Tarawa had conducted ‘Operation Sea Angel’ in Chittagong after the devastating cyclone and tidal surge in 1991.

In reply to a question, Geeta Pasi said as a friend and long-term partner of Bangladesh, the United States is “ready to do whatever needed on short, medium and long-term basis".

She said USAID and DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) are conducting assessment on the ground and future plan would be worked out on their recommendations.

Geeta Pasi informed that the US has so far provided $19.5 million in cash and kind, including $15 million in food aid, which she termed “an important issue” for the country.

The US envoy said they are waiting to receive full briefing from the Chief Adviser in a couple of days on what to do next in the cyclone-hit districts.

Asked about some demonstrations by cyclone victims for relief, Brig

Gen Bailey said US marines in conjunction with the Bangladesh army, NGOs and others are trying to reach relief supplies to remote places.

“Our target is to reach food to as many people as we can on the basis of recommendations and available information,” he said.

Asked about differences between the 1991 cyclone and cyclone ‘Sidr’ in terms of conducting relief operations,

Bailey said this time around it is a complicated operation. It is very difficult to get to remote areas, it requires lot of lifts, coordination and information.

However, the US Brig General profusely praised the Bangladesh army’s basic works in setting up 96 helipads, office in Barisal and coordination in sending relief materials. “Many Bangladeshi army officers are in our ship and we have developed a very positive relations between us,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Geeta Pasi and Brigadier General Ronal Bailey held meetings with Food and Disaster Management Adviser Tapan Chowdhury and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed and discussed the progress of the ongoing relief operations. They also discussed about the planning of the coming days.

It may be mentioned that ‘Operation Sea Angel II’ is the second US Navy relief operations since 1991 when Joint Task Force Sea Angel arrived in Bangladesh after ‘Cyclone Marian’ pounded on the country’s southeastern region, including Chittagong on April 29, 1991.

Cyclone Marian, a storm with top sustained winds of 160 mph (Category 5), coupled with 8-feet tidal surge devastated the coastline of the country, killing nearly 150,000 people and leaving over 5 million people homeless. Marian was one of the deadliest tropical cyclones on record.

At that time, a US Navy Amphibious Task Force (ATF) returning from the Persian Gulf war was diverted, on order of former US President George H.W. Bush, to the Bay of Bengal.

There is a rumour that a Bangladeshi citizen, on seeing the ATF approach from the sea in Chittagong, called them “Angels from the Sea.” Thus began Operation Sea Angel, one of the largest military relief operations ever undertaken.

Operation Sea Angel began on May 10 and involved over 7,000 U.S. soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. The man leading the effort, Lt. General Henry Stackpole, declared, “We went to Kuwait in the name of liberty, and we’ve come to Bangladesh in the name of humanity.”

The operation continued till June 13, 1991.

At that time the newly elected government, overwhelmed by the massive scale of the devastation, requested urgent assistance from foreign countries. While relief goods had been stockpiled before the cyclone, most of Bangladesh’s lift capability and almost all of the infrastructure had been wiped out by the force of nature’s onslaught.

The US launched Operation Sea Angel, which was massive in scale and massively successful.

Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed Sunday donated Tk 50 lakh on behalf of the Army and Trust Bank Ltd to the Chief Adviser’ s Relief and Welfare Fund for the country’s cyclone victims.

The Army Chief handed over a cheque for the money to Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at the CA’s office.

Of the Tk 50 lakh, Army donated Tk 20 lakh while Trust Bank Ltd Tk 30 lakh, according to an official of the CA’s office.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim, Trust Bank Ltd managing director Iqbal U Ahmed, Adjutant General Maj Gen Matiur Rahman and Military Secretary to the Chief Adviser Brig Gen Amin Tarique, were among others, present on the occasion.

The Election Commission (EC) is likely to introduce transparent ballot boxes in the next parliamentary election responding to a demand of most political parties it sat in electoral reform dialogues with.

The EC however will take a formal decision on the matter this month since it will require seven to eight months to receive the boxes from abroad if it decides to introduce them, sources in the EC Secretariat said.

“We don’t want to give any scope to any losing party to denounce the election with the excuse of not having transparent ballot boxes in the polls. So, we are thinking of introducing transparent ballot boxes,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda said yesterday during the commission’s electoral reform dialogue with Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BD.

“We will do it despite waste of 4 million US dollars since most of the political parties want transparent ballot boxes,” the CEC said referring to the approximate cost of purchasing the boxes.

The EC was against introduction of transparent ballot boxes due to complexities of using them, instead it was in favour of using the traditional steel ballot boxes made of steel, which the commission already have in its hands.

Referring to the round of electoral reform talks, the CEC said most of the political parties including Awami League, the Communist Party of Bangladesh, and Workers Party demanded introduction of transparent ballot boxes. And, BDB also suggested the same during its talk with the commission yesterday.

About polling agents, the CEC said the commission will study carefully how to change the existing culture of having a large number of polling agents in polling stations, in a bid to curb poll expenditure.

“We have to think of it deeply, how to keep the polling booths uncluttered and how to avoid the presence of a huge number of polling agents there. The polling agents work to check the authenticity of a voter. But this time the voter list will have photographs of voters, reducing considerably the possibility of fake votes being cast,” the CEC argued.

The BDB delegation led by its Secretary General Maj (retd) Abdul Mannan argued for reducing the number of polling agents for curbing poll expenditure. BDB leaders also said a large amount of money is spent only for hiring the polling agents.

The CEC lauded the BDB proposal and assured them of necessary steps addressing the issue.

The existing electoral laws say a contesting candidate or his/her election agent, may, before the commencement of the poll, appoint for each polling station not more than two polling agents if there is only one booth, and not more than five polling agents if there are more than one booths, and the contestant shall give notice thereof in writing to the presiding officer in advance.

During the electoral reform talk in the EC Secretariat’s conference room, BDB placed a set of proposals including one for allocating election symbols for individual candidates, cancelling the existing system of allocating one symbol for all nominated candidates of a political party. It also proposed allocation of Tk 5 per voter as election expenditure, and barring anti-liberation political parties and similar religious obscurantist forces from getting registration from the EC.

During the talk with BDB, the two other election commissioners, Muhammed Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, explained various electoral reform proposals drafted by the EC.

Ignoring the protest and demonstration of hundreds of art connoisseurs, ten crates containing 189 rare and invaluable archeological artifacts of Bangladesh were taken out of the National Museum yesterday morning and sent to the Zia International Airport amid heavy police presence.

These artifacts, representing Bangladesh’s ancient history, will be bound for Guimet Museum in Paris, via a Air France flight (AF 6731) 12:05pm today.

Breaking the emergency rule, protesters assembled in front of the National Museum gate at Shahbagh in the morning learning that the artifacts were being removed from the National Museum secretly.

Witnesses said the artifacts were removed through a large covered van and forklift truck of Homebound Packers and Shippers at the order by the French Embassy in Dhaka.

Trucks and forklift went to the National Museum premises secretly in the early hours of morning. But the news leaked and protesters gathered thronged outside the museum. Under heavy police presence Homebound vehicles (Dhaka Metro Uma 11-0814, Pho 11-3634, U 14-0187) and forklift truck, bearing “Save The Children Cyclone and USAID Sidr Emergency Relief” signs were used to take away the priceless items. As the protesters were watching as the artifacts being loaded onto Homebound trucks, they requested the media to disseminate the news and prevent the artifacts from being taken away in such a manner.

At one stage, the protesters, including artists, archeologists and students of the nearby Fine Arts Institute locked in a clash with police when they tried to intercept the Homebound covered van to take out the artifacts. Police also charged batons on the protesters when they pelted brickbats on the police.

Shekhar Shashwata, an archeologist was arrested by police, while some media professionals were roughed up. Later, the protesters were able to get Shekhar released from the Shahbagh police custody. He was released upon a signed undertaking by those demanding his release.

Shahbagh thana officer Morshed who arrested Shekhar, claimed he “knew nothing about what was happening across the road.”

The artifacts were collected from five different museums in the country–National Museum in Dhaka, Barind Research Museum in Rajshahi, Mahasthangarh Archaeological Museum, Mainamoti Archaeological Museum and Paharpur Archaeological Museum. Amongst the objects are one copy of Prajna Paramita (Buddhist manuscript), terracotta heads dating back to the 4th century, bronze sculpture of Lokanath of the 8th century, stone sculptures of Nataraj, Mahamaya, Chamunda, Kalyansundar, Panchamukha Shiblinga, Surja, Nabagraha, Shyamatara, Marichi and others of the 10th century.

The artifacts also include a wood sculpture of Lokanath of the 11th century and headgear of the 2nd Shah Abbas of Persia of the 18th century.

Bangladesh, Friday, November 30, 2007

Ruining the beautiful, green landscape, cyclone Sidr has dealt a severe blow to the Sundarbans, destroying 1,528 square kilometres of the forest out of around 6,000 square kilometres, according to forest officials’ primary assessment.

Of the devastated areas totalling about one-fourth of the forest, 1,200 square kilometres are land and the rest water bodies.

The officials assess that more than Tk 1,000 crore worth of forest resources have been lost in addition to another Tk 20 crore in infrastructure damage.

Though a chunk of the forest has been completely destroyed carcasses of only one tiger, 38 deer and one monkey have so far been recovered, officials say.

The situation is so bad that the Department of Forest is considering not permitting anyone to collect nypah, goran and honey from the Sundarbans this year.

Every year, the government earns Tk 60-65 lakh in revenue by giving permission to honey and nypah collectors.

The forest officials say the devastation is severe and it will take years to recover from the loss. Special attention from both home and abroad to restoration is also required, they add.

“It will take years to restore the forest to its previous state. We need national and international support to recover from the loss occurred there,” Chief Forest Conservator AKM Shamsuddin told The Daily Star.

“A programme officer from the Unicef will visit the forest tomorrow [today] to see the devastation of the world natural heritage site,” he added.

During a visit to the Terabeka point in the Sundarbans, it was found that trees were shorn of leaves, with most of them either uprooted or twisted.

According to the officials, the Department of Forest is mulling restoration plans for the Sundarbans in three phases.

Their plans include rebuilding infrastructure and arranging supply of drinking water at different forest beat offices in the initial stage.

The sources say 90 percent accommodation facilities for the 1,100-strong forest officials there have been completely destroyed. The government is going to allocate Tk 34 crore in the initial stage.

The officials say they need to run assisted natural regeneration (ANR) programme as the forest’s ground surface is covered up by leaves and other rubbish.

“So we might launch cleaning operation on the ground so that seeds anchor on the forest land and regenerate the forest automatically,” said the chief conservator.

“If we find automatic regeneration is not working properly, we would go for enrichment plantation of the Sundarbans species including nypah, sundari and goran in the forest.”

Seedling time of keora, one of the largest tree species in the Sundarbans, starts in April, May and June. Experts from the forest department express the hope the regeneration process will start within one year.

Besides, the forest officials say they are going to launch a prey survey on deer, wild boars and rhesus monkeys.

Some experts, the forest conservator said, have advised to provide food for the wildlife in the Sundarbans, but that might change the food habit of the carnivorous animals.

Sources say the government is looking forward to doing everything to restore the world heritage site.

However, a number of experts from non-government sector express their concern that the government has to ensure the forest officials don’t take it as an opportunity to make quick money from felled trees.

“Over the years, the forest officials have been felling trees in the Sundarbans. This time the government should monitor it so that they just don’t fell trees and sell those,” said a high official of a private organisation who has been working on the Sundarbans for years

Donor countries are actively considering the government’s request for 500,000 tons of food assistance to recoup food shortage caused by the cyclone SIDR.

British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury and European Commission Head of the Delegation Ambassador Dr Stefan Frowein have separately assured Bangladesh in this regard.

Addressing a view-exchange meeting with journalists at his residence yesterday Anwar Choudhury said they are looking into the matter urgently. “We are looking into the request with urgency,” he said.

Preferring to provide cash instead of goods, the British High Commissioner said, the decision in this regard would be taken soon.

He emphasised the need for taking action first and observed that buying food would involve much time in shipment and delivery to the affected people.

The British envoy said along with the government they would take the assistance of NGOs for the distribution of relief materials in the cyclone-hit areas.

Asked whether the state of emergency should be lifted for the political leaders to take part in relief distribution, he said that he did not think that the state of emergency is creating any restriction to relief distribution.

He, however, said that there should be an environment where everyone could be able to distribute relief materials freely.

“It is the government’s decision when to lift the state of emergency,” he said.

On the adverse impact of climate change particularly in developing countries the High Commissioner said all should work together to compensate the victims.

He said that a British aircraft was due in Dhaka Wednesday night and ferry relief materials from Friday.

The meeting was also addressed by Deputy Country Representative of DFID Sarah Sanyahumbi and Head of Press and Public Affairs of the British High Commission William Arunall-Culliford.

Meanwhile, Dr Stefan Frowein while addressing a meeting with the members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association Bangladesh (DCA at hotel Sheraton yesterday said they would help Bangladesh so that it does not face big trouble due to shortage of food.

Dr Stefan Frowein in his written statement said, “A return to the street confrontational and irreconcilable party politics which characterises the pre-1/11 era would be catastrophic for Bangladesh.

Referring to government appeal for food aid he said the donors community is coming forward to help Bangladesh procure its required quantity of foodgrain.

He said there is a proposal that WFP be given the task of procuring the required quantity of foodgrain to avoid hassle in procurement.

A delegation from the EU will be coming to Dhaka on a 2-week mission to assess the cyclone damages and the post-cyclone rehabilitation needs.

Asked whether Bangladesh should be compensated for the cyclone damage by those developed nations responsible for climate change, he said scientifically there might not be a direct link between climate change and cyclone SIDR.

However, he hastened to add that global warming is causing rise in sea level for which Bangladesh and the Maldives would be the first victims in Asia.

The Ambassador said the EU would ensure Bangladesh’s participation in all discussions on climate change and its impacts.

On lifting of the state of emergency, Dr Frowein said, ” We are not feeling fine with the state of emergency but it is a decision to be taken by the government and the people.”

Dr Frowein, however, said the state of emergency here is being handled in a very pragmatic way and appreciated the 11-member caretaker government for running the country efficiently.

The Ambassador appreciated the sterling work of the Election Commission, government officials and the military in rising up to the challenge of producing a verifiable fair voter list with photographs.

DCAB president Anis Alamgir chaired the DCAB Talk while general secretary Rahit Ijaj made welcome remarks.

Bangladesh, Thursday, November 29, 2007

A special meeting of the Council of Advisers yesterday approved the list of holidays for the coming year, dropping the November 7 holiday.

Chaired by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, the meeting approved the holidays in the 2008 calendar retaining those in this year’s calendar, excepting the holiday on November 7.

The meeting was told that work for formulation of a project proposal to construct 500 more multipurpose cyclone shelters has started.

It was also suggested that steps could be taken to construct 500 shelters for domestic animals.

The meeting was informed that the education ministry would quickly send Tk 2 lakh for buying textbooks for the SSC and HSC examinees. It was also decided that cyclone-affected SSC and HSC candidates for 2008 examinations will fill up forms without fee.

An allocation of Tk 45 core was given on upazila basis for repairing primary schools. Date of annual examination will be fixed consulting local DC and authorities concerned.

The primary scholarship examination has been shifted to mid-January from previously scheduled mid-December.

The finance ministry has allocated an additional amount of Tk 50 core for reconstruction of damaged communications and power infrastructures and arrangement for ensuring drinking water, it was informed in the meeting.

FE Report

Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury said Wednesday shaping Bangladesh as a corruption-free nation would largely depend on the quality of future leadership.

“The matter with regard to shaping the future of Bangladesh depends largely on the quality of future leadership… And the leadership will have to be free from corruption,” he said.

Mashhud was speaking on “The role of the ACC in Shaping the Future of Bangladesh” at the monthly luncheon meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) held at Hotel Sheraton in the city with the AmCham President Syed Ershad Ahmed in the chair.

The continuation of current drive against corruption also depends on the willingness and support of the people of Bangladesh, he said while responding to a query about the future of the ACC’s anti-graft drive under the next political government.

“If the people want the ACC to function effectively, definitely, it will do so,” he said, adding that the people should work together to make the Commission more functional and effective.

Mashhud said the ACC is doing its jobs keeping two main objectives - prosecution and prevention - in mind.

On the one hand, the Commission is pursuing all the corruption-related cases for justice, it is continuing the campaign against corruption on the other, he observed.

“The main objective of the ACC is to ensure good governance and accountability by eliminating corruption from the society and we are closely working with the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TI for achieving such goals,” he said, adding.

Referring to the TIB’s figures, the ACC chairman said Bangladesh suffers losses to the tune of Tk 70 billion per annum because of corruption. With that amount, 800 rural hospitals and 12000 primary schools could be built, he said.

Responding to a question about the selection process of graft cases, Mashhud said, “We have not only made our office transparent, but also we are dealing with such cases fairly.”

Replying to another question, he said, “I do not believe in the existing official secrecy act… And also the people do not like such law.”

He also expressed the hope that the government would definitely formulate a new law that will ensure the people’s access to information.

Syed Zahirul Abedin
The New Nation

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday hailed the country’s political parties for launching relief operations among the cyclone-affected people in the southern districts.

On the other hand, Communications Adviser Major General MA Matin said the foreign forces, including the US Marines were delivering food, water and medical supplies to the cyclone-affected areas along with the Bangladesh defence forces.

Charge d Affaires of the US Embassy in Bangladesh Geeta Pasi assured of continuous help for the cyclone-affected people of Bangladesh.

After visiting different cyclone affected areas, including Swarankhola in Bagerhat, Mathbaria in Pirojpur and Amuya under Kathalia upazila in Jhalakathi yesterday, Dr Fakhruddin was replying the queries of journalists at the Central Relief and Rehabilitation Coordination Center premises at Barisal Airport yesterday afternoon.

The Chief Adviser hailed starting relief distribution work by different political parties and organisations saying that it was the duties and responsibilities of political parties to stand beside the distressed people and help them to overcome the crisis. The political parties would be benefited in the long run for their tasks for this noble cause.

He also urged the political parties to carry out their relief activities in coordination with local administration and local government.

Communications Adviser and Chief Coordinator of Relief and Rehabilitation Work Major General (Retd) MA Matin, GOC of 55 Division of Bangladesh Army Major General Rafiqul Islam, senior officials of the district and divisional administration and Armed Forces were present during the press briefing of the Chief Adviser at Barisal Airport.

Meanwhile, US Charge d Affairs Geeta Pasi said yesterday that Bangladesh was a good friend of the United States and the assistance for the distressed people in the cyclone-affected areas of Bangladesh would continue as long as they needed.

While talking with journalists at Barisal Airport, she said both the United States and Bangladesh had been working side by side over the years, including the all times of joy and sorrow.

“The United States feels very anxiousness about the Sidr hit people of Bangladesh and the US forces are carrying out relief operations under the guidance of the Bangladesh government, and they are accompanied by the Bangladeshi officials to the affected areas,” she said.

“We’re satisfied about the relief and rehabilitation activities and steps taken by the Bangladesh government in before and after the cyclone Sidr as well as their success in disaster management.

The US will provide additional 10 million dollars to help distressed people,” she also said.

Brigadier General Ronald L Bailey, Brigade Commander of the Third Marine Expeditionary Brigade of the USA, also accompanied the US envoy to the affected areas during her visits.

Meanwhile, Communi-cations Adviser Major General MA Matin said yesterday that there was no scope of raising controversies about the movement of foreign forces in the cyclone Sidr affected areas.

Reiterating his earlier comments, Matin said the foreign forces, including US Marines came to serve the distressed people in Bangladesh and would not stay for a single more day than required for relief and rehabilitation operations.

Meanwhile, the US Navy helicopters yesterday resumed delivery of emergency supplies to survivors of the deadly cyclone along the country’s southern coast in a joint relief operation, officials said.

Helicopters from the USS Kearsarge started airlifting 5,000 water containers on Monday to remote areas of Dublar Char, Bagherat and Barguna, the worst affected districts in the November 15 cyclone that killed more than 3,200 people.

Survivors of the storm, many of them without food, water or shelter, welcomed the aid.

“They have come all the way from a distant country to help us. It is a blessing from Allah,” said Abdus Salam, a 65-year-old farmer in Barguna district.

“They are bringing us water and food. That is what we now need most,” said Salam, who lost two children in the cyclone.

In the coming days, US troops also will deliver food and other supplies, help set up water purification plants and provide medical care to victims.

“I believe our operation is going very well,” said Rear Admiral Carol Pottenger, the commander of USS Kearsarge, yesterday.

Pottenger said her teams are working in cooperation with Bangladeshi authorities. Clean water, medicines and food remain the most priority need for the desperate survivors, she said.

Bangladesh has received pledges of international aid of more than $500 million, including $250 million from the World Bank.

The US will also help airlift 160 tons of relief goods from Bangladeshi government supplies, the American Embassy said.

A US military KC-130 aircraft arrived at the Zia International Airport to deliver water purification systems to affected areas. A second American ship, the USNS Concord, was nearby to re-supply the Kearsarge, the US Embassy said.

With many wells destroyed by the cyclone, there was a critical need for clean water to prevent the spread of cholera and diarrhea.

The US Embassy also said an Army medical team that had been in Bangladesh on a separate mission was deployed to Pataukhali district along with medics from the Kearsarge.

The Bangladesh military is constructing more than 200 helipads in the coastal region, said the US Embassy sources. The government will give loans and materials to rebuild homes, a source said. More than 4,50,000 homes were damaged by the cyclone.

At least 13 Bangladesh navy ships also were involved in relief work, distributing food and clothes. India and Pakistan have also sent military planes and hospital ships.

The Asian Development Bank said natural disasters in Bangladesh this year might bring down the country’s GDP growth to below 6 per cent, from 6.5 percent predicted earlier.

The ADB said economic losses from floods have amounted to $1.4 billion. The bank was still assessing the losses from the latest cyclone.

Communications Adviser Major General (Retd) MA Matin who has set up field office in Barisal, said yesterday that foreign forces, including US Marines, have come to Bangladesh to serve the distressed people and will not stay a single day more than required for relief and rehabilitation work.
The Adviser, also in charge of coordinating relief and rehabilitation activities in the cyclone-affected areas, made the observations at Barisal Airport on Monday noon during a short break on his way to Barguna.

Narrating his experience gained during the 1991 cyclone, General Matin said that time also the US armed forces had stood by the affected people of this country.

“At that time we gathered experience from the US force-what they did within 10 to 12 days would have taken many more days,” he said.

“They are serving the people here. So there is no scope for any confusion or question about the aims, work and stay of the foreign forces in Bangladesh,” said General Matin, who also heads the national coordination committee on grave offences.

The post-cyclone relief operation in the Sidr battered coastal belt of the country received a new boost yesterday with the involvement of the US marines in the operation.

A Pakistani medical team led by Lt Col Shawkat of Pakistan Army was providing free medical services in the cyclone-affected area. Two Pakistan Navy ships -PNS Nasr and PNS Shahjahan - are expected to reach Chittagong today on a four-day goodwill mission they will distribute relief materials, medicines and establish water purification plants in coordination with Bangladesh Navy.
A coordination meeting on the joint relief operation of the Bangladesh and USA in the cyclone affected area was held in the Army Headquarter in the city yesterday.

Chaired by Army Chief Moeen U Ahmed, the meeting was attended, among others, from Bangladesh side by PSO of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury, Chief of General Staff Major General Sinha Ibne Jamali, and from US side Charge d’ Affaires US Embassy in Dhaka Geeta Pasi, and 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade Commander Brigadier General Ronald L Bailey.

A US KC-130 aircraft arrived at Zia International Airport yesterday to begin delivering more water purifying systems to the affected areas. In the coming days, the US plans to assist in the airlifting of 160 tons of goods form existing Bangladesh supplies, concerned officials said.
The USS Kearsarge continues to reach more areas with much needed fresh water. Troops from the Kearsarge used helicopters to begin airlifting 5,000 refillable 5.5 gallon (21 liters) water containers to various locations, including Dublar Char, Bagerhat and Barguna districts.

In addition, a US Army medical team which has been in country since early November providing medical support as part of a separate programme, has been deployed to the Patukhali area along with medics of the Kearsarge, to provide additional medical support to over-stretched Bangladeshi resources there.

In the coming days this medical team plans to visit four different locations in the affected area to provide medical assistance.

The USS Kearsarge, currently off the coast of Bangladesh, is playing a primary role in supporting the US assistance mission.

The USNS Concord is in the vicinity of Bangladesh and has re-supplied the Kearsarge, while the USS Essex, originally intended to support the Kearsarge, will, instead, continue with its scheduled plans, says a press release of US Embassy here.

The Pakistan army medical team set up a temporary hospital in Bhandaria Upzila under Jhalakathi district. They will provide medical services to 12 thousand cyclone affected people in the locality, reports our Barisal Correspondent.

Meanwhile the death toll from the cyclone ‘Sidr’ rose to 3,243 till 9am Monday which was 3,061 till 4:30pm Sunday, according to the statistics released by the Ministry of Disaster Management.
The ministry officials said, over 68.51 lakh people in 30 districts were affected by the nature’s fury that also left 34,508 people injured and 1,180 others missing.

It said 12 districts were hit worst by the terrible storm that left a trail of destruction, especially to standing crops, in the areas.

The damages include crops on 4,61,819 acres (completely) and 13,27,399 acres (partially), 3,65,670 houses (completely) and 8,42,657 others (partially), 1,355 educational institutions (completely) and 7,893 others (partially), 648 kms roads (completely) and 88,580 kms roads (partially), 1,654 bridges and culverts, 615 kms dams and 33,69,366 trees and plants.

ISPR in a press release said, Bangladesh Navy (BN) has geared up its ongoing relief operations for cyclone battered people at different parts of the southern districts of Bhola and Barguna.
Presently a total of 13 Bangladesh Navy ships are engaged in carrying and distributing relief materials among the victims at five upazilas in Barguna district.

Chittagong area commander and naval contingents deployed at cyclone hit areas in Bhola distributed cash and other relief materials among people on Sunday.

Similarly the members of naval contingents also distributed relief materials among 674 families in Barguna district and members of contingent are increased for supplying relief materials at remote areas of five upazilas in the district.

Members of the Bangladesh Air Force continued their relief operations at different parts of southern districts of the country.

Pakistani naval ships will be kept open for visitors on November 29 from 1500 hrs to 1630 hrs at New Mooring Container Terminal 3 and 4. Chittagong port gate CCT-1 will be used for the visitors, says the ISPR press release.

UNB adds: Four teams of US Marines started work at Southkhali and Dublarchar of Bagerhat, Bamna of Barguna and Kalapara, Rangabali and Dashmina of Patuakhali district.
They have already arranged purification and supply of drinking water with relief items and medical aid and soon will open a 125-bed hospital in Mirzaganj upazila headquarters for treatment of diarrhoea before it can spread as an epidemic.
Besides, a 104-member-strong team of Pakistan Army medical corps with ambulances, medicines and other medical equipment are working in Mathbaria, Zianagar and Patharghata upazilas and adjacent areas.

A 30-bed field hospital of the Pakistan Army has been set up with operation theatre in Bhandaria upazila town of Pirojpur district to serve the storm-stricken people of the region, the central relief and rehabilitation coordinator told his audience at the relief headquarters (Barisal).
In the Sidr-affected areas 424 medical teams are working and relief and rehabilitation works, including repair and construction of houses and communications, also going on with the help of Bangladesh Armed forces.

On the other hand, two more helicopters, carrying 2,500 gallons of drinking water, left Barisal Airport for the affected areas on Monday. Four planes of Bangladesh Armed Forces offloaded 50 tons of medicines, blankets and other relief supplies for the Sidr-distressed people the same day.
The distressed fishermen and farmers would be provided with easy-term bank loans and other help for their rehabilitation, the Adviser Matin informed.

“Any indiscipline, mismanagement, corruption, misappropriation of money and black marketing in relief works and items, hike and manipulation of price and hoarding of essential commodities would be tackled hardly,” he said on a note of caution.

After the briefing, the Adviser left Barisal Airport by a helicopter to visit the storm-ravaged areas of Barguna, one of the coastal districts worst hit by the November 15 cyclone that took a toll of several thousand people dead and devastated the country’s southwestern coastal localities.
Major General Rafiqul Islam, general commanding officer of 55 division of the army, was present during the visit.

Bangladesh, Monday, November 26, 2007

US marine troops inspecting the Barisal Airport where eight planes from home and abroad are landing every day. Massive relief operations were launched for thousands of people in cyclone-affected districts yesterday from the Relief and Rehabilitation Coordination Headquarters set up at Barisal Airport.

The Bangladesh Army, in cooperation with the United States Marine Corps launched a massive humanitarian mission for hundreds of thousands of cyclone survivors in southern districts by helicopters from a makeshift airbase in the river port of Barisal, officials said yesterday.

The US Marines arrived over the weekend aboard the US warship USS Kearsarge to help Bangladesh deal with the aftermath of the super- cyclone SIDR, which pulverized the fragile coastline on November 16.

Officials said that the new coordination center would ensure quick and better distribution of relief materials and logistic support to the thousands of cyclone victims.

“We’re giving highest priority to the proper distribution of relief materials among the cyclone-affected people in a coordinated manner from Barisal,” a senior government relief official told The New Nation yesterday.

Local disaster management officials said Barisal was chosen as the location for an airbase for the Marines in order to coordinate the delivery of food, bottled water and medicines to the stricken cyclone survivors.

Bangladesh Air Force is now flying relief goods with 13 helicopters and planes in the cyclone-hit areas, officials said.

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed has said the Bangladesh Army would start distribution of food in the remote areas of the cyclone affected districts from today (Monday) in cooperation with the US Marines.

While receiving donations for the cyclone victims yesterday, he said as many as 96 makeshift helipads have already been constructed at the union level to ensure reaching the relief materials to the remote areas.

Different individuals and organisations yesterday donated Tk 6.10 crore to the Bangladesh Army’s Relief Fund for the distressed people in the cyclone-affected areas.

Receiving the donations, the Army Chief conveyed his heartfelt thanks to them for standing beside the distressed humanity at this crucial period.

Moeen said right now the main objective of the Bangladesh Army is to send food to the remote areas. Members of the Bangladesh Army is working relentlessly in this regard.

The army chief also called for coordination in relief operations, as many survivors remained without adequate aid nine days after the cyclone ravaged 12 southern districts.

“Please coordinate with us, so that we can dispatch your relief goods to the survivors who need it most,” General Moeen told them..

Moeen said US Navy ships had arrived to conduct relief operations for survivors in coordination with the Bangladesh government.

The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and another ship, the USS Essex are now in Bangladeshi waters to assist the authorities.

Each ship carries about 20 helicopters, which will help in delivering water, food and medical supplies to remote areas in the south and southwestern regions, officials said.

A pair of Marine helicopters carried 750 gallons (3,410 litres) of bottled waters yesterday from the USS Kearsarge to the southern coastal city of Barisal.

Government relief officials said the two ships would start full-fledged relief operations from today (Monday).

“If we can utilise the huge capabilities of the U.S. ships, we can successfully conduct a useful relief operation for the survivors,” Moeen said.

On the other hand, the coordination committee held a meeting at the center at Barisal Airport yesterday morning, which was attended, among others, by the Army, Navy and Air Force officials.

After the meeting, Maj Gen Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, General Commanding Officer of Jessore Cantonment and Regional Coordinator of Relief Operations, told reporters that the property losses caused by cyclone is estimated at US$ 2.3 billion, or Tk 16,100 crore. The amount of assistance received so far is Tk 3,290 crore.

He said a mobile medical team of the US Army would start working in the cyclone ravaged areas from today.

“The relief operations have gathered pace with the arrival of more aid from donor countries, agencies and private charities. We’ve also got increased logistics support,” said Navy commander Bashir Ahmed, who is coordinating help to the worst-hit Barguna district. Ahmed said he believed virtually all survivors had now received at least two deliveries of aid.

The needs, however, remained huge and it would take weeks to ensure adequate supplies to all victims, he added.

US marines from the USS Kearsarge were carrying out airlifts of water and other supplies for a second day, a US embassy official said.

In the badly-hit Patharghata town, local administrator Salim Khan told reporters supplies were finally reaching victims. “The emergency crisis is overcome,” he said, adding, however, that more materials would be needed later.

Aid workers said getting fresh water to victims remained a priority as the prospect of outbreaks of water-borne diseases looms.

Many of those in coastal districts have seen their traditional sources of drinking water contaminated by saline water which cannot be treated by water purification tablets.

“Some 1,734 people are missing,” said Major Nawrose, who uses one name, of the armed forces control room, adding that many of those unaccounted for were likely to have been swept away by the tidal surge.

Others were fishermen who “went out to sea before the cyclone and did not return, although we cannot say they are all dead yet,” Nawrose added.

In Patharghata, popularly known as the fishing capital of Bangladesh, the industry directly supports 200,000 people.

Coastguards and the government’s weather department had warned boats to stay in port as the cyclone approached. But many villagers told reporters that they did not take the warning seriously because of frequent previous alerts.

One person died and 10 more were seriously injured on Saturday when a bridge in village Kalapara in Patharghata of Patuakhali district collapsed under the weight of 1,000 people queueing for relief.

The United Nations estimates that the cyclone has affected 6.7 million people in 30 of the country’s 64 districts, causing severe economic losses.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN said 92,000 hectares of crops had been ruined, 500,000 hectares partly damaged and around 350,000 livestock lost.

“Serious damage has also been observed in the fisheries and shrimp aquaculture sectors,” a statement said.

About 4 million people in 12 districts in south-western Bangladesh were hit by the cyclone that razed villages, toppled trees and damaged road and rail lines. Most of the affected are poor fishermen, rice growers and shrimp farmers.

An estimated 1 million people have to be sheltered against the upcoming biting winter while another 2.6 million living in abject poverty need food provisions.

Meanwhile, more than two million cyclone survivors in Bangladesh’s southwest coastal areas are in dire need of “immediate, life-saving” food assistance, the United Nations said in a rapid assessment report.

The report noted that immediate drinking water supplies are required for an estimated 1.2 million people, after the cyclone contaminated water wells in the worst affected areas.

The UN assessment also identified the rapid need to expand the distribution of nutritionally balanced rations of rice, pulses, oil and other foodstuffs. “Food and water are the highest priority needs to help the victims save their lives,” the report said.

Materials such as tents, tarpaulins and corrugated iron sheets, wood, poles and tools are high priority items in the worst affected districts, where houses located near shorelines were the most damaged. “This is particularly urgent since temperatures are dropping with the advent of winter. Blankets and warm clothing are also important in this regard,” the report added.

The quick repair of medical facilities and health clinics, the restoration of electricity and assistance in re-establishing sanitation facilities are also critical, according to the assessment report.

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NEW DELHI (AFP) — Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen remained in hiding in India on Saturday, fearing attacks from radical Muslims who see her work as blasphemous, officials said.

The author was driven to the Indian capital New Delhi late on Friday under police escort and housed under tight security at an official residence, Indian media said.

The Press Trust of India said Nasreen was at Rajasthan House, a state government guest house, but authorities declined to confirm her location.

Federal cabinet ministers attended a meeting late on Friday to review security for the 45-year-old author, who has said her fugitive existence had pushed her to the brink of emotional breakdown.

“Keeping her (Taslima) safe is the most important task at hand in this case,” said foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The cabinet “discussed issues related to security for Nasreen’s stay in India in view of the threats issued by some fundamentalist Muslim organisations,” a senior official, who asked to remain unnamed, told AFP.

Riots by thousands of Muslims in Kolkata calling for the writer’s expulsion from the country led to Nasreen being rushed out the eastern city late on Thursday.

The Times of India said Kolkata police had informed Nasreen she was in imminent danger of an attack by Muslim extremists and moved her from the capital of the Marxist-ruled West Bengal state.

Police in Kolkata put her on a flight to Jaipur in the western state of Rajasthan but the local government there told her to leave at dawn on Friday because of what it said were “security reasons.”

The doctor-turned-author who was raised in a conservative Muslim family but now describes herself as a “secular humanist” said on Friday the events had put a huge strain her.

“I am mentally distressed. I am not well at all,” Nasreen told the Press Trust of India. “I am not in a position to talk. I am shattered.”

“I have no place to go. India is my home, and I would like to keep living in this country till I die,” she said.

Nasreen fled her Muslim-majority homeland of Bangladesh in 1994 after huge street protests by demonstrators who decried her writings blasphemous and demanded her “execution.”

Kolkata was calm on Saturday after soldiers were called out earlier in the week to control Muslim rioters who demanded Nasreen’s expulsion from India for allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammad.

Officials denied media reports which said New Delhi had extended her Indian visa, due to expire on February 17, 2008.

The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded that the government grant her permanent residence, saying she should be allowed the same freedom of speech enjoyed by those who make anti-Hindu remarks.

Writers and film producers also pressed the government to guarantee her refuge.

West Bengal has a large Muslim population and shares the Bengali language and much of the culture of Bangladesh.

“I am a Bengali in mind… I want to stay here,” Nasreen told AFP in September.

Senior members of West Bengal’s Marxist-ruling coalition have accused the government of “surrender” to fundamentalist forces in letting Nasreen be “hounded out” of the state.

Extremist Muslims accuse her of blasphemy over her 1994 novel “Lajja” or “Shame” and have called for her execution for that and other works.

Nasreen took up residence in Kolkata in 2004 after spending years in Europe and the United States. Her time in India has been fraught with controversy.

In March, a Muslim group in India’s Uttar Pradesh state offered a bounty for the beheading of what it called that “notorious woman” who “has put Muslims to shame.”

Bangladesh, Saturday, November 24, 2007

US Pacific Commander Admiral Timothy J Keating paid a courtesy call on Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed at Army Headquarters, Dhaka Cantonment on Friday. Photo : ISPR Army chief General Moeen U Ahmed yesterday apparently dismissed some political parties’ plea for lifting the state of emergency to make way for their effective participation in on-going relief works.

“Tell me, has it any link with politics?” he told reporters after a meeting with US Pacific Commander Admiral Timothy J. Keating at the Army headquarters.

PSO Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury, CGS Maj Gen Sina Ibne Jamali and US Charge d’ Affaires Geeta Pasi were present at the meeting.

Gen Moeen said people of all walks of life came forward to serve distressed humanity after the November 15 cyclone saying, “We will be able to reach food to each union and each home.”

He suggested establishment of shelters for cattle alongside more cyclone centres as he said cyclone ‘Sidr’ took the toll of more than five lakh cattlehead as officially stated.
He deplored that no new cyclone centre was set up after 1991 although population has increased manifold since then.

Welcoming the US Navy ships that carry helicopters and medical facilities to aid relief operation, the General said US helicopters will airlift food from Dhaka and Chittagong and drop those to Barisal from where food will be reached to the affected areas.

“It will be a great help… There will be no dearth of food in the affected areas,” he said, recalling that the Operation Sea Angel had contributed a lot to relief and rehabilitation works after 1991 cyclone.

He said a Joint Forces Headquarters has been set up in Barisal to coordinate relief operations between government, NGOs and other social organisations.

The Army chief said that most urgent needs at the moment are food, pure water, clothes and powdered milk. He said US provided 10 water treatment plants and more will be coming. Besides, army water treatment plants were also pressed into operation.
“Inshallah, we will overcome the crisis soon with cooperation from all,” he told reporters.

Later, talking to reporters at Zia International Airport, Admiral Keating expressed sympathy for those who were killed and whose lives have been shattered by the cyclone.
He said they arrived here with the permission of the Bangladesh government to provide assistance for the cyclone victims. They will carry food, provide medical treatment for the injured and supply pure water.

Asked about sensitivity of the US Navy ships’ presence, Keating said “I don’t think there should be sensitivity. We’ve remarkable capacity and when requested, we’re anxious to provide that assistance. We don’ t go where we are not wanted.”
Asked how long the US ships will stay in Bangladesh, the Admiral said, “As long as it needs.”

Earlier, the US Admiral was briefed at the Armed Forces Division on deaths and destruction caused by ‘Sidr’ in 15 south and southwestern coastal districts.
The US ship was anchored at 30 kms off the Chittagong port.
The USS Essex and USS Kearsarge carry helicopters, hovercraft and equipped with hospital facilities. The first ship was scheduled to arrive here today and the second on November 27.

US Charge d’ Affaires Geeta Pasi said the United States is present in Bangladesh since her independence in 1971 and is engaged in improving livelihood in this country through various projects funded by USAID.

“We are expected to respond to the immediate needs. This is our strong partnership with Bangladesh,” she said.

This is going to be the second US Navy relief operation after 1991 when Joint Task Force Sea Angel arrived here after Cyclone Marian pounded on the country’s southeastern Chittagong region on April 29, 1991.

Cyclone Marian coupled with 8-feet tidal surge devastated Chittagong region, killing nearly 140,000 people and leaving over 5 million people homeless.

Operation Sea Angel began operation on 10 May and involved over 7,000 US soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen. It continued operation till June 13, 1991.

The US Navy was prepared yesterday to deliver much-needed food and medical supplies to hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis stricken by Cyclone Sidr.

The arrival of the USS Kearsage off the Bangladesh coast came as authorities and aid workers warned that the South Asian country faces acute food shortages after the devastating storm ravaged crops and destroyed infrastructure across a large swath of the country.

“We are here to help the people in their time of need,” Adm. Timothy Keating, the top US military commander in the Pacific Ocean, told reporters.

The first ship arrived on Thursday and Keating said a second ship, the USS Essex, would arrive in the coming days.

The ships are each carrying about 20 helicopters, which will help delivering water, food and medical supplies to survivors in remote areas, US officials said.

“We are excited to be able to respond to the immediate needs of the survivors,” said Geeta Pasi.

The government has pledged to feed more than two million people left destitute by the storm, which killed more than 3,000.

But since the Nov 15 storm hit coastal belt of Bangladesh, officials and relief agencies have struggled to get desperately needed rice, drinking water and tents to remote villages cut off when rain and winds washed out roads.

The government has promised to distribute 33 pounds of rice per month to each of the estimated 2.5 million people in need, many of them in crowded relief camps, starting Dec 1, said Tapan Chowdhoury, Adviser on food and disaster management. The programme will last at least four months, he said.

Kelly Stevenson, the Bangladesh director of Save the Children, said the charity estimates that 50 to 90 per cent of the region’s rice crop has been destroyed, leaving up to 3 million people at risk of food shortages over the next six months.

But in the short term, aid workers were struggling to get supplies to the devastated coastal region, where shortages have led to fistfights among survivors.

“Thousands of families are facing the real possibility of a second wave of death that can result from lack of clean water, food, shelter and medical supplies,” said Stevenson.
Meanwhile, several aid groups continued work to help orphans or children who were traumatised by the cyclone experience.

“Some saw their relatives killed by trees that fell on their homes, or they saw dead bodies - something many of them had never seen before,” Raphael Palma of World Vision Bangladesh said. “They are still somehow traumatised and need support.”

UNICEF has set up special shelters for children affected by the storm, providing medical and psychological support as well as recreational activities, said agency spokeswoman Zafrin Chowdhury.

UNICEF was also working with local groups to place children orphaned during the storm with surviving relatives, Chowdhury said.

With many drinking water wells destroyed by the cyclone, the need for clean water was becoming critical to ward off deadly waterborne diseases such as cholera and severe diarrhoea.

A week after the storm, bodies were also still washing ashore.

The official death toll stood at 3,199, said Lt. Col. Main Ullah Chowdhury, spokesman for the army. The Disaster Management Ministry said 1,724 people were missing and 28,188 people had been injured. It said the cyclone destroyed 458,804 houses and partially damaged another 665,529.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The U.S. Navy prepared Friday to deliver much-needed food and medical supplies to hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis stricken by Cyclone Sidr, a top U.S. military commander said.

The arrival of the USS Kearsarge off the Bangladesh coast came as authorities and aid workers warned that the South Asian country faces acute food shortages after the devastating storm ravaged crops and destroyed infrastructure across a large swath of the country.

“We are here to help the people in their time of need,” Adm. Timothy Keating, the top U.S. military commander in the Pacific Ocean, told reporters.

The first ship arrived Thursday and Keating said a second ship, the USS Essex, would arrive in the coming days.

About 300 members from a small Islamic group, Hizbut Tahrir, briefly demonstrated in Dhaka against the arrival of the ships, saying they were a threat to Bangladesh’s security.

“Go back! We don’t want the warships,” shouted the protesters at the city’s largest state-run mosque after Friday prayers. A contingent of riot police stopped them from pouring into the streets.

The U.S. ships are each carrying about 20 helicopters, which will help in delivering water, food and medical supplies to survivors in remote areas, U.S. officials said.

Officers from the Kearsarge spent most of Friday meeting with Bangladeshi military commanders to coordinate the operation, which will include a survey of the ravaged zone to pinpoint the neediest areas, U.S. officials said.

The delivery of relief supplies is expected to start Saturday, said Geeta Pasi, the top U.S. diplomat in Dhaka.

“We are excited to be able to respond to the immediate needs of the survivors,” said Pasi.

U.S. medical teams have been distributing water purification tablets in the stricken zones to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases, Pasi added.

With many drinking water wells destroyed by the cyclone, the need for clean water was becoming critical to ward off cholera and severe diarrhea.

The government has pledged to feed more than two million people left destitute by the storm, which killed more than 3,000.

But since the Nov. 15 storm hit southwestern Bangladesh, officials and relief agencies have struggled to get desperately needed rice, drinking water and tents to remote villages cut off when rain and winds washed out roads.

The government has promised to distribute 33 pounds of rice per month to each of the estimated 2.5 million people in need, many of them in crowded relief camps, starting Dec. 1, said Tapan Chowdhoury, the government’s adviser on food and disaster management. The program will last at least four months, he said.

Kelly Stevenson, the Bangladesh director of Save the Children, said the charity estimates that 50 to 90 percent of the region’s rice crop has been destroyed, leaving up to 3 million people at risk of food shortages over the next six months.

Bangladesh has received pledges of international aid of $450 million, including $250 million from the World Bank, Food and Disaster Management secretary Mohammad Ayub Mia said Thursday after a meeting with donors.

But in the short term, aid workers were struggling to get supplies to the devastated coastal region, where shortages have led to fistfights among survivors.

“Thousands of families are facing the real possibility of a second wave of death that can result from lack of clean water, food, shelter and medical supplies,” said Stevenson.

The official death toll stood at 3,199, said Lt. Col. Main Ullah Chowdhury, spokesman for the army. The Disaster Management Ministry said 1,724 people were missing and 28,188 people had been injured. It said the cyclone destroyed 458,804 houses and partially damaged another 665,529.

Associated Press writers Parveen Ahmed in Dhaka and Tofayel Ahmed in Cox’s Bazar contributed to this report.

The controversial Bangladeshi writer, Taslima Nasreem, has been moved from the eastern Indian city of Kolkata after protests by Muslim militants turned to riots, and baton-wielding troops were deployed on the streets.

Dozens of people were injured in the violence, and more than a hundred arrested, with protesters calling for Taslima Nasreen to be expelled from India altogether, after accusing her of offending Muslim sentiments.

It’s been alleged she called for the Qur’an to be changed to give women greater rights, although Taslima Nasreen has denied making the comments.

Veena Nair, president of Indian NGO Women’s Political Watch, has told Radio Australia’s Connect Asia program, says Taslima Nasreen has not backed away from things she has said in the past.

“Looking at her track record, she’s not drawn to saying things which she backtracks on,” she said.

“And secondly, I think Islam itself does offer a lot of good positions for women, but it’s the interpretation by the vested sections that makes Muslim women’s positions weak.”

Political pressure

Taslima Nasreen rose to prominence in 1993, after her first book, Shame, detailing violence against women in Bangladesh, prompted Islamic fundamentalists to issue a fatwa against her.

She was forced to leave Bangladesh and lived in Sweden before settling in India’s West Bengal state on a visitor’s visa which has been renewed every six months.

Veena Nair says the Indian government should not bow to growing pressure to not renew Taslima Nasreen’s visa or move her to another state.

Mohammed Rahman, a bioengineering graduate student, is spearheading an international project to evaluate a screening device for oral cancer that he helped design and submitted for patent while at Rice.

The device, called the portable screening system (PS2), is an inexpensive, battery-operated optical instrument that uses principles of fluorescence imaging to distinguish between normal and precancerous tissue.

The PS2 uses light-emitting diodes and a miniature camera to generate and detect the autofluorescence signals of biomarkers found in relatively high amounts in oral cavity tissue. The PS2 can help dentists and surgeons in tissue biopsy and in tumor detection.

Rahman’s nine-month research internship, which is funded by a 2007-2008 Whitaker International Fellows Grant, is part of a collaborative effort among Rice’s Department of Bioengineering, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, India.

“This is a very exciting opportunity in my Ph.D. pursuit,” wrote Rahman in an e-mail from Mumbai. “Not only did I design a biomedical instrument in the Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Laboratory, but I also have the chance to test it in a real clinical setting where oral cancer is prevalent.”

Rahman, a U.S. citizen born in Bangladesh, chose to conduct the study in India because Tata Memorial Hospital is the largest cancer institution in south Asia, and India and its neighboring countries have the highest incidence rates for many acute and chronic diseases, including oral cancer.

“The fellowship is ideal for my future goals to conduct research, promote technology transfer and bridge the health disparity that exists in the region,” said Rahman.

Rahman works under the supervision of Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Stanley C. Moore Professor, chair of the Bioengineering Department and professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Ann Gillenwater, associate professor and associate surgeon of head and neck surgery at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Fund raising event for Cyclone victims in Bangladesh

Date:
Saturday, 01 December 2007

Time:
6:00PM – 10:00PM

Venue:
Somerville High School
81 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
Google Map

For more information:
Salam Syed (857) 998-1183

In address to nation Dr Fakhruddin terms cyclone a national catastrophe

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said the nation is facing a catastrophe caused by the deadly cyclone SIDR and made a clarion call to all irrespective of party and opinion to stand beside the distressed people with whatever they could spare.
“There is no alternative to concerted and united efforts to effectively combat this national catastrophe,” he said in an address to the nation over radio and television in the evening, a day after witnessing the scenes of devastation along the country’s southern coast.
Fakhruddin, who cancelled his visit to Uganda to attend the Commonwealth Summit, scheduled for November 23-25, in view of the exigencies at home, expressed the hope that all irrespective of party affiliation would come forward in helping out the helpless and distressed humanity.
The head of caretaker government urged the business community to be sensitive and prove their social accountability in controlling the price hike of essential commodities.
He said the government is trying its best to deal with the post-cyclone situation with its own resources. But, given the resource constraints, the government will welcome any assistance from Bangladesh’s friendly countries, development partners and others.
Fakhruddin said the government has set up an effective mechanism to deliver the relief goods to the affected people and ensure their primary rehabilitation.
Referring to the cancellation of his visit to Uganda to attend the Commonwealth summit in Kampala, the Chief Adviser said that he does not think it wise to leave the country, even if for a brief period of time, in view of the enormity of the disaster.
“Let’s come to keep alive the indomitable and courageous people of Bangladesh devastated by cataclysm and rekindle their hope for new life,” he told the nation in an emotional address.
Expressing his gratitude to those who have expressed sympathy and extended their support so far for the distressed humanity, Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed said the government has been facing the present situation through internal resources.
“But, we will welcome support from the friendly countries, development partners and others due to resource constraint,” he said adding that the government has already built up a strong management structure in conducting initial rehabilitation activities including distribution of relief materials to the distressed people.
“I have seen unimaginable destruction in the affected areas, visiting there more than once.”
“I have listened to the destitute,” the Chief Adviser said.
He said about 40,000 people had been affected by the cyclone.
“Several thousands of them are dead. The figure is rising gradually and the number of the injured is enormous,” the interim government head said.
“It is very difficult to count the missing.”
“The number of totally or partially destroyed houses is about nine lakh.”
“Although the severity of the cyclone was greater than the 1991 cyclone, the casualty figure was far less thanks to preparedness,” Fakhruddin said.
“But we should not be complacent. We have to find ways to limit damage and casualties from future natural disasters.”
The chief adviser said the armed forces launched rescue and relief operations in disaster zones and private organisations, aid agencies and other NGOs combined forces with them.
“We are grateful to all of them.”

By SIMON ROBINSON

In all, some 27 million people were affected by Cyclone Sidr, the category 4 storm that swept through Bangladesh last week, flattening houses, damaging buildings and roads, and destroying thousands of acres of crops. More than 2,000 people were killed, according to official numbers, and the toll could eventually reach 10,000. But even as Bangladesh begins a massive cleanup operation, many are thankful that it wasn’t much worse. As devastating as it was, Sidr has taken far fewer lives than 1991’s Cyclone Gorky, which killed at least 138,000 people, and 1970’s Bhola, which left as many as 500,000 people dead and is considered the deadliest cyclone, and one of the worst natural disasters, in human history.
Mainly, this is because Bangladesh has gotten a lot better at dealing with cyclones, which build in the Bay of Bengal and surge north to hit the country with dreadful regularity. Over the past decade especially, the country’s early warning and preparedness systems have improved considerably. Officials evacuated some 3.2 million people who lived along the coastline in the days before Sidr hit, and stockpiled relief supplies and rescue equipment. Soon after the storm passed, the Bangladeshi government quickly began distributing 4,000 metric tons of rice, along with thousands of tents and blankets, and deployed more than 700 medical teams to the worst-affected areas. Early warnings and preparations had a “significant mitigating effect in this emergency,” according to the United Nations Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “[The system] has worked much, much better than before,” says A. Atiq Rahman, executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, of the country’s disaster preparations. “The death toll is going to be an order of magnitude less.”

Still, keeping future death tolls low is likely to get a lot harder. Scientists believe that global warming will make cyclones in the region bigger and more frequent. That’s bad news for Bangladesh, whose location and geography makes it not only particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change but also extremely hard to protect. Most of Bangladesh sits on the giant alluvial delta created by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, whose courses are constantly shifting, making it difficult to build up river banks to protect farmland. A World Bank project, backed by France, Japan and the U.S., would construct 8,000 km of dikes to control the rivers, but the $10 billion proposal has run into opposition from farmers whose land it would take. Massive Dutch-style dikes to hold back the sea — and future cyclone-induced waves — are probably even more unworkable. “The soil isn’t steady as such — it’s mud,” says Rahman, who is a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and chair of the Climate Action Network South Asia. “You have these huge, rapidly changing geological dynamics here that make it a very hard place to protect.”

On a more human scale, however, there are some slivers of hope. Already people in some areas of Bangladesh have begun building houses on tall stilts to evade annual floodwaters. Non-governmental organizations such as U.K.-based Practical Action have also developed simple house designs — two-foot-high concrete plinths topped with inexpensive and easily replaced jute panel walls — that help prevent some homes from being washed away. CARE, the U.S.-based NGO, has helped people living along the coast rediscover forgotten farming techniques such as baira cultivation, or floating gardens, an age-old agricultural system well suited to areas that are flooded for long periods of time. Farmers might also benefit from salt-tolerant varieties of rice or fast-growing crops that can be harvested before the devastating monsoons arrive. It will help, too, if the Bangladeshi government speeds up its implementation of plans created after earlier ruinous floods, including improving drainage in cities, better sanitation management and fixing up the worst slums.

Regardless of these preparations, much of Bangladesh will be transformed if current global warming trends continue. As the sea level rises, vast swaths of coastal land will disappear in coming decades — as much as 18% of Bangladesh’s current landmass, according to the World Bank. And as the rivers swell with water from melting Himalayan glaciers, land in the center of the country will also disappear. Those effects, combined with more frequent and stronger cyclones, could spark an exodus of climate refugees fleeing for the cities and for other countries.

That’s a problem, because Bangladesh is already one of the most densely populated countries on the globe — just under half the population of the U.S. crammed into an area the size of the state of Iowa. Neighboring India is already so worried about the growing number of Bangladeshi migrants that it is building a huge fence on the two nations’ shared border. Rahman, however, sees a silver lining: Bangladesh’s fleeing multitudes can help feed the West’s need for cheap labor as its own population ages. “The globalization of the climate process will force the globalization of the demographic process,” he says. And if the rich world is not ready to let in millions of Bangladeshis looking for somewhere dry to live? “The rich world caused this problem so they’re going to have to pay for it,” says Rahman. “I’ve started telling my colleagues from Europe and Canada that we might have to introduce a system that says if you produce 10,000 tons of carbon you have to take a Bangladeshi family. They don’t like hearing that.” They may have to get used to it.

Poular band Dolchhut’s singer and journalist Sanjib Chowdhury died at Apollo Hospital on November 19. On the following day, a special programme was held at TSC of University of Dhaka in his memory. Renowned cultural personalities like Mamunur Rashid, Tapan Chowdhury, Fakir Alamgir, Subir Nandi, Andrew Kishor, Fahmida Nabi, Bappa Majumder, Biplob and others were present at the programme. Different students’ organisations from Dhaka University paid respect to Sanjib with flowers.

Sanjib became ill suddenly on Thursday last at his Mirpur residence. He was in coma care till his death at the hospital. He died of a cerebral haemorrhage.

Sanjib’s body was donated to Dhaka Medical College.

Along with Bappa Mazumder, Shanjib formed Dolchhut in November 1996. In 1997, Dolchhut released their first album, titled Ah! Dalchhut’s second album, ‘Hridoypur’ soon became a hit. He rendered several popular songs of this album titled Ami tomakei bole dibo, Gari cholena, Bioscope. His rendition of Tomar Bhanj Kholo in the film Bachelor became enormously popular.

Moreover, Shanjib was a journalist. He was the feature writer of many well-esteemed Bangla dailies like Ajker Kagoj, Bhorer Kagoj and others.

The government has so far received assurance of foreign assistance of over $142 million for the cyclone-affected people.

Saudi Arabia alone is providing $100 million while Japan, United Nations, Britain, Unicef, World Food Programme (WFP), the United States, India, China, Australia, and Switzerland have assured of the rest.

Food and Disaster Management Adviser Tapan Chowdhury yesterday told reporters that Japanese Embassy will officially handover the first consignment of relief to Bangladesh officials today.

An aircraft carrying 466 boxes of Japanese relief aid including tents, blanket and tarpaulin is scheduled to land at the Zia International Airport at 8:30am today.

A US under secretary will arrive in Dhaka at 8:00am today and is expected to disclose the US government’s relief assistance, Tapan said, adding that relief materials from the US will also come in a flight.

“The Saudi government has announced today a grant of $100 million in relief assistance for Bangladesh’s cyclone victims,” he said at a press briefing at the secretariat yesterday.

The Japanese government is providing relief grant worth $14 million, the UN $7 million, WFP $6 million, Britain $5 million, the Unicef $1.5 million, China$1million, India

$1million and Australia $160,000. The US has already assured of relief worth $2.1 million.

S ARABIA
The Saudi government has announced a grant of $ 100 million in relief assistance for the cyclone victims.

The government has also decided to send 300 tons of food and relief materials to Bangladesh by the middle of the next week.

Saudi Ambassador Abdullah AL Obaid Al Namla informed Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury of the grant and relief assistance announced by King Abdullah.

The Saudi envoy informed the foreign Advisor that the Saudi King had expressed his willingness to build an “air-bridge” of relief with Bangladesh.

JAPAN
Japan is providing emergency assistance of Tk 21,350,000 for Bangladesh’s cyclone victims.

The emergency relief goods include 100 tents (for 6 people), 1000 blankets (regular), 100 blankets (heavy), 300 sleeping pads, 200 plastic sheets, 10 portable water tanks (2000 liter), 30 water purifiers, 300 portable water tanks and 30 power generators (220V).

INDIA
The government of India has decided to respond immediately with a comprehensive relief package of $1million.

The Indian government has also acceded to the request of the Bangladesh government for waiving the ban on the export of rice to enable Bangladesh to procure 50,000 tonnes of rice from India immediately.

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee spoke to the Foreign Adviser

Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhurty yesterday evening and conveyed India’s readiness To send relief supplies.

CHINA
The Chinese government has decided to donate $ 1 million of emergency assistance for relief and rehabilitation activities in the cyclone0hit areas of Bangladesh

The Red Cross Society of China will also donate $ 50,000 to Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.

SWISS GOVT
The government of Switzerland has provided 200,000 Swiss Francs ($160,000) in grant for relief materials for the cyclone-hit people of Bangladesh as an emergency response.

The relief materials wILLbe distributed through Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and Swiss Red Cross (SRC) in 5 districts Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi and Madaripur.

Around 7,800 families in the five districts will receive food, temporary shelter materials, kitchen sets and clothes. The relief operation is expected to start on Thursday.

More world leaders, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, German President Horst Kohler, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, and Italian President Dr Giorgio Napolitano have expressed deep shock at the loss of life and property by cyclone Sidr.

Meanwhile, relief materials worth Tk 12.5 crore have been allocated from the chief adviser’s fund and Tk 1.5 crore from the food and disaster management ministry. Besides, Tk 36 crore has been allocated for the rehabilitation of the cyclone-affected people.

About 7,500 tonnes of rice have already been sent for distribution in the cyclone-hit localities. Besides, 5,110 tents, 17,262 blankets, 13,000 bundles of corrugated iron, 450 tonnes of dates and 1,200 tonnes of chickpeas have been distributed among the people in those areas.

The Cyclone Sidr apparently held the real degree of its destruction in store for the nation until yesterday, four days into the catastrophe, with the government gradually raising the death toll to 2,300 and Red Crescent fearing causalities as high as 10,000.

“We have already identified 2,750 bodies. Based on our experience in the past and reports from the scene, I would suggest the death toll may be as high as 10,000,” said Prof M Abdur Rob, chairman of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, told the press in city yesterday.

The government rescuers could recover 515 more bodies in 24 hours from 1:30am Sunday, with Barguna overtaking Bagerhat on top of the causalities list with 717 people.

Shell-shocked survivors and rescuers yesterday picked through the cyclone ruins in the worst-hit southern districts as thousands of victims awaited relief amid their wrecked homes, crops, livestock and fields. They sobbed in agony, suffered in hunger, thirst and diarrhoea. They buried dear ones and searched in vain for the answer why fate conspired against them.

Reacting to the Red Crescent concern, which deployed around 42,000 volunteers in the coastal areas, Mohammad Aiyub Miah, acting secretary to the food and disaster management ministry said, “It is hard to guess what could be the possible number of causalities. But we can assure that we will instantly update all on the death toll, whatever grave it turned out to be.”

The government expects to prepare an estimate of damage by the end of this week, as the extent of destruction was too severe. “We have been taken aback with the catastrophe in some remote, inaccessible areas. It will take time for us to get an idea of the actual loss there,” Aiyub Miah told The Daily Star last night.

The government hoped to place a detailed report on causalities and financial loss at the meeting with donors, who already pledged around $25 million in aid, next week.

Meanwhile, people of Barguna, where death toll doubled overnight, found no end to their miseries. Staying out under the open sky, thousands of survivors are now begging for a glass of water, forgetting about the inadequate relief and shelters.

“We used to rely on tubewells and ponds for drinking water. All the 16 tubewells in my union parishad went out of order and ponds became reservoirs of salty waters after the tidal surge,” said Sultan Mahmud, chairman of a Noltona union parishad over phone last evening.

Reports on scarcity of relief also reported from different parts of the storm-hit districts. About 30,000 people were affected out of 36,000 residents at Sultan’s union. “We received so far from the government relief of 10 metric tone rice and Tk 10,000 which could be distributed among 2,500 people,” he said.

The disaster management control room updated its rough estimate of losses caused by Sidr that will be a severe blow to the economy, which is already suffering huge losses from back-to-back floods in the middle of this year. The cyclone left its mark of devastation on 133 upazilas, 962 unions, affecting 31.44 lakh population of about 8.87 lakh families. The storm also killed 2.42 lakh livestock and completely destroyed crops on 23,122-acre land including six lakh metric tons of Aman. According to the estimate, 2.73 lakhs houses were totally flattened. Meanwhile, the fierce cyclone also totally damaged 58km roads and partially 1363km.

The shrimp farms at the badly-hit Morolgonj and Sharankhola upazilas in Bagherhat were extensively damaged, with the financial loss should be no less than Tk 500cr.

According to the latest government toll, the cyclone killed 717 in Barguna, 669 in Bagerhat, 330 in Patuakhali, 285 in Pirojpur, 85 in Barisal, 38 in Madaripur, 34 in Jhalakathi, 31 in Bhola, 29 in Gopalganj, 17 in Shariatpur, 16 in Satkhira, 15 in Khulna, 11 in Faridpur, four each in Dhaka, Chandpur, and Munshiganj, and two each in Laxmipur, Moulvibazar and Narayanganj, one each in Jessore, Chittagong, Rajbari, Narsingdi, and Narail.

Meanwhile, echoing concern of Red Crescent, different non-government organisations also urged the international community to stand by disaster-hit Bangladeshis. “These people are very poor and have lost everything. Their need will be very high, and we don’t believe the Bangladesh government can help all of them,” said a top man in international relief agency.

The international community also hailed government’s disaster preparedness, which greatly helped reduced causalities as well as losses. However Juliet Parker of Christian Aid cautioned, “These preparedness saved lives but not livelihoods.”

Patharghata upazila was having a good year. The shrimp and hilsha harvest for its largely fishing community was unusually large this year. Located on the southern-most tip on the coastlines of Barguna, its two lakh strong population were wedged between the Bay of Bengal, and the rivers Baleshwar and Bishkhali.

When Cyclone Sidr made its way up Barguna on Thursday night, it erased all memories of Patharghata’s past fortunes, unleashing its fury to leave a macabre landscape in its wake.

The official death count for the upazila, until Saturday, was 307. But even a cursory examination on the ground, witness reports, and simply from the number of mass graves, the death toll is well over 3,000. Cut off from the rest of the country, the upazila was accessible only by air or a long-route by the sea. The approach road was blocked by fallen trees and power-lines, preventing any relief vehicle from entering within a 40-kilometre area.

The corpses were found wrapped in paddy sheaves on rice fields, emanating heavy stench of rotting flesh. Most of the bodies were found one or two kilometres from where their homes had been. Some bodies lay tangled on tree branches, some were lining the shore, some unidentified were just left to rot.

Sidr rose out of the southern-most village of Patharghata – Padma. First, it took out a five-kilometre stretch of homes that had been built on the slope of a long mud-baked embankment lining the border of the village. In its wake, a 20-feet tidal surge wiped out the entire community. The tide swept the houses and most of its inhabitants, carrying them two to three kilometres inland. Most of the corpses were found three, sometimes four villages away.

In one small pocket, where a 100-metre stretch of the embankment was damaged by a previous flood, the tidal surge wreaked its greatest havoc.

The tide broke through the embankment and channelled all of its awesome power through that 100-metre gap razing all of at least 50 homes in one clean sweep.

The power of the deadly tidal surge is evident by the vanishing of the big mosque building, made of bricks and concrete, which used to occupy a section of that small pocket.

“We were about to run to the shelter my mother, my wife, two nephews, and I when we saw the great big wave. I looked up and up and there was no end to it. It swept us up and I grabbed the first tree trunk that I could find,” said Delwar, one of the rare survivors from the ill-fated 50 homes. The rest of his family died. At least 135 corpses from that small pocket of Padma village were found till Saturday morning.

Similar ghastly stories were found in three other villages along the Baleshwar river, in Rohita, Tangra, and Gouharpur. With at least 400 corpses from Padma village alone, the death toll was rising and no one knew or dared to imagine what it was.

In Charduani and Kathaltali union similar stories were told and retold in almost an endless cycle.

The other side of Patharghata is lined by the Bishkhali river. Around 12 kilometres along the southern tip is Kakchira Maajher Char, a small sandbar island visible from the mainland with a population of around 4,000. Like so many other chars in the area, it had no cyclone shelter. There was no warning. On Saturday, it was almost impossible to walk even five metres without seeing a corpse. A mass grave was marked by a dirty white cloth tied to a lone stick. No one wanted to talk. The air was too heavy with the stench of dead bodies, made heavier with the spine-chilling shrieks and wails of its inhabitants.

A man shaking with rage said, “What have you come to see. There is nothing to see here.” Asked how many people died, he sank into a shell, scratching restlessly into the white sand he said, “No less than 80 percent.” No relief had reached the char yet.

Further south-west on the mainland in Patharghata, lies Haringhata, a heavily forested area wedged on the confluence of three rivers and the bay. It is accessible only through the sea and was home to around 2,500 to 5,000 shutki (dried fish) farmers who migrate there for a few months a year from Khulna and surrounding areas. It was the peak season. No one can access the area because a thick shroud of fallen trees has blocked all entrance points. Only the corpses lining the shore offer a grim glimpse of the devastation inside.

Two survivors made it out of the remote area by swimming along the coastline to Patharghata. One of them, bleeding from several wounds from a wild-boar attack, could not speak and was taken to a hospital. Another, a shutki farmer named Limon, described the gory details of what had been Haringhata’s hours of horror.

“We knew there would be trouble when we saw the black clouds. Then the storm came and then the tidal wave,” he said. “All were washed away,” Limon said with a vacant look that always seemed to be looking out to the horizon.

“No one can be alive in there. I saw hundreds of bodies tangled on tree branches, hanging by their feet or wrapped around the tree trunks…They were lucky. I saw so many who were being eaten by the boars,” Limon said.

Thousands of people are injured and thousands of families are homeless, cooking and sleeping under the open sky. Almost all of them had not eaten since Thursday night. Some made do with the core of banana trees.

The chief adviser and the army chief flew in to Patharghata municipality on Friday for brief visits. None of the relief had made its way to the worst affected areas. Medical help is a far cry.

One single, powerful symbol of hope came in the form of a woman, who stood by a wooden pillar on the slope of the embankment where her home used to be. Looking into the calm blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, she said, “This pillar is from my home. It won’t take long before it’s in my home again.”

By Anis Ahmed

DHAKA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Grieving survivors and rescuers picked through the rubble left in the wake of a super cyclone that battered Bangladesh as the death toll reached over 2,200 on Sunday and a government official declared the disaster “a national calamity".

Mohammad Abdur Rob, chairman of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said the overall death toll from the cyclone could reach 10,000.

“Based on our experience in the past and reports from the scene I would guess the death toll may be as high as 10,000,” he told Reuters.

Bangladesh officials also expected the death toll to rise as the search for hundreds of people missing after Thursday night’s storm intensified.

Military ships and helicopters were trying to reach thousands of people believed stranded on islands in the Bay of Bengal and in coastal areas still cut off by the devastating storm.

The disaster ministry had recorded 2,217 deaths by Sunday evening, but local media put the figure at more than 3,000. A much improved disaster preparedness plan has been credited with saving scores of lives.

Local officials in affected areas say the death toll given by the ministry is far below the real numbers.

“Some 2,000 people have died in my area alone,” said Anwar Panchayet, chairman of Southkhali, in the district of Bagerhat.

A huge effort was underway to get food, drinking water and shelter to tens of thousands affected by the storm, the worst to hit disaster-prone Bangladesh since 1991 when nearly 143,000 people died.

Cyclone Sidr smashed into the country’s southern coastline late on Thursday night with 250 kph (155 mph) winds that whipped up a five metre tidal surge.

Most of the deaths came from the surge washing away homes and strong winds blowing down dwellings. Many others drowned or were lost at sea.

US SENDING AID AND SHIPS

U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife have conveyed condolences to the Bangladesh cyclone victims, as Washington offered an initial grant of $2.1 million for emergency relief, a U.S. embassy statement said on Sunday.

Additionally, the USS Essex and the USS Kearsarge are on the way to Bangladesh to assist in relief and rescue operations, it added.

Aid officials said damage from the storm was very severe.

The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society had appealed to the International Red Cross for $6 million for relief and rehabilitation in the cyclone-affected districts.

“Our relief teams have started emergency distribution, with an initial coverage of 100,000 people,” Vince Edwards, national director of World Vision Bangladesh.

Helicopters flew sorties to devastated areas, dropping food, drinking water and medicine for the survivors.

“There are not many places where we can land,” said one pilot, as large areas were still under water.

Several fishermen picked by a trawler from sea said they saw dozens of bodies floating in the waters near the Sundarban mangrove forest, a world heritage site and home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger.

They also saw scores of dead deer and other wildlife floating in the Pashur river, near the forest.

Tapan Chowdhury, a government adviser for food and disaster management, described the cyclone as a “national calamity” and urged all to come forward to help the victims.

“Everybody, including all political parties, should join the relief efforts,” he said, adding that “aid pledges from the international community have so far been good",

Relief operators on the ground said supplies were still inadequate and that the government should make an immediate plea for more international aid to avert a “human disaster.” (Additional reporting by Ruma Paul, Serajul Islam Quadir, Masud Karim and Nizam Ahmed; Editing by David Fox)

DHAKA, Nov 17 (bdnews24.com) – The death toll from the devastating cyclone that battered the country climbed to 1,784, according to the latest tally released by the disaster management ministry Saturday night.

Earlier in a press conference in the Armed Forces Division in Dhaka cantonment Saturday, Lt Col Main Ullah Chowdhury said that around 4,000 people had been injured in the storm across the coastal region.

Rescuers struggled to reach thousands of survivors Saturday, a day after cyclone Sidr ravaged the southern arc, officials said.

Chowdhury said more than 3,000 troops of the Infantry Division along with members of the Bangladesh Navy and the Air Force took part in the rescue and relief operations.

Four well-equipped army medical teams were deployed while nine helicopters of the Bangladesh Air Force rushed relief to many worst-hit areas, including Heron Point in Sundarbans, Dublarchar, Kuakata, Mothbaria, Sharan Khola and Pathar Ghata.

About 66 tonnes of relief—mainly dry food, drinking water and emergency survival kits–have been air-lifted by the army helicopters until Saturday, he said.

Brig Gen Qazi Abidus Samad, director (Operations and Plans) of the Armed Forces Division, said they were trying to handle the post-disaster situation with own resources.

But, he said, there was scope for assistance from friendly nations including the United States to reconstruct infrastructure.

He said a medical team of the US army, which was in Comilla for a joint exercise with Bangladesh Army, had shown their interest to stand beside cyclone victims.

“The government is yet to make a final decision. We expect a decision in a day or two on the matter,” Samad said, adding that the US team was in Dhaka now and halted their return to the country.

The death count from the cyclone, which measured more powerful than the 1991 elemental swoop, was still much less than previous death tolls from cyclones.

Tens of thousands of people passed tense hours without power although the government struggled to ensure electricity through what came to be known as “load management” much across the country.

Car users, cabbies and autorickshaw drivers stretched queues for gas in the city and elsewhere Saturday morning, as hours of blackouts halted the operations of filling stations through Friday night.

Naval ships scoured the pummelled coastal areas for hundreds of people reported missing and to clear river channels clogged with sunken boats and vessels to restore normal navigation, officials said.

Helicopters flew sorties to devastated areas, dropping food, drinking water and medicine for the survivors.

DHAKA (AFP) — Impoverished Bangladesh was Friday facing massive devastation after a powerful cyclone ripped through its southwestern coast before sweeping north towards the capital Dhaka.

The eye of cyclone Sidr, shown in satellite images as a huge swirling white mass moving in from the Bay of Bengal, hit land on Thursday evening.

Ferocious winds and rains uprooted trees, destroyed countless flimsy bamboo and tin homes and snapped phone and power lines.

“Many trees have been uprooted and houses and schools blown away,” said Mostofa Kamal, an official in Barisal, 120 kilometres south of Dhaka.

“There are no reports of deaths so far. We cannot get out to get much information because of the severe storm,” Kamal, a relief and rehabilitation officer, told AFP by telephone.

Southern areas were plunged into darkness as electricity supplies were snapped and “innumerable” homes were flattened, a report by the private UNB news agency said quoting correspondents.

Officials reported wind speeds of 220 to 240 kilometres (140 to 155 miles) an hour in what they described as one of the worst storms in years.

Tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of people in the southwest of the country were moved to special evacuation shelters in a bid to avoid the mass casulaties caused by previous cyclones.

Although officials said they were optimistic that the death toll would turn out to be low, they feared daylight would reveal widespread destruction.

“We expect the damage to be enormous,” said an official of the disaster management and relief ministry.

So far only one casualty has been reported – an elderly man who died when a small boat carrying 17 people across a river in southern Satkhira district capsized during the storm. All of the other passengers were able to swim to shore, an official said.

Experts described Sidr as similar in strength to the 1991 storm that triggered a tidal wave that killed an estimated 138,000 people.

Another cyclone in 1970 killed up to half a million people in the disaster-prone and impoverished country.

But Bangladesh has since then moved to set up a complex early warning system and evacuation programme targeting those in low-lying coastal areas which are prone to flooding.

The head of the Bangladeshi meteorological department, Samarendra Karmakar, told AFP he was optimistic that the evacuation programme would spare the country the huge loss of life seen in previous decades.

“It is not less severe than the 1991 cyclone, in some places it is more severe. But we are expecting less casualties this time because the government took early measures. We alerted people to be evacuated early,” he said.

India has also been lashed by the cyclone, which forecasters said would fizzle out on Saturday over India’s northeast, just south of the mountain kingdom of Bhutan.

Karmakar said rivers in the Sunderbans area, a vast mangrove forest straddling the India-Bangladesh border and the natural habitat of endangered Royal Bengal tigers, had severely swollen as the storm moved north in the direction of Dhaka.

In Bangladesh the main sea port at Chittagong, to the east of the cyclone’s path, was also shut down as a precaution.

DHAKA, Nov 14 (Reuters) – The Met office Wednesday evening sounded great danger signal No. 10 for Mongla port and great danger signal 9 for Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar as a severe storm in the Bay of Bengal was expected to make landfall Thursday.

The weather warning left at least 100 tourists trapped on the St Martin’s Island as ships and country boats were ordered off the sea. The Chittagong Port Authority suspended operations.

“We have suspended loading and unloading of cargo on the mother vessels at the outer anchorage as the sea has turned turbulent,” a port official said.

Thousands of coastguards, police, army and volunteers were on standby to undertake emergency rescue and relief operation once the storm made landfall.

In a midnight bulletin, the Met office said the storm was 705 miles off Chittagong, 625 miles off Cox’s Bazar and 650 miles off Mongla.

Bangladesh’s main tourist resort, Cox’s Bazar, wore a deserted look on Wednesday and hotels were largely empty, officials and witnesses said.

Residents had packed food and other essentials in case they needed to evacuate, a Reuters journalist in Cox’s Bazar said.

High waves were had begun slamming the shore, he said.

The storm is likely to intensify further and move in a northerly direction and may cross Khulna-Barisal coast by Thursday noon, the weather office said in the latest advisory.

The maximum sustained wind speed within 74km of the storm centre is about 190kph rising to 210kph in gusts or squalls.

“The sea will remain very high,” the weathercast said.

Under the influence of the storm, the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Luxmipur, Bhola, Barisal, Patuakhali, Borguna, Chandpur, Pirozpur, Jhalakathi, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore are likely to experience gusty or squally winds speed 60-80kph or more. The areas are likely to be inundated by a storm surge of 8-10 feet above normal astronomical tide.

Indian officials said Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, should expect to be hit by “squally winds and heavy rainfall". The neighbouring state of Orissa would also be affected.

The food and disaster management ministry has opened a control room to provide round-the-clock information about the hurricane and maintain communications. Call the control room on 7160454, 7162116 and 7164115.

DHAKA, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) – Bangladesh signed an “Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network” on Friday at the UN Headquarters in New York, private new agency UNB reported Saturday.

Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ismat Jahan signed the agreement on behalf of the Bangladeshi government.

The Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement is a project of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to create a transcontinental railway network across Europe and Asia.

This agreement will enable Bangladesh to expand its rail communications with other Asian countries, and subsequently with Europe.

Initially, 18 countries signed the agreement on Nov. 10 last year in Jakarta. With Bangladesh’s joining the agreement, the number has now increased to 20.

Dhaka, Nov 10 (bdnews24.com) – Shaheed Noor Hossain Day was observed Saturday with different political, socio-cultural organisations and professional bodies placing wreaths at Noor Hossain Square.

Awami League leaders Abdur Razzak, Motia Chowdhury and Advocate Shahara Khatun led a number of party workers to Noor Hossain Square at about 9am and paid homage to the martyr.

On Nov 10, 1987, Noor Hossain was shot dead by police during a demonstration against the autocratic rule of the then army strongman HM Ershad.

Gono Forum president Dr Kamal Hossain and Pankaj Bhhattacharya were also present at the memorial.

Noor Hossain took to the streets with the slogan ‘Down with autocracy, free democracy’ inscribed on his chest and back. The sacrifice of Noor Hossain had led to a mass upsurge that toppled the autocratic ruler.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Gonotantrik Bam Morcha, Workers Party of Bangladesh, BSD, Noor Hossain Sangsad, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Bangladesh Chhatra League, Chhatra Sangram Parishad, Chhatra Maitry, Jubo League and Shechchhasebak League also placed wreaths.

BNP and its front organisations did not hold any programme marking the day.

Noor Hossain was born in 1961 in the city’s Narinda area. His father was a rickshaw puller. He studied up to grade VIII and did a driving course.

Bane Election - 2007

Date:
Saturday, November 10, 2007

Time:
08:00 AM to 06:00 PM

Venue:
Morse School
40 Granite Street
Cambridge, MA

Dhaka, Nov 4 (bdnews24.com) – The Rapid Action Battalion paraded Hotel Purbani International managing director Mahbubur Rahman Joynal and his girlfriend before reporters Sunday night, hours after they were arrested at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka.

Accused in four cases, Joynal, 55, surrendered to the CMM’s Court but chief metropolitan magistrate Enamul Haque refused to accept the surrender.

An assistant to the CMM said the day’s working hours were over and it was too late for a person to surrender.

Joynal’s 26-year-old girlfriend Jannatul Ferdous, nicknamed Niki or Nikita, had earlier been arrested by the RAB as she arrived at the CMM’s Court, also to turn herself in.

The arrest of the two is considered a “much-coveted catch” as the RAB widened its hunt for the businessman and his girlfriend, both accused of having close ties to the Yaba trade.

As part of the recent drive against the drug, a RAB-3 team raided Joynal’s home in Dhanmondi Monday to arrest Niki, a well-known model.

Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun, a lawyer for the two, told bdnews24.com: “We came to court to seek justice, but that was not possible. Jannatul Ferdous was illegally dragged away by the security officers.”

At least 30 lawyers were on the court premises when the drama unfolded, bdnews24.com’s legal affairs correspondent reported from the scene.

WHAT RAB SAYS

In the RAB-3 office in Tikatuli, commanding officer Sultan Mohammad Nurani briefed the media on the buildup to the arrest and said Joynal and Niki were just outside their Dhanmondi home when the RAB officers arrived on the night of October 29.

“But the two sped away in a car and we could not identify them as we had no pictures of them at the time,” he said.

The same night, according to Nurani, Joynal drove northbound, down the Dhaka-Tangail Highway, along with Niki in an attempt to escape arrest.

In Tangail, they checked into a guesthouse to spend the night.

“Joynal was helpless and his friends walked out on him when they saw pictures of the raid on his Dhanmondi home in newspapers,” Nurani claimed.

The RAB had formed five units to trace the two and arrested a cousin of Niki in Chittagong to extract intelligence about their whereabouts.

The elite force, Nurani said, had almost closed in on them in a village of Gazipur, but the two left the house of a relative one and a half hours before the RAB team arrived there, Nurani said.

Joynal and Niki then moved back to Dhaka.

Nurani said RAB officers were dispatched to the Supreme Court and trial court areas to work undercover, as “we knew they would seek anticipatory bails from the High Court or surrender to the trial court".

The RAB officers put up several checkpoints on the roads to the High Court and the CMM’s Court.

Around 5pm Sunday, Joynal and Niki arrived at the CMM’s court by CNG autorickshaw.

“She was in burqa—her face covered in veil. She tried to hide her face when a RAB officer stopped her,” Nurani said in his briefing.

Sure of Niki’s identity, a woman RAB officer, meanwhile, grabbed her, creating chaos in the area.

“It created scope for Joynal to rush into the court premises,” Nurani said.

DESPERATE DASH FOR SURRENDER

From Gazipur, Joynal and Niki first hired a microbus to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital, en route to Old Dhaka where the CMM’s Court is located.

“The two fugitives meandered through the narrow lanes to the court,” Nurani said.

bdnews24.com’s legal affairs correspondent reported from the scene that a team of lawyers had rushed to file petitions seeking approval to send Joynal and Niki to jail, in a bid to bypass arrest or remand.

But a GRO (general recording officer) told the lawyers that petitions could not be filed without approval from the CMM.

The surrender of Joynal became uncertain.

Minutes later, court police sub-inspector Aliar Rahman said the CMM would not accept the appeals for surrender.

The lawyers desperately led Joynal into a room on the court premises to evade the arrest attempt by the RAB officers.

He was finally arrested on the stairs of the new court building.

The Election Commission at its dialogue with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu) yesterday agreed in principle to ban religion-based politics in the country constitutinally.

The EC also agreed in principle to make war criminals as well as anti-liberation forces (individuals or institutions) ineligible to contest elections.

“Today, we reached a consensus in principle to ban religion-based politics… Now we’ll have to see how it can be made effective,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda told the JSD delegation at the dialogue.

A 12-member JSD (Inu) delegation, led by its president Hasanul Huque Inu, yesterday morning sat with the EC to discuss draft reform proposals on electoral laws.

The demand for banning religion-based politics and preventing war criminals as well as anti-liberation individuals or institutions from contesting elections is growing since the EC has started its dialogue with selected 15 political parties on September 12.

Earlier, the EC sat with seven political parties – Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL), Ganotantri Party, Jatiya Party (Manju), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab), Jamaat-e-Islami

Bangladesh and National Awami Party (NAP-Muzaffar). They all, excepting the IOJ and Jamaat, suggested a ban on any religion-based political party and anti-liberation forces, mentioning the name of only Jamaat.

“The Election Commission will look into the issue with importance,” Huda told the JSD delegation when it placed their proposal for debarring war criminals and anti-liberation elements from contesting elections. Quoting the Constitution, the JSD delegation said doing politics in the name of religion is illegal and religion cannot be used for gaining political purposes.

The JSD leaders said it is the duty of the EC to uphold the Constitution and it would be violation of their (Commissioners) constitutional oath if they allow religion-based political parties to get registered.

“The Constitution (Article 66) has to be amended for making war criminals and anti-liberation forces ineligible… The matter can be treated as academic one, but won’t be effective,” Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain told the delegation.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain was also present at the dialogue.

“We dislike the war criminals and anti-liberation forces, they are hated persons… But it’s difficult to take legal action against them… We need evidence, court orders, specific evidence to disqualify any contestant,” CEC Huda told the JSD leaders.

Banning the war criminals and anti-liberation elements is largely a political matter to which the EC got involved somehow, he said, adding that somehow it couldn’t do it in 36 years (of independence).

“Meanwhile, the Law Adviser said the matter has got complicated in the course of time. It’s true… Resolving the issue is more of a major duty of the government than the Election Commission. We’ll do whatever falls under our jurisdiction.”

CEC Huda said the EC would prepare some specific matters in consultation with all the political parties and compile their suggestions. “And the reform proposals will be finalized after sitting with the political parties all together once again.”

Emerging from the dialogue, JSD president Inu told the newsmen that the EC should have power to ban religion-based political parties.

“The next elections should be free from war criminals and anti-liberation elements… They’re beyond mercy.”

“The Election Commission will send its recommendations to the President in this regard and the government will implement those,” he added.

Mentioning the name of Jamaat, Inu said the party is an identified party that committed war crimes directly opposing the country’s liberation war and “raping women, committing massacres, looting and arson attacks in the name of religion in 1971″.

However, the JSD delegation placed some new proposals on electoral reforms at the dialogue, though they agreed on most of the EC’s proposals like banning student and other professional front organizations as well as foreign units of political parties.

But they were against the proposals of using traditional ballot boxes, disclosing the sources of electoral donations from any individual or institution, and direct as well as secrete balloting within parties for picking up leaders for elections.

JSD suggested introduction of representative government system based on the proportion of obtained votes instead of constituency-based elections, not having the provision to contest by one candidate from more than one constituencies, holding elections in more thanone days and electing president based on the cast votes of all the representatives, including the local body.

Suggestions were also made to keep aside 100 constituencies for women for direct contest, delimitating constituencies, making the EC fully independent and formulating voter list for the Chittagong Hill Tracts as per the CHT peace treaty.

The EC will sit with Jatiya Party (Ershad) on November 1, Bangladesh Awami League on Nov 4, Workers Party on Nov 11, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Naziur) on Nov 15, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on November 22, CPB on Nov 25 and Samyabadi Dal on Nov 29.

Source: The New Nation

The judiciary finally embarks on a historical journey today as it comes out of the control of the executive organ of the state.

The much-demanded implementation of the separation of the judiciary is now expected to ensure justice without any hindrance as in the past when justice often used to be delayed and the judiciary process controlled by the government.

The magistrate courts across the country come out of the executive control today and continue operating under the authority of the Supreme Court (SC).

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the Dhaka District Judicial Magistracy and the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistracy at 10:30am today at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

Lawyers across the country will observe the day as the Judiciary Separation Day.

However, while the separation nourishes big hopes, a few lower court judges told journalists yesterday that to make the separation meaningful cooperation is necessary from all sections of people, especially the police and administration.

The constitutional provision could be implemented much earlier had the successive political governments worked with goodwill. A non-partisan caretaker government is now implementing the provision for separation of the judiciary following the 12-point directive of the Supreme Court given in 1999.

The SC directive came following filing of a case–popularly known as Masder Hossain case–in 1995 by 440 members of the lower tier of the judiciary.

Masder Hossain, who is now inspector general of registration, yesterday said, “Oppressed people suffered a lot of harassment for getting justice. I only wish with the implementation of the separation justice seekers will get fair justice swiftly without spending much money.”

Law Commission Chairman Justice Mostafa Kamal, who was the chief justice when the SC gave its directives, yesterday told The Daily Star, “The caretaker government has been able to launch the primary work of separation despite resistances and I congratulate both the caretaker government and the Appellate Division for their accomplishment. At the same time, I cherish the hope that the distribution of work among all kinds of magistrates will follow the directions of the Appellate Division. No one wants a clash.”

LAST DAY OF EXECUTIVE JUDICIARY

Hundreds of executive magistrates yesterday performed their final judicial duties at the magistrate courts across the country while 218 judicial magistrates start their duties today.

Newly appointed Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) AKM Enamul Haque along with nine judicial magistrates took over the charge of the Dhaka magistrate courts from outgoing CMM magistrate Tariqul Islam. A total of 91,000 criminal cases have been pending with 25 magistrate courts in Dhaka.

SC Registrar Ikteder Ahmed on behalf of the lower court judges told reporters, “Appointment of 655 judicial magistrates has been approved and 218 of them have already been appointed. The Supreme Court appointed 202 judicial magistrates from the sessions judge’s courts while the rest joined the judicial service from the administration.”

Ikteder also said, “The authorities will welcome if magistrates from the executive wish to join the judicial service on deputation or through absorption.”

Ruling out anticipations that the backlog of cases will worsen due to lower number of magistrates, he said, “The executive magistrates used to perform the judicial task on a part-time basis while the judicial magistrates will be performing duties round the clock. So, the cases will be disposed of quickly.”

The SC registrar said four lakh cases have been pending with the magistrate courts at present.

He said they have sorted out 2,066 eligible applicants for the vacant posts of judicial magistrate and that the authorities have initiated the process to complete the appointments.

The SC approved withdrawal of the magisterial power of 170 of 173 administrative officials forwarded by the establishment ministry, Ikteder said, adding, “We did not approve withdrawal of the remaining three officials following their willingness to work as judicial magistrates.”

Asked if influence of the government or the executive organ would be removed completely from the judiciary, Ikteder said, “Such incidents have never taken place at the district judge’s courts. So, it seems that it will not happen in the magistrate courts either after the separation.”

He said action will be taken against magistrates if irregularities are found with any one. The district judge’s courts, the High Court, the Supreme Court and the law ministry will take the action in a combined way.

Masder Hossain also said, “I hope the nation will get rid of such allegations.”

Judicial Service Association President and Dhaka district judge AKM Ishtiaq Hussain was also present at the briefing at the SC.

“Coordination among the judiciary, police and administration is needed to make the judiciary separation meaningful. The separation effort cannot advance if the coordination does not take place,” said Ishtiaq.

Ishtiaq explained that the police are responsible for producing a witness before the court in a criminal case while the court issues summons to produce the witnesses. The case cannot advance if the police do not work in accordance with the court order.

Administrative officials are also involved with the case proceedings as the court may ask for documents in both civil and criminal cases or summon people from the administration if necessary.

The provision for the separation of the judiciary from the executive was introduced in the constitution after the country’s independence in 1971.

The demand also existed in the then East Pakistan as the 1949 draft constitution of the Awami League had pledged to separate the judiciary from the executive.

The Jukta Front also demanded the separation of the judiciary in the 15th point of its 21-point demand announced on November 4, 1953.

The then provincial legislative passed the law for separating the judiciary in 1957, but no gazette notification was issued to enact the law. In 1958, the Law Commission recommended following the law and bringing judicial magistrates under the direct control of the High Court. It identified coexistence of the judiciary and the executive as the main reason behind delayed disposal of cases.

Article 22 of the constitution of independent Bangladesh says, “The state shall ensure the separation of the judiciary from the executive organs of the state.”

Source: The Daily Star

Dhaka, Oct 31 (bdnews24.com) – The interim cabinet Wednesday approved a proposal to make the Anticorruption Commission an autonomous body.

The proposal is designed to amend the Anticorruption Commission Act 2004, which describes the graft watchdog as no more than ‘independent and neutral’.

“The amendment [after final vetting] will now make the commission autonomous as well,” the Press Information Department said in a statement.

The ACC had earlier sent the proposal to the Cabinet Division seeking autonomy.

Approval for the amendment will be effective after a vetting from the law ministry, according to a decision taken at a meeting at the Chief Adviser’s Office, chaired by Fakhruddin Ahmed.

The council of advisers also approved in principle the National ID Card Ordinance to introduce “modern and digitised” national ID cards to citizens at home and abroad.

The meeting addressed a number of other issues including the vendors agreement, which is necessary to transfer the assets and liabilities of Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks to public limited companies.

The advisory council meeting also discussed proposals for further amendments to the Islamic University Act 1980 and Islamic University (Amendment) Act 2006.

In line with the amendments, the Madrasa Education Board will conduct the exams of Fazil and Kamil students who have signed up for a two-year course for academic year 2005-2006.

On the other hand, the Islamic University will conduct the exams of Fazil and Kamil students who have signed up for a three-year course for academic year 2005-2006.

Xian Zhu, World Bank Country, Director and Sandeep Mahajan

The recently published World Bank report, Bangladesh: Strategy for Sustained Growth, raises an important and consequential question - how can Bangladesh become a middle-income country (MIC) in the shortest amount of time? The answer to that, of course, lies in how fast the country manages to grow. For example, if GDP growth picks up to a sustained rate of 7.5% - something only a select few countries have achieved in recent history - Bangladesh can become an MIC by 2016. If average growth falls to the 3 percent rate seen in the 1980s, the MIC aspiration will have to wait for another five decades!

This report argues that Bangladesh is well poised to become an MIC within a decade or soon thereafter. Thanks to a combination of sound economic policies and the tremendous grassroots energy for which Bangladesh is globally renowned, GDP growth has averaged over 5% since 1990. The average income in the country today is more that 75% higher than in 1990. Remarkably, despite its vulnerability to natural calamities, Bangladesh has not allowed its per-capita income to fall in a single year since 1990, even in years in which there were severe floods. There are few countries in the world - developed or developing - that can match this record.

Farmer of Bangladesh
photography: Mohammad Khan

At the same time, a rapid transition to MIC status would demand an even deeper level of political commitment. With many of the first-generation reforms soundly in place, a new set of challenges is likely to emerge, requiring far more complex policy innovations. Any of the emerging structural issues - critically weak governance, urban congestion and mismanagement, overburdened port, power, and transportation facilities, and acute skills shortages - can easily become a binding constraint to growth. Slippages in macroeconomic discipline or inability to judiciously harness the vast potential from globalization can derail this transition by several years. Neither would continued lackluster performance of agriculture be conducive to the MIC aspirations.

It is a fair question to ask why we care so much about growth. Shouldn’t the focus be on tackling poverty instead? The answer is straightforward. We care about growth because across the world it has proven to be the most effective instrument in the fight against poverty. Benefiting from strong growth, China and other dynamic East Asian economies have successfully lifted millions of their citizens from the clutches of poverty. At the same time, the fate of the poor in many Sub-Saharan countries has worsened in recent decades simply because of their very weak growth records. Let’s just consider Bangladesh, where the most success in lowering the poverty rate came during periods of strong growth. Most notably, the poverty rate fell by a remarkable 9 percentage points over 2000-2005, a period over which GDP grew at just under 6% a year.

An important channel through which growth impacts poverty is employment creation. And for that, solid growth of labor-intensive manufacturing activity is particularly important. This sector is the most likely source of employment generation at a scale that can absorb a large number of unskilled workers, many of whom would come from poor backgrounds and rural areas. It is instructive to consider the remarkable impact of the rapidly growing garment sector in Bangladesh. Starting from an insignificant employment base, the sector today employs close to 2 million workers, mostly women from under-privileged backgrounds. The money these garment employees send back to their villages further lifts several others from abject conditions. Imagine for a moment if there were several other such dynamic sectors in the Bangladeshi economy!

How to ensure rapid growth of manufacturing? It is clear from the example of the garment sector, as well as from many of the successful East Asian countries, that deepening the integration with global goods and capital markets will be essential. Many have argued that Bangladesh should first respond to the demand of its own domestic market, before thinking about opening up and relying on exports. The benefits of having a large domestic market are clear, but that should not detract from the tremendous opportunities that access to global markets offers. What if the garments sector had only relied on the domestic market? Moreover, the transfer of technology and managerial skills that accompany foreign direct investment (FDI) are vital to efficiency improvements and to being competitive in global markets. Again, the example of the garments sector is instructive.

Finally, even if we accept the importance of export-led manufacturing growth, can we reconcile that with the state of urban management in Bangladesh? After all, such activities mostly thrive in urban environments which offer them important agglomeration benefits. In Bangladesh, Dhaka has been the engine of growth. But the growing congestion pressures in Dhaka and overstretched state of its service provision clearly indicate the current urbanization model will not support the kind of strong employment-generating growth Bangladesh seeks.

Dhaka, surely, will have the major role for future growth, and, for that, far-reaching improvements in its management and infrastructure are essential. However, in a country of Bangladesh’s size, it alone cannot carry the burden. Creation of dynamic and diverse urban centers is essential. To summarize, successful management of three transitions would be key to achievement of Bangladesh’s MIC aspirations. (1) A shift in the economic structure from agriculture to labor-intensive manufacturing. (2) Deepening of integration with global markets wherein internationally competitive Bangladeshi firms would be plugged into global supply chains. (3) Unleashing the growth potential of the major urban centers, Dhaka especially. Reform measures essential to these objectives include continuing macroeconomic stability; deepening financial sector and external trade reforms; and rebalancing the policy focus toward hitherto neglected structural areas - economic governance, urban management, infrastructure (especially power sector, ports, and transportation), and labor skills. The next part of the OpED discusses these challenges in more detail.

The World Bank’s report does not offer any silver bullets for sustained high growth. It only presents a framework underpinned by solid analysis that can potentially help the country set its longer-term development vision. For the Bank, success of the report will be measured by its contribution to a stimulating national debate and, eventually, some sort of consensus on the set of priority reforms needed to ensure Bangladesh’s place amongst MICs in 10 years. If a broad consensus is reached, authorities and the people of Bangladesh would need to be mindful that some of the associated reforms will not be painless. Complexities and short-term costs notwithstanding, it would be useful to keep in mind that the longer-term goal itself is worth striving for.

(’Bangladesh: Strategy for Sustained Growth’, and Senior Economist, South Asia Region, Wolrd Bank)

It is highly misleading that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman government pardoned all the war criminals and he did nothing during his ‘war ravaged reconstruction period’. The fact shows otherwise. In fact, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman government started prosecuting the perpetrators of ‘crime against humanity’ or ’war criminals’ immediately after independence and he also passed the Collaborators Act (1972) and the International Crime Act of 1973 that barred re-entry of any collaborators to Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujib promulgated the Special Tribunal Order on January 24, 1972 (PO No 8 of 1972) after 14 days of his return from Pakistani jail to try those Pakistani collaborators/Razakers/Al-Badrs and other stooges of the Pakistani army. Under this order he arrested 37,000 collaborators amidst of strong opposition by left-leaning journalist like Enayetullah Khan [see his write-up titled ’75 million Collaborators’, the Holiday, 1972]. Out of them as no grievous criminal charges were filed against 26,000, therefore they were pardoned and released in a general amnesty. However, nearly 800 cases were completed and given jail sentences. Another 11,000 were in jail including Nizami, Abbas Ali Khan of the Jamat-e-Islam Party (JI), and their prosecution was at various stages of completion. In addition, those that were involved in ‘crime against humanity’ and against Bangladesh, they were denied of Bangladesh nationality and passport.

On November 4, 1972 all religion-based politics were abolished as per sections 12 and 38 of the Bangladesh Constitution of 1972.

Unfortunately, when General Ziaur Rahman, a valiant Mukti-judda emerged as a ‘strong man’ in 1975, he abrogated the Collaborators Act and released all the prisoners including those that were sentenced. For political/ personal reasons he allowed religion-based parties to operate and started reinstating and rehabilitating them. No wonder, those who were guilty of ‘crime against humanity’ and collaboration with enemy (Pakistan) state started returning from abroad especially Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and they were given Bangladesh citizenship and passport. Example, Golam Azam of the JI Party.

On those days I was working with the Bangladesh government and many individuals and their relatives that had no Bangladesh passport approached us for consideration. However, once General Zia took over, all of them were issued Bangladesh passport or ‘travel documents’ to return to Bangladesh.

It is sad that few vested quarters including Abdul Mannan Bhuiya, the ousted BNP Secretary General and current Law Advisor Barrister Moinul Hussein are misleading the public and the nation by stating that Sheikh Mujib pardoned them or shifting the responsibility by blaming why they did not prosecute them. In fact, Sheikh Mujib started the prosecution and he pardoned only those that did not have criminal cases against them. He did not pardon those (Razakers, Al-badr or Al-Shams) that had ‘criminal cases’ and those that committed ‘crime against humanity or war criminals’ such as rape, murder, and the like. Thousands of criminals were in prison during his time; however, many were absconding abroad including Golam Azam, the leader of the JI party and they were involved in anti-state activities abroad. He did not get time to complete the prosecution because of abrupt massacre.

After the massacre of Sheikh Mujib and his family plus his closed associates; Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, Acting President Syed Nazrul Islam, Secretary General AHM Qamruzzaman and Home Minister Monsur Ali, the founders of independent and sovereign Bangladesh in 1975, one after another civil-military-technocratic or cantonment-based governments ruled the country basically till 1996. In 1996, when pro-people and pro-liberation government of Sheikh Hasina came to power after 21 years with marginal votes; it neither could reinstate the Collaborators Act nor could revive the original constitution of 1972. Secondly, it followed ‘judicial process and rule of law’ and therefore, it did not set up any ‘kangaroo court or special tribunal’ to prosecute the criminals. One can debate that as a weakness of the Hasina government or not.

Therefore, it failed to punish the war criminals and the culprits. But that does not justify that the criminals of ‘crime against humanity’ or war criminals should not face justice. It would be unfair if they are allowed to go free or untouched. Fortunately, now is an opportune moment to revive the clause that ‘no religion-based political party can register or contest in Bangladesh election’ and those found guilty of ‘crime against humanity’ to be fully prosecuted. Unless the criminals and murderers are fully prosecuted, you can neither establish ‘rule of law’ nor can stop political killing in Bangladesh.

More importantly, the International Crime Act of 1973 of Bangladesh is still active and Article 47, Section 3 of the Act allows trial of war criminals. Therefore, the military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed that has started many essential reforms can try the war criminals and punish them provided it has the mindset and commitment. It is unfortunate that its Law Advisor is trying to guillotine the golden opportunity.

Secondly, Islami activist S. A. Hannan, a retired bureaucrat following the JI party line of argument tried to mislead the public by stating that there was ‘no genocide’ in East Pakistan in 1971.

Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic, religious or national group. While precise definition varies among genocide scholars, the legal definition of it is found in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG). Article 2 of the CPPCG defines genocide as “any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."[1]

In 1971 the Pakistan occupation army plus their collaborators like the Jamat-e-Islam, the Islami Chatra Sangho (currently renamed Islami Chatra Shibir) and their militant killing squads; the Al-Badr and the Al-Shams tried their utmost to apprehend and kill those that demand an ‘independent Bangladesh’. Since majority of Bengali speaking East Pakistanis (Sheikh Mujib got 167 out of 169 seats in East Pakistan) or ethnic group favored an independent Bangladesh, they waged a war with intent to destroy that ethnic group. The Pak army systematically opened fire on un-armed masses of Bengali ethnic group on the midnight of March 25th 1971 indiscriminately resulting which, as per various reports 19,000 to 25,000 Bengali ethnic people died on that dark night alone and over a period of 10 months, 3 million reportedly killed, 30 million were dislodged from their homes and 10 million had to take refuge in neighboring India due to cleansing operation, fear and repression. As per global ranking, Bangladesh genocide is second to that of Nazi genocide of Jews.

In order to cripple the whole ‘bangali nationalism and nationhood’ the Pak army in collaboration with the Jamat-e-Islam and few other such parties and their affiliates systematically and calculatedly murder the Bengali intellectuals, writers, doctors, journalists, educators and their political leadership. In addition, in order to cleanse the society of Hindu population, the Pak army and its collaborators calculatedly killed and/or uprooted them. No wonder, over 10 million East Pakistanis (out of 75 million) mostly Hindu minority took shelter in the neighboring India. When army captured me on April 20, 1971, they tested me whether I could recite ‘kolema’ (the 1st pillar of Muslim faith) and then they checked whether I had my circumcision, a symbol of being Muslim in the subcontinent. In addition, when the army forced us to lead them in their operations, they repeatedly asked two questions; find ‘Mukti’ (liberation fighter) and Hindu. If such are reported, they would immediately open their fire, weapons and mortars. Such is a testimony of cleansing of a religious group, a clear evidence of genocide.

Abdul Momen, Boston, October 29, 2007

BANE Election 2007
Symbols of “Unity, Trust and Commitment of Actions”

Belal-Sujon-Shilu Parishad
A Community Centre is our Mission Priority.
Help us to accomplish this mission.

Posted by;

[Belal-Sujon-Shilu Parishad]
Please give us a chance

Below are the details on our Mission Statement for your information.

Mission Statement

Belal-Sujon-Shilu Parishad (2008-2009)

We understand and recognize that “Bangladeshi friends and families” here in New England have become a vibrant, growing and rising community during recent years along with day to day increasing new issues over the changing times and circumstances in maintaining a successful family, community and social life. We, the “BELAL-SUJON-SHILU Parishad” is firmly committed to work closely and aggressively with each and every community member on the most pressing community issues; listen, value and address your concerns and sagacious opinions in coalescing the entire community under the glorious and historic banner of Bangladesh Association of New England (BANE) for its growth, success and prosperity. We shall preserve, protect and uphold the BANE Constitution at all times. Please give us a chance to serve the community with our commitments of hard works, honesty and sincerity. We assure our true commitments to you of being resolute on the following “plan of ACTIONS".

1. A Community Centre : Already with the commitments of about $45,000 (Forty Five thousand dollars) from our overwhelmingly interested community members; on the very first day in the Executive Committee, we ( BELAL-SUJON-SHILU Parishad) shall begin to work closely with all our community organizations, community leaders, businessmen, philanthropic agencies, local governments and general members to secure “DOWNPAYMENTS” for a Community centre of our own.

2. Disaster fund/ Funeral Home: Shall immediately establish a community “funeral home fund", a natural disaster fund and shall peruse the prospects of establishing a community banking facility “like Sonali exchange field office".

3. We shall firmly uphold and promote our family values, religious values and cultural value s at all time.

4. General meeting: Accountability and transparency would be our top priority . We shall invite at least one general meeting each year to listen and to address all the felicitous community issues, to report activities of the executive committee including financial updates to maintain our probity.

5. Review/Amendments of the BANE Constitution: Within 30 days in the Executive Committee, we shall constitute and nominate a 5-member Constitution Committee to review and evaluate the provisions in the constitution with the changing current needs and circumstances; and to prepare a report for public dissemination. Within 6 months, this report shall be produced before the community members in a General meeting for their opinions, consideration and predilection for appropriate actions and disposition on amendment decisions.

6. Provide assistance, guidance and counsel to our new immigrants and address our overall community issues with ACTIONS; like educating and helping on unemployment issues, public and affordable housing, health care services for the uninsured and low income families, appropriate public benefits guidance, employment guides and preparing for citizenship examination.

7. Shall invite Bangladesh Mission at least once year to help our community members locally on Passport renewal/Visa and related issues.

8. A Community Learning Centre: Establish a community learning centre to help the prospective college going students for SAT preparations, College Admissions and financial Aid guide. In addition, this centre shall provide assistance to needy and interested community members on writing/spoken English and Computer literacy. Shall create a fund to award financial assistance to our genius and needy College going students.

9. Tax Return Assistance: During Tax return season, we shall make arrangement for assistance in filing Tax Return to the interested community members.

10. We have NO propensity to any political party and thus shall NOT support, oppose and endorse any such organization in/under BANE platform.

11. Invite our business community: Once a year to assist our prospective and interested community members in opening their own new businesses. We shall also publish a comprehensive Community Directory.

12. Shall introduce the Community into the main stream American society that shall play an important role for the success and growth of all of us with the wide and collective participation in local, state and federal programs. We shall do so by keeping close contact with local, state and federal organizations and public representatives like Mayors, Governor, Congressman and Senators.



************************

Dhaka, Oct 29 (bdnews24.com) – Former finance minister M Saifur Rahman announced Monday he had been made acting chief of the BNP and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed had been appointed acting secretary general, in a major turn of events in the troubled party.

The announcement came from Saifur’s press briefing after a late-night meeting of senior BNP leaders at his Gulshan home.

In a written statement, Saifur said: “I have been made the acting chief of the party in the absence of the BNP chairperson because I am the most senior leader of the party.”

The decision taken at the BNP standing committee’s meeting will be sent to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia for approval.

“The BNP’s standing committee has faith in the ideology of Shaheed Zia [former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman] and in the leadership of Khaleda Zia,” Saifur said.

“The BNP will fight a legal battle for the freedom of Khaleda Zia,” he said, of the former prime minister who has been detained in special jail since September 3.

The meeting also scrapped Khaleda’s decision on the expulsions of Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Ashraf Hossain and Mofiqul Hasan Tripti from the party.

Khandaker Delwar Hossain was earlier installed by Khaleda as secretary general, replacing Mannan Bhuiyan.

Both remain members of the standing committee, according to the latest decision.

Delwar was relieved of all responsibilities as secretary general for “health reasons", according to the meeting decision, said Saifur.

Bhuiyan was the last to arrive at the meeting. Chowdhury Tanveer Ahmed Siddiqui, RA Gani, Khandaker Mahbubuddin Ahmed, Mahbubur Rahman and M Shamsul Islam were among the senior leaders who attended the meeting.

BNP’s acting office secretary Rizvi Ahmed opposed the new move, in an instant reaction.

“This decision is undemocratic and ill-motivated,” he told bdnews24.com.

Dhaka, Oct 27 (bdnews24.com) – Some 800,000 health workers and volunteers Saturday fanned out across the country to vaccinate about 25 million children aged 5 and under in a relentless effort to eliminate polio, according to a health ministry statement.

In the first round, children will also be given vitamin A capsules to combat night blindness in addition to their oral polio drops.

Health adviser ASM Matiur Rahman inaugurated the vaccination drive earlier on Thursday at the Extended Programme of Immunisation (EPI) building in Mohakhali through administering two drops of polio vaccine to a child.

Polio clawed its way back last year after a nearly six-year pause, prompting the government to launch a new series of campaigns in April 2006 with the help of the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization.

The government earlier vowed to continue its fight to check spread of polio. Health authorities in Cox’s Bazar recently vaccinated thousands of children against polio in the wake of reports of a new case in Myanmar.

The special drive in Cox’s Bazar was part of a campaign to reinforce efforts to prevent cross-border infections after the WHO recently warned Bangladesh about a 3-year-old boy who was diagnosed with polio in Myanmar’s Rakhine or Arakan state, just 10 kilometres across the border.

Fresh cases have been reported in some Indian states last year, according to WHO.

Saturday’s anti-polio drive is being carried out with the help of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative—a partnership among UNICEF, Rotary International, WHO and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

UNICEF and WHO helped the government conduct extensive polio vaccination programmes in 1995-2004. In August 2000, the country believed it had seen the last case of polio.

But the country’s efforts to be declared polio-free were dented last year when the virus left a 9-year-old girl paralysed in Chandpur.

It was not clear how she became infected, but the virus has also been found in parts of neighbouring India. Since then, the health ministry said, at least 16 other new cases have been found.

On Saturday, the officials are also camping at bus and train stations in the capital and elsewhere to make sure children who have no permanent address or are travelling are not left out.

In the second round of vaccination scheduled to start Dec 8, children will be given their second dose of polio drops as well as Albendazol, a medication in single tablet form to fight intestinal tapeworms.

The polio virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. It invades the nervous system and can cause permanent paralysis within hours. It can be fatal in some cases.

The virus can cause permanent paralysis in the lower limbs and abdomen of the sufferer.

About 1,880 people were sickened by polio worldwide in 2005, down from more than 350,000 before 1988, when WHO launched a global anti-polio campaign, WHO said. In 2006, the worldwide cases reduced to 1,526, the statement said.

Date:
Sunday, 4 November 2007

Time:
05:00PM - 10:00PM

Venue:
Kennedy Longfellow School

58 Spring Street
Cambridge, MA 02141

USA

Description:
“Belal-Sujon-Shilu Parishad Campaign Committee” is organizing “Eid Reunion and Introducing Candidates to you". There will have dinner and cultural show to be performed by famous Bangladeshi artists (Uma Khan, Ahin Das).

What is your opinion to put Ban on political activities of Jammat in Bangladesh?

Leaders of different political parties sharply reacted to the Jamaat secretary general's claim that there is no war criminal in the country and termed it false. They also demanded trial and punishment of war criminals and ban on political activities of Jamaat.

While talking to newsmen after a dialogue with the Election Commission on the electoral reforms, Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid on Thursday claimed that there was and there is no war criminal or anti-liberation force in the country.

Discarding the claim, the leaders of different political parties including Awami League, said there were war criminals who worked against the Liberation War in 1971.

In an instant reaction, AL acting president Zillur Rahman on Thursday said, "It's is a history that war criminals killed 30 lakh people during the liberation war in 1971".

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Salim told The Bangladesh Today on Friday that the Jamaat leaders, who were the collaborators of Pakistani forces, are the war criminals.

Still they are committing crimes against the people as well as the country, the CPB general secretary alleged.

Talking to this correspondent, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president Hasanul Haq Inu termed the Jamaat leader's claim false and said Jamaat leaders have told an utter lie in public, which is a denial of the history of Liberation War.

During the war in 1971 War, Golam Azam, Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and many others supported Pakistan forces and worked against the liberation of the country, he mentioned.
They were also involved in serious crimes like mass killing, torturing and raping the women, the JSD president alleged.

After Bangladesh came into being, the governments pardoned collaborators but not the war criminals, Inu added.

BNP's expelled secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in his reaction said there were war criminals, rajakars, al badar and al Shams during the liberation war.

The governments that came to power after the liberation war did not identify the war criminals and bring them to justice, Bhuiyan said adding all the governments forgave the war criminals.

Asked whether an electoral alliance can be formed with Jamaat, the expelled secretary general said an alliance for election purpose can be formed with any political party.

Ekattorer Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee and South Asian People's Union against Fundamentalism and Communalism in a press release condemned the claim of Mujahid.

Pakistani evil forces in collaboration with Jammati-e-Islami, Muslim League and Nejami Islam killed around 30 lakh unarmed people and brutally tortured around two lakh women, the press release says.
UNB adds: Dhaka City Awami League on Friday strongly protested Thursday's remarks by Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid that they did not work against the liberation war in 1971.

Mujahid also claimed that there is no war criminal in the country.

In a statement, AL Dhaka City unit AL acting general secretary Advocate Kamrul Islam said Jamaat was directly involved in all the massacres, women repression and looting in 1971.

"Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid himself is a war criminal. No mercy for the war criminals," Kamrul said vowing to continue their fight against the war criminals until they are tried.

The cost of investment in Bangladesh is falling, although some hidden expenses threaten to erode the country’s competitiveness, a new survey reveals.

The 17th survey of investment-related cost comparison said Bangladesh has emerged as “the cheapest place” in Asia in terms of nine cost components, including legal minimum wages, social security burden ratio and charges of utility services.

“The relative position of Bangladesh against the components like salary of mid-level manager, legal minimum wage, rate of increase in nominal wage, telephone installation fees and call charges, mobile phone subscription fee, monthly basic mobile phone charge, cost of general use of per cubic meter gas, and cost of diesel has improved,” noted the survey, conducted by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).

Jetro conducted surveys in 30 Asian cities according to the 32 cost-components.
But some hidden costs, which are abstract by nature but exist in matters related to legal, policy, procedural system and infrastructure, have been playing a vital role in case of elevation of cost of investment, the report noted.

It said the poor law and order situation, delay in the settlement of letter of credit (L/C) payment, sudden changes in government policies, inadequate infrastructure facilities, and problem related to Chittagong port need attention of the government to reduce the hidden cost of investment.
According to the survey, it is found that the mean order of all the components has switched to 2.44 from 2.49, indicating a very small elevation, which means Dhaka has become a little more cost-competitive from the viewpoint of investment costs.

“Therefore, the government should remain vigilant in case of any change of cost-components in other countries and has to continue its effort to achieve greater competitive edge by adjusting the cost,” the report pointed out.

“The cost related to the usage of mobile phone has gone down because of internal stiff competition among the mobile operators which belong to private sector,” the survey noted.

“Due to the emergence of several new private cell phone operators, the new connection fee for mobile phones has become cheaper and it is anticipated that the call charge and monthly basic charge for mobile phone will further go down as new operator Warid Telecom of Dhabi Group commenced their operation in Bangladesh recently", the survey noted.

The wage for workers, salary of the mid-level managers, legal minimum wages, social security ratio, cost of land area of an industrial estate, telephone installation fee and call charges, electricity and water costs, and corporate taxes are among the other cost-components.

Bangladesh is, however, less competitive in the areas like cost of industrial estate land, monthly basic payment for broadband internet service, new connection fee for fixed telephone line, container transportation cost, and rate of corporate taxes.

Particularly, the monthly basic payment for broadband internet service in the country remains one of the highest in Asia.

Regarding telephone service, the charge per call in Bangladesh stands around the middle range among the Asian countries, but the new installation fee is quite high.

Regarding the container transport, the survey has been made for the routes from 30 Asian cities to the ports of Yokohama and Los Angeles and the result shows that even after offsetting the proportional cost due to geographical longer distance, the cost of transportation from Chittagong Port is higher than that from Mumbai Port.

“This is due to the fact that large container ships cannot come to Chittagong Port due to its shallow draft and, therefore, transshipment of containers becomes necessary either at Singapore or at Colombo,” according to the survey report.

The survey mentioned corporate tax in Bangladesh, being 40 per cent for non-listed companies, is one of the highest in Asia.

The rate is also highest among all 30 cities considered in the 17th cost survey. During the budget of 2005-06, the tax holiday period for certain industry has been extended until June 30, 2008 for four and six years depending on the location.

“That means, the enterprises which have been enjoying tax holiday so far will have to pay the corporate tax after June 2008, causing disadvantage to the investors,” the report noted.

The Jetro recommended further expansion of tax holiday system for attracting foreign investment.
“Bangladesh may lose its competitiveness if tax holiday facility is not extended further, while the facility exists in other countries,” it mentioned.

In addition, the survey report said that the government would have to take care of the existing foreign investors to attract more investment.

If the existing investors are not satisfied, then the probability of getting new FDI will gradually decrease in course of time and the prospective investors will go to other countries, the report warned.
The Jetro suggested that the government should conduct occasional surveys among the foreign companies on the degree of their satisfaction and try to resolve any existing problem for further improvement.

Financial Express Report

News articles follow their own style. This style is not the same as the style used in essays, feature articles, how-to articles, memoirs, or in fiction. When writing news articles, consider this guide to news article writing.

Style of a News Article: 1. Inverted Pyramid Style

Inverted pyramid style is the basis for all news stories. Picture a pyramid, and turn it upside down. What is now the top of the news story is where all of the meat is in the story.

The practical and historical reason for this stems from print news. Articles were written in column inches. Sometimes, due to space constrictions, editors had to cut parts of news stories. Literally, they had to parts of the article out to make room for other articles, advertising, or because the copy ran too long due to spacing in the column.

Because the bottom couple of paragraphs could be cut at any time, it was essential to include the most important facts right up front.

With the Internet, news articles getting cut from the bottom up is not an issue anymore. But readers still expect to get the news up front. They don’t want a big build up have to read three pages before getting to the facts.

Style of a News Article: 2. News Writing and the Fiction Connection

News writing is not like fiction. Forget the suspense building techniques and foreshadowing of fiction. Give the readers the facts right up front. Don’t save the good stuff for the middle or the end of the story. Approach the news story as if the average reader will only be reading the first three or four paragraphs of any news story.

On the other hand, one literary technique is applied to news writing. Similar to well-written, fiction, a news article may start “in medias res,” or “in the middle of things.” News stories are not always expressed in a linear fashion. News articles do not begin with “President Smith was born in 1945.”

Style of a News Article: 3. Keep Your Opinion to Yourself

When writing a news article, be as objective as possible. If you find yourself including your opinion,consider if you should instead write an Op/Ed piece about the event.

Sometimes writing an Op/Ed piece is the only way you will write about an event. After the Op/Ed piece is finished, the writer may be done with the news event. Or, once the op/ed is out of your system, you may be ready to sit down and right the facts.

Beginning news writers who have their choice of stories, may want to practice writing news stories by starting with events that interest them but have not emotional impact on them. By removing the emotional aspect up front, the writer will be less likely to include opinions in their articles.

As the beginning writer gains skill with news writing, approaching more emotional and visceral subjects will be easier to cover while still maintaining objectivity.

Reference:
Beginner’s Guide to Writing News Stories: Style of a News Article

More Helpful Link:
News Writing Tips from The Northern Star
writing news: a quick primer